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Blevins pointed out that the police report says the officer hung up on the DSS worker who was trying to take the report. Carolina Public Press contributing reporter Christian Green also assisted with interviews for this article. Fax Number: 828-250-6341 No appointment is needed. The study showed that correctly ranking the risk to children can be a difficult task, and even supervisors can incorrectly screen hypothetical child welfare cases. 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.. At other times, however, DSS agencies have cited confidentiality rules as reasons for not responding to questions about their general procedures and policies that require no identifying information about individual children and families. Response times to child welfare reports vary depending on how much risk the child is in. State Courier #: 12-50-02 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. They visit the parents, then write down what they say. Some families accused DSS staff of generally playing God with peoples lives and acting in a conspiratorial manner. Not long afterward, he died of an overdose. For several months DSS did not produce confidential child welfare records for a criminal case after the DAs office sought them. In some cases, people may have kept enough records and can present a credible account shored up by documentation. Zahra Baker was a native of Australia who lived in Catawba County with her father and stepmother. Carolina Public Press has confirmed that there was a subpoena. Raleigh, NC 27699-2000. 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. 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. He was making a salary of $161,785.44, according to a public records request. If you want to help us spread the word about signs of abuse, self-neglect or exploitation of elder adults or adults with disabilities, please consider hanging this poster somewhere in your community. A good many are probably false or contain half-truths. Work County. The experience is typically traumatic and humiliating. Addison was placed in foster care in Transylvania County. Policy choices are made by individuals, though geographical isolation and limited resources may promote decisions in some areas of the state more than others. She wasnt sure why that didnt happen in Addisons case, and privacy laws prevented her from discussing the details. Address: 231 Wolverine Trail, Mill Spring, NC 28756 State Courier #: 06-74-02 Phone: 828-894-2100 Fax Number: 828-894-6326 Emergency Phone: 828-894-0187 Website. Frank Taylor / Carolina Public Press. I thought we were waiting for them to copy the records.. 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. Graham County DSS Ms. Amy Seay, Director 196 Knight Street Post Office Box 1150 Robbinsville, NC 28771 Tel. Ideally, when social workers conduct their monthly home visits, they look for changes in the home. Rutherford County DSS Work County Rutherford Job Contact Luann Butler PO Box 242 389 Fairground Road Spindale, NC 28160 Office - 828-287-6283 FAX - 828-288-3406 Email: luann.butler@rutherfordcountync.gov Job Location 389 Fairground Road Spindale North Carolina 28160 Job Description Position Responsibilities: Confidentiality rules preventing discussion of child welfare cases may limit much of the testimony NC legislators seek. We aim to prevent abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable residents and promote self-reliance and self-sufficiency for individuals and families. Please join us! A judge granted the request. The DSS worker called back and asked him to help complete the intake report. The assessment includes evaluating six areas: During the course of the evaluation the Social Worker will talk with the adult, collaterals, and use whatever resources necessary to determine whether the adult is in need of protection. 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. The Cleveland County Department of Social Services has a new director. Many of the counties with very low rates or rates in the middle also experience poverty. With the support of readers like you, we provide thoughtfully researched articles for a more informed and connected community. Her school reported abuse, and multiple social workers visited the family. Officers then called Buncombe County HHS. 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. 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. At one point, the report says, she advised officers to leave the girl in the custody of Stanley.. 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. Many of the counties with very high removal rates have elevated poverty rates, but no direct correlation exists between poverty levels and child removal rates. Strong confidentiality rules surround child protective services cases under both state and federal law, for the purpose of protecting the identity of the children. This report has not been officially . NC legislative oversight committee questions whether DSS official really needs a judges order to let him address his employees handling of case involving child. In addition, the intake procedures can be arduous, and repetitive questions can fluster those reporting suspected child maltreatment. Buncombe County Health & Human Services Address: 40 Coxe Ave., Asheville, NC 28801 P.O. At the core of what Scott will be working on within the department is the philosophy of "maintain, not correct," he said. Much to lawmakers chagrin,Blevins could not confirm or deny anythingin the police report due to strict laws protecting the privacy of the girl and her family. Must be able to understand and prioritize work to adhere to County, State and Federal timeframes. An Associated Press investigation into Littlejohns death found social workers forged documents to cover their tracks after the girl died to show the visits had occurred when they in fact had not. With the support of readers like you, we provide thoughtfully researched articles for a more informed and connected community. Strong confidentiality rules surround child protective services cases under both state and federal law, for the purpose of protecting the identity of the children. Entertainment:Food Network's 'Spring Baking Championship' to feature WNC pastry chef. Thats all Im going to say, best leave before I get upset. Men Against the Women!! 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. Another Lawsuit Filed Against Cleveland Community College Board of Trustees!!! Policy choices are made by individuals, though geographical isolation and limited resources may promote decisions in some areas of the state more than others. I ended the phone call." The General Assembly called Buncombe County Health and Human Services Director Stoney Blevins to testify about the . Cherokee County DSS never responded to CPPs questions about the records fracas but provided the records to the DAs office after CPP published a story about the issue. 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. In 2016, Rylan Ott, nearly 2 years old, wandered from his Carthage home and drowned in a pond. CPP then mapped these comparison percentages, marking distinctly those at the extremes. I truly hope in this process that this confidentiality requirement isnt being used to hide the mistakes, Hise said. And some economically advantaged counties may also cluster with high or low removal rates. Throughout the hearing Blevins lauded Buncombe Countys DSS office as a model for other counties. The DSS worker called back and asked him to help complete the intake report. Scott has a bachelor's degree in German from Wake Forest University and a masters degree in project management from Western Carolina University, according to the county's news release. The statute requires that anyone having reason to believe that a disabled person is in need of protective service shall report such information to the director of the Social Work Services. The DSS agent who had documented the abuse in foster care no longer worked there by this time. He told officers that he had met the girl for the first time that day and volunteered to watch her. Swanson is currently the Social Work Program Administrator for Buncombe County Health and Human Services where she provides . 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. Will Asheville City Soccer Club still play there? I can understand why a lot of people give up and stop fighting because, one, youre fighting a hard system, and two, you cant afford it, she said. On March 20, police in Black Mountain pulled over a car that was swerving over the white line. Additional Information Performs other duties as assigned by the Supervisor, the Income Maintenance Administrator and the Director. It is my statement, based off my information, that no (DSS) staff member in Buncombe County has given the advice for a police officer to leave a child in a room with a stranger and 100 to 200 needles, Blevins said, speaking about the police report. Blevins will be subpoenaed to testify during an Oct. 13 committee hearing regarding a March 20 incident in which Black Mountain police officers asked Buncombe County's DSS for help with a 9-year-old girl after arresting her father. The DSS Director reports directly to the Board of Social Services and reports indirectly to the County Manager's Office. Address: 40 Coxe Ave., Asheville, NC 28801 Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Buncombe County Health and Human Services Director Stoney Blevins sits at his desk in Asheville. Each member of a public agency or department must submit contact information for the Buncombe County personnel directory. The DSS worker called back and asked him to help complete the intake report. Please read on to understand the state statute and Social Work Services responsibility. pigella miraculous ladybug power. While Blevins said the states juvenile code forbade him from providing specifics about the March incident, he had a lot to say about improving the states child welfare system. Thank you! If you would like to obtain posters or rack cards, please email hhscommunications@buncombecounty.org, Social Work Services At other times, however, DSS agencies have cited confidentiality rules as reasons for not responding to questions about their general procedures and policies that require no identifying information about individual children and families. Each of North Carolina's 100 counties has a local social services agency. 90,126. In 2020, police in Black Mountain pulled over a swerving car and arrested all three adults. 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. Its regretful there were some communications mishaps, said Cherokee County DSS DirectorAmanda McGeeina later interview on WKRK, a radio station in Murphy. The elected district attorney,Ashley Welch, told CPP then that she took an unusual step of filing a motion to compel DSS to provide documents after her office was repeatedly denied an opportunity to view the records. 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. Will Asheville City Soccer Club still play there? At times he was asked his thoughts on how to improve the states child welfare system. But the map also shows that the high and very high counties mostly cluster geographically, as do the low and very low counties. Your email address will not be published. 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. So, we fund a position to work at the hospital so that we can respond to these situations as soon as that baby is delivered. the tall man aboriginal spirit; metadata api request failed: component conversion failed: file_ended; caleb foote sandlot Imari Scarbrough is a contributing writer to Carolina Public Press. Lets start meeting and talking and get ready to kick these rats out. Noyes said at first she thought that if you worked through the system and presented your case honestly, the situation would work out, but she now has no confidence in DSS and the family courts, a view she said is shared by members of other families whom shes talked with during court appearances. This is your chance to support credible, community-based, public-service journalism. 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. But others include the major Piedmont metro areas, which have some of the highest populations. Now, much of that trust has been regained, Scott said, and after the work put in over the last several years, the department now has what Scott calls "stable processes. Reporting like this isnt free to produce and we cannot do this alone. 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. P: (828) 250-5800. In almost all cases where a child is young or at immediate risk, child welfare workers are required to respond immediately. Customer Service Center: 1-800-662-7030 Visit RelayNC for information about TTY services. Adoptions in North Carolina cannot be reversed. A decade ago in Swain County, 15-month-oldAubrey Kina-Marie Littlejohndied while under supervision by county DSS. They may think the system has wronged their families. 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. To learn more, view our full privacy policy. As a result, the family said, the statute of limitations had expired, and no one could be charged two years later. To be perfectly honest, I just think we need to take action.. Then, using the child population of each county during the year in question, reporters calculated the percentage of children removed in a given year. Upcoming articles in this series will examine the systemic problems that create challenges for child protective services in North Carolina and potential solutions. GPS Longitude:-82.548709. Even though the server responded OK, it is possible the submission was not processed. 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 DSS Mr. Stoney Blevins, Director 828-250-5588. However, even with the subpoena, a county spokeswoman said Blevins would be limited in what he could reveal about the specific incident. Upcoming articles in this series will examine the systemic problems that create challenges for child protective services in North Carolina and potential solutions. Address: 40 Coxe Ave., Asheville, NC 28801, NC Department of Health and Human Services When news organizations contact local departments of social services offices with questions about a specific case, the agencies are typically unable to discuss them. Trouble in Paradise for Sure!!! 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. Subpoenas to testify before the state legislature are rare. 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. Burke County DSS . A week later, the mother of two was found dead in a New Jersey motel room. The fact that they have lasted so long-to retirement age-is a tragedy and sheds a very bad light on all of Cleveland Countys so-called leadership. If the purpose of the record request is to protect a juvenile, then no court order would be needed, DePasquale told CPP. But the foster care residence was in unincorporated Transylvania County, not the city of Brevard. DIRECTOR of SOCIAL SERVICES - CLOSES FEBRUARY 16, 2023 BEAUFORT COUNTY - SW IV REPOST - CLOSES FEBRUARY 10, 2023 BEAUFORT COUNTY - SW IV CWS /IAT - CLOSES FEBRUARY 10, 2023 CHATHAM COUNTY - IM CASEWORKER II - OPEN UNTIL FILLED Many of the counties with very high removal rates have elevated poverty rates, but no direct correlation exists between poverty levels and child removal rates. 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. We need to get rid of these over education ( Degree in B.S. Colby Rabon / Carolina Public Press Their stories were often shocking and always emotional. We have a broken child welfare system that we refuse to invest in, Blevins said. Starting Monday, Feb. 27, a maintenance project taking place at the Buncombe County Transfer Station may cause some extended wait times. Reeves family said she had lived in fear for her life because of attacks from her ex-husband Titus Boley, who had served a prison sentence for assaulting her. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Pitt County Department of Social Services (DSS) is seeking a mission-driven leader to be their next Social Services Director. Learn More{{/message}}. But sometimes social workers fudge. The parents used intravenous drugs in the presence of their children and failed to provide adequate nutrition and hygiene, the indictments said. You guys are highly under-appreciated!! We would never support leaving a child in a hotel room with a stranger and 300 used needles, as a blanket statement, Blevins said Tuesday. F. (828) 250-6235. Social Worker Investigative/Assessment and Treatment. But even in some of these cases, legal counsel may ultimately advise them not to discuss the situation further. Buncombe County Employee Directories are records of the contact details for government staff in Buncombe County, North Carolina. 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. 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. 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.