The Agency of Human Services exists to help every Vermonter who needs help, strives to protect our most vulnerable citizens, and hopes to assist every Vermonter develop to their fullest potential. We work in partnership with community providers – in the public, private, and non-profit sectors – who share accountability for accomplishing this complex work.

Across the state of Vermont, from our central office to our twelve district offices, almost 4,000 AHS staff work in concert to support Vermonters. Across our wide scope of services and programs - from substance abuse treatment, housing and employment stability, to family strengthening, public health assessments, and offender re-entry, we see poverty as the root cause for individual and family instability.

The Agency of Human Services strives to reduce the lasting impacts of poverty on individuals, families, and communities, and to create pathways out of poverty. Our individual programs and integrated approach to issues across all Departments work to strengthen the safety net at the same time that we strengthen communities, and support the development of systems that enable people to take care of themselves and each other.

“How is Vermont doing?” The whole-population indicators below help gauge whether progress is being made in Vermont in relation to the condition we want to create. One Agency cannot be accountable for “turning the curve” on whole-population changes, but we are one of many partners with a role to play in making a difference in these trend lines.