It was unclear whether photos documenting bruises were taken immediately or later, but they showed far less bruising than the family remembered seeing. Raleigh, NC 27699-2000. 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. {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}Your submission failed. Department of Social Services. Learn More{{/message}}. A parents attorney could get a hold of these records and make an argument to have the kids returned home.. Entertainment:Food Network's 'Spring Baking Championship' to feature WNC pastry chef. CPPs news team analyzed data on child removals across North Carolina during the decade from 2010-19. 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. 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. 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. The General Assembly called Buncombe County Health and Human Services Director Stoney Blevins to testify about the incident. Forging contact records is not trivial. Phone: 828-250-5500 Visit RelayNCfor information about TTY services. DHHS Childrens Program representativeBrian Voglstated concerns for falsifying the foster care monthly contact records these are identical, and they are falsifying these records, the memo stated. In some cases, people may have kept enough records and can present a credible account shored up by documentation. Buncombe County is basically my entire professional career at this point," Scott said. This report has not been officially . Are new people living there? The Purpose of Buncombe County Health and Human Services is to strengthen our communities by advancing health, safety, and opportunity. Please join us! 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 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. I ended the phone call.. 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, COVID-19 Information for Local Social Services Agencies. Officers discovered hundreds of used needles along with drugs in the room. In December 2022, just one month before he was appointed to the interim position on Jan. 25, Scott was promoted to assistant finance director. Prosecutors filed additional charges, including incest, aiding and abetting incest, child prostitution and other felony sex offenses involving multiple close relatives. Some lawmakers were incensed. Police arrested all three adults after saying they found drugs and used needles, according to the report. Frank Taylor / Carolina Public Press. Blevins said confidentiality laws, as well as state rules surrounding personnel information, prevent him from saying more without a judges intervention. When news organizations contact local departments of social services offices with questions about a specific case, the agencies are typically unable to discuss them. The position is appointed by and reports to a five-member Local Social Services Board. Colby Rabon / Carolina Public Press Their stories were often shocking and always emotional. 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. Secure websites use HTTPS certificates. The North Carolina General Assembly meets in the State Legislative Building in Raleigh, seen here in Feb. 2018. Thank you! 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. 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. Didnt they care this girl was going to be left with someone she did not know? She wasnt sure why that didnt happen in Addisons case, and privacy laws prevented her from discussing the details. Closing Date. [This story was originally published by Carolina Public Press.]. This report has not been officially confirmed, but my sources are reliable. Editors note: This is part 2 of the four-part investigative series Patchwork Protection. Part 1 appeared June 7. Do you have concerns about a disabled adult who is either living in the community or in a licensed facility? Frank Taylor is the managing editor of Carolina Public Press. Your support means a lot! On March 20, police in Black Mountain pulled over a car that was swerving over the white line. Yourtax-deductible donationwill advance our mission of supporting journalism as a catalyst for change. But Zahra was never removed from the family. Questions or comments? Graham County DSS Ms. Amy Seay, Director 196 Knight Street Post Office Box 1150 Robbinsville, NC 28771 Tel. 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. According to Scott, the department has worked hard over the last few years to regain its trust from other internal departments and the general public after former County Manager Wanda Greene was indicted on embezzlement charges and went to federal prison. Fax Number: 828-250-6235 Its often impossible to know because the evidence surrounding child protective services is not available to the public. Addison was placed in foster care in Transylvania County. Meanwhile, Addisons birth family had no idea what had happened to him after removal from foster care. And some economically advantaged counties may also cluster with high or low removal rates. Lets start meeting and talking and get ready to kick these rats out. At one point, Noyes believed that an employee of DSS had an inappropriate previous professional relationship with a judge who handled the case. Many of the counties with very low rates or rates in the middle also experience poverty. Email her at kmartin@carolinapublicpress.org. Such records are typically open to prosecutors, according toPeg Dorer, with the N.C. Conference of District Attorneys. Addison was placed in foster care in Transylvania County. 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. Additional Information Performs other duties as assigned by the Supervisor, the Income Maintenance Administrator and the Director. 404 Social Services jobs available in Buncombe County, NC on Indeed.com. 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. 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. Adoptions in North Carolina cannot be reversed. 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. 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. Additional information on reporting abuse. Bakers stepmother was already the subject of previous abuse findings. The DSS worker called back and asked him to help complete the intake report. DSS seized children during a drug raid that found no evidence and was conducted at the wrong house on warrants intended for a search elsewhere. At one point, the report says, she advised officers to leave the girl in the custody of Stanley.. 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.. 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. 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. Customer Service Center:1-800-662-7030 Although she filed a complaint, she said it was not taken seriously. She wasnt sure why that didnt happen in Addisons case, and privacy laws prevented her from discussing the details. This project was produced for the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalisms 2020 Data Fellowship. But others include the major Piedmont metro areas, which have some of the highest populations. And some economically advantaged counties may also cluster with high or low removal rates. Other cases require that they respond within 24 or 72 hours. Strong confidentiality rules surround child protective services cases under both state and federal law, for the purpose of protecting the identity of the children. Kate Martin is lead investigative reporter for Carolina Public Press. Your email address will not be published. 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. 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. But the grandmother said she could not care for Addison, Reeves younger child, at that time. 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. Your support funds important public interest journalism. 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. He was making a salary of $161,785.44, according to a public records request. They may think the system has wronged their families. But even in some of these cases, legal counsel may ultimately advise them not to discuss the situation further. Must be able to understand and prioritize work to adhere to County, State and Federal timeframes. I mean you cant get back the last couple years of these little children, you know.. He was appointed by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners to take over the role that has oversight over all county spending, after working for Buncombe County for 11 years across many different departments. Its just disturbing. 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. This is your chance to support credible, community-based, public-service journalism. However, even with the subpoena, a county spokeswoman said Blevins would be limited in what he could reveal about the specific incident. 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. Some of them are likely true. 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 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. But the Sheriffs Office had no record of it. Their stories were often shocking and always emotional. A grand jury first indicted the mother for neglect in 2015. With new equality rules coming down the pipe, many of us will most likely meet the Director. Catherine Noyesis a grandmother who expresses frustration over the Cabarrus County Department of Social Services and courts handling of her familys case. Director of Buncombe County Health and Human Services Talmadge "Stoney" Blevins provided few answers to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services about why officers with the Black Mountain Police Department were reportedly told to leave a 9-year-old girl in a hotel room with a stranger, meth, and more than 100 . He is earning a salary of $102,755.32, according to a public records request. Her trailer had no heat, according to statements to law enforcement. 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. The City of Greenville is the county seat. I thought I had faith in it, but I dont anymore.. 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: A laterindependent investigationinto Moore Countys Department of Social Services revealed that overworked caseworkers did not visit the mother as they were supposed to, and the department did not properly supervise its caseworkers to ensure they followed state law and policy, according to the Fayetteville Observer. A lock icon or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. Such records are typically open to prosecutors, according to Peg Dorer, with the N.C. Conference of District Attorneys. And Im willing to have that conversation if this body is willing to take that action.. The server responded with {{status_text}} (code {{status_code}}). I do hope that the new Director will help me, we, us, or you the citizen. I didnt realize there was a significant problem. CPP then mapped these comparison percentages, marking distinctly those at the extremes. To be perfectly honest, I just think we need to take action.. The DSS Director reports directly to the Board of Social Services and reports indirectly to the County Manager's Office. But it took years for one young child to disclose what happened to her in the home. The Director is responsible for a budget of over $350 million dollars including Medicaid and Food Stamp benefits and slightly over 300 employees. Christian Smith is the general assignment reporter for the Asheville Citizen-Times. In 2016, Rylan Ott, nearly 2 years old, wandered from his Carthage home and drowned in a pond. I ended the phone call.. Food Network's 'Spring Baking Championship' to feature WNC pastry chef, After first clean audit in 4 years, Buncombe County again has 'significant deficiency', Buncombe County Commissioners discuss affordable housing, cryptocurrency, finances, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. #828-479-7911 Fax #828-479-7928 Courier Number: 08-40-02. 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 the foster care residence was in unincorporated Transylvania County, not the city of Brevard. At the core of what Scott will be working on within the department is the philosophy of "maintain, not correct," he said. 40 Coxe Avenue. Reporting like this isnt free to produce and we cannot do this alone. 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. 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. 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We are prohibited by statute to disclose the name of the reporter except when law enforcement is conducting a criminal investigation related to abuse, neglect or exploitation of the adult; or unless ordered by the court. In a case of suspected abuse in a foster care setting, DSS is obligated to notify law enforcement. During visitation with the family in 2014, they noticed marks on him, which led to a Department of Social Services investigation. New Jersey officials ruled the case a suicide, but a Carolina Public Press investigation identified problems with this explanation that have never been resolved. We have a broken child welfare system that we refuse to invest in, Blevins said. Theyve ripped (the grandchildrens) family apart, Noyes 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. Buncombe County Health Department . Even though the server responded OK, it is possible the submission was not processed. If the purpose of the record request is to protect a juvenile, then no court order would be needed, DePasquale told CPP. Your support funds important public interest journalism. 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. Officers said they found drugs and needles on or near all of the adults, including uncapped hypodermic needles, marijuana and methamphetamine. They may think the system has wronged their families. Editors note: This is part 2 of the four-part investigative series Patchwork Protection. Part 1 appeared June 7. Carolina Public Press contributing reporter Christian Green also assisted with interviews for this article. 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. Time and again, though, lawmakers tried to turn the conversation back toward the specific case. And yet, I do not see proof that weve implemented the plans that have been made.. Social workers removed him from the foster care setting, but the family remained unclear about what happened to him next, they told CPP. If we need to talk specifics, all I would ask is that we take the appropriate legal steps so that I can talk to you freely without violating the law that I took an oath to uphold.. I can promise you, I would be better served to speak to you about the things youre asking me, Blevins said. He answered legislators questions about generic procedures but drew the line when asked about the specific case. 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. At one point, we were having upwards of 400 babies a year born at Mission Hospital with illicit drugs in their system, Blevins said.
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