Internship and Community Resource Information

1. Agency: Wake County Department of Health and Human Services Child Protective
Services (CPS) - Foster Care

Phone numbers to make a report: 919-212-7990 (English) or 919-212-7963 (Spanish)

General phone number: 919-212-7474

Official hours: 8:30am-5:15pm, but there are also after hours and weekend workers. Generally,
the hours in foster care depend upon the families we serve. Most social workers I have met start
their day at 9am, but the hours can be extended into the evening for monthly foster family
contacts and emergencies. This is not an on-call position!

Services: The foster care section of CPS monitors children and their progress in foster homes
after their homes have been deemed unfit for children. We work with the biological parents in
developing a plan for reunification within one year of Wake county taking over legal
guardianship which includes things like parenting classes, therapy, finding an appropriate
dwelling, and finding a job that can feasibly support themselves and their child(ren).
Simultaneously, we also work with the foster parents to properly care for the foster children in
their home including therapy for the children, board payments, clothing allotments, school
supplies, activities with other foster families, and disbursement of charitable donations to DHHS
(gift cards, clothing, toys, etc).

Referral: A referral for CPS to become involved with a family is done by contacting an intake
worker using one of the two report numbers above. Depending on the type of abuse and its
severity, some cases are looked at immediately while some are given up to 72 hours to assess.
The allegations against the family are then deemed substantiated, unsubstantiated, services
needed, or services recommended. If substantiated or services needed, the case is given to
another social worker in either in-home services or foster care. Foster care works with families
who have either been unable to adhere to their in-home services agreement or families that need
immediate placements for their children due to an unsafe home environment.

2. Agency: Wake County Public School System

Sub-sections: Cary Elementary, Northwoods Elementary, Partnership Elementary

Population(s) Served: We serve school-aged students, their families, and other school staff
members. This includes but is not limited to students experiencing homelessness, Spanish-
speaking families, school counselors, teachers, administration, etc.

What We Do: Assess concerns for mental/behavioral health, as well as basic needs concerns and
make referrals to relevant resources, consult and work with school staff, provide academic
support (within and outside of the classroom), plan and implement groups to identify issues with
social skills, self-esteem, and attendance

How to Make a Referral: CALL or EMAIL! All referrals to the School Social Worker are done
via phone or email. Referrals are prioritized based on highest need; however, the average
response time and the start of services is a week.

3. Agency: Safe Spaces for Wake (program of the Family Resource Center South
Atlantic)

Hours: Monday-Friday: 9am-7pm, Saturday: 9am-2pm (these hours are somewhat on an as

needed basis)

Services: Safe Spaces is a supervised visitation program contracted by DHHS to serve families
with children in foster care who are working towards reunification. We supervise visitation and
offer parenting skills help. By contract, we are unable to work with families when there are
allegations of sexual abuse.

Referrals: Come through DHHS social workers. There is a form at http://frcsa.org/safe-

spaces/ but it is currently not working. Referral forms can be requested from and sent to Vanessa
Hickmon at vhickmon@frcsa.org. Visits can be transferred from DHHS within a week or two,
but that is primarily dependent upon the social worker referring the case.

4. Agency: Wake County Public Defender's Office.

Hours of operation: Are the general hours of the court which are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday
through Friday. The Wake County Public Defender's Office serves the second largest county in
North Carolina behind Mecklenburg County (Charlotte). To date, this office does not have a
social worker on staff and for the past 3 years has utilized BSW and MSW interns to address the
needs of the clients they serve. In Mecklenburg County, there are 2 LCSW's on staff. The
leadership in this office recognizes the need of social work in the scope of the work however,
finding and utilizing the dollars necessary to fund a position has proven to be difficult. My
understanding is that they are planning to apply for grants that could secure a position.

What do you do: As a social work intern, my task has been to access and address the mental
health, employment, housing, substance abuse and other needs of the client. This may include
connecting a client to services upon release from jail or speaking to a family member or case
worker to inform the court what services the client is currently engaged in. Because there isn't a
social worker on staff, the intern has to perform these duties with very little on site supervision.
Field and faculty supervisors are available but many times it is after the initial engagement has
occurred with the client.

Who do you serve: The public defender's office represents clients who are involved in the court
process that are deemed to be indigent. Therefore, we serve people from a mostly lower to
middle class socioeconomic background. Many clients have greater needs than their charges may
indicate.
How do you make referrals/ How long does it take to receive services: The public defender's
office has created a referral form that the newly assigned attorney receives and the social work
intern if there is a need indicated on the form. Because the needs so great, the intern receives
numerous referrals per day to address a variety of different needs. The intern then contacts the
client via telephone or in person on the client's court date to discuss their needs. Building trust
and maintaining a relationship with the clients is the most difficult task of this work because as a
whole, the criminal justice system has been more intentional about the punitive aspect rather than
the service component.

There is not a specific way that referrals are made for clients to partner agencies. Much of the
work of the social work intern is to establish or reestablish connections to the resources in the
area to make the best referral possible. This has been made easier by the development of the
Wake Network of Care website (www.wakenetworkofcare.org) which has pooled many of Wake
County's resources in one location. Once a referral is made, service delivery could occur
immediately or take as long as a couple months depending on the type of referral.

You should find an example of the referral form the public defender's office uses to make the
initial referral for social work services.

5. Name of Agency: Wake County Drug Treatment Court (Recovery Court)/Wake Co.
Human Services/Wake County Courthouse; 316 Fayetteville St., Raleigh, NC 27601

Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday(8am-5pm) Ron Scott-919-856-6441/Ken White-919-856-

6414/Nicole Singletary-919-856-2773

What DTC does: Wake Co. DTC program offers intense substance abuse/mental health services
for criminal offenders. The purpose of the program is to reduce recidivism in the court system
due to drug use and mental health. As a Wake DTC Coordinator, I plan, implement, and
coordinate all aspects of treatment for participants, including conducting court proceedings.

To make a referral/How long does it take to get services: To make a referral to DTC, the
participant must be active in the criminal justice system. Future participants must have a current
judgment (misdemeanor or felony) and a court order reflecting a DTC judgment. Participants are
required to be placed on active probation with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
DTC does not allow participants with violent felonies or sex offenders. Referrals are completed
by District Attorneys, Public Defenders, Private Attorneys, Judges, Probation Officers, TASC,
and self-referrals. After referral is completed and an assessment by DTC Coordinator has been
completed, services can only be rendered when the criminal offense or violation of probation has
a DTC judgment. Court calendaring and rules of criminal legal procedures determine when
services can be provided.
 6. Agency: Haven House Services

Program: Wrenn House: Crisis and Homeless

What we Do? Provide a safe place for youths that are homeless, runaways or in a crisis situation

Hours of operation: 24 hours a day-365 days of the year

Who we serve: Youth age 10-17

How do we make a referral: Call Wrenn House and they will do an initial crisis assessment
before accepting new clients. Based on the information provided youth could be accepted within
the hour. If they are homeless and beds are available, youth is automatically accepted. The safe
place is a voluntary placement so if the youth refuse to stay (even if family, CPS, or DJJ want
them to be placed there) Wrenn House will not accept the youth.

How long does it take to get in: It could take less than a day.

Length of stay: 24 hours to 30 days just depends on the crisis (**30 day beds are only for CPS
cases) (**Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) beds are up to 21 days), homeless beds are
typically up to 7 days. Most times after that day we either have contacted family or they
transitioned to a CPS case and get their bed)

7. Agency: Wake County Human Services - Eastern Regional Center

Function: In-Home Services for Child Welfare

Hours of Operation: 8am-5pm. Workers often will have visits or meetings scheduled past 5pm,
but do not generally stay in the office past this time.

Summary of my Role: As an In-Home Services worker, it is my job to work with families that
have been determined as in need of services by the assessment workers, meaning that abuse,
neglect, or dependency, has been assessed to be an issue. We partner with families to locate such
services as therapy, parenting courses, etc, that will address the concerns that were found during
the risk assessment. For example, if a client is found to have substance abuse issues, we may
send that client to a service such as NC Recovery to attend group sessions and classes structured
around the topic of how substance abuse affects children, and then follow-up with random drug
screens as they progress through the program. A misconception about Child Welfare is that we
are there to be antagonist and criticize parents until we take their children away, but in reality we
hope to partner with families to address issues and help them function better on multiple levels.

Referrals: A person cannot make a referral specifically to In-Home Services, but if someone
feels they have a need they would like to report, that call needs to go to the intake office at 919-
212-7990.

8. Agency: Wake County Human Services (Adoptions)

Hours: (8:30 am 5:15 pm)

Services: My department serves children who have come into custody due to abuse and neglect
by their parents or caregivers. If the child is unable to return home safely the child will be placed
into foster care. If the childs parents rights are terminated their plan is changed to adoption and
they can then be adopted by relatives or families who have gone through the adoption homestudy
process.

Referrals: cannot be made to my department but a call can be made to DSS and if accepted the
child may reach the adoption process. We initiate services immediately once the case reaches our
department. The adoption process is rather long and can take a few years to get through the entire
process.

9. Agency: Project CATCH

Hours: M-Th 8:00-5:00, F 8:00-2:00

Contact: Kim Konderla, Case Manager

Population Served: Families experiencing homelessness with children 0-18

Purpose Statement: To ensure families experiencing homelessness in Wake County have

access to a coordinated system of care that nurtures the health, well-being and success of their
children.

Services Offered: We do our best to ensure that families experiencing homelessness have access
to resources like health care, mental health care, tutoring, and everyday necessities like food and
clothing for their children. We can help families with anything they need to help their children
succeed.
 10. Name of Agency: The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Center (GLBT) of
North Carolina State University

Address: North Carolina State University

2610 Cates Avenue, 5230 Talley Student Union

Raleigh, North Carolina 27606

Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm

Contact Information: Phone: 919 513 9742, Email: glbtcenter@ncsu.edu

Services: The NC State GLBT Center is a safe and inclusive space on campus for students,
faculty, staff and alumni of all genders and sexualities. The Centers mission is to engage,
develop, and empower members of the LGBTQIA community and their allies. More specifically,
the Center initiates opportunities for members to develop their social support networks, provides
or refers members to identity-based and health-related information and resources, and offers six
identity based group organizations that each meet at least one time per month. The Center also
hosts educational events and programs throughout campus and the community to raise public
awareness of the issues that LGBQTIA individuals and allies often face and to advocate for
inclusion, equity and social justice everywhere. The GLBT Center does not provide direct
counseling or case management services, however, there is almost always a staff member on
hand for immediate assistance or informal consultation. Although the Center does not have an
official referral form or process, the staff works closely with the entire North Carolina State
community to address all issues of concerns as soon as possible and to meet the needs of every
individual who seeks services, resources and support.

11. Agency: Families Moving Forward- Durham, NC

Hours of Operation: Monday thru Friday 9a-5p

Description of services: Shelter and supportive services for homeless families (of any makeup).

How to make a referral: All referrals will go through the coordinated intake system for Durham
County, by calling 919-560-8000

Approximate wait time: Preference given to unsheltered families, wait time varies.
 12. Name of Agency: Maxim Healthcare Services

What do we do: Provide skilled nursing, home care, and IDD services (i.e. innovations waiver,
developmental therapy, TBI services, and state-based services)

Hours of Operation: 8:30am-5:30pm (On Call 24/7 for emergencies)

Referral: Because of the nature of IDD services, individuals should be referred through Alliance
BHC before approaching Maxim

How long does it take to get in: It depends on the type of service the individual qualifies for,
but initial decision is made by Alliance BHC not Maxim. If you have already qualified for a
service (i.e. innovations waiver, developmental therapy, etc.) it depends on staffing, client needs,
and the ability of Maxim to provide for those needs.

13. Name of agency: Turning Point Family CARE

Hours: 8:30-5 pm with after hours crisis line

Services: TPFC is a mental health agency offering Outpatient therapy, psychiatric services,
community support team, Intensive in-home, peer support and a variety of groups. In my
internship I provide individual therapy with adults as well as conduct intake and comprehensive
clinical assessments.

Referrals: Individuals can make a referral either online at www.tpfcnc.com and select the
referral tab at the top. Complete the form with as much information as possible. We also receive
referrals through Alliance, by Fax, calling in, and walk in. Ms. Chelsea Reid will contact them
typically within 2 days and then they also get a call when client is scheduled. After the
appointment is scheduled they receive client updates from Chelsea via fax. Services are usually
initiated 2-3 weeks after intake has been completed.

14. Name of Agency: Omni Visions

Address: 3739 National Dr #220, Raleigh, NC 27612
Phone: (919) 334-0249
Hours of Operation: Mon-Fri 9:00am-5:00pm
Services: Omni Visions is a therapeutic foster care agency that provides children in need of
stable homes with caring families and adequate counseling and intervention sessions. Children
served by Omni Visions are in state custody due to abuse, neglect, unruly or delinquent
behaviors, extensive medical issues or significant behavioral and emotional needs.
Mission Statement: Omni Visions will be the PROVIDER OF CHOICE for people and
agencies needing innovative, quality family and community services which improve lives, by
people taking care of people.
Referral for foster or adoptive parent: http://omnifosteradoption.theomnifamily.com/#tab-id-4
Referral for family-based provider: http://www.theomnifamily.com/#tab-id-6
Waitlist for services: The length of time that it takes to place a child depends upon the
availability of open homes and families. The average time is no longer than a week to get a child
placed.

15. Agency: Club Nova (Carrboro, NC)

Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, & Friday 9am-5pm; Thursday 9am-4pm

Social events held every Thursday 4pm-8pm and Saturday 11am-4pm (must sign up in advance
for socials)

Services: Club Nova is a voluntary psycho-social rehabilitation program (not providing formal
treatment) for people with severe and persistent mental illness. It offers a support network,
transportation to and from the clubhouse, and a place to go during the work-ordered day; staff
help with pre-vocational skills, education, transitional and independent employment, section 8
housing, and providing 12 fresh and nutritious meals a week sold for $1.50 each. Two social
events are held each week, along with special events held on every major holiday to reduce
isolation and increase involvement in the community.

Referrals: Anyone (including the individual) can make a referral. Applicants must have a SPMI
(principle and/or primary diagnosis cannot be developmental disability, dementia, a substance
abuse disorder, or personality disorder), be 18 years or older, be a resident of Orange, Person, or
Chatham county, and have Medicaid or other state funding. After obtaining information about
the SPMI from the individual's treatment team, it takes about two weeks to initiate services.
See https://clubnova.org/membership/ for referral forms. Email Peter Mazzei
at pmazzei@clubnova.org for more information.
 16. Agency: Team ACT-NC DHHS/MHDDSAS/Community Mental Health/Adult
Subsection

Hours: Monday - Friday 9am-5pm

Contact: Stacy Smith (stacy.smith@dhhs.nc.gov)

919-715-2774

Services: This section of the DMH provides Team ACT monitoring of all ACT Teams across NC
in conjunction with the UNC Center for Excellence in order to monitor fidelity of the ACT
Teams. The section is also responsible for providing monitoring, technical assistance and training
on IPS-SE, and CTI services.