Officers said they found drugs and needles on or near all of the adults, including uncapped hypodermic needles, marijuana and methamphetamine. He told officers that he had met the girl for the first time that day and volunteered to watch her. In some cases, people may have kept enough records and can present a credible account shored up by documentation. In Buncombe County you can make a Protective Service referral or report by calling (828) 250-5800 anytime, day or night. New Jersey officials ruled the case a suicide, but a Carolina Public Press investigation identified problems with this explanation that have never been resolved. A simple takeaway from the map is that the state has many counties at either end of the spectrum, far removed from the statewide average. Closing Date. They visit the parents, then write down what they say. Although she filed a complaint, she said it was not taken seriously. A grand jury first indicted the mother for neglect in 2015. The questions asked are important to assure that all appropriate services are made available to the adult. Required fields are marked *. 2001 Mail Service Center A week later, the mother of two was found dead in a New Jersey motel room. All Rights Reserved. Forging contact records is not trivial. Trouble in Paradise for Sure!!! F. (828) 250-6235. A parents attorney could get a hold of these records and make an argument to have the kids returned home.. County Director of Social Services August 1, 2022 / DSS Jobs NC. The Social Services Director will be responsible for setting strategy and direction for all Department of Social Service programs, being a change agent for the organization, and building a cohesive DSS team. The Purpose of Buncombe County Health and Human Services is to strengthen our communities by advancing health, safety, and opportunity. please consider hanging this poster somewhere in your community. Police arrested all three adults, one of whom was the girls father. She told the police she wanted to go home. Printable DSS Directory Buncombe County Health and Human Services Director Stoney Blevins sits at his desk in Asheville. A tangible sign of those things are the yearly audit, which Scott said he hopes will show no findings. Why didnt DSS show up on the scene? A parents attorney could get a hold of these records and make an argument to have the kids returned home.. Carolina Public Press has confirmed that there was a subpoena. Protection of the Abused, Neglected or Exploited Disabled Adult Act is located under Statute 108A Article 6. Because of his time at various departments within the county, the news release said the county is confident his institutional knowledge will help him in his primarily inward-facing role. Throughout last weeks hearing, Blevins explained the delicate balance of preserving parental rights while ensuring children are cared for. Blevins said he cant talk about specific child welfare cases because of confidentiality laws. I ended the phone call.. BUNCOMBE COUNTY - IM CASEWORKER II VARIOUS PROGRAMS - OPEN UNTIL FILLED DURHAM COUNTY - ASST. Volunteer for the HCCBG Advisory Committee! Her trailer had no heat, according to statements to law enforcement. County Social Services Director - DSS Jobs NC This is your chance to support credible, community-based, public-service journalism. Henderson County resident Felicia Reeves disappeared in August 2015. It is my taxes that go to CCS. Families from many parts of North Carolina who contacted CPP made repeated claims of social workers and social services lawyers insulting families for being poor, uneducated, Black, Cherokee, Lumbee, from out of state, the wrong religion or simply for not being knowledgeable about the policies of that jurisdiction. Im so disgusted with the system. Each countys average annual removal rate, compared with the states annual removal rate, was calculated as a percentage of the states rate. By the officers account, the father told them to take her to a needle-infested hotel room and leave her with a man she did not know. Monday - Friday Angry and desperate parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles have contacted Carolina Public Press for years hoping to share their stories and possibly get help in investigating what went wrong with their families experiences with child protective services in North Carolina counties. Carolina Public Press is an independent nonprofit news organization dedicated to nonpartisan, in-depth and investigative news built upon the facts and context North Carolinians need to know. Buncombe County public health director leaving for NC Public Health Colby Rabon / Carolina Public Press, Blevins could not confirm or deny anything, died while under supervision by county DSS, Mining in your backyard: The story of Mountain Mist Mine and the neighbors contesting it, part two, Mining in your backyard: The story of Mountain Mist Mine and the neighbors contesting it, part one, Teen girls engulfed in a growing wave of sadness, violence and trauma, latest youth survey shows, Looming cuts to emergency SNAP benefits threaten food security in rural America, Taking a moonshot at early colorectal cancer detection in northeastern NC, Your support funds important public interest journalism, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Additional Information Performs other duties as assigned by the Supervisor, the Income Maintenance Administrator and the Director. Over time, many families have contacted Carolina Public Press about child protective services concerns. These records are tied into funding. Officers traveled to the hotel room and talked with Stanley, the report says. Some families accused DSS staff of generally playing God with peoples lives and acting in a conspiratorial manner. If you like what you are reading and believe in independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan journalism like oursjournalism the way it should beplease contributeto keep us going. Click a goal. It is important to screen cases correctly, or agencies risk violating parents constitutional rights to raise their children. State Government websites value user privacy. Sources report that the Cleveland County Commissioners have selected Katie Swanson from the Buncombe County DSS as the Director of the Cleveland County DSS. This is your chance to support credible, community-based, public-service journalism. Reporting like this isnt free to produce and we cannot do this alone. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. Confidentiality rules preventing discussion of child welfare cases may limit much of the testimony NC legislators seek. We would never support leaving a child in a hotel room with a stranger and 300 used needles, as a blanket statement, Blevins said last year. As a retired CPS SWS, calls from APD and BCSO, were immediately responded to as a professional courtesy. Catherine Noyesis a grandmother who expresses frustration over the Cabarrus County Department of Social Services and courts handling of her familys case. DSS seized children during a drug raid that found no evidence and was conducted at the wrong house on warrants intended for a search elsewhere. Carolina Public Press contributing reporter Christian Green also assisted with interviews for this article. The General Assembly called Buncombe County Health and Human Services Director Stoney Blevins to testify about the incident. The City of Greenville is the county seat. DSS Director - DSS Jobs NC And so Im not sure we need a (new) law. I apologize that I cant answer, Blevins said. Human Resources - Buncombe County | Asheville NC She died during the winter, wearing only a T-shirt and her diaper. In 2016,Rylan Ott, nearly 2 years old, wandered from his Carthage home and drowned in a pond. Response times to child welfare reports vary depending on how much risk the child is in. Contact him at RCSmith@gannett.com or 828-274-2222. In the bathroom there was a plastic container nearly full of used needles, the police report says. Franklin. And Im willing to have that conversation if this body is willing to take that action.. Henderson County residentFelicia Reevesdisappeared in August 2015. 40 Coxe Avenue His grandmother and aunt told CPP that they would have taken him so that he could grow up alongside his brother, but no one from DSS contacted them. Apply to Engagement Director, Director of Admissions, Human Resources Specialist and more! Years before she died, she worked with departments of social services in multiple counties to arrange for Reeves mother to care for the older son. A lock icon or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. Blevins said to improve the child welfare system, North Carolina doesnt need major changes in the law, rather a unified commitment to implement the plans we already have.. Please join us! "What I have really appreciated lately is the internal support function," he said. A year ago, Buncombe County updated its policy, and social workers now respond to any law enforcement officers request for a social worker on the scene. Legislators subpoena Buncombe official over DSS handling of childs case, Legislators grill Buncombe DSS director, who disputes Black Mountain cops, cites confidentiality rules, NC could look to other states for potential child welfare reforms, Governor signs bipartisan child welfare overhaul bill, Mining in your backyard: The story of Mountain Mist Mine and the neighbors contesting it, part two, Mining in your backyard: The story of Mountain Mist Mine and the neighbors contesting it, part one, Teen girls engulfed in a growing wave of sadness, violence and trauma, latest youth survey shows, Looming cuts to emergency SNAP benefits threaten food security in rural America, Taking a moonshot at early colorectal cancer detection in northeastern NC, Your support funds important public interest journalism, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Jim Perry is so clueless: the purpose of an oversight committee is to provide oversight and rude. When news organizations contact local departments of social services offices with questions about a specific case, the agencies are typically unable to discuss them. Burke County DSS . Although Noyes had previously assisted in caring for her daughters children and remained willing to do so, DSS ultimately removed them instead and persuaded the court to place the children with their father. Three adults and a 9-year-old girl were in the car. Family members had warned social workers multiple times she was in danger and had received no response from DSS, according to the Smoky Mountain News. 40 Coxe Avenue. Blevins confirmed he will show up to talk with legislators once he receives the subpoena. Then, using the child population of each county during the year in question, reporters calculated the percentage of children removed in a given year. Her trailer had no heat, according to statements to law enforcement. Kate Martin is lead investigative reporter for Carolina Public Press. Select a county on the map to view phone numbers, websites, physical addresses and mailing addresses. I thought I had faith in it, but I dont anymore.. But this left the question for the officers of how to help the girl, they said. Blevins had said the subpoena was unnecessary. We have a broken child welfare system that we refuse to invest in, Blevins said. Confidentiality rules intended to protect children present challenges for investigating allegations of DSS misconduct. She wasnt sure why that didnt happen in Addisons case, and privacy laws prevented her from discussing the details. A later independent investigation into Moore Countys Department of Social Services revealed that overworked caseworkers did not visit the mother as they were supposed to, and the department did not properly supervise its caseworkers to ensure they followed state law and policy, according to the Fayetteville Observer. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Report and copy of Lawsuit provided by Robert A. Williams, Cleveland County Republicans in Civil War!! The North Carolina General Assembly meets in the State Legislative Building in Raleigh, seen here in Feb. 2018. But Reeves death was only part of the case. Cheri Wood, 828-250-6340 Officer had to use extreme caution due to the number of needles located.. The DSS agent who had documented the abuse in foster care no longer worked there by this time. Your email address will not be published. The largest concentration of counties that are removing children at high or very high rates are in the western mountain counties, though a smaller cluster also exists in the southeastern counties, and a few other exceptions are scattered across the map. Officers discovered hundreds of used needles along with drugs in the room. Your email address will not be published. The DSS worker called back and asked him to help complete the intake report. "I'm still kind of young in my career. Polk County Department of Social Services | NCDHHS Although Noyes had previously assisted in caring for her daughters children and remained willing to do so, DSS ultimately removed them instead and persuaded the court to place the children with their father. With the support of readers like you, we provide thoughtfully researched articles for a more informed and connected community. Some of them are likely true. The allegations parents brought to CPP ranged widely: Social workers refused to screen in a case of extreme negligence involving meth-addicted parents despite repeated urging from a grandmother. Sen. Ralph Hise similarly said he disagreed with Blevins assertion that he couldnt talk about the case and asserted that the General Assembly did not need permission from the judicial branch to do its job. Report and History Lesson by Robert A. Williams . However, even with the subpoena, a county spokeswoman said Blevins would be limited in what he could reveal about the specific incident. But what to do with the 9-year-old girl? During visitation with the family in 2014, they noticed marks on him, which led to a Department of Social Services investigation. To be perfectly honest, I just think we need to take action.. Entertainment:Food Network's 'Spring Baking Championship' to feature WNC pastry chef. Why didnt DSS show up on the scene? The officer wrote in his report, I told her I did not have time to do that, I had to find a safe place for the child. When news organizations contact local departments of social services offices with questions about a specific case, the agencies are typically unable to discuss them. Is everyone healthy and is there enough food? Please help support this type of journalism with asubscriptionto the Citizen Times. Key Staff Polk County Health and Human Services Director: Joshua Kennedy. Emergency Phone: 828-250-5500Website, Administrative Assistant: Christa Lance,828-250-5587, Business Officer/ Fiscal/Performance Manager: Lisa White,828-250-5802, Operation Manager: Leigh Anderson,828-250-5575, Economic Services Division Director: Phillip Hardin,828-250-5592, Social Work Services Division Director/Foster Care & Adoptions Program Administrator: Rebecca Smith,828-250-5764, Permanency Planning: Amber Cook, 828-250-5824, CPS Intake/Investigations: Sherrie Thomas, 828-250-5843 ; Trina Hill, 828-250-5249, Licensing & Adoptions: Lizzi Shimer, 828-250-5277, Adult Services: Jennifer Teague, 828-250-5198, Quality Assurance, Program Administrator: Kelli Buckner,828-250-5987, Quality Assurance, Social Work Performance Standards: Alison Mann,828-250-5788, Family & Adult Medicaid Program Administrator: Ian Allen,828-250-5628, FNS/Program Integrity/Community Resources: Patricia Wallin,828-250-5689, FNS/Technical Support/Training: Denise Lancaster,828-250-5639, Child Support Enforcement: Pitt County is approximately 90 miles east of Raleigh NC with a population of 180,742. Starting Monday, Feb. 27, a maintenance project taking place at the Buncombe County Transfer Station may cause some extended wait times. A project supported by The California Endowment, Protection of NC children, families depends on the county, Structure of NC child protective services leads to inequity, NC could look to other states for potential child welfare reforms, Blevins could not confirm or deny anything, died while under supervision by county DSS. Your support funds important public interest journalism. Policy choices are made by individuals, though geographical isolation and limited resources may promote decisions in some areas of the state more than others. But often county level workers fail to appropriately rank the risk of a case, according to a legislative report completed last year. Police had pulled over a driver who was swerving over the white line. Some lawmakers were incensed. An Associated Press investigation into Littlejohns death found social workers forged documents to cover their tracksafter the girl diedto show the visits had occurred when they in fact had not. One relative was convicted last year and is serving a 12-year prison sentence, another is serving a suspended sentence of five years, and a third is serving a two-year prison sentence. The district attorneys office decided that the evidence justified charges of misdemeanor child abuse, but not a felony. Court records from the case show that the judge recognized the ultimate goal of reuniting the boy with his family when possible, and while the fathers rights had been terminated, Reeves rights were intact. The police reported that an officer called Buncombe County DSS but then hung up on the social worker. Christian Smith is the general assignment reporter for the Asheville Citizen-Times. Veritas HHS Its regretful there were some communications mishaps, said Cherokee County DSS Director Amanda McGee in a later interview on WKRK, a radio station in Murphy. At one point, Noyes believed that an employee of DSS had an inappropriate previous professional relationship with a judge who handled the case. ASHEVILLE - Buncombe County's Public Health. A decade ago in Swain County, 15-month-oldAubrey Kina-Marie Littlejohndied while under supervision by county DSS. I ended the phone call.. P: (828) 250-5800. Directors and Program Managers. Related:After first clean audit in 4 years, Buncombe County again has 'significant deficiency', County Government:Buncombe County Commissioners discuss affordable housing, cryptocurrency, finances, "We can never really know what a particular environment will look like in any given year, but I lean to those relationships, so maintaining trust and communication both within and outside the organization," he said. I do hope that the new Director will help me, we, us, or you the citizen. The Purpose of Buncombe County Health and Human Services is to strengthen our communities by advancing health, safety, and opportunity. Buncombe County has an average of 1,600 employees who serve as sheriff deputies, nurses, social workers, librarians, emergency medical workers, park rangers, environmental health specialists, planners, tax assessors, administrators and more - all working to serve the residents of Buncombe County. Throughout the hearing Blevins lauded Buncombe Countys DSS office as a model for other counties. Reliable sources also report that CCDSS Interim Director Jane Shooter is mad as a hornet that she was NOT promoted to the CCDSS Director position. This will reduce capacity to one active hopper and operational delays should be expected. The Director serves as the executive officer of the county board of social services executing the authority of the board as defined in GS 108A14. Job Contact. Officers said that the father told them they could leave the girl in a hotel room with a man named Spencer, but when asked, the girl told police that his name was actually Stanley, she didnt know his last name and she wanted to go home. Buncombe County Finance Office gets new interim director Didnt they care this girl was going to be left with someone she did not know?