• Children’s Advocacy Center Named Champions of Children
  The Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) of Catawba County was presented with the 2007 Champions of Children Award. This award is presented by the Catawba County Partnership for Children to recognize efforts to improve the lives of young children and their families through collaboration, advocacy, and resourcefulness. The CAC is a collaborative effort among local agencies that deal with the social, emotional, legal and medical issues of child abuse.
• National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award
  Social Services received a NACo Achievement Award for Tax Link, a program that provides free tax preparation services for low income families in Catawba County. The families served by Tax Link often lose up to a third of their tax return by using tax preparation services with high fees. This tax year, the 29 members of the team donated 774 hours of volunteer time to the effort, generating $407,564 in returns for local citizens.
• Director of the Year
  Bobby K. Boyd, Director of the Catawba County Department of Social Services, was named Director of the Year by his peers at the Annual Meeting of the North Carolina Association of County Directors of Social Services. For twenty-nine years, Bobby Boyd, has led Catawba County Social Services to outstanding achievement.
• Joseph Edwards – Hancock-Settlemyre Award
  Joseph Edwards was honored as this year’s recipient of the Hancock-Settlemyre Award. This award, presented by the Children’s Protection Council, honors the individual, community, group, or business whose efforts have reduced family stress and improved the quality of family life, thereby reducing the risk of child abuse and neglect in Catawba County. Edwards is a Social Worker based at the HEART Resource Center. He has embraced his role to reach out to at risk youth and to be a positive male role model in the lives of these children. His genuine and encouraging presence continues to make a difference in the lives of these youth, steering them away from dangerous decisions that can have a negative impact on their entire life.
• NACo Acts of Caring Award for Tax Link
  Catawba County Tax Link was awarded a 2007 Acts of Caring Award by the National Association of Counties (NACo) in partnership with Freddie Mac. This award recognizes the top county volunteer programs in the country. The Tax Link program is a combined effort between DSS, CVCC and Lenoir Rhyne College. The program was designed to provide free tax preparation services for low income families in Catawba County. These families often lose up to a third of their tax return by using tax preparation services with high fees. Tax Link is operated completely by volunteers.
• National Director’s Award for Individual Achievement
  Social Services Director Bobby Boyd has been awarded the 2006 National Director’s Award for Individual Achievement from the National Association of County Human Service Administrators. This award recognizes a county human service director whose efforts and commitment have contributed to improved services for society’s most vulnerable individuals. The award recognized Boyd as an incisive, visionary human services administrator committed to excellence. Boyd has led Catawba County Social Services to outstanding achievement for the past twenty-eight years, during which time the organization has attracted state and national recognition for innovation and quality of services. The award presentation recognized Catawba County Social Services best practice focus and a multitude of awards earned over the last number of years.

• North Carolina State Social Services Gold Award
  For the second consecutive year, the Food Assistance Unit received a 2005 Gold Award for 100% payment accuracy. North Carolina Quality Control visits counties monthly to review cases, interview clients and obtain verifications to assure that the allotment authorized is correct. The accuracy rate is determined by the dollars issued in error vs. dollars correct.
• National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award
  Social Services received a NACo award for “Family NET”. Family NET is an integration of mental health and Social Services for children, youth and families created by Catawba County Social Services and Mental Health Services of Catawba County that began on July 1, 2004. The integrated network was created in response to the State of North Carolina’s Mental Health Reform initiative.
• National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award
  Social Services received a NACo award for “Medicare Part D Outreach Program”. This program was created to assist Medicare recipients in understanding and responding to the major changes made to the Medicare and Medicaid program as a result of the implementation of the final part of the federal Medicare Modernization Act on January 1, 2006.
• Catawba County Team Award
  Catawba Tax Link received the Catawba County Team Award in October 2005. Catawba County Tax Link provided free income tax services to low-income families.
• North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Outstanding County Program Award
  Social Services received a North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Outstanding County Program Award for the “Catawba Tax Link” effort. The Tax Link program successfully concluded its second year of providing income tax services to low-income families. In the first year of operation, Tax Link assisted 134 families in receiving refunds of $200,000. This year, with the help of more volunteers, Tax Link assisted 221 families in receiving refunds totaling $311,000.
• Brad Gibson and Terrance Maples - Phillips Distinguished Service Award
  Brad Gibson and Terrance Maples received the Phillips Distinguished Service Award in November 2005 at the annual Teaching Family Association Conference. This award is given to individuals recognized as outstanding Teach Family practitioners.

• North Carolina State Certificates of Achievement in Child Support
  The Child Support Unit received Certificates of Achievement for:
  
  • Exceeding Percentage of Paternity Established for Children born out of wedlock
  • Exceeding Percentage of Caseload Under Order
  • Exceeding Collection Rate Goal
  • Exceeding Payment to Arrears Goal
  • Exceeding Federal and State Self-Assessment Goals in Case Closure
  • Exceeding 6- and 12-months Expedited Processing
  • Exceeding Establishment of Orders Goal
  • Exceeding Enforcement of Orders Goal
  • Exceeding Review and Adjustment Goal
  In 2004-05, the Catawba County Child Support Program ranked 5th in the State in Program Performance Scores.
• North Carolina State Social Services Gold Award
  The Food Assistance Unit received a 2004 Gold Award for 100% payment accuracy. North Carolina Quality Control visits counties monthly to review cases, interview clients and obtain verifications to assure that the allotment authorized is correct. The accuracy rate is determined by the dollars issued in error vs. dollars correct.
• “Enhancing Your Caregiving Skills as a Nutrition Site Supervisor”
  Jan Shaffer, Adult Services Supervisor, and Glennie Daniels, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent, developed this program. The project was funded by the Institute for Geriatric Social Work at Boston University through the North Carolina State University Department of Social Work and presented at its Aging Colloquium on April 14, 2005.
• Ralph W. Ketner Productivity Award
  Catawba County Social Services Director Bobby Boyd and Mental Health Director John Hardy received a Ketner Award from the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) for their leadership in the development of Family NET, which provides consolidated services for families and children. The NCACC presents only ten Ketner Awards across the state in any year and they are awarded to programs judged to the best examples in North Carolina of creativity, innovation and commitment to improving county services.
• National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award
  Social Services received a NACo award for “Meeting the Needs of Limited English Proficiency”. This is an effort designed to improve delivery of services to persons with limited proficiency in English. Since the effort began, Catawba County Public Assistance units have increased the number of bilingual/bicultural staff by 900%.
• North Carolina Child Support Area Employee of the Year
  The North Carolina Child Support Division named Patricia Holcombe as a 2005 Area Employee of the Year at its annual conference in Asheville in August 2005.

• NACo 2002 William “Sonny” Walker Award by the Southeastern Association of Community Action Agencies – Community Action Agency/Catawba County Social Services Prevention Services-TEEN UP, H.E.A.R.T. and Nurturing” Catawba County Social Services—designated as the Catawba County Community Action Agency by the County Commissioners—was awarded the 2002 Walker Award. Three Prevention Services programs—TEEN UP, H.E.A.R.T. and Nurturing—were recognized by this award for their efforts on thwarting intergenerational poverty through early pregnancy prevention; violence and bully prevention with children; and, a Resource Center that offers tutoring for school students, English as a Second Language, career development, money management, parenting for adults, and family activities. These three prevention programs combined reached in sheer numbers approximately 2,235 people of all ages with needed resources toward self-sufficiency during 2000-2001. “This is a huge step in making long-term positive change toward decreasing intergenerational poverty,” says Amy Herman, a Prevention Services supervisor. “By working with all generations in many creative ways, we plant and grow the seeds of self-sufficiency slowly but surely. While working with the older generations to increase their own potential and happiness, we also work in tandem with the younger generations to help them navigate an increasingly harsh world. We see the dawning of rewards by maintaining contact with many of those we have reached, who tell us they are successful today, in part, because of what we offered and how we offered it. This speaks volumes.”
• 2002 Champions for Children Award – Prevention Services Early Childhood Support Team The Early Childhood Support Team, comprised of staff from the departments of Mental Health, Social Services and Public Health, received the first annual Champions for Children Award from the Catawba County Partnership for Children. The Early Childhood Support Team epitomizes true collaboration. This group of early childhood experts has provided services to 75 childcare facilities in Catawba County. Their initiative and commitment to excellence in serving children has made a true impact on the childcare arena in our community. Supervisors for the Early Childhood Support Team are Melissa Riddle of Social Services and Jennifer McCracken of Public Health. Team members include Kathy Marshall, Terri Heune, Kathy Martin, Susan Arnold, Mary Yarborough, Karen Curtis-Gwynn, Valerie Labo, Glenda Smith, Lorna Keene and Karen Ceccato from Mental Health; Muriel Weaver and Loquita Ogunmwonyi from Social Services; and Tonya Moss and Alison Henrickson from Public Health.
• NC Department of Health and Human Services Certificates of Achievement (5) – Catawba County Social Services Child Support Catawba County Social Services Child Support Enforcement received five Certificates of Achievement from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services for: 1] exceeding total collections goals; 2] exceeding goals for cases with collection on arrears; 3] exceeding cases under order goals; 4] exceeding paternity establishment goals; and 5] exceeding case management goals for enforcement. These certificates are based on achievements made during fiscal year 2000-2001. During that year, Catawba County Social Services Child Support collected over $9.5 million in child support payments; established 409 paternities for children; obtained 971 new court orders for support; maintained 5,954 support orders in Enforcement Services; and provided services to approximately 7,855 children each month.
• NACo Award – “The Homebuyer’s Club” – Catawba County Social Services Work First Program The Catawba County Homebuyer's Club was part of a program designed to assist families in securing safe, decent and affordable housing as they moved from the old welfare system to Work First and, finally, to lasting self-sufficiency. It began when the Department of Social Services and the Western Piedmont Council of Governments secured a grant for the program from the State of North Carolina in 1999. "The Homebuyer's Club focuses on empowering families to establish better financial practices, improve credit and purchase a home," said Karen Heffner, Program Manager for the Work First Program. The issue of affordable housing is a growing concern locally and around the nation. Historically, employment in Catawba County has centered around the furniture and textile industries. As these and other local industries have faced the present recession, job losses, and the county's relatively high housing costs (rent for a two bedroom apartment averages $450 per month), it has become more difficult for persons living near or below the poverty rate to be able to purchase a home. "On June 13, 2001, 16 families graduated from the first Homebuyer's Club Economic Literacy Class. As of January 2002, 12 of the 16 families had been able to purchase their own homes. A second class, with 13 families, began in August 2001 and concluded June 30, 2002 with 10 families purchasing their own home. It is the American dream to own a home. It is certainly one of the best ways for families to build assets. This program has transformed struggling families into citizens who are responsible, vested members of the community. Property value now has meaning for these families; it impacts them personally. The children have also been positively impacted. They've begun talking about going to college and why it is important to save money and have good credit. The American Dream continues," Heffner concluded.
• NACo Award for “Students Trying Out Peace” – Catawba County Social Services Prevention Services and Catawba County Mental Health The Students Trying Out Peace or S.T.O.P program of Catawba County’s Departments of Social Services and Mental Health noted a trend of violence in local public schools and sought to reverse the trend through violence prevention. The S.T.O.P Program was developed in 1999 for children in pre-school through 6th grades, and implemented by social workers and psychologists serving 15 elementary schools in Catawba County. The program was designed to promote pro-social behaviors and reduce the level of aggressive behavior among participants. "During the 2001-2002 school year, 100% of the children participating in the anger management and conflict-resolution portions of the S.T.O.P Program achieved desirable scores on a Children's Action Tendency Scale, an anger management test developed by Dr. Robert Deluty. Ninety-six percent of the high-risk children attending the program received five or fewer disciplinary referrals during the school year. Children participating in impulse control and social skills portions of the program demonstrated a 35% increase in knowledge gained. The S.T.O.P Program has offered a new, comprehensive service to the elementary schools in Catawba County. Easily replicated, the program's success has now made it a requested service," said Melissa Riddle, a social worker supervisor at Social Services.
• 2001 Outstanding County Program Award by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) – Work and Ride Program The "Work and Ride" program, named one of the top human services county programs in the state for 2001 by NCACC, received an Outstanding County Program Award. The program is designed to connect donated, roadworthy vehicles with low-income families who need reliable transportation in order to maintain employment. The winning programs were selected for superior innovation and collaborative efforts in the categories of General Government, Human Services and Public Awareness. Fourteen programs were selected from nearly 100 entries. The Work and Ride program was one of four Human Services programs in the state to receive the prestigious award. The Association received nearly 50 entries in the Human Services category.
• USDA Award of Excellence/$6 Million Club Payment and Access Achievement Award – Catawba County Social Services Food Stamps program Catawba County Social Services Food Stamps program was honored on May 14 by the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service for excellence in the administration of its food stamp program. Catawba County was one of 16 counties from North Carolina recognized for superior accuracy in calculating food stamp benefits. Its accuracy rate for fiscal year 2001 was 95.8 percent.
• National study of Innovative Child Protective Services Systems and Reform Efforts Catawba County Social Services Child Protective Services system, called one of the nation’s most innovative systems, was selected as one of eleven counties in the country to take part in a national study of innovative practices in Child Protective Services Systems and Reform Efforts. The study is being prepared for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Patrick A. Curtis, Ph.D., Senior Research Manager with WRMA of Rockville, MD, who conducted the Catawba County site visit said, “Catawba County is one of the top-rated innovative counties in the United States in Child Protective Services.” Highlights for Catawba’s CPS system are its practices in domestic violence policy, co-location with law enforcement and family group conferencing.

Debbie DeVusser – N.E.W. 2002 Outstanding Professional of the Year
The National Eligibility Workers Association named Debbie DeVusser as North Carolina’s 2002 N.E.W. Outstanding Professional of the Year. Ms. DeVusser is an Adult Medicaid lead worker. Eligibility workers include employees in social/human services and related employment/supportive services, child support enforcement or any case management services. The purpose of the National Eligibility Workers Association (N.E.W.) is to improve the knowledge, skills, and overall professionalism of its members by providing information, training, and a network of service and support. N.E.W. is the only national organization dedicated to improving the well being of all eligibility professionals. N.E.W. has more than 1,800 individual and associate members, 36 chapters, and 39 agency members.

• NACo Award for “Work and Ride” Transportation is often the primary barrier for individuals trying to meet economic self-sufficiency. “Work and Ride” helps individuals overcome this barrier. The program accepts vehicles in road-worthy condition and matches them with families in Catawba County who need transportation to go to work. By having access to transportation, when public transportation is not a viable option, an individual can obtain, maintain or improve their current employment situation.
• USDA Award of Excellence/$6 Million Club Payment and Access Achievement Award – Catawba County Social Services Food Stamps program Catawba County Social Services Food Stamps program was honored on May 15 by the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service for excellence in the administration of its food stamp program. Catawba County is one of 20 North Carolina counties in the $6 Million Club, counties that issue more than $6 million in food stamp benefits each year. Catawba County was recognized for superior accuracy in calculating food stamp benefits. Its accuracy rate for fiscal year 2000 was 99.46 percent.

Karen Hefner – Leadership North Carolina graduate
Karen Heffner, program manager of Work First, successfully completed the Leadership North Carolina Program. The mission of LNC is to "develop and engage informed and committed leaders by advancing their leadership qualities and broadening their understanding of and involvement in issues and opportunities facing our state." (www.leadershipnc.org)

Amy Herman –– Leadership Catawba graduate
Amy Herman is a supervisor in Prevention Services. She successfully completed the Leadership Catawba Program, a 6-month intensive study of Catawba County. The five focus areas are: Quality of Life in Catawba County; Education in Catawba County; Government and the Judicial System; Business and Economic Development; and Human Needs and Healthcare in Catawba County.

Achievement Award from National Association of Counties (NACo) for:

• The Electronic Benefit Transfer Project for the Homebound (Nationally named "Best in Category" for Human Services) – a program to help senior citizens learn to use the debit-style benefit card instead of the traditional food stamps.
• The Partnering for Citizen Protection Project – Development of a database to help emergency responders quickly identify and locate citizens who would have special medical needs in the event of power outages or disasters.
• Computerized CARE Project – Joint effort between Unifour counties and a consulting firm to develop a computerized program based on a Resident Assessment Instrument for Home Care (RAI-HC).

Karen Gragg – Bronze Telly Award – For a video production on TEEN UP, an adolescent pregnancy, violence and dropout prevention program operated by Catawba County Department of Social Services.

1999

National Association of Counties Achievement Awards

Catawba County Department of Social Services' "Quick Care" program- designed to help recipients of public assistance get day care services for their children very quickly when the opportunity to start a job depends on having day care. With the advent of Welfare Reform and new time limits for people receiving public assistance, it has become critical that Human Services agencies be able to rapidly respond to the changing needs of the public assistance recipient. A recipient who finds a job and is told to ‘start work tomorrow' needs to find that the agency responsible for helping her access child care responds immediately to her urgent need. When access to day care assistance is delayed, the opportunity to start the new job is often lost.

Veronique Simpson accepted The June Stallings Award on May 4, at the state conference of The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coalition of North Carolina in Greensboro. This award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated long-term, creative efforts on behalf of adolescent pregnancy prevention in North Carolina.

Simpson works with adolescents in Catawba County through TEEN UP, an adolescent pregnancy, violence and dropout prevention program operated by Social Services in the county’s three school systems. During her six years working with TEEN UP, Simpson has coordinated the Drumming Together and Total Teen Experience summer program. Since its inception in 1987, TEEN UP has served over 3,500 youth in Catawba County. In addition to its in-school groups, TEEN UP operates in seven community sites throughout the year. Simpson leads four of these groups year-round and a fifth group during the summers.

Simpson graduated from North Carolina A&T State University with a degree in Social Work. She lives in Gastonia and spends her free time reading and working with her sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha on service projects. She also is very involved with youth activities and programs in her church.

The June Stallings Award:

The June Stallings Award is named after June Patterson Stallings, who championed prevention programs for women that helped them become strong, educated, and equipped to build a stable family life and secure economic future. In 1985, after a long career at the NC Division of Social Services, she initiated the Adolescent Parenting Program, a secondary pregnancy prevention program for teen parents, which helps them delay a second pregnancy, compete high school, and become better parents. June’s commitment and leadership was crucial in the early years of the Adolescent Parenting Program. This program has expanded from 9 to 31 counties in NC, with over 500 teen parents graduating from high school and many going on to secure college or other post-secondary degrees.

1998

National Association of Counties Achievement Awards

Social Services Department Child Support Public Awareness Campaign- created by the department's Child Support Unit. A national Child Support program was established by the U.S. Congress in 1975 to ensure both parents support a child to their best ability. A Catawba County Child Support Task Force began working in 1995 to increase public awareness of the program. They began by creating the first "Catawba County's 10 Most Wanted Deadbeats" poster. It listed photographs and basic information on the persons who owed the greatest amounts of unpaid child support in Catawba County. The poster was very successful after its July 1996 release, with the majority of the cases being cleared within a matter of months. The Child Support Office later contracted with Synergy Advertising and Design, a local agency, to create a full-scale media campaign for the second phase of the public awareness effort, a series of billboards and posters placed in prominent locations across the area. Synergy also helped develop a brochure which provides more information on services. The billboards and poster feature pictures of young children and clever slogans designed to help people realize the need for total child support.

Social Services Department Unifour Adult Care Home Case Management Project- shared jointly with the Social Services Departments in Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba County. It offers case management services to qualified residents in Adult Care Homes, helping many of these residents postpone or avoid disruptive and costly moves to higher levels of care. Since expertise, resources and management responsibilities are shared, counties with differing assets are able to provide more uniform services. Residents in Adult Care Homes sometimes move from a fair amount of independence in their daily living to increased dependence on care givers. Once eating and personal care become an issue, residents are often forced to move from Adult Care Homes to Nursing Homes. A 1996 North Carolina law mandated that every county provide Adult Care Home Case Management to qualified residents in Adult Care Homes. Case managers must work with staff in Adult Care homes to identify Medicaid eligible clients who require extensive assistance with eating and grooming. Case managers must identify and address other needs to insure clients have the best possible quality of life. Taxpayer dollars are also saved which might otherwise have been spent on more expensive nursing home care.

Mental Health Services, Public Health and Social Services Department Early Childhood Support Team. Six professionals, including a psychologist, nurse, social worker and three educational specialists, make up each team. The primary goal of the team is to provide support for children, families and child care centers. This is accomplished by providing day care centers with the resources and education necessary to improve their quality. The team helps plan classroom arrangements, developmentally appropriate activity planning and teacher workshops. Site-based services, such as classroom interventions, family counseling, play therapy and referrals are provided for individual children when permission is granted by the family. The team nurse provides health consultation and education, screenings and health care plans for children with chronic illnesses.

CHILD WELFARE LEAGUE ADVOCACY AWARD FOR AGE OF CONSENT CAMPAIGN

Social Services was presented the Child Welfare League of America's ADVOCACY AWARD for the Southern Region of the United States. The League gave the award in recognition of outstanding leadership and commitment to children, youth, and their families for creating a statewide campaign to inform citizens about a new AGE OF CONSENT LAW in North Carolina. The law raised the age of consent for sexual activities from 13 to 16. The advocacy award was one of five nationwide.

CRIME PREVENTION AWARD- The Catawba County Sheriffs' Office recognized the Program Integrity Unit for outstanding and dedicated service in crime prevention.

1997

National Association of Counties Achievement Awards

Department of Social Services' Project H.E.A.R.T./Leaders in Long View Program. H.E.A.R.T. stands for Hilltop Education And Resources Together. Eight agencies worked together to provide a range of services to low income families living in the Hilltop Apartment complex, where 85% of families are headed by a single parent earning less than $15,000 a year. Many of these families are Hispanic or Hmong and face unique cultural problems. Social Services, the Cooperative Extension Service 4-H program and, during the project's first year, Public Health, worked with the City of Hickory, CVCC, Lenoir-Rhyne College, the Long View Police Department, Employment Security Commission and Hilltop management to create a "family resource center" for Hilltop residents. The center helps families with money management, English As A Second Language courses, job searches, parenting classes, GED classes, health screenings, summer camps and after school tutoring. In the first year of the program, school attendance and academic performance improved for at least half of the 30 children enrolled in after-school tutoring, two adults have completed GED courses and five found employment.

Department of Social Services' "Unifour Employment Alliance" Program. The program is a unique collaborative effort between the Department of Social Services, the North Carolina Restaurant Association and the Catawba Valley Hospitality and Tourism Alliance. The Alliance connects Work First clients (those on public assistance, formerly known as "welfare") with jobs in the hospitality and restaurant industries. It creates a direct line of communication between employers and Social Services. Local business involved with the Alliance fax job openings and information regarding salaries and qualifications directly to Work First Social Workers. Social workers then refer appropriate clients directly back to the employer, who is still responsible for interviewing and hiring. Social workers may assist prospective candidates with child care or transportation issues. The program has helped the business community find ways to help families in need get back on their feet and other industries have expressed an interest in building similar links.

University of North Carolina School of Social Work Ann Kizer Bost Award- given to the student who, in the opinion of the faculty, shows the greatest potential of service to the Public Welfare System of North Carolina, was presented to Catawba County Social Services Program Administrator Beth Peterinelli as she completed her Master's Degree in Social Work.

1996

National Association of Counties Achievement Awards

Catawba Valley Family Builders program-Begun in December 1995, the initiative created a single "door" through which citizens may access a range of adoption-related services. They may include problem pregnancy counseling, adoption information, opportunities for fostering and/or adopting children and ongoing support and training. This partnership created a responsive delivery system with enhanced services from two historically progressive organizations.

Child Support "Father's Day Roundup"- This program was part of a vigilant ongoing Child Support Recovery Unit which has had outstanding success in increasing child support recovery monies from $11,000 in 1979 to $6 million recovered in Catawba County in 1995. The "roundup", held over the weekend of Father's Day in June 1995, led to the discovery of 27 non-supporting fathers whose cases were brought to court.

"Day Care Super Saturday" program - Staff from the Department of Social Services' Day Care Unit took time off from their weekends in 1995 to conduct a series of "Day Care Super Saturdays" to give parents a chance to get information about day care programs on weekends when many of them do not have to work. Back to back interviews of thirty minutes duration were scheduled by the Social Services staff during the Saturday clinics and staff from the Public Health Department were also on hand to provide the immunizations required for children to enter day care centers. The goal of the Day Care Super Saturdays was to eliminate a day care waiting list with more than 360 names. Over a period of four Saturdays, this waiting list was entirely eliminated at no additional cost to the county and with no additional staff.

Food Stamp Unit Accuracy

The Catawba County Department of Social Services has been honored by the United States Department of Agriculture for excellence in the administration of its Food Stamp program. The award was presented to Jo Sloan, Program Administrator for the Department of Social Services, and Carolyn Mann, Supervisor of the Food Stamp Unit, at the annual meeting of the $6 Million Club in Jackson, Mississippi earlier this month.

The $6 Million Club is made up of 163 counties in the Southeastern United States which issue more than $6 million in food stamp benefits each year. The group meets annually to share success stories and strategies on how to operate an efficient and accurate food stamp program.

"On behalf of your Federal partners, I am honored to present this award to you," said Virgil L. Conrad, Southeast Regional Administrator for USDA's Food and Consumer Service Division. "The key to the success of the Food Stamp program is the people who make it work locally and, through your dedication and commitment, you have built a model program."

Catawba County is one of ten North Carolina counties in the club recognized for exemplary accuracy in calculating food stamp benefits. The County's Food Stamp accuracy rate for fiscal year 1996 was 100%, which the USDA says is "an extraordinary achievement."

"This award recognizes a unit of dedicated, highly efficient workers for a year of remarkable success," Sloan said. "The unit maintained an accuracy rate of 100% while serving over 3,000 families each month. The award honors their accuracy in applying state and federal policies correctly and timely. But the true measure of this unit is in the lives they have touched. Each month they enable the working poor, disabled, elderly and children of low income families to have better nutrition. We are all very proud of this unit and its work."

From October 1995 to September 1996, when the 100% accuracy rate was attained, the Catawba County Social Services' Food Stamp Unit staff included:

Carolyn Mann, who has been with Social Services for thirty years, and has supervised the Food Stamp program for seven years. Besides supervising the Food Stamp Unit and training and guiding her staff, Mann is also responsible for the supervision of the Investigative Unit and distribution of the USDA Commodity Program. Mann supervises eighteen full time employees and two part-time employees.

Julie Raper, Lead Income Maintenance Caseworker, who has been with the Food Stamp unit since 1991. She is responsible for the training of new employees and assists with ongoing training on constantly changing policies. Raper is also responsible for quality control measures through second party review of a random sampling of each worker's case files.

Donnell Arndt was the lead worker in the unit prior to Julie Raper's assuming the position in June 1996. She began working with the Food Stamp unit in October 1988.

Theda McBride, Office Support Specialist, who recently retired with 30 years of service. McBride worked as unit receptionist, assisting customers when they came into the office or helping them over the phone. McBride was also responsible for data entry, accurately keying information into the State computer system so recipients received correct and timely benefits.

Tracie Evans, Office Support Specialist, who is responsible for receptionist duties, which includes assisting customers when they come into the office or call. She is also responsible for accurately issuing Food Stamp coupons to eligible clients.

Angela Younce, Office Support Specialist, who is responsible for helping with receptionist duties and assisting the Office Support Specialist assigned to the Food Stamp unit. Younce also does many detailed statistical reports and is the support specialist for the Investigative Unit.

The award winning effort of the Catawba County Department of Social Services was also enhanced by the work of Income Maintenance Caseworkers. Caseworkers are responsible for interviewing customers when they come into the office seeking assistance. The caseworker must determine if the household meets emergency criteria for immediate food assistance. They are responsible for gathering information and following up with other sources and agencies to verify the information. They must also be able to access various computer programs to follow up on information. After all information is gathered and verified, they must be able to apply policy correctly in order to assure the correct issuance of benefits.

Carolyn Costner, Sue Gurley, Carol Herter, Beckie Hess, Judy Hines, Tammy Ireland, Phyllis Lehman, Patsy Plunkett, Kathy Suddreth, Cristie Trent and Ginny Yarnall served as Income Maintenance Caseworkers between October 1995 and September 1996.

"It is a source of pride to realize the fine food stamp staff in Catawba County do such as good job in correctly and timely authorizing benefits for our citizens," said Bobby Boyd, Director of the Catawba County Department of Social Services. "They are really dedicated people who are determined that those in need are treated with dignity and respect and receive the correct amount of stamps."

National Association of Social Workers-North Carolina Chapter- named the Catawba County Department of Social Services as its 1996 Agency of the Year.

NC Child Support Enforcement Award- The Catawba County Child Support Enforcement Office was recognized for meeting or exceeding the following goals for 1995-96: Locations Accomplished - 261%; Initial Support Obligations Established-105%; Enforcement Disposed of and Wage withholding-240%; Paternities Established=104%; Modified Support Obligations Established=142%; Total Collections-105%.

1995

National Association of Counties Achievement Awards

1994

National Association of Counties Achievement Awards

Sexual Abuse Intervention Team- presented to the Department of Social Services for the creation of a team dedicated to reducing incidents of sexual abuse and providing necessary treatment for victims and convicted abusers. The team works with investigating officers in helping victims with counseling and other needs and to place convicted abusers in a program to help them address their problems.

Adult Shelter Program- presented to the Department of Social Services for a program created by the Adult Services Unit for creation of a shelter program in a secure setting for adults in need of a safe place to go in cases of domestic difficulties.

DHR-School Based Teams- presented to the Public Health Department, Mental Health Department, and the Department of Social Services for creation of school-based resource teams composed of public health nurses, social workers and mental health professionals which spend time in selected County schools interacting with students and seeking ways to address their physical, social and mental needs.

North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Award of Excellence

Day Care Super Saturday- Day Care Super Saturdays were designed as a way to help eliminate a waiting list of more than 300 children seeking day care in Catawba County. Social workers gave up their own free weekend time to provide opportunities for parents to come to the Social Services building on Saturdays and register their child for day care or seek advice on child care placement. This and other programs organized under the Smart Start funding umbrella led to the elimination of the waiting list in only a few months time.

1993

North Carolina Department of Social Services Outstanding Program Award-presented to the Social Services' JOBS program for having "a proven record of consistently targeting program resources for those public assistance recipients who are most at risk of long term welfare dependency." The program had the state's highest number of participants who became employed an no longer needed public assistance and one of the highest numbers of dropouts returning to school.

North Carolina Food Stamp Employment and Training Award-The Department of Social Services Food Stamp Unit shared a with the Hickory/Newton office. The E&T program finished first in the state in the number of participants involved in an active job search and educational pursuits, two of the three criteria for the award.

1992

National Association of Counties Achievement Awards

DSS Career/Training and Awareness Program-to give welfare recipients basic life skills and the knowledge of how to work with Catawba Valley Community College to obtain better work related skills and to gain employment.

CHOICES program- presented to the Department of Social Services for development of program which seeks to teach youth to cope with daily situations by offering appropriate problem solving and decision making skills. The program also helps students develop their creativity and encourages competitiveness.

CHOICES Forum Program- awarded to the Department of Social Services for a one-day seminar program to help members of the County's aging population learn to explore resources and choices available to them in the areas of health care, goods and services, financial management, housing, caregiving, leisure activities and preparedness for death.

Nurturing Program- given to the Department of Social Services for development of a nurturing program to help parents gain education in child development and discipline skills. The program helps parents learn self-esteem, decision making, stress management, communication and assertiveness.

1991

National Association of Counties Achievement Awards

DSS Preparation for Independent Living Program-helped foster teenagers prepare for life on their own by answering their questions about their separation from loved ones and helping them build self-esteem and independent thinking skills.

Family Caregiver Training Program- a cooperative effort between the Cooperative Extension Service and the Department of Social Services to raise the community's awareness and support of the needs of dependent elderly and their caregivers. A monthly support group for 3295 family caregivers in the County resulted from this effort.

North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Award of Excellence

North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Outstanding Social Services Director Of The Year- was Bobby Boyd, ACSW, Director of the Catawba County Department of Social Services.

1990

National Association of Counties Achievement Awards

Department of Social Services' Teen-Up After School Program- adolescent pregnancy prevention program seeking the reduce the pregnancy rate among youth 12-17 by providing work and recreation opportunities in a "club" atmosphere.

Department of Social Services' Non-Support Work Incentive Program-gave judges the option of sentencing unemployed parents who are delinquent in child support to 32 hours of community service work until they could demonstrate they have full time work and have made arrangements for child support payment.

North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Award of Excellence

North Carolina Social Services Association Employee of the Year award, South Piedmont District- went to Teri Armstrong, Supervisor of the Social Services' Child Support Unit.

1989

National Association of Counties Achievement Awards

Department of Social Services' Methods and Standards Study, a program to examine the current methods and standards used in Social Services work both in the Catawba County Department and in the entire field. Project Administrator Andrea Benfield's study resulted in a new set of standardized methods and standards being adopted for the entire state by the North Carolina General Assembly (standards which are still in use in 1996.)

Department of Social Services' Project for the Prevention of Elderly/Disabled Abuse and Neglect- a public awareness program which provides support for victims and for care givers and potential abusers, and gives training to local professionals in identifying and counseling "at-risk" adults.

Department of Social Services 'Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program which was designed to target "at-risk" teenagers and provide them with education and activities to help them learn the importance of making good choices to avoid unplanned pregnancies, with an emphasis on developing a peer incentive system which encourages the teens to adopt more responsible behavior.

Department of Social Services' "Creative Computerization in a Social Services Environment" set in place by the DSS Business Office to foster more creative utilization of advances in computers to improve client services, streamline and enhance billing and improve record keeping.

1988

National Association of Counties Achievement Awards-

Coordinated Effort to Assure Early Prenatal Care- won jointly by the Department of Social Services and the Public Health Departments for an effort to work together to provide more expectant mothers with quality prenatal care to make it more likely they will give birth to healthy babies.

Adolescent Care Program- awarded to the Department of Social Services Adoption Unit for a program to provide adolescents who are unable to remain in their home was a plan of care to help them find good adoptive or foster care and if possible to return them to their home situation.

Parenting Education Training- presented to the Department of Social Services for a training program which gives expectant parents, either those who are about to have their own children, or are about to adopt or take in foster children, parenting skills so they will become better, more nurturing parents. The program is also used to help parents who are in difficult domestic situations learn better parenting skills so they can address the problems they are having with children.

The State of the Child in Catawba County- given to the Department of Social Services for a report on conditions and prospects for children in Catawba County. The report was compiled by a study team which made recommendations on ways to improve the state of children in the county over short and long-term periods.

University of North Carolina School of Social Work Ann Kizer Bost Award- given to the student who, in the opinion of the faculty, shows the greatest potential of service to the Public Welfare System of North Carolina, was presented to Catawba County Social Services Program Administrator Andrea Benfield as she completed her Master's Degree in Social Work.

North Carolina Coalition on Adolescent Pregnancy Outstanding Program Award- was won in 1988 by Tina Moose of the Department of Social Services for development of an adolescent pregnancy prevention program involving teens which sought to give them positive incentives to avoid unwanted pregnancies.

1987

National Association of Counties Achievement Awards-

Operation Heartsaver- presented to the Protective Services Division for implementation of a course for citizens in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. The course is offered several times each year and gives participants American Red Cross certification in CPR.

1986

National Association of Counties Achievement Awards-

Child Care Cottages- awarded to the Department of Social Services for a program which resulted in the creation of cottages to serve as group home facilities for children placed in the custody of the County while the County seeks adoptive or foster homes for them.

Child Safety Awareness Program- given to the Department of Social Services for a program to promote all aspects of child safety and help the public learn how to keep children safe.

Cost Effective Administration on Low Income Energy Assistance Program- presented to the Department of Social Services for efficient and effective management of a program to assist low income families and individuals with meeting energy needs so they are insured of staying warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Home Health Aides Contract- awarded jointly to the Public Health Department and the Department of Social Services for development of a contract service to provide Home Health Aides to assist patients in need of medical care in their homes so they can maintain a degree of independence and reduce costs by coming home from hospital stays sooner and perhaps by avoiding nursing home care.

Home Delivered Meals Program- Given to the Department of Social Services for creation of a program to make regular delivery of nutritious, hot meals to persons who cannot leave their homes and have no one else to bring food to them.

Human Services Transportation System- Presented to the Department of Social Services for development of a van transportation system to assist clients with no means of transportation in getting to medical and other essential appointments.

Social Work Contract- presented jointly to the Health Department and the Department of Social Services for a program to merge services of the two agencies together for clients each identifies which might be in need of services from both agencies.

Task Force On Day Care- presented to the Department of Social Services for the formation of a task force of County citizens who are experts in parenting, child care, family counseling and other fields to study day care needs in Catawba County.

District Employee Of The Year- North Carolina Social Services Association- was presented to Nina Greeson, Eligibility Specialist for 1988.

2002 Catawba County Team Awared-Faith Community Task Force on Poverty, staffed by Social Servicesof employees from the Department of Social Services and the Department of Planning and Community Development which created a guide that gives information to people seeking to learn more about affordable housing options available in the county. An independent panel of judges selected the winner. Prior to 2002, Catawba County never had a comprehensive, accessible guide to information regarding low-income, affordable housing in the unincorporated parts of Catawba County. Historically, citizens had to make numerous calls to obtain information on utilities, leases, security deposits, rent subsidies, emergency assistance, Section 8 and Public Housing, and home ownership programs. Realtors and human services professionals also recognized the need for such a central information guide. This team of County staff worked with the Faith Community Task Force to create a 19-page guide that provides all this information and more, plus helpful contact numbers where persons can call for more information. The Affordable Housing Guide Work Group grew out of the Faith Community Task Force on Poverty, staffed by Social Services. The Faith Community Task Force is a partnership between local faith organizations and human services agencies that identifies unmet needs contributing to poverty in Catawba County. The Task Force sponsored a summit on affordable housing in October 2001. After that summit, the work group, seeing the need for an affordable housing guide, evolved and went to work. They obtained a sample guide from the Asheville Coalition on Affordable Housing, which had published a similar document. The Catawba County group worked for three months in early 2002, with some members working to research laws and regulations, sources of information and phone numbers. Other team members formatted the data, added photos and graphics and laid out the final product, while others obtained funding for the project. In August 2002, 1000 copies of the guide were printed and the guides are currently being distributed to human service agencies and local governments. The team also hopes to have the information placed on the County's website as a further service to citizens. Members of the Affordable Housing Work Group included: Karen Heffner, Program Manager for the Work First Unit at the Catawba County Department of Social Services; Amber Herman, Community Liaison for Social Services; Rich Hoffman, Assistant Planner, Catawba County Department of Planning and Community Development; Beth Brandes, Assistant Director, Department of Social Services; Polly Pearson; In-Home Aide, Social Services; Christina Abbott, formerly the Faith Community Task Force coordinator, now Director of the Children's Advocacy Center of Catawba County; Grace Gaither, Louise Judd and Beverly Nelson of the Faith Community Task Force on Poverty; Todd Hefner, Community Development Director with the City of Hickory; Sherry Long, Director of Community Development for the Western Piedmont Council of Governments; Joseph McCloy, Shelter Director for the Salvation Army of Hickory; and the Catawba Valley Board of Realtors.

2002 Outstanding County Program Award by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACCS)-Child Support "Twelve Most Wanted non-Supporting Parents Poster" - Catawba County Social Services “Twelve Most Wanted Non-Supporting Parents Poster” program was named one of the top county programs in the state for 2002 by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners and received an Outstanding County Program Award. Winners were selected for superior innovation and collaborative efforts in the categories of General Government, Human Services and Public Awareness. The “Twelve Most Wanted Non-Supporting Parents Poster” program, one of only four Public Education/Participation programs to receive the prestigious award, was recognized at the February 17, 2003, Catawba County Board of Commissioners meeting. Child Support agents face the reality that some parents do everything possible to attempt to evade making child support payments. In Catawba County, agents are responsible for over 500 cases. Collection rates reveal that 65 percent of the caseload is actively cooperating with the agents. The remaining 35 percent include parents who have refused to respond to the agents and have evaded all attempts to be brought back before the court and into compliance with the existing child support court order. "They are in the community, but are able to hide from deputies to avoid service of court orders," said Patricia Holcombe, supervisor of the Child Support unit of Catawba County Department of Social Services. "These are parents who have no earned income appearing under their social security numbers, no registered cars, and cannot be found in any of the local, state or federal data bases that are typically used to locate non-supporting parents." The “12 Most Wanted Non-Supporting Parents Poster” program was crafted to make the community aware of this serious problem. The project began with each agent submitting the name and information of a non-supporting parent. Holcombe established requirements for the parents who were selected for the poster. The most important requirement was the written consent of the custodial parent agreeing to the placement of their case information on the poster. "The posters were a catalyst for a broad community-wide public awareness campaign. One of the hopes of the effort was to initiate public discussion and support of the Child Support Program. Child Support can only be successful if all citizens of the community truly support the concept that parents should and must support their children," Holcombe added. The posters generated numerous articles in local newspapers and press releases generated discussion and news stories on local radio and television stations. Support for the project came from all areas of the community. Emergency Medical Services, landlords and former neighbors all have cooperated. For more information on this program, you may contact Patricia Holcombe, Child Support supervisor, at (828) 695-5634. For more information on the Outstanding County Program Awards, contact Todd McGee, NCACC director of Publications, at (919) 715-7336.

USDA Award of Excellence/$6 Million Club Payment and Access Achievement Award - Catawba County Social Services Food Stamps program
USDA Award of Excellence Catawba County Social Services' Food Stamp unit was honored by the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service for excellence in the administration of the Food Stamp program.
The award was presented at the annual meeting of the $6 Million Club Annual Payment Accuracy and Access Conference in Charleston, S.C.
The $6 Million Club is made up of 169 counties throughout the Southeast region that issue more than $6 million in food stamp benefits each year. The group meets annually to share success stories and strategies on how to operate an efficient and accurate food stamp program.
Catawba County is one of 21 North Carolina counties in the club recognized for superior accuracy in calculating food stamp benefits. Its accuracy rate for fiscal year 2002 was 96.89 percent, which reflects an extremely well managed program. Julie Raper of Mountain View supervises this program. During the federal fiscal year 2002, Catawba County issued $7,838,888 in food stamps benefits.
The number of citizens visiting the Food Stamp unit has increased 186 percent between July 2000 and April 2003. In July 2000, there were 4,956 Food Stamp recipients. Today, there are 10,185 Food Stamp recipients, a 105.5 percent increase in individuals receiving benefits.
"We are extremely proud of our Food Stamp unit achieving this distinction in accuracy especially during this time of drastically increasing workloads due to the sluggish economy," said Jo Sloan, program manager of Family Support Services at Catawba County Social Services. "When you consider that we've only added two employees since 2000 to help handle the 186 percent increase in workload, it becomes apparent how efficiently and precisely this team works to achieve excellence."

Recognition of Service to Older Americans Governor Mike Easley and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services honored Catawba County Social Services for its 32 years of services to older adults and their families.
This award was granted during May, designated by Gov. Easley as Older Americans Month in North Carolina. The theme of this year's Older Americans Month-"What We Do Makes A Difference"-recognizes the contributions of volunteers, service providers, families, organizations, and communities to improving the lives of older adults. The theme also acknowledges the many contributions that seniors make as volunteers, employees, caregivers, and community leaders.
Gov. Easley, in his proclamation, said that, "North Carolina is pleased to join other states in this tradition of honoring older Americans and their caregivers, and of celebrating our seniors as the foundation of our families and communities."
In presenting the certificate of recognition, Karen Gottovi, director of the North Carolina Division of Aging, thanked Catawba County Social Services for the many ways that it has contributed to serving older adults and their families since 1971.
Catawba County Social Services provides Protective Services for Adults; In-Home, Transportation and Nutrition Services; Long Term Care Programs; and Medicaid for Elderly, Disabled and Blind Citizens.

"Friend of Children" Award
The Children's Advocacy Center honored Phillip Borrero, Child Protective Services social work investigator, as a "Friend of Children" at its March Board meeting.
Phillip has worked at the Catawba County Department of Social Services for four years and is a member of the Center's multi-disciplinary team. He investigates child abuse cases including child sexual abuse cases.
Borrero has extensive experience in investigative work to include 14 years in protective services. Before coming to Catawba County he was a probation and parole officer at the Department of Corrections in Florida.
Willie June Noggle, Borrero's supervisor, says, "Phillip's commitment to assuring children's safety and provision of appropriate services for victim children and their families is obvious to all who know him. His compassion and genuine respect for people creates an arena for children to share their experiences and perpetrators to own their failures or offenses."
"Phillip is one of strongest child advocates that I have ever met. Children in need sense this and respond to Phillip's caring manner," said a Child Welfare supervisor, Beth Wooten who nominated Phillip Borrero for the "Friend of Children" Award.

2003 Excellence in Service Award
Rick Donkel received the 2003 Excellence in Service Award from the North Carolina Child Support Council at its statewide conference held May 7-9 in Wilmington.
Donkel, a child support agent, received the award for his development of a program aimed at providing child support services to the Hispanic population. The program, titled "The Hispanic, English as a Second Language in Child Support" was selected from among nine nominations for the award. The program, initiated in January 2002, began as an effort to offer Child Support services to Hispanic families in hopes of helping them become more self-sufficient.
In the process, Donkel had to break through cultural barriers, which until now were ignored. For instances, he discovered that many Hispanics believed that all their children needed were diapers and milk for the week. They were unaware that their children needed and deserved proper housing, clothing, and health insurance. Many were unaware that the County would manage their child support cases for them and assist them in collecting support from the Non-Custodial Parent.
Donkel also discovered that many of the Hispanic population could not understand the documents that they were signing. Often, they did not understand the implications. To address this problem, Mr. Donkel was involved with translating the State Application Forms for Child Support Services into Spanish. These forms can now be accessed all over the State of North Carolina via the Internet: http://info.dhhs.state.nc.us/olm/forms/dss/.
The second phase of implementing the program involved reviewing all of the agency's Hispanic cases to determine which ones needed court attention. Donkel sent out letters in Spanish to clients introducing himself and offering case management. He initially worked on updating Child Support orders that may have lacked attention due to lack of communication. His case management also involves informing and educating the Hispanic clients about requirements and other services available.
"It feels good to take something that the U.S. government trained me in and be able to apply it here locally to help," said Donkel.
He is referring to his 20 years of service with the U.S. Army Military Police. In 1985, Donkel was selected to attend the Defense Language Institute of Monterey, California for Spanish language training. This involved 28 weeks of intensive instruction of the Spanish language. Upon completion, he was transferred to the Republic of Panama and remained there until his retirement in 1997. Mr. Donkel has traveled extensively throughout Central and South America using his security and language skills for the Department of Defense. At times, he interpreted for high-ranking U.S. Government Officials.
After retirement, Rick remained in the Republic of Panama as a security consultant for numerous international companies until returning to Catawba County in 1999. In 1999, Rick worked in Mecklenburg County as a Child Support Agent and in 2000 was hired by Catawba County as an Enforcement Agent.
Mr. Donkel also uses his skills to translate birth certificates and marriage certificates for Social Services and plays a vital role in interpreting for the Court during Child Support Hearings that assists in establishing and enforcing Court Orders.
Patricia Holcombe, a supervisor in Child Support Services, says the effects of this program are incredible.
"Catawba County has seen an increase in Hispanic Families receiving child support thanks to this program that educates and informs the participants of the Child Support Program. Many would not have been aware of the services that assisted them in receiving financial support for the family. This in turn helps to increase child support collection and collection rates," says Holcombe. "Catawba County also is observing better compliance with the Hispanic population, as well as, more communication. Participants now feel confident in reporting new addresses and employer information. Many now understand the importance of carrying medical insurance on their children. The Hispanic population is realizing the importance of supporting their children. By increasing the number of orders and improving the compliance rate, Catawba County is helping to lower the number of families needing public assistance."
In addition, the County is gaining a skilled interpreter, which also plays an important role when meeting Title VI requirements in providing equal opportunity for services available to the community.
"Parents are responsible for the well being of their children-both the emotional and financial well being. As we know, this parental support is vital in raising children to be strong, happy and responsible contributors in society," says Jo Sloan, program manager of Family Support Services at Catawba County Social Services. "In Catawba County we strive to hold all parents accountable for financially taking care of their children's needs and we call on all citizens to help us in this quest."
The North Carolina Child Support Council is a non-profit organization comprised of Child Support Professionals, the Judiciary and others involved in the Child Support process.

2003 NACo Achievement Award-Civic Education & Public Information Category - 12 Most Wanted Non-Supporting Parents Poster
Child Support agents face the reality that some parents do everything possible to attempt to evade making child support payments. In Catawba County, agents are responsible for over 500 cases. Collection rates reveal that 65% of persons making child support are actively cooperating with agents. The remaining 35% include parents who have refused to respond to agents, and have evaded all attempts to be brought back before the court and into compliance with the existing child support court order. "They are in the community, but are able to hide from deputies to avoid service of court orders," said Patricia Holcombe, supervisor of the Child Support Unit of the Catawba County Department of Social Services. "These are parents who have no earned income appearing under their Social Security numbers, have no registered cars, and cannot be found in any of the local, state or federal data bases which are typically used to locate non-supporting parents." The “12 Most Wanted Non-Supporting Parents Poster” program was crafted to make the community aware of this serious problem. The project began with each agent submitting the name of a non-supporting parent and information on that person. Holcombe established requirements for the parents who were selected for the poster. The most important requirement was the written consent of the custodial parent, who agreed to the placement of their case information on the poster. "The posters were a catalyst for a broad community-wide public awareness campaign. One of our hopes was to initiate public discussion and support of the Child Support Program. Our Child Support Unit can only be successful if all citizens of the community truly support the concept that parents should and must support their children," Holcombe added.

2003 NACo Achievement Award-Best in Human Services Category - Wait-Time Reduction Project: Food Stamp Unit
Catawba County and the other Unifour counties have been hit especially hard by the recent economic downturn, with thousands of job losses in the fiber optics, furniture and textile industries. With the downturn in the economy, the Catawba County Food Stamp Office has experienced a significant increase in the number of applications for Food Stamps. From May 2000 to May 2001, the number of Catawba County citizens receiving Food Stamp assistance jumped by 94%. Although two new staff persons were added to the Food Stamp Office in 2001, the lobby of the office was frequently filled to capacity throughout the business day. Extra chairs were sometimes brought to the lobby from other areas in the building to accommodate those waiting, and frustration often increased for both staff and citizens. The Food Stamp staff sought a way to move applicants through the process more quickly and reduce the waiting time for citizens. "Catawba County, like most counties, sees applicants on a first-come, first-served basis," said Julie Raper, Catawba County's Food Stamp Supervisor. "The surge in the numbers of applicants resulted in backlogs at the reception window and unacceptable waiting times for applicants to be seen by a Food Stamp Caseworker. On the busiest of days, an applicant could expect to wait over an hour to be interviewed. All of our employees have a goal to see visitors within 15 minutes, because many of these applicants have small children or significant health problems. Under the best circumstances, an application interview can be expected to last an hour, which meant a family might be in the office for several hours to complete a Food Stamp application. Our Food Stamp Management staff made a commitment to finding a better way of doing business, and focused on finding ways to move applicants out of the reception area and into the interview more quickly". The Food Stamp Unit has always maintained an automated reception log that notified caseworkers of the number of persons waiting to be seen. A careful analysis of this log was conducted and showed that intake traffic was rarely consistent throughout the day and that traffic patterns tended to peak between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Once backlogs occurred in the numbers of persons being seen, it became almost impossible to clear the backlog. As staff shifted in and out for their lunch hour, the problem worsened. In response, staff members developed a system to have more workers available during peak times of day. Caseworkers began using a "flex" schedule to provide more coverage during those busiest times, without adding additional personnel. Staff members rotated in a shift from deskwork to covering the intake portion of the system during peak times. Although this change improved the problem, it did not eliminate it. Staff then devised new schedules, reducing lunch hours to a 30-minute time period, to make more staff members available at peak times. In order to avoid the need for overtime, staff involved in this shift is scheduled for time off during one afternoon each week, on a day when they are not assigned to take applications. There were no costs involved in this program because it added no new staff or funds. It required a change in thinking and in "how business is done". NACo named this program as "Best of Category" for 2003, judging it the best of all nominees in the Human Services category from across the United States.

2003 NACo Achievement Award - Human Services Category - Tri-County Non-Custodial Parent Employment Program
In 2000, Social Services representatives from Alexander, Catawba and Caldwell counties met with staff of the Western Piedmont Council of Governments to discuss ways to get unemployed parents who owe child support, and have a long history of non-payment, to pay child support that has been ordered by the court. District Court Judge Jonathan Jones initiated the meeting, and the group determined that creating a program to help these non-custodial parents find employment would reduce these concerns. "Child Support payments can make a tremendous difference in the life of a child," said Karen Heffner, Work First Program Manager for the Catawba County Department of Social Services. "For many, these payments help to provide the essentials of life: food, clothing and shelter. Yet, nationally, only two-thirds of child support orders are collected in any given month. Frustrated judges often see the same non-supporting parents month after month, and many cannot find a job or earn enough money to meet their obligations. Judges are faced with the difficult task of determining if a non-custodial parent is a deadbeat or dead broke. These judges have limited options, often either allowing the offender more time to try to find a job or money, or putting them in jail. Neither option has been successful." The Tri-County Non-Custodial Parent Employment Program was a result of these discussions and is designed to fill a gap in services by assisting non-custodial parents in finding and sustaining employment. Prior to this program, there had been no employment programs in these counties to assist non-custodial parents to meet their child support responsibilities through stable employment. Participants were given job counseling, assistance in developing a resume' and other support needed to find and keep a job. The program was funded by Federal Welfare to Work funds. "In Catawba County, the program has provided employment services to 58 participants," Heffner said. "With the program's assistance, participants have been able to complete vocational training and cognitive classes, which have contributed to gainful employment. With the purchase of a bike, helmet, and one-on-one job coaching by a case manager, one participant has been able to maintain a job for over a year and has made child support payments on a regular basis. Another gentleman went on to complete Certified Nurse Assistant I training. He obtained certification and has already begun training for the Certified Nurse Assistant II level. He has maintained employment with a group residential home for over seven months and is currently making child support payments. Over $65,500 in child support payments have been collected from participants in Catawba County who were served by this program."

Nancy Wall - North Carolina Adult Foster Care Worker of the Year
Nancy Wall, an adult home specialist for Adult Services was named the North Carolina Adult Foster Care Worker of the Year by the North Carolina Adult Foster Care Association. "I am honored to be recognized by my peers," Nancy said. "It means a lot to be nominated by my supervisor and especially by my colleagues at the Burke County Department of Social Services." Wall is responsible for making sure the county's adult-care home facilities remain in compliance with state laws. She arranges for training of the facilities' staff. She also serves as the county's Adult Day Care/Day Health Coordinator, arranging for the licensing of new adult day-care facilities and ensuring their compliance with state laws. Wall also provides placement assistance for families with an adult in need of care. Wall serves as a regional chairwoman for the North Carolina Adult Foster Care Association and has served as vice president of its board of directors.