Priority Services

Employment Equity:

  1. Complaint Investigation/Conciliation/Resolution:
    Responsible for ensuring that employment decisions are made on the basis of merit and fitness, and not on any unlawfully discriminatory basis; investigating complaints of discrimination in employment including sexual harassment; conciliating complaints of discrimination; recommending actions to be taken when a violation has occurred; and signing off on appropriate personnel transactions. Legal mandates: Title VII, Article 49B, Annotated Code of Maryland, Executive Order 01.01.1995.19, Title V, Maryland Personnel and Pensions Article.
  2. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance:
    Investigates complaints of violation of the ADA and or Article 49B; provides technical assistance to managers and directors regarding reasonable accommodation. Legal Mandates: Americans with Disabilities Act Title I and Title II; Article 49B, Annotated Code of Md.
  3. Affirmative Action:
    Responsible for monitoring hiring practices to ensure continued hiring of under-utilized groups in the workplace; develops remedies for overcoming vestiges of any proven past discrimination.
  4. Employment Diversity Initiatives:
    Ensures a diverse pool of applicants for DHS recruitment. Initiates various programs and experiences to expose DHS employees to diverse cultural, racial, and ethnic groups in order to increase mutual respect amongst these diverse employees in the workplace.
  5. Mediation:
    Provides DHS management and staff with opportunities to resolve conflicts in the workplace and to increase job performance and satisfaction.
  6. Equal Employment Opportunity Training:
    Provides training to DHS management and staff in various areas of EEO law including sexual harassment prevention, interviewing, etc.
  7. Technical Support:
    Provides support, training, assistance, information, etc. to local EEO designees, directors, managers, supervisors, and staff regarding EEO, Affirmative Action, ADA, Title VI Compliance, and Mediation.

 

Program Equity:

  1. Title VI Compliance (Service Delivery):
    Monitors and ensures compliance with Title VI requirements regarding the unbiased provision of services to individuals utilizing Federally assisted programs. Legal Mandate: Title VI of Civil Rights Act of 1964.
  2. Fair Service/Benefit Delivery:
    Ensures that all non-Federally funded DHS services and benefits are provided to customers without unlawful bias. Legal Mandate: COMAR Title 07.01.03.01-.08.
  3. Cultural Competence Initiatives:
    Assists in ensuring that DHS employees are competent in working with customers from diverse cultural, racial, and ethnic groups. Seeks to eliminate barriers that may block diverse groups from receiving DHS?s services or benefits.
  4. Customer or Community Complaint Investigation / Conciliation / Resolution:
    Investigates complaints by customers or community groups of alleged bias on the part of DHS employees or programs, and seeks to resolve those issues in an equitable and fair manner.