|
News from Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services
April 2011 |
|
|
|
Our Mission | |
To provide economic and social services to sustain and/or improve the quality of life for Mecklenburg County citizens. |
|
Our Vision | |
To be an involved and recognized leader in human services, valued by our stakeholders because of our needs-based customer focus in the delivery of services. We will help create a resilient community by proactively investing in our employees, operations and services, and by developing impactful relationships for the benefit of our customers. |
|
Hours and Locations | |
Contact Us
704-336-3000
Hours
Mon.-Thur. 8am-6pm
Fri. 8am-5pm
Locations
Kuralt Centre
301 Billingsley Road
Valerie C. Woodard Center
3205 Freedom Drive |
|
|
|
Message from the Director |  We all have been impacted in such a positive way by family members who have nurtured us along the way. Grandparents have always played an important role in families and now, even more so. Many grandparents have become second time parents as they raise grandchildren. We know this can be challenging as they re-learn school systems, learn new lingo and try to navigate this new journey. We want to help prepare and recognize those grandparents and their contributions they make to raising our future leaders! On May 24, 2011 from 9 am to 3 pm. at the Covenant Presbyterian Church we will be hosting our first Grandparents Raising Grandchildren "Making Connections" event. "Making Connections" will be an opportunity for the community to come together to celebrate the wonderful job the grandparents, great-grandparents, or older adult relative are doing and to gain a better understanding of the difficult issues. The target audience is grandparents who are the primary caregivers for children and the professionals who come into contact with these caregivers. Our goal is to strengthen the support of our community to these caregivers, many of whom are grandparents raising their grandchildren. Click here to download the invitation. If you have any questions or if you would like to RSVP please call 704-432-5586 or email DSSRSVP@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov. I look forward to seeing you on May 24, 2011 Regards, Mary E. Wilson Director Department of Social Services mary.wilson@mecklenburgcountync.gov |
| Program Spotlight: Mecklenburg County's Call Center |
Welcome to the World of Customer Connection, the call center for Mecklenburg County's Department of Social Services. Our operating hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and on Fridays from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Customer Connection is staffed by 32 case managers, seven schedulers, four administrative assistants, one eligibility specialist, and four supervisors. Our case managers and schedulers have been trained in the various programs that are associated with DSS including Work First Family Assistance, Food and Nutrition Services, and Medicaid. Customer Connection provides services such as scheduling transportation (by calling our dedicated scheduling line: 704-336-4547), requesting replacement Medicaid cards, selecting or changing a recipient's Medicaid Manage Care Provider, providing Medicaid to newborns when the mother is a recipient of Medicaid for Pregnant Women (MPW) or Medicaid for Families (MAF). In addition, we process address changes and provide referral information for community resources and programs.
Customer Connection frequently receives calls from customers inquiring about the status of a case, needing to report a change, or seeking basic information about the services that are offered through DSS. Customer Connection staff handle an average of 49,470 calls per month. The Departments of Social Services and Information Technology Services are working diligently to expand the call center's capacity.
|
|
|
|
Community Partner Spotlight: The Relatives and The On Ramp
| |
The Relatives Safe House and The On Ramp, a division of Alexander Youth Networkis Mecklenburg County's only shelter for youth 7-17 who are homeless, have runaway, or are experiencing serious family conflict. Their mission is to keep kids safe and families together. The Relatives Safe House housed nearly 300 youth per year who have no other safe place to go. They also provide walk-in crisis counseling to youth and their families, a 24-hour crisis hotline, and free parenting classes designed to help eliminate the family conflicts which cause family break-ups where youth either run away or are kicked out onto the streets. The shelter is also the official location of The On Ramp.
The On Ramp is a resource center that helps young adults 16-24 transition from circumstances like foster care, mental health programs, homelessness and unstable living situations, to transition into successful adulthood. The On Ramp is a special program because it is a true partnership of many different agencies and programs in Mecklenburg County that can offer support to help you reach your potential.
Click here to learn more about The Relatives Youth Safe Place Shelter and The On Ramp. |
|
Community Partner Spotlight: Dilworth Soup Kitchen
| |
|
| | Dilworth Soup Kitchen |
Dilworth Soup Kitchen is offering a free and nutritious meal every week on Mondays at First Christian Church (corner of East Blvd and Dilworth, East) from 11:30a-12:30p.
They have expanded to serving lunch on Tuesdays at Ascension Lutheran Church (corner of Morehead and Kenilworth) from 11:30a-12:30p.
For volunteer/donation questions, please call the church office at 704-334-3771. The contact is Allen Saxe. He can be reached at absaxe@earthlink.net
Subject: YouTube - Dilworth Soup Kitchen-Inside E Street
http://www.youtube.com/watch
Subject: Served and Seated: The Philosophy of Running a Soup Kitchen
http://www.susiepostrust.com
|
|
Partnership at Work.... |  CRD received a housing case management referral in June from YFS. Ms. B received a housing voucher due to her lack of housing for herself and her 4 children ranging in age from 16 to 8. Prior to the CRD SW initial visit, Ms. B had a leg amputated due to complications related to diabetes. She remained in acute care and rehab for several weeks while the children were cared for by a relative and friend. Once Ms. B came home she continued to have readmissions to acute care and problems developed which resulted in CPS to again become involved. In September, Ms. B had another serious health condition that resulted in heart surgery. Upon discharge from acute care Ms. B's health condition warranted a stay in rehab, however Ms. B did not feel she could do this as she needed to be home with her children. Again there were repeated admissions to acute care due to complications. YFS worked with Ms. B in developing a plan for the care of the children when and if Ms. B has to be out of the home due to her medical problems. CRD and YFS continue to jointly provide services to this family. CRD has been instrumental in arranging family counseling in the home which is addressing family issues and parenting. CRD is also providing In Home Aide Services to assist Ms. B and her children with home management tasks, teaching the children to perform age appropriate tasks, meal planning and assistance with some shopping. YFS has also worked with Ms. B in making sure the children's medical needs are met and that the children are properly supervised. The family continues to have a strong bond and Ms. B is determined to keep her family together. There is progress and more is on the horizon. |
|
Events and Happenings in Mecklenburg County | |
Volleyball Challenge...
Come out on May 14 and participate in a Volleyball Challenge to benefit the UnitedWay Batter Women's Shelter event in collaboration with County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts. For more information visit www.robertsvolleyballchallenge.com
|
|
News and Information from our Partners | |
We are recruiting volunteers......
Do you have a special talent skill, extra time, and want to help your community? Volunteering is a great way to make it happen. Click here to read about volunteer opportunities with Mecklenburg County DSS.
 CW Williams has moved.....
CW Williams has moved their Randolph Medical Facility to the Historic Dilworth Neighborhood. The new location is 900 East Blvd. The CW Williams location at 3333 Wilkinson Blvd is still operating. Please visit www.cwwilliams.org for more information and learn about the array of services offered at CW Williams.
Urban League of Central Carolina, Inc......
are recruiting for their "21st Century Jobs" Program for 2011. The training program prepare individuals for entry level jobs in HVAC, Nurse Aide, and Administrative Support. They also have a GED preparation program for youth 18-24 and a specialize program for individuals with a high school diploma or GED, however they an adjudication background. For more information click the following links
Urban League NEW Program Overview Urban League Career Path Overview Urban League Career Path Pre-Application |
|
Department of Social Services DASHboard |
| Public Assistance | March-11 | March-09 | % Change | FYTD2011
(July-Mar) | FYTD2009
(July-Mar) | % Change | | Total Visits | 17,299 | 17,815 | -2.90% | 138,987 | 150,495 | -7.65% | | Call Centers, total calls answered | 41,300 | 50,728 | -18.59% | 434,886 | 456,720 | -4.78% | | Medicaid & NC Health Choice applications | 7,987 | 6,742 | 18.47% | 65,204 | 60,022 | 8.63% | | Work First applications | 823 | 949 | -13.28% | 8,080 | 5,173 | 56.20% | | Food & Nutrition Services total applications | 5,443 | 6,108 | -10.89% | 51,585 | 47,978 | 7.52% | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Child Welfare | Mar-11 | Mar-10 | % Change | | | | | children involved in completed investigations of abuse/neglect | 1,525 | 1,412 | 8.00% | | | | | children involved in substantiated investigations (includes in need of services) | 175 | 166 | 5.42% | | | | | children were served in their homes in an effort to keep those children out of foster care | 423 | 665 | -36.39% | | | | | children entered foster care | 28 | 60 | -53.33% | | | | | total children in custody | 726 | 796 | -8.79% | | | |
|
|
Submit your stories and events to DSSReachingOut@mecklenburgcountync.gov | |
REMEMBER,
We rely on you to help provide us with content, ideas, and feedback as we work together to serve those who depend upon us for services. If you have a story to share about the good work you do for the community please submit to DSSReachingOut@MecklenburgCountync.gov.
Please submit your story by the 1st Wednesday of the month for a publication date of the 20th each month. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
