SERVICES

SEMHA creates a process for local health departments which receive a time-limited grant of federal, state, local or foundation funds to hire staff through SEMHA, and have the program operational early in the grant period.

SEMHA has the flexibility to hire persons with special skills (e.g., foreign language-speaking) who may not be readily available through a civil service system.

This process allows governments to forego long-term financial liabilities for what are often short-term employees.

SEMHA enables two or more member health departments to plan, direct and deliver health services, or a group of health services to a population that transcends political jurisdictions.

This approach is important for the following two reasons:

1) There is a small central administrative unit which is accountable to the health officers of the local health departments involved in the program. This centralized unit serves in lieu of the development of similar units, with associated costs, in each of the involved local health departments. The money saved through centralized administration is then available for decentralized service delivery contracts to the benefit of program recipients.

2) This program approach allows for decentralized delivery of service within the jurisdiction of each participating local health department via subcontract. Service accountability, service staff and the delivery of service remains under the direction of each local health officer.

SEMHA provides financial management services to new agencies within SEMHA's jurisdiction allowing them to more rapidly concentrate on and begin service delivery while still developing fiscal capability.