• Social Services

  • Department:

Adult and Family Services

Click here  for Frequently Asked Questions 

Click here for Elder Cheer Information

(910-989-0230)

Purpose: To provide a portal of entry for individuals seeking services who are 18 years of age and older, are disabled and who may or may not be receiving income (i.e.; SSI, SSA, or Veterans’ benefits).

Target Population:  Any Onslow County citizen who is elderly and/or handicapped (physically or mentally), and 18 years of age or older.

Program Services:

  • Adult Protective Services
  • At Risk Case Management (housing, food, health services).
  • Representative Payee
  • Adult Care Home Monitoring
  • Enhanced Personal Care (facilities)
  • Guardianship
  • Adult Care Home Placement
  • Elderly and Disabled Transportation Assistance Program (EDTAP)
  • Housing and Home Improvement
  • Special Assistance In-Home
  • Services for the Blind 

Eligibility Requirements: 

Many services are rendered without regard to income; however, eligibility requirements must be met for other services.  Verification may include income information, award letters, age and others.  

 ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES (APS)

(910-989-0230)

Purpose:    APS receives and evaluates reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation of disabled adults.  Services are designed to identify, remedy and prevent problems that result in such cases.  APS strives to protect the disabled adult while acknowledging the client’s right to self-determination..

Target Population:  Disabled adults 18 years of age or older.

Program Services:

  • Evaluation of disabled adult situations.
  • Support for caregivers of disabled adults.
  • Referrals to appropriate agencies to stop abuse, neglect or exploitation.

Eligibility Requirements: 

The victim must be a disabled adult 18 years of age or older who is incapacitated.  The adult must be abused, neglected or exploited at the present time and in need of protective services.

AT RISK CASE MANAGEMENT

(910-989-0230)

Purpose:  To provide professional assistance for older adults with complex care needs to assess needs, arrange and coordinate a package of services to enable the older adult to remain at home. 

Target Population:  Functionally impaired  adults who are at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation and/or have complex care needs and who, due to a critical time factor and/or the complexity of services needed, are unable to access needed services to remain safely at home.

Program Services:

  • Assessments of medical and social needs, plan of care development, plan implementation through approved agencies.

Eligibility Requirements: 

Recipients must be 18 years or older, have impairments that interfere with activities of daily living and/or a significant cognitive impairment.  They must receive Medicaid.

Link:

Division of Medical Assistance (http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dma/)

 

REPRESENTATIVE PAYEE

(910-989-0230)

Purpose:  To provide a stable lifestyle through management of funds for persons who are unable to manage their own money.

Target Population:  Adults 18 years or older who are considered disabled and due to the disability, lack the capacity to manage their money. 

Program Services:

  • Provides money management services to assure that the individual’s income is used for their benefit for housing, food, clothing, counseling, case management and a more stable lifestyle.  

Eligibility Requirement:

Individuals 18 years of age or older who are considered disabled according to Social Security guidelines and have no family or other person who is willing to provide this assistance. 

ADULT CARE HOME MONITORING

(910-219-1846) 

Purpose: To monitor a licensed home to assure compliance with the North Carolina Rules for the Licensing of Adult Care Homes, to provide consultation and technical assistance to home administrators for initial licensure requirements, maintenance of licensure standards, and renewal of license.  To assist with investigating violations of licensure standards.

Program Services:

  • Monthly monitoring visits to document compliance with licensure standards, investigation of complaints of violations of standards or reports of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of residents, report violations of residents’ Bill of Rights, provide consultation and technical assistance to administrators and staff to improve the quality of care for residents.
  •   Links:

Long Term Care in North Carolina (www.ncdhhs.gov/ltc)

Division of Health Service Regulation (http://facility-services.state.nc.us)

Division of Aging and Adult Services (www.ncdhhs.gov/aging/)

 

ENHANCED PERSONAL CARE

(910-989-0230) 

Purpose:  To provide reimbursement to licensed Adult Care Homes for providing enhanced personal care assistance to Special assistance Medicaid-eligible residents and to provide case management services to authorized residents, their families and the facilities.

Target Population:  Adult Care Home Special Assistance Medicaid-eligible residents who require extensive to total staff assistance with program identified activities of daily living.

Program Services:

  • Ensure adequate and appropriate personal case assistance to allow them to remain in the home instead of moving to a higher more expensive level of care.  Case management includes direct services to the residents and their family members, linkage and coordination of Medicaid covered community resources, evaluating and authorizing program eligibility, monitoring the on-going needs and changes of residents to ensure adequate care plan services provision, and providing consultation and program support to the facility staff to develop responses to the needs of residents and policy implementation.

Eligibility Requirements:

Must be a Special Assistance Medicaid-eligible resident of a licensed adult care home who requires extensive or total personal care assistance. 

GUARDIANSHIP SERVICES

(910-989-0230) 

Purpose: Guardianship involves the provision of services to individuals who are alleged to be incompetent and their families.  It includes legal proceedings in which the court finds an adult incompetent and another party is given responsibility for duties relative to the personal affairs and/or property.

Target Population:  Persons 17 1/2 years of age and older who have been legally declared by the court to be incompetent and have been designated a ward of the Director of the Department of Social Services.

Program Services:

  • Services provided by the Adult and Family Services unit include assessing the client’s ability to make important decisions in regard to personal and/or financial welfare, exploring alternatives to guardianship and providing information to assist the family or others in making decisions.  Services could include initiating and participating in court proceedings and acting as a resource when need to implement the guardianship order.

Eligibility Requirements:

Anyone is eligible for guardianship services.  

ADULT CARE HOME PLACEMENT

(910-989-0230) 

Purpose:  To assist aging and disabled individuals, their families, or representatives to find substitute homes or residential health care facilities suitable to their needs when they are unable to remain in their current living situations.

Target Population:  Adults unable to maintain themselves in their own homes independently with or without available community or family support.  Adults living in substitute care homes, residential health care facilities or institutions that need assistance in relocating, adjusting or maintaining placement.

Program Services:

  • Pre-placement services including initial screening, assessment, supportive counseling, referrals to other agencies.
  • Placement services to locate and secure placement in a suitable setting.
  • Post placement services to assist with adjustment and to obtain needed services.

Eligibility Requirements:

Adults 18 years of age or older.  Must have an income to pay for placement.

 

ELDERLY AND DISABLED TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM(EDTAP) 

(910-989-0230)

Purpose:  Elderly and Disabled Transportation Assistance Program was designed to provide transportation for those elderly or disabled clients who may be on Medicaid but need transportation to other than medical appointments.  Those that are not on Medicaid can be transported to medical appointments as well as other destinations on a limited basis.

 

HOUSING AND HOME IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

(910-989-0230)

Purpose:

To assist individuals and families in obtaining or retaining housing and basic furnishings or appliances, or both.

Eligibility Requirements:

Adults for whom the need for protective services has been substantiated, adults who are at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation; or adults with extensive impairment with activities of daily living or independent activities for daily living and are at risk of placement. 

Definition of the Service:

Provision of labor and materials for small renovations or repairs to dwellings to remedy conditions which pose a risk to the personal health and safety of individuals or families or to enhance mobility for functionally impaired individuals.  Provision of basic furnishings or appliances or both, to remedy deficiencies which pose a risk to the basic health and safety of individuals or families. 

Target Population:

Adults and children for whom the need for protective services has been substantiated and the service is needed as part of a protective services plan.

  • Adults who are at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation and children who are at risk of abuse, neglect or dependency. 
  • Adults with extensive Activities of Daily Living (ADL) or Independent Activities of Daily Living (IADL) impairment who are at risk of placement in substitute care and children who are at risk of placement in substitute care.

Renovations and repairs may only be provided to renter occupied dwellings when this is not the responsibility of the landlord, but must be done with the landlord’s permission.  The condition of the housing is such that renovations or repairs will make the dwelling adequate for the occupants.

Links:

Coastal Community Action (http://www.coastalcommunityaction.com)

 Independent Living (http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dvrs/pwd/ils.htm)  

 

SPECIAL ASSISTANCE IN-HOME

(910-989-0230)

Purpose:  To provide assistance to residents of Onslow County 18 years of age or older who need Adult Care Home level of care, but who desire to live in their own home or other private living setting.

Target Population:  Onslow County residents 18 years of age or older who need Adult Care Home level of care and who meet certain income and Medicaid eligibility criteria and who can, with appropriate services, have his/her health, safety and well being maintained at home.

Program Services: 

  • Professional assessment of services needed for eligible applicants to enable them to remain safely at home and ongoing case management of services once applicant is approved. 

Eligibility Requirements:

Recipients must have a total countable monthly income at or less than the amount to be eligible for Medicaid as a categorically needy aged, blind or disabled adult living in a private living arrangement and who could have their health/safety needs met at home with the help of Special Assistance/In-Home income supplement.

 

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