Peter E. Vriens, MSW Director

2 South Second Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 780-6288
pvriens@dauphinc.org

Mr. Vriens is the Human Services Director for Dauphin County. He has extensive experience working in social services, including ten years as a Children and Youth Services Administrator. He holds a master's of social work degree from Temple University and a bachelor's degree in psychology from Dickinson College. Mr. Vriens' goals are to build upon the county's success with the innovative practice of Family Group Conferencing, greatly reduce the waiting list for mental retardation services, expand services to the county's growing aging population, and juggle growing state and federal mandates with declining funding. He believes in providing human services in an integrated and seamless way in order to provide consistent outcomes for consumers. Mr. Vriens will build upon the foundation Dauphin County has laid for Family Group Conferencing as a driving philosophy and practice governing how we deliver all human services.

Deborah Clayton, Grants Coordinator

100 Chestnut Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 780-6298
dclayton@dauphinc.org

Ms. Clayton provides administrative oversight for the following Dauphin County programs: Medical Assistance Transportation Program (MATP), Homeless Assistance Program (HAP), Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG), State Subsidized Child Care, the State Food Purchase Program (SFPP) and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).

Merle Foust, Personnel Analyst

2 South Second Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 780-6231
mfoust@dauphinc.org

Mr. Foust serves as the Human Resource Officer for the following Dauphin County departments: Area Agency on Aging, Children & Youth, and MH/MR, which are covered under the State Civil Service Commission. For these agencies, he performs a variety of generalist personnel duties. He insures that all personnel related procedures and actions are in compliance with County policies, funding agency policies, Civil Service procedures and regulations, local, state and federal laws, and the collective bargaining agreement covering these departments. He also is active in the interview process for these agencies, has an active part in labor discussions, and is the Human Services Liaison to the State Civil Service Commission

Fredrick W. Lighty, Esquire Human Services Solicitor

2 South Second Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 780-6294
flighty@dauphinc.org

Mr. Lighty assists the County Solicitor as council to county government. He handles all legal issues of the Human Services Director's Office. Additionally; he processes all contracts of the various providers contracted by the Human Services agencies.

Hector Ortiz, Community & Contract Liaison

2 South Second Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 780-6499
hortiz@dauphinc.org

Mr. Ortiz has a background in International Studies and Human Rights. He has been involved in the community and in the non-for-profit sector for several years. Mr. Ortiz is responsible for administrative work in directing and overseeing special projects, events, grant and agency programs within the Human Services Director's Office and each of the categorical agencies. Hector oversight responsibilities include, but are not limited to the delivery of services of Human Services Development Fund grant, Fatherhood initiative, Systems of Care, Family Group Conferencing, Foster Care and Adoptive Home recruitment. Hector oversees the Human Services Development Fund (HSDF) and Family Center (FC) grants. He also assists in the negotiation and creation of contracts including but not limited to HSDF; it comprises monitoring selected contracts directly administered by the Human Services Department and the flow and usage within adult/child service delivering system focusing on identifying and alleviating barriers to access within the community. Hector provides research on special projects requested by the Human Service Director and attends meetings of interest to the department on behalf of the Human Services Director's Office. He prepares and submits related program reports and works closely with the Fiscal Operations Officer.

Debra Rowe, Administrative Assistant

2 South Second Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 780-6296
drowe@dauphinc.org

Ms. Rowe assists the Office Manager in maintaining day-to-day operations of the Human Services Office. She assists staff of the Human Services Director's Office with a variety of clerical duties, receives concerns, queries and information requests from the public; routes queries and other requests to the proper authority or responds independently to them.

Stephenie Strayer, Community Liaison and Contract Monitor

2 South Second Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 780-6297
sstrayer@dauphinc.org

Ms. Strayer is responsible for administrative work in directing and overseeing special projects, events, grant and agency programs within the Human Services Director's Office and each of the categorical agencies. She oversees the Human Services Development Fund (HSDF) and Family Center (FC) grants. She also negotiates and creates HSDF and FC contracts and monitors these contracts. She serves on the Human Services Directors Board, Upper Dauphin School Director's, the Northern Dauphin Advisory Panel, Integrated Childrens Services Plan Committee and attends other meetings of interest to the Director. She prepares and submits related program reports and works closely with the Fiscal Operations Officer.

Charles Udit, Coordinator of Data and Fiscal Operations

2 South Second Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 780-6290
cudit@dauphinc.org

Mr. Udit handles all financial duties of the Human Services Director's Office. He serves as resource to other Human Services Fiscal Coordinators; collaborates to keep up to date on changes in statutory regulations as well as tracking various categorical funding streams to ensure that necessary fiscal procedures are development. Mr. Udit oversees all Human Services Data Collection Systems.

Jack Wright, Grant Writer

2 South Second Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 780-6119
jwright@dauphinc.org

Mr. Wright is responsible for writing, submitting and obtaining grants for both Human Services and other county departments/agencies. He researches and identifies a variety of grant sources including federal and state grants, private foundations and corporate funding. He serves as a team leader in the development of concept papers and grant proposals submissions and schedule team meetings to define the project. Mr. Wright monitors timely preparation and submissions of grant proposals, supporting documentation and related attachments. He establishes positive working relationships with grant officers and managers, relevant federal, state and local government officials, provider agencies, and others as necessary for the successful completion of grant applications.