By Grace Grinager, Cook County PHHS Director

While I have worked within Cook County for the past seven years, I am new to the Public Health and Human Services (PHHS) Director role as of early January 2026.  The mission of the department to support the health, safety, and well-being of the community is near and dear to my heart, as it is to many community members—both those who have directly accessed services through PHHS, and those who simply want to ensure that all people in the community have what they need to thrive.

Our department has experienced significant challenges and changes over the past year.  We are currently working with an organizational consultant on a report that details where we are at as an agency, including both our areas of strength and areas for improvement.  This report is forthcoming and will be shared at a future PHHS Board meeting.  It will serve as an invaluable tool as we map out our steps forward and improve how well we are able to serve the community. 

In the meantime, as I begin my tenure as PHHS Director, I am taking a moment to pause and think about the long-term vision for our agency.  When I ask myself where I want PHHS to be in a year, or even five years, the answer comes to me quickly and is quite simple: I want us to do a good job.  Defining what exactly this means and what it would look like takes a bit more explanation.

First, I want to for PHHS staff to feel like they have what they need to do their jobs well.  This includes having thorough and positive on-boarding experiences for new staff, as well as high-quality supervision and on-going training for all staff.  PHHS has staff working across a huge range of services.  In a larger county, staff can specialize in providing one type of service, whereas our staff often need to understand and operate across multiple services.  The jobs of the staff in our department are complex and demanding.  I have so much respect for the work that our staff do each day, and as Director I am hoping to build a positive work culture that includes the concrete supports our staff need to excel.  By doing this, I hope to decrease rates of staff turnover in our department.

Next, I want to ensure accountability.  Accountability is one of our departmental values, and it’s one that I strive to embody as a leader.  We need to ensure that there are ways this value shows up consistently in our work: within our own staff, to our elected officials, to our clients, to our state and federal partners, and to the community at large.  To me, accountability means that we understand what we are tasked with accomplishing, and that we follow through on these expectations consistently.  This doesn’t mean that we will always be perfect, but it does mean that we will try our best and communicate honestly.

Finally, I want to ensure that we communicate clearly and consistently to the public.  The range of services that PHHS provides is astounding.  We serve as the local point of contact for a social safety net that connects people in need to available resources.  We are part of a public health system that limits the spread of infectious diseases and the impact of emergencies, measures trends in health and well-being, and brings partners together around shared community health goals.  By communicating what our department does and can offer, I hope to increase overall understanding of the value of what our department brings to Cook County.  I also want to make sure that we are effectively connecting those eligible to receive services with our agency.

One of the ways that I aim to bring this vision to life is by involving members of the community.  We have two different advisory councils for our department.  The chair of each council serves as a voting member of the PHHS Board.  Each council meets bi-monthly.  One is focused on mental health (the Local Mental Health Advisory Council).  The other is more general (the PHHS Advisory Council).  These meetings include presentations on the types of services the department provides in each area, as well as opportunities for members to ask questions and advise our department on its work.  I encourage interested community members to attend an upcoming advisory council meeting and to consider becoming a member.  

For more information, email [email protected] or call our office at 218-387-3620.

County Connections is a column on timely topics and service information from your Cook County government. Cook County – Supporting Community Through Quality Public Service