Categories. 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. Social workers removed him from the foster care setting, but the family remained unclear about what happened to him next, they told CPP. 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. A good many are probably false or contain half-truths. Didnt they care this girl was going to be left with someone she did not know? ", "We're good at what we do, we are consistent, we have good documentation and we have those good relationships across the organization," he said. 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. 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. The DSS worker said we could leave the child in the room, but she hopes we would not do that, the report says. [This story was originally published by Carolina Public Press.]. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. The Purpose of Buncombe County Health and Human Services is to strengthen our communities by advancing health, safety, and opportunity. She died in 2010, and her stepmother was eventually charged in her murder. They are still considered the public in regard to this.. She told the police she wanted to go home. In the bathroom there was a plastic container nearly full of used needles, the police report says. Agency Name. Christian Smith is the general assignment reporter for the Asheville Citizen-Times. The boys deathspurred lawmakers to action, and the General Assembly approved a package of major reforms with strong bipartisan support. Asheville, NC 28802 Asheville, NC 28802 12. Buncombe County is basically my entire professional career at this point," Scott said. Sen. Jim Perry pushed back at the notion of blanket confidentiality. They visit the parents, then write down what they say. Stoney Blevins, director of the Buncombe County Department of Social Services, testified before a state legislative committee last week, saying he couldnt tell legislators much about a specific child welfare case due to confidentiality laws. Key Staff Polk County Health and Human Services Director: Joshua Kennedy. Raleigh, NC 27699-2000. Apply to Engagement Director, Director of Admissions, Human Resources Specialist and more! In December 2022, just one month before he was appointed to the interim position on Jan. 25, Scott was promoted to assistant finance director. No appointment is needed. There appeared to be no attempt by the police or DSS to follow up with the Sheriffs Office. 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. I thought I had faith in it, but I dont anymore.. Government, Non-Profit and Other Non-Profit Organizations Individual and Family Social Services Social Service and Welfare . Blevins strongly disagreed with this last claim. But often county level workers fail to appropriately rank the risk of a case, according to a legislative report completed last year. But even in some of these cases, legal counsel may ultimately advise them not to discuss the situation further. Zahra Bakerwas a native of Australia who lived in Catawba County with her father and stepmother. With the support of readers like you, we provide thoughtfully researched articles for a more informed and connected community. But the foster care residence was in unincorporated Transylvania County, not the city of Brevard. If you have an update to county agency information, please email dssweb@dhhs.nc.gov . 0:57. Director. Learn More{{/message}}. Cheri Wood, 828-250-6340 Social Worker Investigative/Assessment and Treatment. It is my taxes that go to CCS. A grand jury first indicted the mother for neglect in 2015. 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. 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. The intake process can take a while, as it requires people who report abuse to answer many questions. 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. Phone: 828-250-5500 State law also allows DSS offices to disclose records to prosecutors without court orders, said Sara DePasquale, an associate professor specializing in child welfare law at the UNC School of Government, two years ago. There appeared to be no attempt by the police or DSS to follow up with the Sheriffs Office. On March 20, police in Black Mountain pulled over a car that was swerving over the white line. 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. 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. Please read on to understand the state statute and Social Work Services responsibility. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. Henderson County residentFelicia Reevesdisappeared in August 2015. It is important to screen cases correctly, or agencies risk violating parents constitutional rights to raise their children. Within the room they found methamphetamine, other drugs and 200-300 used hypodermic needles, they said. This project was produced for the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalisms 2020 Data Fellowship. Social workers removed children seized over a mark from a supposed beating, even though there was no evidence of the mark. Much to lawmakers chagrin, Blevins could not confirm or deny anything in the police report due to strict laws protecting the privacy of the girl and her family. Buncombe County DSS Mr. Stoney Blevins, Director 828-250-5588. Additional Information Performs other duties as assigned by the Supervisor, the Income Maintenance Administrator and the Director. 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. Some abuse is so heinous that workers are required to investigate immediately. Buncombe County Social Service Department Suggest Edit Address 40 Coxe Avenue, # G Asheville , North Carolina , 28801 Phone 828-250-5500 Fax 828-255-5845 Hours Mon-Fri 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Map of Buncombe County Social Service Department View map of Buncombe County Social Service Department, and get driving directions from your location. Dumbing Down Courses for High School Students so CCS can send more students into Program so CCS and CCC make more $$$ off the Taxpayers!!! 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. You guys are highly under-appreciated!! Customer Service Center:1-800-662-7030 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. 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. Many of the counties with very low rates or rates in the middle also experience poverty. Email her at kmartin@carolinapublicpress.org. In the upcoming election we can kick out this majority fool board. Addison was placed in foster care in Transylvania County. They described social workers ignoring judges instructions on keeping families together, social workers who acted on personal dislike of their families and irreversible adoptions that did not follow policy or the law and inappropriately kept family members in the dark about what was happening. This will reduce capacity to one active hopper and operational delays should be expected. A horrific child sex abuse case in Cherokee County two years ago included a puzzling delay by DSS officials in cooperating with prosecutors. Some of them are likely true. Confidentiality rules preventing discussion of child welfare cases may limit much of the testimony NC legislators seek. The North Carolina General Assembly meets in the State Legislative Building in Raleigh, seen here in Feb. 2018. But the Sheriffs Office had no record of it. 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. Carolina Public Press has confirmed that there was a subpoena. Confidentiality rules intended to protect children present challenges for investigating allegations of DSS misconduct. Legislators grill Buncombe DSS director, who disputes Black Mountain cops, intake procedures differ widely among counties, Legislators subpoena Buncombe official over DSS handling of childs case, Stories recount concerns with DSS agencies across North Carolina, Change in NC rent aid programs could force counties to pull from their own budgets, 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. Transparency, relationships and continuous improvement are all things Scott hopes to work on during his time in the role, he said.
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