About NHSITRC

Mission

Under the auspices of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the National Human Services Information Technology Resource Center (NHSITRC), serves as a resource multiplier for Federal and State governments, enabling both entities to collaborate and share best practices. Its mission is to network information technology professionals with each other providing timely technical resources and readily available strategies to enhance the development and operation of human services information systems.

The NHSITRC achieves its mission by collecting and disseminating information on technologies, guidelines, and practical experiences of State and Federal information technology professionals. By leveraging resources, the Center helps users improve system efficiency and effectiveness as well as the processes used to develop and operate them.

History

The National Human Services Information Technology Resource Center (NHSITRC) was established in 2001.  The foundation for this site came from an ACF study of issues in implementing information systems for Welfare Reform, specifically the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program.  In response to the issues identified in the report, the NHSITRC was created as a collection of tools and information to assist States in addressing many of the commonly encountered barriers in attempting to modify and modernize information systems.

The NHSITRC has grown from a focus on Welfare Reform to a broad based, collaborative effort for information technology professionals to address the challenges and opportunities of integrating information technology and human services organizations.

What We Offer

The NHSITRC responds to the needs of States and federal staff by providing the following collection of information and tools:

• IT Planning and Management Guides - provides guidance, explanations, checklists, templates, and other tools to help manage the evolution of IT systems
• State Systems Profiles- presents summaries of State IT systems, validation of technology used to support State IT systems, and technical and program staff contact information
• Documents Library - contains documents and publications to support State and Federal information technology professionals
• Public Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS)- description and guidance on how to access an information exchange system to provide State Public Assistance Agencies (SPAAs) with appropriate data as a result of a Federal computer matching initiative.
• Related Links- provides access to relevant information technology links

Technical Advisory Group

Members of the NHSITRC Technical Advisory Group (TAG) are State level IT and Program staff that provide guidance on the scope of work for the NHSITRC. The objective of the TAG is to ensure that this Web site and the products of the NHSITRC meet the needs of State level IT professionals. Members of the TAG make suggestions for additional tools and services.

The State level organizations represented in the TAG include:

• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Iowa
• Maryland
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• New Jersey
• North Carolina
• Pennsylvania
• Virginia
• Washington
• Wisconsin

Contact Information

For more information, please contact us at statesystems@acf.hhs.gov. We will either handle your message directly or put you in touch with someone who can assist you.