New Jefferson County DHS opens at former Relyance Bank headquarters

Aug 27, 2023

The new Department of Human Services of Jefferson County offices at 912 S. Poplar St. held its grand opening in Pine Bluff last week featuring state DHS Secretary Kristi Putnam and several other department leaders.

The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce red coats lined up in front of what was once the old Relyance Bank headquarters for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Putnam officially welcomed everyone on a sunny afternoon to celebrate the new office space.

"I appreciate all of the hard work you do to serve the citizens of Jefferson County and Pine Bluff," she said to the DHS employees, about 75 to 100 who gathered outside. "How you see people is how you serve people and you all clearly see people in a special way."

Putnam said the new office would be beneficial to both the DHS staff and their clients.

Mary Franklin, director of the Division of County Operations, thanked everyone who played a part in making the new office a reality.

"I am so pleased that this has become a reality now," said Franklin, who thanked the county staff, central office, the procurement and finance team at DHS, and several other individuals.

Just a few blocks away from their old office at 1222 W. Sixth Ave., Franklin said the department was in need of a bigger location.

"We had been in our other location since 1980," she said. "We had a lot of service provided from that old location, but it no longer allowed us to serve the clients that we had in a way that they deserved."

Franklin said DHS began exploring different location options and was connected with the leadership of Relyance Bank, who were getting ready to move out of the building.

"Things just came together and it just worked out and we're very pleased to be here," said Franklin, adding both the bank and DHS share a desire to serve the citizens of Jefferson County. "Relocating to this building just makes sense. It keeps us centrally located here. We are close to those that we need to serve."

Multiple divisions of DHS will call the new two-story building home, including Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services; Child Care & Early Childhood Education; Children and Family Services and Developmental Disabilities Services.

Mischa Martin, deputy secretary for youth and families who previously served as the director of the Division of Children and Family Services, said she was excited for Jefferson County to have a new office.

With the department's line of work, Martin understands most staff members spend the majority of their lives at the office and said she hopes the employees know that they are loved and cared about and reinvest that love and value.

"I hope that you feel noticed. I hope that you feel loved. I hope that that translates to those that you serve," she said.

Chelsea Briggs, a program eligibility specialist at the Jefferson County location for five years, said the new space allows staff members to better serve their clients and community. She also said with most of their time spent at the office and rarely any time to even take a lunch break, accommodations have been made in the office space such as a free coffee and snack bar.

The break room has also been transformed into a self-pay and serve station featuring sandwiches, snacks, and many more appetizing delights that one wouldn't find in an average vending machine.

"The old building was outdated and we had outgrown the space," said Briggs. "It was time for a breath of fresh air. This new space is very comfortable and a clean environment and we are absolutely in love with it."

Print Headline: DHS settles into new midtown offices

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