Our mission is to provide assistance for people in need in our community.  Our goal is to improve the quality of life for the citizens of our county by providing services that are outcome focused and cost effective. We treat everyone with whom we interact with dignity and respect, patiently guiding them through our processes and showing consideration for their situations.  We reflect an appropriate appearance for professionals serving the public and promote and practice teamwork all around us, understanding that we create a better workplace for ourselves, better connections with the community resources, and better outcomes for our clients.  We collaboratively work with our clients, co-workers and the community to make a difference every day.

Galveston County Social Services is one of the many agencies providing an array of services to the indigent population of Galveston County.  However, it is the singular county governmental body, funded by County tax dollars to do so.  There are four major service areas within the department; Social Services, Guardianship & Payees, Indigent Health Care Coordination, and Disaster Assessment and Relief.  The Social Services Program is set up to provide emergency relief to indigent individuals for basic living requirements from utilities to rent and food.  Also under the Social Services Program indigent burials for county residents are provided.  The Guardianship/Payee Program helps primarily indigent individuals who have been declared by court order, to be incapacitated.  These also exists a large number of individuals whom the department only oversees their financial well-being (Payees) at the request of the Social Security Administration.  These individuals are not incapacitated but are considered incompetent to handle their Social Security income benefits.  The Indigent Health Care Coordination is the management of health related services such as drugs and medicines for indigent individuals.  The Disaster Relief and Assessment Program operate in times of County emergencies and disasters.  During these times, Social Services employees work under the guide of the Red Cross some will screen individuals for required relief, while others work as a team with the Emergency Management Disaster Program.  Those individuals go into the field immediately following a disaster and assess damage to the social fabric of the community, such as lost and damage housing, food, shelter, and population displacement.