DSS Program Highlights

Division: Services for Adults

Older adults and those with disabilities are vulnerable to abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Mecklenburg County DSS is responsible to evaluate reports  determining whether those adults are in need of protective services and what services are needed.

In an effort to better educate law enforcement officers to the common signs of abuse as well as the reporting procedures of Adult Protective Services, the Services for Adults division, along with Mecklenburg County Public Service & Information, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police and Fire Departments, produced an informational video titled "Know the Signs."

All police officers in Mecklenburg County are required to see the video which describes what abuse, neglect and exploitation look like, and gives the procedures for reporting this information to DSS. 

Additionally, wallet cards were distributed to police officers providing referral numbers, a list of most common indicators and an outline of necessary information for an incident report.

Better education of potential reporters will improve the ability of the community to protect those most in need.

  Click the link to watch the video: "Know the Signs".

Mecklenburg Community Care Partners

Community Care Partners of Greater Mecklenburg (CCPGM) is a network of over 150 providers in Mecklenburg, Union and Anson counties, and a component of Community Care of NC. The program pro-actively identifies at-risk Medicaid enrollees who can benefit from case management services.

Click here to find community partners near you! 

Summit House

Summit House, a residential alternative-to-prison program for mothers convicted of a non-violent crime and their minor children, is a non-profit that serves all 100 North Carolina counties and saves state tax payers over $1 million net annually.  

Summit House empowers convicted mothers to break the multigenerational cycle of poverty, violence, and substance abuse that is their history, and to create a new life for themselves and their children.  

Summit House strives to keep families together by maximizing healthy bonding between mothers and children.  The organization is committed to working with women who have the desire and dedication to change their lives through counseling, life and job skills training, and substance-abuse counseling, rather than sit out a prison sentence.   

Click here to find out how you can help!

The Adoption Tax Credit has been extended through 2011.The credit raises the maximum credit to $13,170 per child and is refundable. This applies if you are adopting a special needs child, you are entitled to claim the full amount of the credit, even if you have no adoption related expenses. The credit is based on the reasonable and necessary expenses related to a legal adoption. Income limits and other special rules apply. All adoptive parents who finalize their adoption in 2010 are urged to meet with a knowledgeable tax professional to ensure that they receive all of the benefits of the expanded adoption tax credit.  

The DSS Community Resource Division manages the Employment Transportation Assistance grant funded program from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. This grant supplements the provision of transportation to individuals who are seeking to obtain or sustain employment opportunities.

The goal is to provide services to citizens who fall under the 200% poverty level (a family of four earning less than $3,725 per month). This supplement assists low income participants by freeing up transportation expenses to cover other household needs ultimately helping them to continue their path towards self-sufficiency. 
 

Click here for more information.