Director's Office - HHSA

Dr. Kimberly Giardina is the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for the County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). Dr. Giardina, who holds a Doctor of Social Work from the University of Southern California and a Master of Social Work from San Diego State University, was appointed to lead HHSA in 2024 after more than 24 years with the County of San Diego. Previously she served as the director for the County Child and Family Well-Being department where she led the transformation of the department from one of the nation’s largest child welfare systems into a child and family well-being system. Dr. Giardina was instrumental in implementing a vision of improving coordination, communication, and partnership between family serving organizations in San Diego to help strengthen families and communities so that fewer children experience abuse and neglect.

As the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for HHSA, Dr. Giardina oversees a $3.4 billion organization with more than 8,000 employees who deliver essential services to make people’s lives healthier, safer, and self-sufficient. This includes:   

• Enrollment in public benefits such as Medi-Cal, CalWORKS, CalFresh, and General Relief 
• Services that help older adults and people living with disabilities stay in their homes 
• Mental health and substance use services 
• Family strengthening and child protection services 
• Affordable housing and rental assistance including Section 8     
• Services to prevent and address homelessness such as outreach and emergency housing
• Immunizations, infectious disease testing, preventative health services, and other public health services 

Dr. Giardina holds leadership positions in several key initiatives, including co-chair of the Live Well Center for Innovation and Leadership with San Diego State University and co-chair of the San Diego County Substance Use and Overdose Prevention Taskforce. She is also an active member of the County Welfare Directors Association and has consulted on child welfare issues at the national, state, and local levels. She is a strong advocate for including diversity, justice, equity, and antiracist strategies into systems that serve the community to advance economic opportunities and address poverty.