Highland County Department of Social Services

The Highland County Department of Social Services provides services ranging from protective services for children, aged, and adults with disabilities to employment services. The department is also responsible for the administration of SNAP, Medicaid, and Energy Assistance Programs. Information and referral services are available to all citizens.

Office Hours:                                    

Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm

***24-Hour on-call availability for child and adult protective service needs

Our Mission:

Building Brighter Futures for the Families of Today by providing quality services and support to promote the health, safety, and self-sufficiency of all Highland County residents.

 

BENEFIT PROGRAMS:

Auxiliary Grant Program (AG): 

Financial assistance with the costs of room and board for eligible elderly, blind, or disabled adults who reside in assisted living facilities.

Energy Assistance (Seasonal):

Short-term financial assistance with heating/cooling costs for eligible low-income households.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP):

Addition to the food budgets of low-income households to help assure needy persons a nutritionally adequate diet.  Eligibility is determined by financial need, household size and non-financial criteria such as student and work.

Medicaid:

Financial assistance through direct payments to health care service providers for eligible low-income individuals and families who are unable to pay for needed medical services.  Medicaid pays for a variety of medical services including doctor visits, nursing facility care and hospital care, and prescription drugs.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program:

Time-limited financial assistance to eligible families with children.

Fraud:

Investigation of program violations and referrals to the Commonwealth’s Attorney for prosecution. 

SERVICE PROGRAMS:

Family Services:

Myriad of services to strengthen families, which might include information and referral to community resources, assessments, financial counseling, crisis intervention, court-ordered home evaluations and adoption services investigations.

Child Protective Services (CPS):

Assessment and/or investigation of suspected child abuse and/or neglect, coupled to the coordination of services and resources to prevent reoccurrence.

Foster Care Services for Children (FC):

Placement, supervision and support of children in the Department’s custody.

Child Care:

Services to assist families in locating quality child care providers and financial assistance with the costs for eligible families.

Adult Services (AS):

Home-based care services to enable adults to remain in their homes to function independently as possible.  Services might include preadmission screening for Medicaid funded out of home placements such as Medicaid funded nursing homes or assisted living facilities.

Adult Protective Services (APS):

Assessment and/or investigation of suspected abuse, neglect and/or exploitation of adults and the provision of services to counterbalance the ill-effects.

Employment Services/Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare (VIEW):

Assessment, counseling and assistance for TANF recipients and others seeking employment.

Staff Contacts

Name Title Phone
Emily Malcolm Director 540-468-2199 ext 301
Summer Cohen Benefits Programs Specialist III 540-468-2199 ext. 302
Holli McVeigh Family Services Specialist III 540-468-2199 ext. 305
Breanna Hartman Benefits Program Specialist I 540-468-2199 ext. 304
Lacey Smith Administrative Office Manager 540-468-2199 ext 303

Board Members

Name Title
Emily Malcolm Director
Matt Blagg Administrative Board Member
Matha Leech Administrative Board Member