Thank you! Blevins was subpoenaed to appear before the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee of Health and Human Services last week a tool legislators rarely use to compel uncooperative witnesses. But often county level workers fail to appropriately rank the risk of a case, according to a legislative report completed last year. The Cleveland County Department of Social Services has a new director. Imari Scarbrough is a contributing writer to Carolina Public Press. And some economically advantaged counties may also cluster with high or low removal rates. Monday - Friday Does the child feel safe? Three adults and a 9-year-old girl were in the car. In 2016, Rylan Ott, nearly 2 years old, wandered from his Carthage home and drowned in a pond. Officers told her they might take him to jail and sarcastically asked if he should leave the girl alone in the hotel room. Categories. Those removing children at two-thirds the state rate are considered low, and those removing at less than half the state rate are considered very low. Thank you! Catherine Noyesis a grandmother who expresses frustration over the Cabarrus County Department of Social Services and courts handling of her familys case. 39. The General Assembly called Buncombe County Health and Human Services Director Stoney Blevins to testify about the incident. To accept the referral for Protective Services the information provided must state: This specific criteria is important because Protective Services unlike other services provided by Social Work Services is initiated without the consent of the adult. Henderson County residentFelicia Reevesdisappeared in August 2015. Email her at kmartin@carolinapublicpress.org. These are system answers to human problems.. In the upcoming election we can kick out this majority fool board. Posted - July 28, 2022 Salary - $23.32 - $32.05 Continuous Recruitment. Noyes questions, among other things, why the children were placed with him rather than her and why his substance abuse issues were not adequately investigated by DSS. Police arrested all three adults after saying they found drugs and used needles, according to the report. The parents used intravenous drugs in the presence of their children and failed to provide adequate nutrition and hygiene, the indictments said. Noyes said she continues to work with her daughter to regain custody of the children but has become disappointed by the process. Please help support this type of journalism with asubscriptionto the Citizen Times. GPS Latitude: 35.597763. Thank you! This report has not been officially . A social worker ordered a family to banish the family dog, who had bitten no one. 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To make an adult or child protective services report any time, day or night, call the numbers below: Early Childhood Education & Development Fund, Environmental & Energy Stewardship Subcommittee, Parks, Greenways and Recreation Advisory Board, The Home and Community Care Block Grant Advisory Committee. NC Department of Health and Human Services Buncombe County Health and Human Services Director Stoney Blevins sits at his desk in Asheville. Subpoenas to testify before the state legislature are rare. 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. The DSS worker called back and asked him to help complete the intake report. LE afforded BCDSS the same courtesy. Select acountyon the mapto view phone numbers, websites, physical addressesand mailing addresses. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Buncombe County's Finance Department, which oversees the accounting for the over $580 million fiscal year 2023 budget, recently lost its director to another county, and a longtime Buncombe County employee has stepped up to temporarily hold the position. State Sen. Chuck Edwards said during the hearing that police officers were told by a social worker to leave the girl in a hotel room with a man she didnt know. Pitt County is approximately 90 miles east of Raleigh NC with a population of 180,742. She died in 2010, and her stepmother was eventually charged in her murder. They visit the parents, then write down what they say. Its just disturbing. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The programs are housed in three separate locations. "I'm grateful to have an opportunity to serve even in the interim at this point in my career.". Buncombe County spokeswoman Lillian Govus said unless the subpoena is from a judge, Blevins couldnt testify about the particulars even if the meeting is behind closed doors. "The county is in a strong financial position, so I think it makes the work that we do easier.". I had this conversation with (Sen. Chuck Edwards) the very first day we spoke in April, Blevins said. The case made international headlines over the following months, focusing a world spotlight on the total failure of the child protection system in her case. Henderson County resident Felicia Reeves disappeared in August 2015. A timeline of the Buncombe County corruption investigation, Wanda Greene dark money lawsuit mediator orders her to hand over answers before Christmas, former County Manager Wanda Greene was indicted on embezzlement charges and went to federal prison. Sources report that the Cleveland County Commissioners have selected Katie Swanson from the Buncombe County DSS as the Director of the Cleveland County DSS. Our staff is committed to providing Buncombe's diverse population with effective services in a timely and respectful manner. Kellie Branche. But others include the major Piedmont metro areas, which have some of the highest populations. Each member of a public agency or department must submit contact information for the Buncombe County personnel directory. Stoney Blevins, director of the Buncombe County Department of Social Services, testified before a state legislative committee last week, saying he couldn't tell legislators much about a specific child welfare case due to confidentiality laws. Reeves family said she had lived in fear for her life because of attacks from her ex-husbandTitus Boley, who had served a prison sentence for assaulting her. The legal and bureaucratic system surrounding child removals can be difficult to navigate, so that even social workers from one county may find aspects of how things are done in another county quite alien, and the average person is unable to make sense of whats happening. As an agency that works with parents experiencing substance use disorder and children exposed to multiple dangers every day, our agency would never give that guidance.. He said he is lucky that the county is already in such a strong financial position so that he can focus on proactive instead of reactive work. I do not believe it is a blanket black box that prevents you from having any discussion about anything related to your department, Perry said. 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: Police had pulled over a driver who was swerving over the white line. They may think the system has wronged their families. Why didnt DSS show up on the scene? The server responded with {{status_text}} (code {{status_code}}). 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. Your support funds important public interest journalism. The law gave DHHS authority to enforce performance standards at each county, and for DHHS to take over DSS offices that chronically underperform an authority DHHS used a few months later when it took over Cherokee Countys child welfare division. And so Im not sure we need a (new) law. A lock icon or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. Maybe many others!! So, they did. The North Carolina General Assembly meets in the State Legislative Building in Raleigh, seen here in Feb. 2018. 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. The server responded with {{status_text}} (code {{status_code}}). Then, using the child population of each county during the year in question, reporters calculated the percentage of children removed in a given year. 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. Box 7408 State Courier #: 12-50-02 Phone: 828-250-5500 Fax Number: 828-250-6235 Emergency Phone: 828-250-5500 Website Key Staff Director: Stoney Blevins Administrative Assistant: Christa Lance , 828-250-5587 ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) An attorney for Buncombe County Health and Human Services said in a letter director Talmadge "Stoney" Blevins would not comply with a subpoena about a case involving a 9 . County Director of Social Services August 1, 2022 / DSS Jobs NC. Related:A timeline of the Buncombe County corruption investigation, Recent Reporting:Wanda Greene dark money lawsuit mediator orders her to hand over answers before Christmas. pigella miraculous ladybug power. Your support funds important public interest journalism. If you have an update to county agency information, please email dssweb@dhhs.nc.gov . Low counties are clustered in the rural northeastern counties, which typically have very low populations. They visit the parents, then write down what they say. "What I have really appreciated lately is the internal support function," he said. 40 Coxe Avenue. Job Contact. But the map also shows that the high and very high counties mostly cluster geographically, as do the low and very low counties. Most of the allegations CPP has received from families are nearly impossible to substantiate. With new equality rules coming down the pipe, many of us will most likely meet the Director. The DSS worker called back and asked him to help complete the intake report. Will Asheville City Soccer Club still play there? Post Office Box 7408. Our award-winning, breakthrough journalism dismantles barriers and shines a light on the critical overlooked and under-reported issues facing our states 10.2 million residents. Officers then called Buncombe County HHS. I can promise you, I would be better served to speak to you about the things youre asking me, Blevins said. Work County. Didnt they care this girl was going to be left with someone she did not know? please consider hanging this poster somewhere in your community. Social workers removed children seized over a mark from a supposed beating, even though there was no evidence of the mark. Part 1:Protection of NC children, families depends on the county, Part 3:Structure of NC child protective services leads to inequity, Part 4:NC could look to other states for potential child welfare reforms, Indicted former director resigns from DSS position, cant work for county again, Governor signs bipartisan child welfare overhaul bill, ByKate Martin,Frank TaylorandImari Scarbrough. The successful candidate has a history of collaborating with staff, the local community and state partners to create stronger families, safer communities, and a better future for those they serve. Once a referral is taken for Protective Services, a Social Worker will be assigned the case. If county officials decide to go beyond the scope of state guidelines, or in some cases beyond what state and federal laws allow, those choices are being made by individuals, some of whom already face criminal prosecution. Within the room they found methamphetamine, other drugs and 200-300 used hypodermic needles, they said. Social workers are supposed to try to make these contacts regularly. I ended the phone call.. Time and again, though, lawmakers tried to turn the conversation back toward the specific case. Bakers stepmother was already the subject of previous abuse findings. He said a social worker now shows up every time a law enforcement officer requests such a presence and will perform the intake report at the scene. Adults Protective Services: DSS - Buncombe County | Asheville Aging & Adult Services Child & Family Services Foster Parent Resources Adult Protective Services In Buncombe County you can make a Protective Service referral or report by calling (828) 250-5800 anytime, day or night. This is your chance to support credible, community-based, public-service journalism. Social workers removed him from the foster care setting, but the family remained unclear about what happened to him next, they told CPP. Raleigh, NC 27699-2000. 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. 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. Address: 40 Coxe Ave., Asheville, NC 28801 Salary. Starting in June, Blevins directed Buncombe County social workers to respond to the scene of all law enforcement requests and shared the protocol with county law enforcement agencies. Police called Buncombe DSS, and a county DSS worker told a police officer to leave the girl in the custody of a man she did not know in a hotel room filled with used drug needles, according to the police report. The Director is responsible for a budget of over $350 million dollars including Medicaid and Food Stamp benefits and slightly over 300 employees. However, even with the subpoena, a county spokeswoman said Blevins would be limited in what he could reveal about the specific incident. Shortly before DHHS discovered Cherokee County was using unlawful agreements to separate families, a report about a three-day visit to the department included dire concerns. When Reeves sister,Suzan Bayorgeon, contacted CPP in late 2015, her family was distraught not only over Reeves death but also because they did not know the whereabouts of heryoungest son,Addison. In September 2016, a CPP investigation learned that the boy had been adopted within weeks of his mothers death. 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. But what to do with the 9-year-old girl? And yet, I do not see proof that weve implemented the plans that have been made.. Email her at kmartin@carolinapublicpress.org. And then we seem surprised when it fails.