May counties operate multi-county departments of social services?

Under present law, counties and county departments of social services are allowed to collaborate in various ways. For example, they may  

• Jointly employ a director of social services,
• Enter into interlocal agreements, or contracts, with other counties in order to combine functions or activities of the departments, or
• Establish a joint department of social services.[1]

To date, no counties have elected to jointly employ a director or establish a joint department, but some have entered into agreements with other counties with respect to provision of services in some instances. 

The law that allows for this type of collaboration is generally applicable to county programs and services;[2] it is not tailored specifically for social services. By comparison, the laws allowing local public health agencies to establish multi-county departments are detailed and specific to public health. For more information about these models, see the questions and answers related to district health departments and public health authorities.