Message from Coordinator

One of the best-kept secrets in our county is a group known by the acronym HSN. No, not the Home Shopping Network, or High Speed Network. It is the Human Services Network – a collaborative group of human service providers, working together to improve the lives of children and families in our county.

Once each month, leaders from Department of Human Services, Community Action Agency, the Community Health Agency, Domestic Harmony, Salvation Army, Sheriff’s Department, Probate Court, Lifeways, Senior Center, Hillsdale County Community Foundation, United Way, South Central Michigan Works!, Big Brothers Big Sisters, CAPA, Ministerial Association, Key Opportunities, Legal Services, Intermediate School District and others gather to share what their agencies are doing in the county. This exchange of information and the relationships that are formed benefit both the member agencies and people of our communities.

One of the projects of the HSN is to collect data about the residents of our county, focusing on three different areas: children, adults, and seniors. This data is presented at the HSN Annual Meeting and is used by the HSN to determine where additional services might be needed. This data is also available to member agencies when applying for grants for funding. (To view this data, click on the data button at the top of this page.) Plus, the relationships formed between member agencies of the HSN are invaluable when agencies need community support for grant applications or collaborative projects.

The HSN also has the responsibility to allocate Strong Families/Safe Children money from the State of Michigan to local agencies. The collective expertise of the HSN members assures that these funds are used wisely.

Through the collaboration and communication of the Human Services Network, the mission of the HSN is fulfilled: Working together to insure optimal quality of life for all Hillsdale County residents.

The HSN meets the third Tuesday of each month at the ISD at 8:30 a.m. For more information, contact Laurie Brandes at (517) 437-7395 x106 or brandesl@bhsj.org 

Contact the Coordinator:  Laurie Brandes 517-437-7395 Ext. 106  |  brandesl@bhsj.org

This page is sponsored by Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency