The Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) provides social services and public benefits assistance; mental health, intellectual disability and substance abuse services; and supports initiatives for women through three direct care centers: the Center for Children & Families, the Center for Adult Services and the Center for Economic Support. Not sure what service you need? See our service chart, visit Call.Click.Connect or contact the DCHS Call Center at 703.746.5700.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, which helps promote awareness of resources for suicide prevention and emphasizes the importance of knowing how to talk to people about suicide without increasing the risk of harm.

Chronic stress can have negative side effects on everyone. Psycho-social factors, specifically, pervasive exposure to racism and discrimination, creates an additional daily stressor for people of color. Research shows this to be particularly true for African-Americans (APA, 2016). Read more.

For individuals in Alexandria looking to understand and assist those affected by mental illness, there are training options available. 

Adults in Alexandria who work with middle or high school youth can now be trained in mental health ‘gatekeeper skills’ through online at-risk training simulations. This short interactive online training is designed for mentors, juvenile justice professionals, school staff, youth development staff, recreation professionals and human-service staff. The training is not recommended for licensed clinicians. Learn more and take the hour-long web-based training today!

Learn about the activities of the Department of Community and Human Services. The annual Community Impact Report highlights fiscal information along with the accomplishments of the three direct care centers: Adult Services, Children and Families and Economic Support. See the successes of our programs and clients, all which have been supported by our community partners. Find out why Emergency Services had an 82% increase in people served, how children's services saved millions of dollars while improving care, and see information on the number of Alexandrians experiencing homelessness and the drop in the rate of teen pregnancy.

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death among Americans, claiming more than twice as many lives each year as homicides. Learn more about this serious public health problem and what we can do to help prevent suicide.  

The Department of Community and Human Services welcomes you to the online mental health screening and the screening tool for substance use disorders. This free screening is made available to the general public and is taken anonymously. The screening is provided so that you may find out - in a few minutes - whether or not professional consultation would be helpful to you.