Shakita LaGrant-McClain Speaks to Milwaukee County Health and Human Services

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Photo by Tom Jenz

Shakita LaGrant McClain - DHHS

Department of Health and Human Services Director Shakita LaGrant McClain (2026)

At 47, Shakita LaGrant-McClain leads Milwaukee County's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), overseeing more than 1,000 employees and a budget approaching $400 million. After years of service within the department, she has spent the last six years as its director. Like many Milwaukee area residents, I understood that DHHS serves people facing homelessness, behavioral health crises, disabilities and other life challenges. But I wondered what that mission actually looks like on a day to day basic.

On a bright summer morning, I visited the Marcia P. Coggs Human Services Center on Cherry Street near downtown Milwaukee. For people arriving in search of help, the new building feels welcoming. Angled walls and wide windows showing natural light soften what can be a tough first step for those seeking assistance. The first-floor houses public services, including the NourishMKE food pantry, while the upper levels are home to the county's health and human services operations. From housing assistance and behavioral health care to child and family services, veterans programs and disability support, much of the county's safety net begins here.

On the top floor, I met Executive Director Shakita LaGrant-McClain in her office. She is a small, lithe woman with a magnetic presence, quick wit and bursts of enthusiasm that fill the milieu. Within minutes, it became clear that helping people is more than her profession. It is her calling.

How in the world did you end up with such a huge job? Let’s start at the start. Tell me about your background, where you grew up, your parents, schools and neighborhoods.

I grew up throughout the central city of Milwaukee. I am the eldest of six children, five by my mother. At the end of my eighth‑grade year, my mother and stepfather purchased a home in the Washington High School area. We are Catholic, and I attended St. Joan Antida High School during my freshman year. For the remainder of my high school education, I took the city bus to John Marshall High School. I also began working at an early age.

What kind of jobs did you have?

My mother was a beautician, and at 14, I began working in her salon as a shampoo assistant. I worked Friday evenings and full days on Saturdays, often from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. I made good money through wages and tips. At 16, I took an after‑school job at the Sears store in Northridge, and I learned customer service and how to treat people well. I became a mother at 18, and then my sister and I moved into a three‑bedroom apartment. Over time, all of my siblings came to live with me until they graduated from high school. I embraced the role of sister‑mom. Throughout these years, I worked in banking, served as a Certified Nursing Assistant, and later worked in a Choice School. 

When and how did you get involved with Milwaukee County’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)?

In March 2009, I joined Milwaukee County DHHS as an economic support specialist, determining eligibility for Medicaid, Child Care and FoodShare. I later served as a supervisor in the Long-Term Care Eligibility Unit, then as a coordinator and later as the administrator for DHHS Disability Services. In 2020, I was appointed executive director of DHHS by the county executive, and was later confirmed by the county board of supervisors. During this time, I earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in administration, both from Mount Mary University. I taught public speaking at Mount Mary for eight years and currently teach part‑time at MATC in the Community Education Program.

OK now, so tell me. Do you ever sleep? (laughing)

Barely. I love being around people, and I keep a lively house. We often have backyard barbecues and Sunday dinners with family and friends. I enjoy being a mom to three boys, a bonus mom to additional children, and a Meemaw to three handsome boys.

What exactly does the MKE County Health and Human Services do?

The DHHS is the largest department in Milwaukee County. We have approximately 1,000 employees. They work in many different service areas. There is Aging & Disabilities Services, which provides care for older adults and the disabled. If a client wants to get into publicly funded long-term care, we can help. We also have senior centers. Another area is Behavioral Health Services where we provide mental health services to children and adults. This includes outpatient services, and we have our own mental health clinic. We do substance abuse treatment. We partner with a number of federally qualified clinics. 

I understand you are active in helping with family issues, too.

Yes, we have Children, Youth and Family Services, and that includes disability programs. Then, we have community programs for child support including youth detention or youth who need mentoring. We work on issues that are family oriented because we know there are better outcomes when the father and mother are both involved. We also help with housing. If people are homeless, we first try to find shelter, but our ultimate goal is to get them into permanent housing. We have an amazing Outreach Team to help the homeless, and the team members drive or walk the streets and help the homeless use our services. We also have Military Veterans Services to help with loans, death benefits and other services veterans are eligible for. In general, we have a crisis line 24/7 for people to call for help.

As I hear you explain your vast number of services, I am thinking about all the nonprofits that do this kind of work. I have written stories about a number of them.

Those nonprofits either refer people to us, or we might partner with them. We have over 300 provider agencies we partner with, and they have probably 4,000 providers. Over 60% of our revenue goes to our provider partners. 

I can think of two excellent nonprofits right now. Tahira Malek, who runs Samad’s House for women in addiction recovery. Then there is Terron Edwards, who runs Fathers Making Progress. 

Tarhira and Terron are both wonderful, and both have gotten grants through Milwaukee County. 

What are your responsibilities as director of the MKE County Health and Human Services? 

I am in charge of the overall direction, management and performance of DHHS. I work with our administrators who oversee our 1,000 employees. We have two strategies: No Wrong Door and Health Systems Change, meaning how we all work together to impact the community. We concentrate on finding out the barriers that prevent individuals from getting their needs met. 

Regarding strategy, I’ve heard that term "No Wrong Door.”  What does that mean?

No Wrong Door means that no matter what door you choose to come through here, you will be connected. You will be better off because of our services. I like to say to my staff, “The door isn’t the door you walk into. The door is you.” In other words, no matter who walks through our door, it is our job at DHHS to help navigate you to find the right outcome, the right door to walk through. If you come to me, no matter your issue, I will get you connected to the people who can help. 

Your department oversees a $400 million budget. Generally, what does that money go for?

Sixty percent of our budget goes for our programs and services, which includes our 300 providers in the provider networks, especially in our behavioral health services. About 34% goes to case management oversight services. The last 6% goes to facilities, administrative costs and IT. Out of our total budget revenue, 75% comes from state and federal. Only 25% comes from county tax levies. All the revenue that we get is specific to certain areas and services. We are required to break down our budget to comply with those specific services. I am the DHHS advocate to various governing boards where I explain what we are doing here and how we budget the money. That includes the Milwaukee County Board.

Last year, I did a story on Mike Totoraitis, commissioner of health, Cc of Milwaukee Health Department. How does the city health department differ from your county health department?

Actually, the county DHHS is not a health department. We do health and human services like mental health crises, disability, child support, family care or homelessness. The Milwaukee city health department focuses on general health like immunization, lead poisoning, the spread of diseases, testing and public health nursing.  

If someone has a mental health issue or has experienced domestic abuse, can DHHS help?

They can call our crisis line, (414) 257-7222, open 365 days a year. We do referrals for domestic violence and all kinds of crises, but if they or someone they know is in imminent danger, they need to call 911. The main thing is that if you are worried about a family member or friend, contact us. There has been a long-time code in the Black community, “Whatever happens in the family, stays in the family.” Always contact us for help if you have a need.

If I am in need of public benefits of any kind like health insurance, Medicaid or Social Security, can I contact DHHS for help?

If you walk in our door, we can get you in touch with state or federal offices that can help you. We also have computers available to the public to help them navigate their needs.

Is there anyone you know who has been helped by the DHHS?

We read a news article about a young person in a wheelchair who could barely navigate the wheelchair around his house or even get out of the house. In our children’s area, we have an amazing man, Toto Chanthavixay, the director of DHHS Children's Disability Programs. Toto saw that news article and reached out to the family. He made arrangements to readjust the home environment so the child could move around better, and he helped arrange for transportation. In a family situation like this where the child with a disability gets most of the parents’ attention, the other children can feel neglected. We can help with that, too. We want people to reach out to us for any kind of health needs. We can always help.