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North Carolina Division of Social Services Receives Grant to Improve Child Welfare Outcomes

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:25:59 +0000

(Raleigh, NC) – The North Carolina Division of Social Services (NCDSS) has been awarded grant funding for Project Broadcast: Disseminating Trauma-Informed Practices to Children in the North Carolina Child Welfare System. This project provides the state $640,000 each year for five years (through September 2016). Its aim is to help provide children with services and practices to address the trauma caused by past abuse or neglect before that mistreatment leads to mental health problems or chronic disorders later in the child’s life.

“This grant opportunity will help to provide tools that increase the capacity of the division and local departments of social services to serve children and families in our child welfare system,” said Sherry Bradsher, director of NCDSS. “Incorporating trauma-informed practices into our child welfare services allows for a more holistic approach to meeting the needs of children.”

Children and youth entering into the child welfare system have all, to some degree, experienced trauma. Many have histories of physical and sexual abuse and other types of trauma-inducing experiences. These experiences can often lead to mental health problems and over the child’s lifetime may lead to other disorders such as chronic health conditions, substance abuse, eating disorders, and HIV/AIDS, as well as contact with the criminal justice system.

In adopting trauma-informed, evidence-based practices, agencies serving children and youth in the child welfare system will take steps to adapt their service delivery system to include a better understanding of how trauma affects the lives of the children being served. Trauma-informed programs and services are based on an understanding of the vulnerabilities or triggers of trauma survivors so that these services and programs can be more supportive and meet the needs of the individual child. Trauma-specific interventions are designed specifically to address the consequences of trauma in the individual and to facilitate healing.

“Children who have been abused or neglected have been in and felt many negative experiences in their lives,” said Bradsher. “We owe it to them and their futures to have a system in place that acknowledges those experiences, understand their traumas, deals with its impact and prevents future occurrences.”

This grant is funded through the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children & Families (ACF). NCDSS is partnering on this project with the Center for Child and Family Health, a leader of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, as well as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill—all of which are proven national leaders in developing effective programs and resources in this area.

The goals of Project Broadcast are:

• Coordinate system-level changes across the system of care in the nine demonstration counties– Buncombe, Craven, Cumberland, Hoke, Pender, Pitt, Scotland, Union, and Wilson;

• Develop trauma-informed child welfare workforces and systems across the nine demonstration counties;

• Increase local capacity and access to trauma-specific evidence-based mental health treatments for children and youth in the nine demonstration counties; and

• Develop a plan to incorporate these practices statewide.

For more information about North Carolina’s child welfare programs, go to www.ncdhhs.gov/dss.

Mayors Across North Carolina Back Gov. Perdue’s Education Plan

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:18:34 +0000

More than 50 Mayors, from Manteo to Franklin, Spotlight Legislature’s Cuts to Their Schools

(Raleigh, NC) – Mayors from across North Carolina, who every day see in their schools the damage from the General Assembly’s education cuts, have issued an open letter asking the people of North Carolina to support Gov. Perdue’s plan to reverse the deep and unnecessary cuts the Republican-controlled General Assembly imposed on our schools.

The 53 mayors, from cities such as Wilmington and Durham to towns such as Bear Grass and Pilot Mountain, support the Governor’s proposal to temporarily restore a fraction of a penny that the General Assembly let expire and to devote all of that revenue to education – a fraction of a penny for progress.

“The legislature’s budget has hurt education at all levels – from pre-k all the way through higher education – and has led to higher class sizes and the loss of teacher and teaching assistant positions right here in our local schools,” the mayors wrote. “With their budget forcing even more teacher layoffs next year, we must act to prevent these additional cuts.”

The mayors echoed the Governor’s message that education is critical to our children’s future and to the economic future of the state.

“Investing in education is central to our ability to attract new jobs and businesses to our state,” the mayors wrote. “When companies talk about moving here or expanding, their first question is whether we have the educated, skilled workforce they need.”

MayorsLetter.pdf

Re-posted from: governor.state.nc

Bogus Law Firm Gives Up $1.2 Million Taken From NC Consumers

admin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:34:50 +0000

Debt relief company took consumers’ money but did little to help them, Cooper says

(Raleigh, NC) – A bogus Florida law firm that falsely claimed it would reduce consumers’ debts by more than half has been barred from debt relief work in North Carolina, Attorney General Roy Cooper announced Tuesday.

“Debt relief scams take advantage of struggling consumers, adding to their burden instead of helping them get out of debt,” Cooper said. “I’m pleased that we’ve been able to win money back for these consumers, money that can hopefully help them pay off bills and get on better financial footing.”

Under a consent judgment approved by Wake County Superior Court Judge Howard Manning and filed today, The Consumer Law Group of Boca Raton, Florida has agreed to pay $600,000 in refunds to North Carolina consumers who paid the company for help getting out of debt. That’s on top of approximately $600,000 worth of charges the company agreed not to collect from North Carolina consumers for a total of $1.2 million in consumer refunds and savings. An additional $50,000 payment will help cover the costs of the state’s work on the case.

The judgment also bars CLG from marketing, soliciting or offering any debt settlement or debt negotiation services in North Carolina. In addition, CLG is prohibited from claiming that its services are government sponsored, performed by attorneys, or provide legal representation for consumers.

Cooper’s office first filed suit against CLG in October 2010 after an investigation determined that more than 650 North Carolina consumers had paid the so-called law firm for debt relief work but gotten little or no help in return.

Under North Carolina law, it’s illegal to charge an upfront fee for debt reduction or debt settlement services. CLG claimed that the debt adjusting law was unconstitutional and that the Attorney General had no jurisdiction over attorney conduct but a Superior Court judge rejected these claims. Some companies promising debt relief including CLG have tried to get around the law by claiming to be law firms.

Cooper contends that CLG deceived consumers by promising to reduce their debts by half and leave them debt-free without bankruptcy. In reality, CLG rarely worked out agreements to settle debts but kept substantial fees anyway. The company also misled consumers to believe that its program was government-affiliated, and claimed that its services were performed by attorneys when they were not.

Among the 16 consumers who’ve complained about CLG to the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division were elderly and disabled North Carolinians who believed they could trust CLG because it said attorneys did the work and the program was government-sponsored.

Many of these consumers wound up worse off after seeking CLG’s help because the company told them not to pay their debts or talk to their creditors, and to pay CLG instead. Some CLG customers were sued by their creditors because they didn’t pay their bills and failed to respond to collection notices. Other consumers saw their debts mount significantly due to increased fees and interest charges and had to file for bankruptcy.

Consumers can continue to file complaints about CLG or other debt relief companies by calling the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM toll-free within North Carolina or filling out a consumer complaint form at www.ncdoj.gov.

“Don’t pay an upfront fee for help getting out of debt,” Cooper said. “For real help getting your debts under control meet with a qualified non-profit credit counselor in your local community who won’t charge you a big fee.”

To locate an accredited, non-profit credit counselor in your area who may be able to set up a legitimate plan to manage your debts, contact the National Foundation for Credit Counseling at 1-800-388-2227 or www.nfcc.org.

Perdue Persue Proposes Sales Tax Hike To Aid Education Against Recent Cuts

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:54:58 +0000

Perdue Pushes To Temporarily Restore Three-Quarters Of The One-Cent Sales Tax To Stop Deep and Unnecessary Cuts to Schools

(Raleigh, NC) – On Tuesday, January 17, 2012, Gov. Perdue issued the following statement regarding her plan for the future of North Carolina schools.

“Education has always been part of the fabric of who we are as a people in North Carolina and it’s the key to our future. We must stop the deep and unnecessary cuts that are going on in North Carolina’s schools. That’s why I’m for temporarily restoring three-quarters of the one-cent sales tax that the Republican-controlled General Assembly eliminated and for dedicating those funds to North Carolina schools.

I have cut spending to eliminate waste and make government more efficient. But we cannot allow the legislature’s extreme education cuts to continue. The North Carolina Association of School Administrators pointed out recently that North Carolina has fallen to 49th in the nation in per-pupil funding. The legislature’s budget has hurt education at all levels – from pre-k all the way through higher education – and has led to higher class sizes and the loss of thousands of teacher and teaching assistant positions. And their budget forces even more teacher layoffs next year — we must act to prevent these additional cuts.

Our children’s future is so important that today, I want to let you know that when I present my budget this spring, I will once again call on the Republican-controlled General Assembly to temporarily restore three-quarters of the one-cent sales tax as a vital step to funding our schools. Also, in the days ahead I will be speaking with you about other budgetary matters that affect North Carolina families.

Education is the key to our children’s future and to North Carolina’s economic future. Investing in education is central to our ability to attract new jobs and businesses to our state. We owe it to our children and our state to stop these cuts and make education a priority again – a fraction of a penny for progress.”

Re-posted from: governor.state.nc.us

New Law Helping Fight Record Number Of Meth Labs, Cooper says

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:53:16 +0000

System that bars illegal purchases of drug’s key ingredient already working

(Raleigh, NC) - A new law to help fight methamphetamine labs has already stopped more than 1,600 illegal purchases of the key ingredient needed to make the drug, Attorney General Roy Cooper said today.

Under the new law, which took effect January 1, North Carolina pharmacies are using an electronic tracking system to log all purchases of products containing pseudoephedrine, found in common cold remedies and the key ingredient needed to make meth. State Bureau of Investigation agents and other officers can analyze information from the tracking system to help identify potential suspects based on repeated attempts to make illegal buys.

“We’re making it more difficult for criminals to get the ingredients they need to make meth, and easier for law enforcement to find them and shut down their dangerous labs,” Cooper said.

The electronic tracking system, called the National Precursor Log Exchange (NPLEx), is expected to curtail meth labs, which reached a record number in North Carolina last year as a new method for making the drug spreads. SBI agents responded to 344 meth labs in 2011, compared to 235 labs busted in 2010 and 206 in 2009.

The NPLEx system makes it harder for meth cooks to skirt the law by shopping at multiple stores and crossing state lines. The system automatically lets the retailer know if the buyer has reached the legal limit for pseudoephedrine purchases so the store can stop the sale.

More than two-thirds of pharmacies in the state are now using the system, with more in the process of joining. So far this year, the new system has already blocked 1,669 questionable purchases of more than 2,000 boxes of pseudoephedrine in North Carolina. That’s enough pseudoephedrine to make approximately 3.8 kilos of meth.

“We’re using technology to stop meth makers from going from store to store or state to state to evade detection,” Cooper said. “This electronic tracking system allows us to join forces with other states so we can be even more effective in our fight against meth labs.”

The system links North Carolina with 18 states across the country, including South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky and West Virginia.

North Carolina law limits purchases of products that contain pseudoephedrine to no more than two packages at once and no more than three packages within 30 days. Purchasers must show a photo ID and sign a log. The law also requires that all pills containing pseudoephedrine and ephedrine be placed behind a pharmacy counter.

That state law, which Cooper won in 2005, helped reduce meth labs in North Carolina by more than 60 percent the following year. But lab busts have risen again as a new way of making meth, known as the one pot or shake and bake method, spreads across the state.

The North Carolina counties with the most meth lab busts in 2011 were: Burke (34 labs); Watauga (22 labs); Wayne (22 labs); Wilkes (19 labs); Duplin (16 labs); Anson (13 labs); and Johnston (13 labs). [Get details on meth lab busts in 2011 and previous years.]

Although the overall number of meth labs has increased, SBI agents report that approximately 50 percent of those busted in 2011 used the one pot method. One pot labs are generally used to make smaller amounts of meth for personal consumption, as compared to larger, traditional meth labs that can produce enough meth to sell, agents said.

One pot meth labs were first discovered in North Carolina in 2009. The one pot process is fast, easy to set up, and produces little waste or evidence for the cook to dispose of. Criminals can use the method to make meth in a two-liter plastic soda bottle using a small amount of pseudoephedrine. One pot labs are highly mobile and can operate in cars or other vehicles.

“Thanks to tough laws and strong enforcement, we haven’t seen thousands of meth labs a year like other states have seen, but hundreds are still too many,” Cooper said. “Criminals continue to find ways to brew this deadly drug, and law enforcement is working harder and smarter to fight them.”

A new way to safely process hazardous waste from dismantled meth labs is also in the works, Cooper said. Trained local officers will neutralize and package meth lab waste, which SBI agents will then transport to container sites managed by the SBI for pickup and destruction by a hazardous waste contractor. The container sites are expected to be up and running later next month.

Re-posted from: ncdoj.gov

AG Cooper Urges Congress To Reauthorize Violence Against Women Act

admin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 16:18:22 +0000

Programs essential to protecting families nationwide

(Raleigh, NC) – Attorney General Roy Cooper joined 52 other attorneys general in calling on Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (“VAWA”) and ensure that vital programs working to keep women and families safe from violence and abuse continue uninterrupted.

“Domestic violence is a serious issue that can have deadly consequences,” said Cooper. “We must all work together to make sure victims and their families get the support they need.”

In their letter to members of Congress, the attorneys general note that the national response to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking has been transformed since the initial passage of VAWA in 1994. Crimes that used to be considered private matters to be dealt with behind closed doors have been brought out of the darkness and the results have been dramatic. Rates of domestic violence have dropped by more than 50 percent in the past 17 years.

However, domestic violence continues to claim lives. Three women are killed each day in the United States by abusive husbands and partners. In 2010, 107 North Carolinians lost their lives in domestic violence murders.

Cooper and the other attorneys general urge Congress to reauthorize VAWA for the first time since 2006 in order to maintain services for victims and families. Reauthorization would allow existing programs to continue uninterrupted and would also provide for the development of new initiatives to:

Address the high rates of domestic violence, dating violence and sexual assault among women aged 16-24. Women who experience abuse as teens are more likely to be victimized again as adults.
Improve the response to sexual assault by implementing best practices, training, and communication tools among the health care, law enforcement, and legal services a victim encounters after an assault.
Prevent domestic violence homicides with enhanced training for law enforcement, advocates, and others. A growing number of experts and researchers agree that these homicides are predictable – and therefore preventable – if we know the warning signs.

“Reauthorizing VAWA will send a clear message that this country does not tolerate violence against women and show Congress’ commitment to reducing domestic violence, protecting women from sexual assault and securing justice for victims,” the attorneys general wrote in their letter.

Re-posted from: ncdoj.gov

Zoo Seeks Volunteers

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:17:39 +0000

BY: Tom Gillespie

Jan. 09, 2012

Volunteer with visitors

For those looking for something more than New Year’s resolutions of diet and exercise this year, consider reshaping your life by becoming a volunteer at the North Carolina Zoo.

The zoo is seeking individuals willing to make a minimum 90-hour per-year commitment serving as exhibit interpreters, wildlife rehabilitators, Zoo hosts, retail assistants, gardeners, giraffe-deck operators and more.

Volunteers serve the Zoo in a variety of ways through sharing their knowledge, skills and talents. Last year, Zoo volunteers, unpaid interns and service groups served nearly 38,000 hours.

The typical volunteer season is April-October, although some positions are year-round. For a detailed listing of job descriptions, time commitments, required skills and more, visit the Zoo’s website at www.nczoo.org/volunteer. Just complete the online application to be notified of upcoming training dates.

Volunteers are the heart of many organizations, and the N.C. Zoo is no exception. Volunteers are an integral part of what makes the Zoo a wonderful place to visit.

To learn more about one-day opportunities for service groups, churches, businesses, clubs, fraternities, sororities, ball teams and others, contact the Zoo’s Volunteer Coordinator Toy Jarrett at 336.879.7712 or at toy.jarrett@nczoo.org.

Experience the Zoo in a way like never before; volunteer.

The zoo is an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Dee A. Freeman, Secretary; Beverly E. Perdue, Governor.

Re-posted from: NC ZOO

Gov. Perdue: Stop Devastating Cuts to Schools

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:26:13 +0000

(Raleigh, NC) – Gov. Bev Perdue today issued the following statement regarding the legislature’s actions:

“Last year, the Republicans passed devastating education cuts that harmed our children’s future. The cuts – from pre-k all the way through higher education – have led to higher class sizes, the loss of thousands of teacher and teacher assistant positions, and massive tuition hikes. Educators from across the state, including public school teachers, have been standing up and telling the truth about the harm that the Republicans’ cuts are doing to our children. Shortly after 1 o’clock this morning, the Republicans in the General Assembly convened an unconstitutional session so that they could exact revenge against North Carolina teachers who opposed the damaging cuts to schools. Standing up for education is the right thing to do and should not be punished. We all owe it to our children and our state to stop these cuts and make education a priority again.”

Re-posted from: governor.state.nc.us

AG Cooper Details Opposition To Duke Energy Rate Increase

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:21:51 +0000

Electric utility’s requested rate hike too much, brief says

Release date: 1/9/2012

(Raleigh, NC) - Utilities commissioners should heed the economic damage to North Carolina consumers before signing off on Duke Energy’s rate increase, Attorney General Roy Cooper said Monday in a filing before the NC Utilities Commission.

Cooper opposes Duke Energy’s request to raise the rates it charges its customers for electricity, and filed official arguments in the rate case Monday.

“The commission should come down on the side of consumers when considering a fair rate of return for Duke, especially in this economy,” Cooper said.

Homeowners, businesses and other Duke customers have endured job losses, declining home values, lower manufacturing and sales, the brief notes. Some are even unable to pay their bills now, witnesses at a recent hearing acknowledged.

“We want to work together to move our state forward, but a sharp increase now would be difficult for many North Carolina families and businesses,” Cooper said.

Cooper’s Consumer Protection Division intervened in the rate case and questioned Duke Energy’s experts in November. During that hearing, AG attorneys questioned whether experts who calculated the rate of return to Duke Energy shareholders also took “changing economic conditions” into account as outlined in NCGS § 62-133.

The experts had not considered changing economic conditions, nor had they studied consumers’ protests over the proposed rate increase, according to testimony. That’s reason for the NC Utilities Commission to stop the rate hike, the brief argues.

In addition, the brief says that Duke Energy officials have stated the utility will file for another rate increase later this year, so Commissioners could consider then the impact of a lower rate of return on Duke Energy shareholders and the utility’s ability raise capital.

Earlier this year, Duke Energy applied to the Utilities Commission to request that the company be allowed to increase its revenues by approximately $646 million. That earnings increase would be passed along to consumers in the form of higher electricity bills. If approved by the Utilities Commission, the proposed rate hike would have raised the average Duke customer’s monthly bill by approximately 17 percent.

Hundreds of North Carolinians have written to Cooper asking for help and expressing their concern about higher electricity costs.

The Attorney General’s Office has filed copies of the letters with the Clerk for the Utilities Commission so that commissioners will be aware of consumers’ views on the proposed increase.

Reposted from: ncdoj.gov

Vietnam Veterans Homecoming Celebration 2012

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:50:51 +0000

–excerpt from Charlotte Motor Speedway–

More than 216,000 North Carolina residents served in Vietnam, and some 1,600 made the ultimate sacrifice in that war. Now, the USO of North Carolina and Charlotte Motor Speedway, with support from the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters, will honor their service with an incredible Vietnam Veterans Homecoming Celebration on March 31 for the military members and their friends and families

–Continue Reading–

AMERICAN LEGION, WILLIAM JOHNSON POST #534

EDEN, NORTH CAROLINA 27288

Vietnam Veterans Homecoming Celebration 2012

Saturday, March 31, 2012 | 9:00am

The USO of North Carolina and Charlotte Motor Speedway, with support from the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters will honor the service of Vietnam Veterans with an incredible Vietnam Veterans Homecoming Celebration on March 31, 2012, for the military members and their friends and families.

For More Information Contact:

C.D. Grant

Commander/Adjutant

American Legion

William Johnson Post 534

314 Moir St.

Eden, NC 27288

e-mail cgrant7@triad.rr.com