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. A decade ago in Swain County, 15-month-old Aubrey Kina-Marie Littlejohn died while under supervision by county DSS. Closing Date. Please join us! It is my taxes that go to CCS. Office Assistant III-FNS - DSS Jobs NC New DSS Director Selected-Katie Swanson from Buncombe County!! Not long afterward, he died of an overdose. New DSS Director Selected-Katie Swanson from Buncombe County!! CCDSS Such records are typically open to prosecutors, according to Peg Dorer, with the N.C. Conference of District Attorneys. Buncombe County Solid Waste is . Addison was placed in foster care in Transylvania County. Explore departmental dashboards. Mason Scott, 34, was hand-picked by Warn as his temporary successor. Choose a focus area. Officers told her they might take him to jail and sarcastically asked if he should leave the girl alone in the hotel room. 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. Does the child feel safe? Much like 911 operators, DSS workers ask specific questions when taking information on a new case, called intake, he explained. Once a referral is taken for Protective Services, a Social Worker will be assigned the case. If the purpose of the record request is to protect a juvenile, then no court order would be needed, DePasquale told CPP. When he arrived at the hearing, Blevins was told that there, in fact, was not a subpoena a fact that was disputed among different members of the committee throughout the hearing lasting more than two hours. People who lose their children or are unsuccessful in having children removed from the home of a troubled family member are not happy about these outcomes. 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. He told officers that he had met the girl for the first time that day and volunteered to watch her. Buncombe County is basically my entire professional career at this point," Scott said. When CPP brought the case to the attention of deputies in 2016, they conducted an investigation. I had this conversation with (Sen. Chuck Edwards) the very first day we spoke in April, Blevins said. We aim to prevent abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable residents and promote self-reliance and self-sufficiency for individuals and families. 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. Our staff is committed to providing Buncombe's diverse population with effective services in a timely and respectful manner. The North Carolina General Assembly meets in the State Legislative Building in Raleigh, seen here in Feb. 2018. From these annual rates in each county and the state as a whole, CPP calculated an average yearly rate over the 10-year period, then compared each county to the state. A judge granted the request. In a Sept. 15 email to Edwards, Blevins said he would be honored to meet with the committee to talk and answer questions about our child welfare system. Buncombe County Health and Human Services Director Stoney Blevins sits at his desk in Asheville. Policy choices are made by individuals, though geographical isolation and limited resources may promote decisions in some areas of the state more than others. Buncombe County Employee Directory Search (North Carolina) {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}Your submission failed. A lock icon or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. CPP then mapped these comparison percentages, marking distinctly those at the extremes. Sources report that the Cleveland County Commissioners have selected Katie Swanson from the Buncombe County DSS as the Director of the Cleveland County DSS. CPP is not naming the adults because naming them could identify the young children. Some of them are likely true. But the map also shows that the high and very high counties mostly cluster geographically, as do the low and very low counties. A week later, the mother of two was found dead in a New Jersey motel room. "I'm still kind of young in my career. I thought I had faith in it, but I dont anymore.. But Reeves death was only part of the case. At the expense of our Childrens Future!!! Blevins was asked to testify before the General Assembly last year about how social workers handled a case, but his hands were tied by confidentiality rules. And some economically advantaged counties may also cluster with high or low removal rates. For several months DSS did not produce confidential child welfare records for a criminal case after the DAs office sought them. 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.. The parents used intravenous drugs in the presence of their children and failed to provide adequate nutrition and hygiene, the indictments said. They may think the system has wronged their families. Its just disturbing. Asheville, NC 28802 12. Legislators grill Buncombe DSS director, who disputes Black Mountain I mean you cant get back the last couple years of these little children, you know.. Post Office Box 7408. Monday - Friday Addison was placed in foster care in Transylvania County. The DSS agent who had documented the abuse in foster care no longer worked there by this time. Starting Monday, Feb. 27, a maintenance project taking place at the Buncombe County Transfer Station may cause some extended wait times. The position is appointed by and reports to a five-member Local Social Services Board. Each of North Carolina's 100 counties has a local social services agency. Blevins was asked to testify before the General Assembly last year about how social workers handled a case, but his hands were tied by confidentiality rules. 2001 Mail Service Center State Government websites value user privacy. Protection of the Abused, Neglected or Exploited Disabled Adult Act is located under Statute 108A Article 6. Most of the allegations CPP has received from families are nearly impossible to substantiate. In the upcoming election we can kick out this majority fool board. Buncombe County Fire Marshall . Social workers removed children seized over a mark from a supposed beating, even though there was no evidence of the mark. State law also allows DSS offices to disclose records to prosecutors without court orders, saidSara DePasquale, an associate professor specializing in child welfare law at the UNC School of Government, two years ago. But sometimes social workers fudge. #828-479-7911 Fax #828-479-7928 Courier Number: 08-40-02. The North Carolina General Assembly meets in the State Legislative Building in Raleigh, seen here in Feb. 2018. 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. Must be able to type a minimum of 40 words per minute. Then, using the child population of each county during the year in question, reporters calculated the percentage of children removed in a given year. The legal direction is that information cant be shared before the House or Senate, Govus said. #828-479-7911 Fax #828-479-7928 Courier Number: 08-40-02. Your support funds important public interest journalism. Human Resources - Buncombe County | Asheville NC Editors note: This is part 2 of the four-part investigative series Patchwork Protection. Part 1 appeared June 7. 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. "Another thing I hope to maintain is a high level of quality, even though we do look at a high volume of activity each year.". She wasnt sure why that didnt happen in Addisons case, and privacy laws prevented her from discussing the details. Upcoming articles in this series will examine the systemic problems that create challenges for child protective services in North Carolina and potential solutions. Didnt they care this girl was going to be left with someone she did not know? Officers then called Buncombe County HHS. In 2016, Rylan Ott, nearly 2 years old, wandered from his Carthage home and drowned in a pond. One was located in a glove inside a door pocket, a police report says. NC Department of Health and Human Services 2001 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-2000. 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. They visit the parents, then write down what they say. Even without names or narratives, the overall data from the last decade points to locations in the state where removals of children have occurred far above or far below the statewide average. I thought I had faith in it, but I dont anymore.. I didnt realize there was a significant problem. 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. Carolina Public Press contributing reporter Christian Green also assisted with interviews for this article. Buncombe County's DSS office allocated $400,000 for extra clerical staff when it thought it would be required to use NC Fast's child welfare modules, but its current system has more features that child welfare workers need than NC Fast does, said Stoney Blevins, director of health and human services in Buncombe County. When CPP brought the case to the attention of deputies in 2016, they conducted an investigation. Records from Reeves communications during the final weeks of her life show that she was repeatedly at odds with DSS agents over her son, though what she knew about his location was not clear. Address: 40 Coxe Ave., Asheville, NC 28801, NC Department of Health and Human Services Burke County DSS . I think it is critical for this committee to thoroughly understand why anyone thought it would be OK to leave a 9-year-old girl in a hotel room with a stranger that contained needles and drugs, Edwards said. Social workers are supposed to try to make these contacts regularly. Katie Swanson was hired by the county at the end of May to take over from Karen Pritchard, who retired as DSS director at the end of 2018. GPS Latitude: 35.597763. [This story was originally published by Carolina Public Press.]. Places nearby. Or a family who had contacted CPP initially might not be able to talk now because of a settlement that included a nondisclosure agreement. So, they did. Scott began his career in the Planning Department before moving to the county's IT Department as a business officer, a Buncombe County news release said. Stories Recount Concerns With DSS Agencies Across North Carolina But the grandmother said she could not care for Addison, Reeves younger child, at that time. Ideally, when social workers conduct their monthly home visits, they look for changes in the home. An official website of the State of North Carolina, Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse, Office Of Minority Health And Health Disparities, Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing. But what to do with the 9-year-old girl? Is everyone healthy and is there enough food? Buncombe director won't comply with subpoena about girl, hotel, needles