Counties meet an unprecedented moment in human services

Key Takeaways

County human services agencies have always been asked to do more with less. But today, we are confronting a convergence of challenges unlike anything many of us have experienced in our careers.

The budget reconciliation package enacted in 2025, H.R. 1, will fundamentally reshape the administration of two cornerstone safety-net programs: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. For county agencies responsible for delivering these services, the challenge is not simply policy change. It is the scale, complexity and speed at which these changes must occur.

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The National Association of County Human Services Administrators (NACHSA) supports the professional development of administrators committed to delivering quality services to county residents in need.

Across the country, county human services directors are racing against the clock to lower SNAP Payment Error Rates while simultaneously implementing significant eligibility changes and preparing for reduced federal support for program administration. At the same time, agencies are being asked to build entirely new systems and processes to implement Medicaid work requirements, one of the most significant and administratively complex eligibility changes in the program's history. These efforts demand new technology, extensive staff training, robust quality control systems and unprecedented coordination across agencies and community partners.

Yet these responsibilities are arriving at a moment when many counties are already struggling with workforce shortages, increased staff turnover and persistent recruitment and retention challenges. Child welfare agencies are seeing growing numbers of young people with complex behavioral health and social service needs enter their systems. Meanwhile, uncertainty surrounding federal grant programs and shifting administrative priorities continues to make long-term planning difficult.

In Union County, New Jersey, where I serve as director of Human Services, we are seeing how much this work depends on clear communication beyond the walls of a county office. We have brought residents and community partners together for briefings on changes to SNAP and Medicaid, so the organizations families already turn to can answer questions and help connect them with assistance.

We are also building a No Wrong Door model, so the door a resident walks through does not determine the help they receive. An AI-powered virtual assistant answers resident calls, a shared case record means families do not have to repeat their story at every step, and AI-assisted documentation gives caseworkers more time with the people they serve, while eligibility decisions stay with trained staff. In workforce and housing, a referral is already followed through to a job or a housing placement rather than ending at a phone number. These are practical examples of the coordination and technology counties need as they prepare for new requirements.

Meeting this moment will require more than determination. County human services agencies need the fiscal and institutional support of their county boards and local leaders. We need the flexibility to innovate, invest in emerging technologies, build new community partnerships and create pathways to attract and retain talented public servants. Most importantly, we need the trust and resources necessary to rethink how we deliver services in a rapidly changing environment.

Organizations like NACHSA play a critical role in this work. By bringing county leaders together to share solutions, learn from one another and advocate collectively at the federal level, we help counties navigate change while working to mitigate the impacts federal policy decisions can have on low-income residents. This September, Union County hosted a NACo peer exchange on supporting families affected by substance use, bringing county teams together to compare approaches and take practical ideas home.

The months ahead will test county human services systems in profound ways. But with collaboration, innovation and meaningful investment in the people who administer these programs every day, counties can continue to fulfill their mission: strengthening families, supporting vulnerable residents and building healthier communities.