CHARLES COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES Overview for the Board of Charles County Commissioners March 5, 2019 Therese Wolf, MA Director
THE LEADERSHIP Maurice Butler Cindy Russell Assistant Director for Assistant Director for the Child Operations, Quality Support Administration Assurance and Compliance Susan Seufert Dr. Tanisha Sanders Assistant Director for Family, Assistant Director for the Adult and Children’s Family Investment Services Administration
WHAT WE ACCOMPLISH • Serve over 22,000 citizens annually • See over 3,000 customers in our lobby monthly • Provide SNAP (food stamps) benefits for over 6,000 citizens • Collect over 1.7 million dollars monthly in child support payments • Provide over $64,000 in support for a wide range of emergency assistance for families and homeless persons
WHAT WE ACCOMPLISH • We currently serve: – 121 open family cases in Child Protective Services – 161 adoptive families – 82 family guardianship cases – 60+ vulnerable adults • Average 78 children in foster care and serve 120 children in their homes • In 2018, 20 children were reunited with their parents, 23 were adopted or placed with family and 4 “aged out” of the system.
WHO WE ARE • One Hundred Fifty Employees – Nine full time and one part-time contractual positions are funded by the County • Annual Budget over $11,000,000 (all salaries, operations and service dollars) • The largest Social Service Provider in Southern Maryland
WHAT WE DO CCDSS Programs: • Food insecurity • Preventing Homelessness • Direct homelessness intervention • Workforce development and internships • Medical and Disability Service enrollment • Long-term care eligibility • Welfare avoidance and temporary cash assistance • Utility, burial and cold weather assistance
WHAT WE DO CCDSS Programs: • Child abuse and neglect investigation • In-home family support and preservation services • Kinship care • Foster care • Resource (Foster) Home recruitment and support • Independent living services for teens in foster care • Launching Families program for older youth (18+)
WHAT WE DO CCDSS Programs: • Adult abuse and exploitation investigation • In-home Adult Services • Adult Care Services (“foster homes”) • Child Support Establishment • Child Support collections and modifications • Fatherhood Support program for noncustodial fathers
NEW INITIATIVES • Clifford House - improve parenting skills through intensive home-based coaching • Public Assistance 2 Entrepreneurship (PA2E) - business development through self employment Medical Respite - short term medical respite for homeless adults • “On Demand” Transportation - contractual • Outreach - Providing services off-site, coordinate an “End Hunger Charles County” effort and community education and awareness
CHALLENGES • Housing and shelter • Behavioral health service providers • Aligning State, County and Private sector goals and investments in human and social services – Establish shared priorities and goals – Responsive to the needs of all County residents – Identify new or expanded community partnerships to leverage and coordinate resources and services to the community.
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