Each countys average annual removal rate, compared with the states annual removal rate, was calculated as a percentage of the states rate. The North Carolina General Assembly meets in the State Legislative Building in Raleigh, seen here in Feb. 2018. Inside were three adults and a 9-year-old girl, the police report of the traffic stop says. Police later claimed that they emailed information about the case to the Transylvania County Sheriffs Office. "What I have really appreciated lately is the internal support function," he said. Apply to Engagement Director, Director of Admissions, Human Resources Specialist and more! Kate Martin is lead investigative reporter for Carolina Public Press. Email her at kmartin@carolinapublicpress.org. A decade ago in Swain County, 15-month-oldAubrey Kina-Marie Littlejohndied while under supervision by county DSS. As a retired CPS SWS, calls from APD and BCSO, were immediately responded to as a professional courtesy. 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 thenhung up on the social worker. 404 Social Services jobs available in Buncombe County, NC on Indeed.com. Phone: 828-250-5500 He answered legislators questions about generic procedures but drew the line when asked about the specific case. Granville County DSS 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. I mean you cant get back the last couple years of these little children, you know.. All Rights Reserved. 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. But often county level workers fail to appropriately rank the risk of a case, according to a legislative report completed last year. Their stories were often shocking and always emotional. CCDSS Interim Director Jane Shooter expected to be gone soon!! Her trailer had no heat, according to statements to law enforcement. 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. The purpose of intake questions is to determine how urgently a case needs the governments attention. Please join us! Post Office Box 7408. Social workers removed him from the foster care setting, but the family remained unclear about what happened to him next, they told CPP. 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. 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 her youngest son, Addison. Your email address will not be published. A good many are probably false or contain half-truths. Buncombe County DSS Mr. Stoney Blevins, Director 828-250-5588. State Government websites value user privacy. State Sen. Chuck Edwards said during the hearing that police officers were told by a social worker to leave the . On March 20, police in Black Mountain pulled over a car that was swerving over the white line. Questions or comments? Another Lawsuit Filed Against Cleveland Community College Board of Trustees!!! Would love your thoughts, please comment. Legislators in the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services voted 15-8 along party lines Tuesday in favor of subpoenaing Buncombe Health and Human Services Director Stoney Blevins, with Republicans in favor and Democrats against. 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. Click a goal. "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.". A judge granted the request. Food Assistance Medicaid Information Clinical Services Children Services Environmental Health Social Work Services News & Information National Black/African American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 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. Reporting like this isnt free to produce and we cannot do this alone. The report says a social worker told police that DSS did not respond to these situations., Officers explained that the parent wanted to leave the girl with Stanley. The report says the DSS worker demanded multiple times to take a report over the phone. 2001 Mail Service Center Edwards said he has been unable to get straight answers out of Blevins even after a conversation. Your support funds important public interest journalism. Ideally, when social workers conduct their monthly home visits, they look for changes in the home. But others include the major Piedmont metro areas, which have some of the highest populations. Carolina Public Press provides in-depth, investigative reporting on issues affecting Western North Carolina in a nonprofit, nonpartisan setting. Raleigh, NC 27699-2000. 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. Prosecutors filed additional charges, including incest, aiding and abetting incest, child prostitution and other felony sex offenses involving multiple close relatives. The district attorneys office decided that the evidence justified charges of misdemeanor child abuse, but not a felony. Low counties are clustered in the rural northeastern counties, which typically have very low populations. 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. Monday - Friday Carolina Public Press contributing reporter Christian Green also assisted with interviews for this article. 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. 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.. Maybe many others!! They visit the parents, then write down what they say. 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. 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. Other cases require that they respond within 24 or 72 hours. Confidentiality rules preventing discussion of child welfare cases may limit much of the testimony NC legislators seek. 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. 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. 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. Trouble in Paradise for Sure!!! Sports:What's new with Memorial Stadium? 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. GPS Latitude: 35.597763. Some families accused DSS staff of generally playing God with peoples lives and acting in a conspiratorial manner. This interpretation of the rules can make it difficult for other branches of state government to hold DSS agencies accountable for possible mistakes, much less the news media, which has no access to subpoena powers. No appointment is needed. Each of North Carolina's 100 counties has a local social services agency. Even though the server responded OK, it is possible the submission was not processed. While Blevins was able to speak to the accuracy, or lack thereof, in a Black Mountain police report regarding the case, he skirted the details known to him and his social workers because state law requires a judges ruling to give specifics of a confidential case, he told lawmakers. On June 24, county DSS Social Work Director Rebecca Smith sent an email to all Buncombe law enforcement agency leaders acknowledging mistakes had been made in how the department responds to. The DSS agent who had documented the abuse in foster care no longer worked there by this time. He is earning a salary of $102,755.32, according to a public records request. Blevins confirmed he will show up to talk with legislators once he receives the subpoena. 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. So, they did. Don Warn, 53, who was the Buncombe County finance director since November 2018, recently left Buncombe County to go to Guilford County, where he started on Feb. 13, according to a. I truly hope in this process that this confidentiality requirement isnt being used to hide the mistakes, Hise said. 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. 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. Although she filed a complaint, she said it was not taken seriously. Graham County DSS Ms. Amy Seay, Director 196 Knight Street Post Office Box 1150 Robbinsville, NC 28771 Tel. Don Warn, 53, who was the Buncombe County finance director since November 2018, recently left Buncombe County to go to Guilford County, where he started on Feb. 13, according to a Guilford County news release. A spokesperson for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services told CPP at the time that the foster mother would no longer be able to foster children in North Carolina. This is your chance to support credible, community-based, public-service journalism. I thought we were waiting for them to copy the records.. County Director of Social Services Work Type. A county with an annual removal rate exactly the same as the statewide rate would have a 100% comparison rating, a county that removed children on average at twice the statewide rate would have a 200% comparison rating, and a county that removed children on average at half the statewide rate would have a 50% comparison rating. Such records are typically open to prosecutors, according to Peg Dorer, with the N.C. Conference of District Attorneys. Social Worker Investigative/Assessment and Treatment. The Purpose of Buncombe County Health and Human Services is to strengthen our communities by advancing health, safety, and opportunity. 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. Explore departmental dashboards. She was concerned the children could be injured if he attacked her. Adoptions in North Carolina cannot be reversed. She wasnt sure why that didnt happen in Addisons case, and privacy laws prevented her from discussing the details. A county with an annual removal rate exactly the same as the statewide rate would have a 100% comparison rating, a county that removed children on average at twice the statewide rate would have a 200% comparison rating, and a county that removed children on average at half the statewide rate would have a 50% comparison rating. They are still considered the public in regard to this.. Henderson County residentFelicia Reevesdisappeared in August 2015. 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Sampson County DSS has a budget of $12.8M and 150 employees serving across 3 divisions of programs: Adult, Child, and Family Services, Child Support, and Economic Programs and Services. And some economically advantaged counties may also cluster with high or low removal rates. But sometimes social workers fudge. 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. Address: 40 Coxe Ave., Asheville, NC 28801, NC Department of Health and Human Services I predict that in short time, if you dont agree with the CCS system which marches in step with Their Federal heros diversity bullshit, that DDS will take you to court. Its often impossible to know because the evidence surrounding child protective services is not available to the public. please consider hanging this poster somewhere in your community. 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. In September 2016, a CPP investigation learned that the boy had been adopted within weeks of his mothers death. Required fields are marked *. 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. Taking a child from a parent is considered a last resort and is usually done to prevent imminent harm or maltreatment of a child. Sources report that the Cleveland County Commissioners have selected Katie Swanson from the Buncombe County DSS as the Director of the Cleveland County DSS.