Wayne County committee approves appointment of Portia Carlisle as division director for community programming

The Wayne County Health and Human Services Committee approved the appointment of Portia Carlisle as division director of Community Programming in the Department of Juvenile and Youth Services.

Melissa Fernandez, director of Juvenile and Youth Services, told the committee the Division Director position was created about two and a half years ago when the new department formed and had remained unfilled until now. Fernandez said Carlisle “provided oversight for all of our contracts in the department” while serving as department manager and will take responsibility for community collaborations, grants and oversight of the county’s care management organizations (CMOs).

Portia Carlisle, a Westland resident, told the committee she looks forward “to continue the growth within the county” and to expanding county programming for youth. Commissioner Anderson moved to approve the appointment; Commissioner Baker McCormick seconded the motion and the committee carried it.

Committee members asked for more detail on the division’s responsibilities. Fernandez said the division will consolidate oversight of the CMOs, probation, community grants (including the Bridal Grant), and current projects with Wayne State University. She also said the county will soon present a contract extension for the CMO system to the committee for consideration.

The committee did not set an implementation timeline for Carlisle’s start date in the meeting record. The appointment was approved by voice vote.