At Durham County Social Services There's An App For That!

DURHAM, N.C. - Aug. 16, 2016 - PRLog -- Durham residents who are clients of the Department of Social Services can submit documents required when applying or recertifying for public assistance programs, or when they want to change information, all by a mobile app. "The DSS mobile app, known as DSS-MAP, is a first for the state, and a major accomplishment for our agency," states Michael Becketts, Director of Durham Social Services. Approximately 6,000 clients come into the agency's lobbies per month seeking to apply, recertify or make changes to their status in the Food and Nutrition Medicaid or Work First programs. With the mobile app, clients can better manage their time and submit information at their own convenience. DSS-MAP is available free of charge on Google Play and is coming soon to Apple's iTunes store. It can be found by searching for 'Durham County Social Services.'

The expected outcomes of having DSS-MAP are:

• To create a positive experience for the clients of DSS

• To leverage technology that our clients have at their fingertips

• Greater efficiency in managing time and resources of the agency

• To improve the productivity of DSS staff


Clients can also obtain access by visiting the website https://dssmobile.dconc.gov on their mobile devices, laptops or desktop computers.

YouthWork summer intern Sterling Mason helped to create DSS-MAP during his sophomore year at North Carolina A & T University, under the supervision of Mickey Mazarick, senior applications analyst. "Now Sterling is at a junior programmer level, after having been interning in our department for a few summers", said Mazarick. The YouthWork summer program allows Durham youth the opportuntiy to gain meaningful work experience with City and County jobs.

The new mobile app is expected to offer expanded services in the future, helping to simplify forms processing in more DSS departments. "Not only has the County provided a much needed, easy-to-use service to our clients with our new mobile app, the County is also helping to launch a tech career of one of our citizens, " states Becketts.