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Westmoreland DSS exits corrective-action plan; staff, referral and service numbers cited
Summary
Westmoreland County Department of Social Services told the board it is no longer under a corrective action plan after procedural and training changes; officials cited improved staff training, mobile tools and case-management updates and provided service statistics for 2024.
Westmoreland County Department of Social Services reported to the Board of Supervisors that the department is no longer under a corrective-action plan after state partnership, staff training and process changes.
Director (Ms.) Cusick told the board the family services unit had been placed on a corrective-action plan over state and federal compliance benchmarks but had worked with the Virginia Department of Social Services to update staff training, deploy improved mobile tools for fieldwork and revise internal case-management practices. She said a formal letter confirming the department's exit from the corrective-action plan was expected to be sent to the board and county administrator the week following the meeting.
Ms. Cusick introduced family-services staff present and recounted operational improvements. She said the services unit handled 388 children in valid child-protective referrals in 2024, up from 207 in 2023, and provided adult protective services to 33 residents. The county's benefits program specialists served 2,203 households in 2024 through SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, child care, fuel assistance and crisis programs. Ms. Cusick also reported zero federal errors for the department in the most recent federal review.
Board members praised the staff and county administration for the work to address deficiencies and improve service delivery. Multiple supervisors acknowledged the change required sustained effort from staff and county leaders and commended the team's progress.
Ending: The board publicly recognized the department's improvements and directed staff to continue planned outreach events, including a family resource fair in June.
