| Bureau of Professional Support Services |
| The Bureau of Professional Support Services or (BPSS) is a vital bureau within the Division of Public Health at the department of Public Health and Social Services. The bureau provides support services to programs within the department such as the Maternal & Child Program, the HIV/AIDS and STD Program, Children with Special Health Care Needs, Family Planning, Hemophilia and many others by providing effective social work interventions through the Medical Social Services Section, dispensing of pharmaceutical drugs and medical supplies through the Pharmacy Section, ensuring all records for clients/patients are accurately maintained in the Medical Records Sections and promoting healthy lifestyles and healthy environment through the Health Education Section.
The DPH&SS is a state agency tasked to implement, through the bureau, some major federal programs funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention such as, the Tobacco Free Guam Program (TFG), the Guam Diabetes Prevention and Control Program (DPCP), the Guam Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (GBCCEDP), the Guam Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (GCCCP), the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS), the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grants (PHHSBG), and the Sexual Violence Prevention and Education SVPE).
Networking and collaborating with partner agencies and maintaining active participation with coalitions and other community organizations are some of the major activities common among all the programs. The Bureau functions under the premise that no single organization or agency can address the community problems such as, tobacco use, obesity, cancer, sexual violence, etc. alone. Rather, a collaborative approach with community buy-in and key stakeholders working together to identify problems andcreate solutions will result in more efficient and effective use of community resources. The Bureau believes it is through the coordination of efforts that disparities and gaps are identified and addressed and underserved populations are not overlooked. |
| Pharmacy Section: Provides pharmaceutical services in support of all Public Health Programs including providing DOT (Direct Observation Treatment) to TB patients on a daily basis. |
Medical Social Services: Provides valuable services in the community through effective social work interventions by promoting and enhancing problem-solving and coping capabilities of patients as a result of illness, complicated pregnancies, handicapping disabilities and its incapacitating effects. Social work interventions are focused on addressing problems such as, adolescent pregnancies, family violence, people receiving inappropriate medical care, prenatal and postpartum care and childcare. Furthermore, MSS provides social work and case management services to programs such as, the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Program, CSHCN, Guam Comprehensive Hemophilia Care Program, the Guam Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection, the Guam Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, HIV/STD Program, and the Family Planning Program. |
Medical Records Section: Ensures quality management of patient records and provides medical records support to all public health clinics and programs within the Division of Public Health. |
Health Education: Promotes healthy lifestyles and healthy environments through their various health education campaign activities in support of the mission of the Bureau and Departmental programs. One of the major activities of the section is to provide community education and create awareness to support healthy lifestyles and create healthy environments. The Health Educators are cross-trained and are shared among all the programs within the Bureau. They support each other in conducting presentations in the community and participate in health fairs and community outreaches. |
Diabetes Prevention and Control Program: Promotes activities geared towards the prevention and control of diabetes including data collection and establishment of Diabetes Registry. |
Tobacco Prevention and Control and the Quitline: Promotes and coordinates activities geared towards the development of policies on tobacco control and prevention of secondhand smoke exposure. Additionally the program promotes tobacco cessation activities including the establishment of Tobacco Cessation Quitline. |
Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System: Responsible in ensuring collection of critical information about respondents’ behaviors. |
Guam Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program: Provides breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services to qualified women. |
Guam Comprehensive Cancer Control Program: Spearheads and coordinates efforts to provide comprehensive services addressing the burden of Cancer for the island of Guam. |
Sexual Violence Prevention and Education: Coordinates and facilitates activities to create community awareness on sexual violence prevention. The program seeks to prevent sexual violence from initially occurring and reduce first time perpetration and victimization of sexual violence through comprehensive primary prevention and education through collaboration with the Guam Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Family Violence in the planning of evidenced-based and culturally relevant primary prevention activities. |
