The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) enhances and protects the health and well-being of all Americans by providing for effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health, and social services. HHS has 11 operating divisions, including eight agencies in the U.S. Public Health Service and three human services agencies. These divisions administer a wide variety of health and human services and conduct life-saving research for the nation, protecting and serving all Americans. HHS is responsible for almost a quarter of all federal outlays and administers more grant dollars than all other federal agencies combined.  The Department manages programs that cover a vast spectrum of activities that impact health, public health, and human services outcomes throughout the life span.

For runaway and homeless youth service providers, a number of HHS entities are of interest, including the Administration on Children and Families (ACF), under which the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) is organizationally located, several Public Health offices organized under the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These HHS components are described in more detail on the pages listed below.

Administration for Children and Families   
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health   
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration   
National Institutes of Health