Our staff is committed to providing Buncombe's diverse population with effective services in a timely and respectful manner. Thats all Im going to say, best leave before I get upset. 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 heryoungest son,Addison. I ended the phone call.. County Police Department, Asheville, NC - 35 Woodfin St. - Social Customer Service Center: 1-800-662-7030 Visit RelayNC for information about TTY services. 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It was unclear whether photos documenting bruises were taken immediately or later, but they showed far less bruising than the family remembered seeing. Police had pulled over a driver who was swerving over the white line. And some economically advantaged counties may also cluster with high or low removal rates. 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 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.. 0 miles away . Buncombe County Health and Human Services Director Stoney Blevins sits at his desk in Asheville. A good many are probably false or contain half-truths. Buncombe DSS director won't comply with subpoena about 9-year - WLOS 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. New Jersey officials ruled the case a suicide, but a Carolina Public Press investigation identifiedproblems with this explanationthat have never been resolved. The experience is typically traumatic and humiliating. 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. County Center - Transfer Station Repair Project May Cause Possible Delays Buncombe County Solid Waste is . Adults Protective Services: DSS - Buncombe County | Asheville Contact him at ftaylor@carolinapublicpress.org. 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. 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. 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. Confidentiality rules intended to protect children present challenges for investigating allegations of DSS misconduct. Some families accused DSS staff of generally playing God with peoples lives and acting in a conspiratorial manner. Box 7408 To be perfectly honest, I just think we need to take action.. Frank Taylor / Carolina Public Press. Such records are typically open to prosecutors, according toPeg Dorer, with the N.C. Conference of District Attorneys. The General Assembly called Buncombe County Health and Human Services Director Stoney Blevins to testify about the incident. Families from many parts of North Carolina who contacted CPP made repeated claims of social workers and social services lawyers insulting families for being poor, uneducated, Black, Cherokee, Lumbee, from out of state, the wrong religion or simply for not being knowledgeable about the policies of that jurisdiction. 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. But Zahra was never removed from the family. They visit the parents, then write down what they say. She died during the winter, wearing only a T-shirt and her diaper. Didnt they care this girl was going to be left with someone she did not know? Buncombe County is basically my entire professional career at this point," Scott said. If you would like to obtain posters or rack cards, please email hhscommunications@buncombecounty.org, Social Work Services
One was located in a glove inside a door pocket, a police report says. The boys deathspurred lawmakers to action, and the General Assembly approved a package of major reforms with strong bipartisan support. Post Office Box 7408. 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. Legislators subpoena Buncombe official over DSS handling of child's Learn More{{/message}}. Why didnt DSS show up on the scene? The North Carolina General Assembly meets in the State Legislative Building in Raleigh, seen here in Feb. 2018. Prosecutors filed additional charges, including incest, aiding and abetting incest, child prostitution and other felony sex offenses involving multiple close relatives. And Im willing to have that conversation if this body is willing to take that action.. They may think the system has wronged their families. The parents used intravenous drugs in the presence of their children and failed to provide adequate nutrition and hygiene, the indictments said. {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}Your submission failed. Stacie Saunders, Buncombe County's public health director, who is leaving her position at the end of the year for a state government role. So, we fund a position to work at the hospital so that we can respond to these situations as soon as that baby is delivered. Carolina Public Press contributing reporter Christian Green also assisted with interviews for this article. 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. Christian Smith is the general assignment reporter for the Asheville Citizen-Times. Click a goal. Taking a child from a parent is considered a last resort and is usually done to prevent imminent harm or maltreatment of a child. Visit RelayNCfor information about TTY services. To learn more, view our full privacy policy. A year ago, Buncombe County updated its policy, and social workers now respond to any law enforcement officers request for a social worker on the scene. Sen. Ralph Hise similarly said he disagreed with Blevins assertion that he couldnt talk about the case and asserted that the General Assembly did not need permission from the judicial branch to do its job. The Purpose of Buncombe County Health and Human Services is to strengthen our communities by advancing health, safety, and opportunity. Tracy Jones, who was DSS director in Transylvania County in 2016 but not during the time of the foster care abuse allegation, told CPP that the agencys procedure during an adoption is always to notify the next of kin first. Must be able to type a minimum of 40 words per minute. 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. Reporting like this isnt free to produce and we cannot do this alone. Addison was placed in foster care in Transylvania County. Frank Taylor is the managing editor of Carolina Public Press. 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: The law gave DHHS authority to enforce performance standards at each county, and for DHHS to take over DSS offices that chronically underperform an authority DHHS used a few months later when it took over Cherokee Countys child welfare division. In some cases, people may have kept enough records and can present a credible account shored up by documentation. She was concerned the children could be injured if he attacked her. The case made international headlines over the following months, focusing a world spotlight on the total failure of the child protection system in her case. Reporting like this isnt free to produce and we cannot do this alone. Over time, many families have contacted Carolina Public Press about child protective services concerns. While Blevins said that confidentiality rules forbade him from talking about this specific case, he did entertain a hypothetical question. Jim Perry is so clueless: the purpose of an oversight committee is to provide oversight and rude. 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.