WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE

WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE, AS A NEW STATEWIDE COMPUTER DATABASE IS BEING IMPLEMENTED IN  

 FOOD & NUTRITION.

YOU WILL LIKELY SEE LONGER WAIT TIMES

TO COMPLETE THE APPLICTION PROCESS, INCLUDING RECERTIFICATIONS AND RETURNED PHONE CALLS, AS THE DEPARTMENT IS IMPLEMENTING A NEW STATEWIDE COMPUTER DATA BASE CALLED NCFAST.

PLEASE BARE WITH US, AS WE WORK TO ENSURE A MORE TIMELY, EFFICENT, & ACCURATE METHOD OF DETERMING 

 FOOD & NUTRITION ELIGIBITY.

Gwen Taylor PIO

LOW INCOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE (LIEAP)

Macon County Care Network (Care Net) will begin taking applications for the - Low Income Energy Assistance known as LIEAP on Monday, December 3, 2012.  The LIEAP provides a one-time annual vendor payment to help eligible families pay their heating expense.

Beginning December 3^rd:

Only households containing an elderly person age 60 and above or a disabled person receiving SSI, SSA, or VA disability & receiving services through the Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) are eligible to potentially receive benefits from December 3rd through January 31st or until funds are exhausted.   All eligibility requirements must be met which includes income guidelines.

Beginning February 1^st – March 31^st if funds are available:

Those individuals and families with the lowest income and highest relative energy cost are potentially eligible for benefits beginning February 1^st – March 31^st or until funds are exhausted, if all eligibility requirements are met which includes income guidelines.   

Applications will be taken at Macon County Care Network

located at 130 Bidwell Street, Franklin NC

 Monday – Friday from 10 am – 1 pm as long as funds are available.

A signup sheet will be posted by or before

8:00 am outside of Care Net

on the morning of December 3^rd.

After you sign up you may return to your vehicle to wait and names/numbers will be called beginning at 9:30 am to start your application process. 

Clients will be seen beginning at 10:00 am. 

No client names will be added to the sign in sheet after 1:00 pm

All Clients on signup sheet and inside Care Net will be seen that day. 

You will be seen on a first come first serve basis until all funds are exhausted.

No appointments will be made for LIEAP.

No applications will be taken at Macon County DSS.

For more information, please contact

Care Net at 828-369-2642.

Gwen Taylor--Macon County DSS Public Information Officer

Crisis Intervention Program -CIP

The Crisis Intervention Program that has been administered by Macon County DSS will be administered by Carenet this year beginning November 1^st.

Carenet located on 130 Bidwell Street will begin taking applications for the Crisis Intervention Program – CIP beginning November 1^st until funds are exhausted.    Applications will be taken for households needing assistance for their immediate heating needs and to alleviate their heating crisis.  Eligible households must meet criteria for heating assistance.    The target population is that at least someone in the household is 60 or older, or approved disabled or households with a child five (5) years of age or under.   Also there must be one US Citizen in the household and a resident of Macon County. 

The Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) will provide payment to the vendors for eligible households.  Also, required to be eligible households, you must have 10% or less LP gas, 15 inches or less of Fuel Oil/Kerosene or a Disconnect Notice from Duke or Haywood Electric Company.  Those that use wood as a heat source must have less than 1 cord of wood.

The Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) is to resolve the immediate life threatening crisis, only minimum deliveries of 100 lbs. of propane, 100 gallons of fuel oil/kerosene, or 2 cords of wood will be approved. 

There may be other programs to help your family in crisis.  For more information, please contact Carenet at 828-369-2642.  Application will be taken at Carenet Monday – Friday from 10 am – 1 pm as long as funds are available. 

No applications will be taken at Macon County DSS.

Gwen Taylor, Public Information Officer

Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009.

 The ADA is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits, under certain circumstances, discrimination based on disability.

To serve our deaf and hard of hearing clients, Macon County  DSS complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Macon County DSS has purchased a communications device called UbiDuo.  UbiDuo meets the requirements of the       Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other laws that ensure no individual with a disability shall be treated differently due to the absence of auxiliary aids and services.

If you are hearing impaired and need help in communicating with your worker, please let the front customer service staff know this upon arrival.   They will share this information with the caseworker  who will be assisting you.

Gwen Taylor, Public Information Officer

Crisis Intervention Program (CIP)

The Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) is a

 Federally-funded program that provides

assistance to eligible households that are in a

heating or cooling related emergency. 

The goal of the CIP program is to help families stay

warm in the winter and cool in the summer. 

Benefits may vary based upon the amount needed to alleviate the crisis.  An eligible

household may receive

assistance more than one time during the

 State Fiscal Year (July through June).

The maximum allowed benefit amount can be up to $600 per Household , per crisis situation; however, benefits cannot exceed $600 per State fiscal year.  

At this time Macon Count DSS is accepting applications  for CIP on the disconnect of power bills in a cooling emergency.  It will only pay the disconnect amount.  Remember, this benefit of $600.00 is the maximum amount and will go against any heating emergency that is needed for the winter.

All payments are made directly to the vendor.

A household that applies must:

Þ Have at least one U.S. Citizen or a non-citizen who meets certain eligibility criteria

Þ Meet an income test

Þ Be in a heating or cooling related emergency.

Energy Assistance is important to all that receive it, but more so if someone in your home   may especially be at risk for a life threatening illness or death if their home is too cold in the winter or too hot in the summer.

For More Information Contact 828-349-2124.

Gwen Taylor, Public Information Officer

Outpost Changes

The scheduled out post for Highlands is April 25th.  The date has been changed to Thursday, April 26th.

If you have any questions please contact DSS at 828-349-2124.








gt

New at DSS

Macon County Department of Social Services prides it's self on great customer service.  In the next few days you will notice the following changes as we continue live by our Mission Statement of "Partnering to promote, protect , and strengthen our community".

• If you are changing existing information in the system please ask for a change form, complete with      updated information and then return this form to the front desk worker . You will not need to see an Income Maintenance Caseworker for changes or updates.

•  If you need to complete an application for services at DSS, please let the front desk know this is a new application and the program you are requesting assistance from. You will be given the paperwork to complete while you wait for an Income Maintenance Worker. If you need assistance in completing the  application, the worker will assist you when you are called to an interview room. 

Wait time could be up to one hour.  You may choose to wait or return at a later time.

gtaylor 2/29/2012

Macon County Emergency Assistance Program

Macon County Department of Social Services is taking Emergency Assistance Applications for utility, mortgage and /or rent assistance.  Emergency cash assistance will be provided to families who meet the eligibility requirements as stated in the basic requirements of the Work First Family Assistance Program.  This program is income based as well as requiring at least one (1) child in the home under eighteen (18) years of age.  The maximum payment level for Macon County is $400.00.

Emergency Assistance is designed to assist families with an emergency need and is not intended to meet recurring or ongoing needs.  No Emergency Assistance will be provided to applicants if the emergency cannot be alleviated, as EA is expected to alleviate the emergency.

Macon County DSS is located at

1832 Lakeside Drive, Franklin,  NC  28734

.  For more

information, please contact Macon County DSS at 828-349-2124.

posted by GT

Thank You To The Community

The Macon County Department of Social Services would like to extend our appreciation to the following sponsors for their generous contributions, which helped to brighten Christmas for our children in foster care:

²     Jane Long and family

²     Ashley Hyder and family

²     Lisa Welch, FHS French Club and FHS Students

²     Brittany Parker

²     Michael and Jessica Jenkins

²     Fun Factory

²     First Alliance Church

²     Rhodes Brothers Paving Company

²     Memorial United Methodist Church

²     Life Church of Franklin

²     Macon Middle School Fellowship of Christian Athletes

²     The Gathering

²     Cartoogechaye Elementary School

²     Coweeta Lab Employees

²     Macon County Senior Games

²     SCC nursing students

²     Junaluska Masonic Lodge #145

         

We would like to give a special “Thank You” to Jane Long for her time & hard work in coordinating this partnership between our agency and the community.  Again, we would like to express our gratitude to all that were involved.  You have made many kids’ Christmas truly memorable.

Lisa Hilliard, Adult & Family Services Supervisor along with her staff

Gwen Taylor, Human Resources Planner & Public Information Officer

Macon Co. DSS

posted by Gwen Taylor

The North Carolina Social Services Association (NCSSA) - Macon County DSS

The North Carolina Social Services Association (NCSSA), organized in 1967 and incorporated in 1969, is the only statewide professional organization representing the interests and concerns of all Social Services employees in North Carolina. 

In addition to working to develop the professional growth of members and to regulate policy, NCSSA members raise in excess of $50,000 each year that is devoted to community services projects in nearly all 100 counties across the State.  These funds provide life-sustaining services and supplies to individuals who have fallen through the cracks of the human services system and/or provide funding for training not otherwise offered through county budgets.

Macon County DSS employees who are NCSSA members have helped families in the past with a Thanksgiving Food Box that was distributed to those in a hardship.  This year Macon County NCSSA members voted to give a donation of $1000.00 in November and $1,000.00 in December to Care-Net for food distribution to those in need.  Proceeds come from employee purchases of vending machine snacks and beverages located in the Macon County Human Services Building.  Members present for this donation are Mark Whitman, President; Marie McClure, Co-Treasurer; Sheila Conley, Co-Treasurer; Suzi Olivio, Secretary; Lisa Hilliard; Gwen Taylor, Membership; Jane C. Kimsey, Director.  Receiving the donation is Vanessa Bailey, Care-Net Executive Director.

The Macon County Care Network, also known as CareNet, is a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation, established in 1988, by churches of Macon County, North Carolina. CareNet is headquartered in Franklin, NC.

They are a non-denominational ministry, which serves as a central location to provide relief for those in crisis. CareNet provides food and limited financial assistance with other necessities, such as prescriptions, utilities, fuel, and rent on an emergency basis.

CareNet is supported by Churches, donations, grants and the CareNet Thrift Store.  All donations are used to help Macon County residents exclusively.

Gwen Taylor