From the headquarters in Austin to eligibility offices in the Rio Grande Valley to laboratories in the Panhandle, Health and Human Services employees are there to respond to the needs of Texans.
The professionals that staff health and human services agencies across the state are ready and willing to assist people who need services, contractors who provide them and anyone with questions about the services we provide. While the headquarters offices are located in Austin, there are offices across the state that serve Texans.
Note: If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired you can call any Texas Health and Human Services office by using the relay service of your choice. The state of Texas offers Relay Texas which you can use by dialing 7-1-1 or 800-735-2989.
The state's health and human services agencies are committed to protecting your personal and private information. One way we do this is by using secure email to make sure your private information remains private. If you received a secure email from our agencies, please read these instructions on how to open it.
Civil Rights Office
Call the Civil Rights Office if you need to talk to someone about concerns of discrimination or would like to file a discrimination complaint.
Civil Rights Office
Health and Human Services Commission
701 W. 51st Street, MC W206
Austin, Texas 78751
888-388-6332 or 512-438-4313 or the relay service of your choice.
HHSCivilRightsOffice@hhsc.state.tx.us
Customer Service
Medicaid client hotline
800-252-8263
CHIP call center
877-543-7669 or 800-647-6558
CHIP processing center
Texas Health and Human Services
P. O. Box 149024
Austin, TX 78714-9024
Your Texas Benefits
Find out the types of health and human services available, apply for benefits, and view your case. To check on the status of your benefits or application, call 2-1-1 or log-in to yourtexasbenefits.com.
MDCP/DBMD Escalation Line
844-999-9543
The MDCP/DBMD Escalation Help Line assists people with Medicaid who get benefits through the Medically Dependent Children Program (MDCP) or the Deaf Blind with Multiple Disabilities (DBMD) program.
The escalation help line can help solve issues related to the STAR Kids managed care program. Help can include answering questions about Medicaid fair hearings and continuing services while appealing.
File a Complaint
File a Complaint about an HHS Program or Service
If you have questions or are experiencing difficulty with your services from HHS, including Medicaid managed care, contact the Office of the Ombudsman.
Office of the Ombudsman
P. O. Box 13247
Austin, TX 78711-3247
Phone: 877-787-8999
Relay Texas for people with a hearing or speech disability: 7-1-1 or 800-735-2989
Online: Online Submission Form
Fax: 888-780-8099
File a Complaint with a Facility or Hospital Regulated by HHS
If you have questions or concerns about someone living in a:
- State supported living center, contact the Office of the Independent Ombudsman for State Supported Living Centers.
- Assisted living facility or nursing home, contact the Texas Long-term Care Ombudsman.
- Facility regulated by HHS, file a complaint.
Get Help Finding Information
Visit our Help Finding What You Are Looking For page where you'll find contact information for some of our most requested services including:
- Help with your benefits or technical issues with the YourTexasBenefits.com website
- Information on how COVID-19 may affect your benefits
- Questions about your Lone Star Card
- Child care licensing questions
- Certified Nurse Aid credentialing
- Long-term care provider licensing information
- Help with downloading a form
- Technical issues with this website
Learn About Services (2-1-1 Texas)
Dialing 2-1-1 is a free, easy way to find out about services you can get in your area or through state programs.
If you can't connect to 2-1-1, call us toll-free at 877-541-7905. You can also visit the 2-1-1 Texas website to find the phone number to your local 2-1-1 area information center.
You may not be able to connect to 2-1-1 if:
- You are calling from outside of Texas.
- Your cell phone won't dial 2-1-1.
- You use voice-over-IP (use the Internet to make calls)
Open Records Requests
HHSC is committed to providing full access to public information. You can request records under the Texas Public Information Act by mail, fax or email. Click here to learn about requesting records.
Press Office
Christine Mann
Chief Press Officer
512-424-6951
Christine.Mann@hhs.texas.gov
Report Abuse or Neglect
If you suspect a child has been abused or mistreated, you are required to report it to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services or to a law enforcement agency. Please call 800-252-5400 or 9-1-1 if in immediate danger.
People Who are Older or Who Have Disabilities
Complaint and Incident Intake
800-458-9858
Report Fraud, Waste or Abuse
Texas State Auditor's Office
800-TX-AUDIT
HHS Office of Inspector General
800-436-6184.
Texas Veteran Liaison
HHS_Veteran_Liaison@hhsc.state.tx.us
Texas Health and Human Services are headquartered in Austin, Texas. If you need to contact someone at one of the main offices, also called state office headquarters, please use the addresses and phone numbers below.
Health and Human Services
Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) state office headquarters is located at:
North Austin Complex
4601 W. Guadalupe St.
Austin, TX 78751-3146
P.O. Box 13247
Austin, Texas 78711-3247
Main number: 512-424-6500
TTY number: 512-424-6597
Media calls: 512-424-6951
Texas Department of State Health Services
The Texas Department of State Health Services state office headquarters is located at:
1100 West 49th St.
Austin, Texas 78756-3199
P.O. Box 149347
Austin, Texas 78714-9347
Other DSHS contact information.
Office Searches
- Long-term care services – Use this search to find long-term care regional offices, area agencies on aging, local intellectual and developmental disability authorities, and aging and disability resource centers. A printable version of this information, by county, also is available.
- Rehabilitation Services Offices – Use this search to find your nearest rehabilitation services office.
Lists of Offices and Service Providers
- Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC) contract with HHS to provide information to Texans who are older or who have disabilities so they can find the right long-term care services. You also can call 855-937-2372.
- Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) contract with HHS to provide local services to anyone 60 and older and their caregivers. You also can call 800-252-9240.
- Community Services Regional Offices provide administrative support to community services contractors and enroll people in community services programs.
- DSHS Locations includes contact information for the health services regions, community mental health centers, public health organizations, and state hospitals.
- Local Intellectual and Developmental Disability Authorities contract with HHS to provide services to people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.
- Regulatory Services Regional Offices provide administrative support to Regulatory Services staff in the regions.
- Service and Benefits Offices provides a searchable list of benefit offices around the state.
- State supported living centers provide campus-based direct services and supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities at 13 locations around the state.
Ombudsman Offices
Ombudsmen are trained to help people resolve issues with the services they receive.
- HHS Ombudsman is an impartial and confidential resource to help Texans resolve health and human services complaints and issues
- Independent Ombudsman for State Supported Living Centers secures the rights of residents of state supported living centers.
- Office of the Long-term Care Ombudsman advocates for the rights of nursing home and assisted living residents.
HHS is divided into 11 administrative regions, which are listed below by county. You also can view a map in PDF format that shows these same regions along with the area agencies on aging and the local intellectual and developmental disability authorities.
Region 1, High Plains
Armstrong, Bailey, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Cochran, Collingsworth, Crosby, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Donley, Floyd, Garza, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hartley, Hemphill, Hockley, Hutchinson, King, Lamb, Lipscomb, Lubbock, Lynn, Moore, Motley, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, Swisher, Terry, Wheeler, Yoakum
Region 2, Northwest Texas
Archer, Baylor, Brown, Callahan, Clay, Coleman, Comanche, Cottle, Eastland, Fisher, Foard, Hardeman, Haskell, Jack, Jones, Kent, Knox, Mitchell, Montague, Nolan, Runnels, Scurry, Shackelford, Stonewall, Stephens, Taylor, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, Young
Region 3, Metroplex
Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Erath, Fannin, Grayson, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant, Wise
Region 4, Upper East Texas
Anderson, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Delta, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Panola, Rains, Red River, Rusk, Smith, Titus, Upshur, Van Zandt, Wood
Region 5, Southeast Texas
Angelina, Hardin, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler
Region 6, Gulf Coast
Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Walker, Waller, Wharton
Region 7, Central Texas
Bastrop, Bell, Blanco, Bosque, Brazos, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Coryell, Falls, Fayette, Freestone, Grimes, Hamilton, Hays, Hill, Lampasas, Lee, Leon, Limestone, Llano, Madison, McLennan, Milam, Mills, Robertson, San Saba, Travis, Washington, Williamson
Region 8, Upper South Texas
Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Calhoun, Comal, DeWitt, Dimmit, Edwards, Frio, Gillespie, Goliad, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Jackson, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Kinney, La Salle, Lavaca, Maverick, Medina, Real, Uvalde, Val Verde, Victoria, Wilson, Zavala
Region 9, West Texas
Andrews, Borden, Coke, Concho, Crane, Crockett, Dawson, Ector, Gaines, Glasscock, Howard, Irion, Kimble, Loving, Martin, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, Midland, Pecos, Reagan, Reeves, Schleicher, Sterling, Sutton, Terrell, Tom Green, Upton, Ward, Winkler
Region 10, Upper Rio Grande
Brewster, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Presidio
Region 11, Lower South Texas
Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Cameron, Duval, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Live Oak, McMullen, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Starr, Webb, Willacy, Zapata
FAQs
How do I speak to a live person at 211 in Texas? ›
You can reach the 211 Texas helpline on two different phone numbers; 211 or 877.541. 7905.
How do I talk to someone at Texas health Benefits? ›Phone. For help or questions with your HHSC benefits case or YourTexasBenefits.com, call 2-1-1 or 1-877-541-7905.
How do I speak to a Texas Medicaid representative? ›- Call toll-free at 800-252-8263, 2-1-1 or 877-541-7905.
- Choose English or Spanish.
- Choose option 2. The person you speak with can help you find out if you have Medicaid or not.
WHAT IS 2-1-1 TEXAS? 2-1-1 Texas is a free statewide 24-hour information and referral service. By simply dialing 2-1-1, callers can receive information about community and social services, such as food pantries, emergency shelter, rent assistance, utility bill assistance, child care, and senior services to name a few.
What happens if I miss my phone interview for food stamps Texas? ›What If I Miss The Call From the Texas SNAP Interview Phone Number? If you have a missed phone interview for food stamps in Texas call Texas Health and Human Services at 211 or 877.541. 7905 to reschedule your food stamp phone interview.
What is the 1 800 number to the food stamp place? ›You will have 30 days to activate your replacement card before your old card stops working. If you have any questions, please call the EBT Helpline at (877) 328-9677 or the DPSS Customer Service Center at (866) 613-3777.
What is individual number for Texas benefits? ›Get help over the phone by calling 2-1-1 or 1-877-541-7905. After you pick a language, press 2.
How long does it take to hear back from your Texas Benefits? ›Applications for benefits are up an average of 67% each month since the pandemic began. As a result, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission is taking 24 days to process applications, up 10 days from a year ago. Federal regulations require states to process the applications within 30 days.
What does the Department of Health and Human Services do? ›Its mission is to enhance and protect the well-being of all Americans by providing effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health and social services. HHS is responsible for administrating programs that deal with health, welfare and health information technology (health IT).
How do I talk to representative medical? ›(800) 541-5555
Medi-Cal Members and Providers: If you have a question, need help, or need to report a problem, please call (800) 541-5555 (outside of California, please call (916) 636-1980) for our Telephone Service Center. DHCS' hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except holidays.
How do I contact Medicare in Texas? ›
1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)
How long does it take to get approved for Texas Medicaid? ›Make an eligibility decision within 45 days on applications from applicants 65 years or older. Make a decision within 45 days on applications from applicants under age 65 who have had disability established based on the Social Security Administration criteria for RSDI Title II or SSI Title XVI disability.
Is 211 for all of Texas? ›As a trusted state resource available 24/7, 211 Texas is a connector for all Texans to critical, community-based services.
What do you call a 211 for? ›2‑1‑1 is a free telephone number providing access to local community services. 2‑1‑1 is available in multiple languages, allowing those in need to access information and obtain referrals to physical and mental health resources; housing, utility, food, and employment assistance; and suicide and crisis interventions.
What government assistance can I get in Texas? ›- SNAP Food Benefits. Helps families buy food for good health. ...
- TANF Cash Help. Helps families with children age 18 and younger pay for basic needs. ...
- Health Care. Helps cover visits to doctors, dentists, and hospitals. ...
- Support Services. ...
- WIC Food Benefits.
Contact by calling 211 or (877) 541-7905 | 2-1-1 Texas.
Why is job interviewer asking if I get food stamps? ›An employer may ask on a job application if you've recently been on welfare or another form of public assistance. This is generally because government incentives sometimes reward employers for hiring from specific groups, including welfare recipients.
Why do I keep getting denied for food stamps in Texas? ›The most common reasons for being denied food stamps are that the household income is too high or there are assets that exceed the limit. If you think the denial was in error, you can appeal the decision. Each state has different income limits that you must meet in order to qualify for food stamps.
How can you get food stamps? ›To apply for food stamp benefits, or for information about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), contact your local SNAP office. You can find local offices and each State's application on the USDA national map. Local offices are also listed in the State or local government pages of the telephone book.
How do I know if my food stamps were approved online? ›What's the Status of My Application? If you submitted an online application, you can Check Your Status online. If you mailed your application or supporting documentation contact the SNAP Retailer Service Center at 1-877-823-4369 to find out the status of your application.
Can I get cash off my EBT card at an ATM? ›
All states issue Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) formerly known as food stamps, through EBT cards. SNAP benefits can only be used to purchase food items and cannot be used to withdraw cash.
Is there an alternate number for 2-1-1? ›Contact by calling 211 or (877) 541-7905 | 2-1-1 Texas.
How long does it take to get approved for food stamps in Texas? ›If you are eligible for expedited, DTA has to issue you SNAP within 7 days from the date of your application - and make sure you have an EBT card within 7 days.
How do I unlock my Texas benefits account? ›- Call 2-1-1 or 1-877-541-7905. After you pick a language, press 2.
- Go to an HHSC benefits office. You will need to show us proof of your identity, such as a driver's license or other photo ID.
One search. One visit. Tons of information.” But now, the motto can add “One text” as the United Way launched a text messaging service. By texting your zip code to TXT211 (898211), residents can start a conversation with a qualified 2-1-1 operator between the hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Can you text 211 from a cell phone? ›The model is simple. An end user (individuals, families) can text their 5-digit zip code to the short code, 898211. Then, their text is routed to the 211 that's responsible for calls/texts from that zip code.
What is a 611 call? ›For customers of some telephone companies in Canada and in the U.S., 6-1-1 is the abbreviated dialing telephone number used to report a problem with telephone service, or with a payphone. It is an N11 code of the North American Numbering Plan that are used for special services.
What do you call a 211 for? ›2‑1‑1 is a free telephone number providing access to local community services. 2‑1‑1 is available in multiple languages, allowing those in need to access information and obtain referrals to physical and mental health resources; housing, utility, food, and employment assistance; and suicide and crisis interventions.
What is the monthly income limit for food stamps in Texas? ›| Family size | Maximum monthly income |
|---|---|
| Family size 1 | Maximum monthly income $ 1,775 |
| Family size 2 | Maximum monthly income $ 2,396 |
| Family size 3 | Maximum monthly income $ 3,020 |
| Family size 4 | Maximum monthly income $ 3,644 |
Gross monthly income — that is, household income before any of the program's deductions are applied — generally must be at or below 130 percent of the poverty line. For a family of three, the poverty line used to calculate SNAP benefits in federal fiscal year 2022 is $1,830 a month.
Are we getting extra food stamps in 2022 in Texas? ›
AUSTIN, Texas - Emergency SNAP food benefits have been extended for September 2022. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) will provide more than $344.9 million in emergency SNAP food benefits. The allotments are expected to help more than 1.6 million Texas households, according to a press release.
What is the phone number for Your Texas Benefits? ›Call 2-1-1 or 1-877-541-7905 (after you pick a language, press 2).
What is individual number for Texas benefits? ›Get help over the phone by calling 2-1-1 or 1-877-541-7905. After you pick a language, press 2.
How long does it take to hear back from Your Texas Benefits? ›Applications for benefits are up an average of 67% each month since the pandemic began. As a result, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission is taking 24 days to process applications, up 10 days from a year ago. Federal regulations require states to process the applications within 30 days.
How do you send a message to two people? ›How To Send A Group Text On Android - YouTube
How do I send a message to one of my contacts? ›- Open the Messages app .
- Tap Compose .
- In "To," enter the names, phone numbers, or email addresses that you'd like to message. You can also pick from your top contacts or your whole contact list.