Task 1 Chosen Agency

       I have chosen to write about Franklin County Department of Social Services. They arelocated at 120 East Court Street, Rocky Mount, VA. Franklin County DSS employs 84 FullTime employees. In addition to the full time positions they also offer intern positions. FCDSSis one of 120 local departments in Virginia’s public social services system. The Department isan agency of county government which administers federal, state, and local public assistance andsocial work service programs. The Mission statement for FCDSS is to protect the vulnerable,promote self-sufficiency or maximum economic independence, and prevent negative socialoutcomes for the residents of Franklin County. In addition to the Mission Statement FCDSS alsohas a Strategic Plan that outlines goals and selected strategies. Their number one goal which Ifeel is a great one is: “Strengthen staff responsiveness, accessibility, and professionalism inserving the residents of Franklin County and always provide great customer service”The population of Franklin County, VA is around 55,000. Franklin County is the 33rdmost populated county in the state of Virginia out of 133 counties. Race/Ethnicity-White(around 87%), Black (around 8%) and Hispanic (around 3%). Persons in poverty is around 14%with an unemployment rate of around 3.0%. Franklin County, VA is located in the Blue Ridgefoothills of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is Rocky Mount. Franklin County ispart of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located in the Roanoke Region ofVirginia. The County lies in the western piedmont, a diverse terrain ranging from flatlands onthe east to rugged peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountain on the west. The towns and cities thatmake up Franklin County are: Burnt Chimney, Callaway, Glade Hill, Hales Ford, Penhook,Snow Creek, Union Hall, Boones Mill, Callaway, Ferrum, Hardy, Henry, Redwood, Rocky Mount, and Wirtz. Franklin County is comprised of communities that continue to value their farms, forests, waters, and cultural heritage. Lifestyle in Franklin County can mean anything from hunting, and fishing, to hiking and biking, to sailing and water skiing. The special geography of the county offers numerous recreational opportunities. The Blue Ridge Mountains on the western border offer nature trails, camping, horseback riding, and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
         The reason I have chosen Franklin County DSS is because I did a summer intern withthem while attending Governors School. I have reached out to Franklin County’s Director AnitaTurner who was more than willing to answer any questions I had about the agency. Mrs. Turnerhas been the director of FCDSS for two years. She works very closely with both the service sideas well as the benefits side of DSS. She has an Assistant Director for the service side along withan Assistant Director for the benefits side. In addition to the Director and Assistant DirectorsFranklin County has a team of 13 Supervisors. The service side is made up of several units:APS, CPS, Foster Care, Foster Care and Adoption, In-Home/Family Support System, and CPSOngoing. The benefits side is made up of service components Food Assistance (SNAP),Medicaid, IV-E, TANF, VIEW, Long Term Care, Child Care Assistance and Energy Assistance(Fuel, Cooling and Crisis). I would like to continue my career in social services but specifically with the Child Protective Services Unit at my home agency Henry Martinsville DSS. The reason this unit relates to my career of choice is because it is like the beginning and end of CPS with the actual
investigation in the middle.
        The prevention unit is put in place so that a CPS case is less likely to occur. Prevention services are put in place by the family voluntarily. This typically means a CPS referral wasreceived and for some reason through the intake process was not deemed a family assessment orinvestigation. When this happens, the referral is still documented under the family name and areferral to prevention services is made. This is completely voluntary to the family unless forsome reason it is court ordered. Many families take advantage of this opportunity to givethemselves the much-needed help and support.
       The Ongoing services unit receive their cases directly from CPS. At my agencyunofficially we call them “CPS Part two.” Essentially what this means is that they are put inplace to monitor after a family assessment or investigation has been completed by CPS. Then itis determined through a risk and safety assessment if the family needs continuous service ormonitoring. Once that has been establish the unit will visit the family however many times amonth is needed until the Ongoing unit deems, they are fit to close the case completely. Thesecases can last anywhere from two months up to several years if the family needs it that long.This is different from the CPS investigation unit because the longest we can a family assessmentis sixty and an investigation is 90 days unless there is law enforcement involvement or a fatality.
References
Social Services. Social Services | Franklin County, VA. (n.d.). Retrieved January 27, 2023, fromhttps://www.franklincountyva.gov/361/Social-Services
List of Towns and Cities in Franklin County, Virginia, United States with Maps and SteetsViews. List of towns and cities in Franklin County, Virginia, United States, maps and steetviews, geographic.org. (n.d.). Retrieved January 27, 2023, fromhttps://geographic.org/streetview/usa/va/franklin/index.html
Find your 2023 adventure in Franklin County, Virginia! Franklin County Tourism, VA | OfficialWebsite. (n.d.). Retrieved January 27, 2023, from https://www.visitfranklincountyva.com/