The Colorado Department of Human Services recognized hard work and accomplishments in El Paso County on Wednesday. The El Paso County Department of Human Services received a 2020 C-Stat Distinguished Performance award.

“I could not be prouder of the entire El Paso County DHS team for keeping children and adults safe and making sure families have needed emergency assistance,” said Julie Krow, El Paso County DHS Executive Director. “These supports were especially important during the pandemic. This award represents top-quality services to our community as measured by federal, state, and county performance metrics.”

El Paso County is one of ten counties recognized for superior performance and ranks second in the state.

“2020 was a year full of challenges, growth, and comradery. It brought unprecedented change, and it also brought unprecedented dedication, commitment and achievement from our county partners,” said CDHS executive director Michelle Barnes. “El Paso County is leading the way as a top performer by delivering fast and consistent services, especially during the pandemic. I am proud of El Paso County in supporting people slipping into poverty and those already in it, keeping kids and seniors safe, and supporting families while out of work and out of school.”

Over the course of the pandemic, El Paso County never closed or limited hours of in-person assistance options. Child protection and adult protection caseworkers continued to work with families and conduct home visits. Economic Assistance staff processed applications swiftly and accurately to make sure families had access to critical resources.

“This award is about more than just metrics; it’s about the people we serve and those who serve them with compassion,” said Board of El Paso County Commissioners Vice-Chair Cami Bremer. “El Paso County prides itself on fulfilling our two most important obligations to citizens: protecting our region’s most vulnerable and providing efficient, cost-effective services. Today’s recognition highlights our success in both areas. Even before the pandemic, the Department of Human Services was crucial to protecting and assisting individuals and families in our region.”

C-Stat is a performance management tool that allows CDHS to better focus on and improve performance outcomes that enhance people’s lives. By measuring the impact of day-to-day efforts, CDHS is able to make more informed, collaborative decisions to align its efforts and resources to affect positive change.

The Distinguished Performance award recognizes counties that are timely, safe, and accurate in work and meeting goals. Such counties are more likely to be meeting the needs of individuals and families in their community, and more likely to have higher completion rates of applications. El Paso County has received several C-Stat Distinguished Performance awards in recent years and keeps working on ways to make improvements.