Q+A with Prince William’s New Social Services Director

Prince William County recently appointed Phyllis Jennings-Holt as the new director of the Department of Social Services following a national recruitment process. Jennings-Holt has worked in the county since September 1992 in various roles in DSS. She's been a social worker, case manager, assistant director of protective services and deputy director. Jennings-Holt was the acting director of DSS starting in June, and effective immediately became the director. "I am delighted that Jennings-Holt will be the county’s next Social Services director. She has dedicated her career to serving the people of Prince William County," County Executive Chris Shorter said in a county press release. "She has extensive knowledge of the community and tremendous experience in leadership and the human services sector. I am confident that she will continue the work we are doing to provide human-centered and customer-centric service to all of those we serve." As director, Jennings-Holt will oversee a team of more than 420 employees along with several programs and hundreds of thousands of residents. Potomac Local asked Jennings-Holt a few questions about herself and her approach to this new position.

Can you share your journey within the Prince William County Department of Social Services and how your previous roles have prepared you for the position of director?

I worked in the arena of social work for 36 years and came to Prince William County in 1992 and have worked in every services program area in child welfare to include Child Protective Services, foster care and adoption. In 2022, I was hired as the deputy director; in this position, I supervised six direct reports and 327 indirect reports. In addition, my education and leadership training throughout the years has helped prepare me for this position.

How do you plan to enhance the delivery of social services to meet the evolving needs of the community?

The Department continues to assess internal processes to ensure that constituents are receiving services timely and efficiently with minimal disruption to include applying for benefits online and developing creatives ways to bring services in neighborhoods/communities.

What do you perceive as the most pressing challenges facing social services in Prince William County, and how do you intend to address them?

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals and families have been impacted through loss of employment/income which may have impacted their financial stability. A lack of affordable housing, food insecurity and homelessness are few of the pressing challenges that is not just facing Social Services but the community as well. The Department in collaboration with other departments and the community to address these challenges.

How do you plan to foster collaboration between the Department of Social Services and other community organizations or stakeholders?

DSS partners with community organizations and stakeholders and will continue that relationship. In December 2023, the CXO created the Office of Transformation Management that assist departments with change management and community outreach and the Department will work with OTM to expand our collaboration within the community and strengthen the partnering relationships

In what ways can the community support the department's mission and initiatives?

Prince William County constituents have always been great about reaching out and asking the Department how they can support our mission and initiatives through donations and volunteering, and we would like for that to continue.

How do you plan to strengthen the county’s response to crises, such as housing instability, unemployment and mental health challenges?

The Department will continue its collaboration with the Office of Housing and Community Development and our community partners to assist our constituents who are at the risk of homelessness or homelessness to secure housing. Prince William County Community Services and the Department collaborate to identify and assess if individual may need mental health services. PWCCS is the lead agency in providing mental health services for our community.  The Department administers the Virginia Initiative for Education and Work, which offers employment, education, training opportunities and supportive services to assist people in attaining economic independence.

Are there any new initiatives or programs you plan to implement to address gaps in the current system?

The Department is always looking at how we can improve service delivery to our constituents and currently developing ways to be more visible in the community.