Arwenthia Simmons highlighted the mission, structure and statewide impact of Helping Hands Behavioral Solutions (HHBS) earlier this month during a luncheon meeting of the Waycross Exchange Club.
She opened her remarks from Galatians 6:2: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Simmons explained the verse reflects both the personal walk of HHBS Founder and Chief Executive Officer Miya Kennedy-White and the organization’s guiding philosophy.
“Her devotion to God and family is what allows her heart to extend outward,” Simmons said of Kennedy-White, noting HHBS was built on compassion paired with structure and accountability.
Founded in 2019, HHBS serves children and families involved with the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS). Simmons emphasized the organization’s three core values — service, integrity, and accountability — and described it as a statewide partner committed to strengthening families and supporting foster placements.
One of the unique aspects of HHBS, Simmons said, is its operational model. Rather than hiring employees, the organization contracts with 166 independent subcontractors, each functioning as their own company while providing services under the DFCS contract.
This approach allows HHBS to maintain coverage across all 159 Georgia counties while ensuring families receive specialized, qualified support.
Simmons outlined the two major service areas HHBS coordinates — support services and drug screening. Support services include WRAP, Early Intervention, Homestead and Kinship Services, Prevention of Unnecessary Placement (PUP), Treatment Court support, and WRAP Hoteling.
Drug screening options range from urine and oral swabs to sweat patches, fingernail testing and hair follicle analysis.
She also shared a snapshot of the organization’s 2025 service impact, noting that HHBS coordinated:
• 686 drug screen cases;
• 48 early intervention cases;
• 56 homestead cases;
• 469 PUP cases;
• five treatment court cases;
• 724 WRAP cases;
• five WRAP hoteling cases; “These numbers represent more than case files,” Simmons told the club. “They represent families supported, children protected and systems strengthened through collaboration.”
Simmons closed by reaffirming HHBS’s commitment to its mission.
“Helping Hands Behavioral Solutions exists because Mrs. Kennedy-White believes that faith is lived out through service,” Simmons said. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to partner with DFCS and to support families across Georgia.”
The Exchange Club expressed appreciation for Simmons’ presentation and the vital work HHBS continues to provide throughout the state.
