Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Social Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
DSS reports staffing gains but warns of workload impacts from new state policy changes
Summary
The Department of Social Services reported a roughly 7.5% vacancy rate with 15 open positions but recent local hires; staff noted increased Medicaid and SNAP activity and flagged upcoming system changes (pathNC transition in August and HR1 policy updates) that will increase workload.
The county’s Department of Social Services updated commissioners on staffing, caseloads and operational changes as the board returned from recess.
DSS reported 15 open positions — about a 7.5% vacancy rate — but noted three recent hires of former county employees who returned in the past weeks. The department said economic services vacancies may increase due to workload and scrutiny tied to recent policy changes.
Cory, the DSS presenter, said the department took 560 new Medicaid applications in December (one of the year’s highest monthly totals) and that food‑nutrition caseloads have remained fairly stable. In child welfare, he said the county had 192 children in foster care at the time of the report and that the state‑managed referral process is limiting placements for certain contracted services (CAP); the county currently serves 133 CAP clients but has capacity for 188 and is pushing the state to send more referrals.
Cory briefed commissioners on upcoming IT and policy transitions: the remainder of child‑welfare programs will move into pathNC (targeted for August) and new HR1 policy elements affecting food nutrition and Medicaid began Feb. 1, creating additional training and procedural requirements. He said the department is trying to be strategic about team structures to increase efficiency and retain staff amid the heavier workloads.
What happens next: DSS will continue recruitment and training, monitor new policy rollouts with the state, and work with county leadership on staffing strategies and resource allocation.
