Category: Health

Where Has The Money Gone? Local United Way Spent Millions On Jail Programs?

Posted on by Deborah Keller

As you all know we have been following the situation at the jail for several years now. It was always very frustrating to us that we could never get information during Chris Francis’ administration. Sheriff Ellenburg has been much more transparent but that being said he inherited many problems that had been years in the making.

One of those major issues has been mental health/drug issue with persons incarcerated at the jail. I have been questioning the services offered to inmates at the jail after a parent contacted me early last year about her begging for help for her son and him never getting any.

I began to look at the supposed services offered. The county and the Hospital foundation has been giving money to support these programs for years but I had great difficulty obtaining information about the success of these programs.

Suzanne Porter

After asking Ms. Porter repeatedly for at least a list of available programs with no response, we obtained legal counsel to help with the freedom of information requests to see how these grants and funds have been spent and their success rate. Not an unreasonable request from a nonprofit institution that is using our tax dollars.

To my great surprise these requests have been blocked by the nonprofit involved. This has gotten me very concerned as I remember when the United Way CEO misappropriated funds, committed fraud, and conspiracy back in 1995. I have had concerns here through the years as services they have been funded for did not appear to be available (at least not in Rutherford County)

We became even more concerned when representatives and legal counsel became involved with this request. It seems an underground discussion of our requests have set off quite a stir with the people funding these programs. Not only will they not be transparent but also they are actively attacking our efforts to discover the truth.

The reason this is important is that after all this questioning the County announces funding for Jail Services and United Way. The Commissioners allocated a total of $139,900. $43,000 of this is actually for services in the jail with $55,000 to be used for “treatment and placement reserves” $32,000 is awarded to a number of vague categories.

The issue and concern here is that $32,700 was given to the United Way of Rutherford County for “grant writing and management services.”  The timing of this is very interesting, as it has occurred after our multiple requests for program information.

Suzanne Porter is the Executive Director of the United Way of Rutherford County. She has worked for years in close proximity to former Sheriff Francis, the Commissioners and many different committees. She has obtained an impressive number of grants over the past few years and because of her close connections with officials has been entrusted with handling much of these funds.

Chris Francis, Josh Stein, Suzanne Porte

Why does this matter? Porter has obtained over $3 million dollars of grants that were to be spent on mental health, substance abuse and other re-entry services for individuals incarcerated at the jail.

This sounds wonderful but where are the results of this?  Why would they not shout to the rooftops about how well their program was working? Why can I not find any indication that these programs existed? Why did they have their lawyer contact us about asking?

Over the past few months several people besides our group have been asking questions.  At a recent Rutherford Collaborative meeting run by Partners Health Management (the same entity handling the $139,900 being awarded for the exact same jail services that were supposedly funded, but seemingly never created by previous grants), one of the local mental health representatives announced that they were planning to host an incarceration re-entry simulation event to highlight the need for mental health and substance abuse services in the jail.

In response Porter (who is coincidentally the Vice-Chair of this collaborative) attacked this idea by claiming that her organization (the United Way, was providing re-entry services, including mental health, substance abuse, housing, etc. The member then asked for a list of those services. Carol Bostian the Partners representative instructed this person to contact Porter after the meeting and that the requested information would be provided.

Porter subsequently refused to respond to five requests for the information from this person and finally had an attorney in Apex, NC respond refusing to issue any information including even the names of the services. This attorney also responded to Foothills Catalyst information request with a big NO.

I am a Duke University certified nonprofit manager and this was a first for me. A nonprofit that received in excess of a million dollars in grants funds refusing to show how it was spent. This is totally wrong on so many points. It is not a HIPAA violation to report on programs and success rates.

Because Partners is tasked with assisting and identifying these types of services, the provider contacted Partners requesting the same information.  Rather than provide any information or assistance, the Partners representative that oversees the collaborative engaged in a series of troubling actions to avoid answering any questions relating to these issues, which ultimately resulted in Partners cancelling future collaborative meetings so then no one could follow up on this issue.

During this process, several providers began researching whether any reentry services at the jail existed, as well as whether any grant funds had been awarded to create and administer them.  In doing so, they discovered that the United Way had repeatedly applied for (and been awarded) grants in which Porter routinely identified the exact same services that the grants would fund.  Nearly all of Porter’s grant applications represented that the funds would be used for jail services, as well as programs and services for mental health and substance abuse.  After speaking with multiple officials at the jail, however, they simply do not seem to exist.

In each of the grant applications, Porter identified officials and entities that she claimed would be participants in creating and administering these services. Among those were Partners, Sheriff Francis, and County Manager Garrison.

County Manager Steve Garrison

Porter is refusing to answer these questions, Francis is no longer in office, so that leaves the current Sheriff or his Jail representative to confirm or deny these programs exist and County Manager Garrison should do the same.

While most would agree that this funding is needed, the larger question remains – where have the millions of dollars in funding that has already been paid for these exact same purposes gone and why would the United Way continue to have any role in this?

People like to think that these sort of things do not go on in small town friendly America but as with all things follow the money. It is truly as the good book says “love of money is the root of all evil.”

We will continue to look into this issue. The issues at the jail are close to my heart and I have not forgotten those people there. Our community cares about others and wants to help them as this just makes us a stronger community but we do not want to throw money down a bottomless hole.

So far that is what this seems like. I sincerely hope there is no criminal activity going on here in the misappropriations of funds as has happened with the United Way in the past.

Hopefully they will clear all this up and release the data on their programs so we can all work together to figure out something that works for these unfortunate individuals. So far it does not seem to be helping much.

 

Horrific Conditions In Rutherford County Jail

Posted on by Deborah Keller

I have repeatedly written about my concerns in the jail over the years. Since Sheriff Ellenburg ran on a promise of transparency I requested to be allowed to actually tour the dentition facility so I could give a first hand account of the conditions there.

He granted my request and I was allowed to tour the facility with another gentleman last week.

I knew what I had heard from interviewing previous inmates and their families but I was still not prepared for the conditions I saw, especially in the women’s section of the facility. I have sent a list of additional questions to the sheriff for clarification as I plan to do several informational articles about the jail.

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This article is mostly about the conditions in the women’s area. To say it horrified me is an understatement. It literally was all I could do to not cry as I toured it with the matron assigned to me. When she opened the door to the area the heat and humidity took my breath. It felt like walking into a suffocatingly oppressive steam room.

She explained to me that the ventilation ducts did not work and they had fans in the hallways trying to move air some. The women were crowded in the cells with many lying on their sleeping mats on the floor as there are not enough beds.

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Mold was everywhere. Many of the ceiling tiles were covered with it. The bars were rusting with multiple layers of paint peeling off of them. One of the inmates who had been there a while told me they had to paint the bars themselves in the past when officials knew someone was coming to tour.

She said the toilet was not flushing in her area and the other toilet in the main area was leaking on the bottom. They had put plastic bags around it to try to keep it off the mats they slept on.

The walls in the hallways were dripping wet when I touched them. The high upper windows allowed very little light into the area. I was told it was worse when it rained.

I asked if the inmates got to go outside and was told only when they had a court date. Some of these woman had been in there quite a long time awaiting trial. If someone is too poor to make bail they have to stay until their court date. This places a huge burden on the financially disadvantaged persons in our county.

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We went through a door to another area and the door had sanitary napkins stuck to it. I asked why I was told that the door slammed shut so hard and stuck so they were placed there to pad it. Doorways had equipment blocking them. The matron actually had to move stuff out into another hallway to open a door for me to go through.

They did tell me they had hot water for showers now but that had not always been the case in the past. As I was leaving my heart broke when an older female inmate begged me to please do something to help them. I promised her I would try my best to let people know what the conditions were there.

I have watched many movies showing prisons and jails in third world countries. I never in a million years would have believed that our detention center/jail was worse when it came to housing women, but it in fact is.

As I stepped out into the men’s section the air became much cooler and less humid but I still felt like I needed a puff on my inhaler to keep breathing properly. I thought to myself that, inmates not withstanding, how in the world was this not a danger to the employees working in these areas?

It is a fact that heat breeds aggression, and mold affects breathing, which in turn affects thought processes. This area is a disaster waiting to happen. I wondered how many jail employees have respiratory problems.

This part of the jail was built in the 1970’s (fifty years ago) and was supposed to hold approx. 29 inmates, as that was the available number of beds. It averages 35 to 40 female inmates most of the time, which is why so many are now sleeping on mats on the floor.

I asked Sheriff Ellenburg if anything could be done to alleviate these conditions. He said they planed to fix the ventilation system and clean the rust and bars but they had to figure out where to house the women safely while this was happening.

This is a situation that has occurred through years of systemic neglect, not only by previous sheriffs, but by the County Commissioners. The Commissioners/County are responsible for funding, maintenance and upkeep of the Detention Center.

There are many other things that I will cover in further articles, but this situation is critical.

I do understand that all the Commissioners except Mr. Benfield have recently toured the facility at Sheriff Ellenburg’s request. What I don’t understand is why DA Ted Bell, his assistants, and the magistrates have not toured this area. They are the ones sending people here for extended periods of time. They should at least know what the conditions of living are that they are sentencing people to.

We as a community are better than this. It is inhumane of us to allow this to go on. Regardless of the crimes these women are charged with some have not been found guilty as of yet, but still must live in these horrific conditions. Some for extended times waiting for the district attorney to call their cases.

Our Commissioners need to do better. We have a new Sheriff that is trying to keep his campaign promises and make the Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center a better/safer place for everyone who comes through there as well as his employees. He can’t do it alone.

Call or contact your Commissioners about this issue. They have been there and know about it first hand. They need to address this. It is just not about the money. This is a human rights issue. No one in the United States should have to be imprisoned in these circumstances.

As I was begged to do while there…PLEASE HELP!

Contact your Commissioners to address this problem NOW via email by clicking here  (their email addresses are under their pictures on the page) or call and leave a message at 828-287-6060.

These women are neighbors, family, mothers, and daughters. As the Golden Rule says “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Again…PLEASE HELP.

 

Extra Federal Food Benefits Due to COVID-19 Will End in March

Posted on by Press Release

Los beneficios federales adicionales de alimentos debido a COVID-19 se terminarán en marzo

In North Carolina and nationally, emergency allotments for COVID-19 in the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) program will end in March 2023. Households that have been receiving extra FNS benefits (called “emergency allotments”) each month since March 2020 or after will see a reduction in benefits because of a federal change that ends emergency allotments for all states.
RALEIGH

In North Carolina and nationally, emergency allotments for COVID-19 in the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) program will end in March 2023. Households that have been receiving extra FNS benefits (called “emergency allotments”) each month since March 2020 or after will see a reduction in benefits because of a federal change that ends emergency allotments for all states.

As part of the COVID-19 public health emergency, families enrolled in the FNS program in North Carolina have been receiving at least $95 extra per month since March 2020 through emergency allotments. With the end of emergency allotments, the average FNS benefit per person per day will decrease from $8.12 to $5.45.

These emergency allotments have been critical in helping families compensate for financial and economic hardships due to COVID-19.

“Families needed these additional benefits to get healthy and nutritious food throughout the pandemic,” said Susan Gale Perry, NCDHHS Chief Deputy Secretary for Opportunity and Well-Being. “While FNS emergency payments are ending, the need is not. We will continue to prioritize food security for all North Carolinians.”

Since March 2020, an average of 900,000 North Carolina households received FNS emergency allotments, giving more families access to nutrition meals that support healthy and productive lives, and bringing approximately $150 million federal dollars each month into local economies.

Beneficiaries will continue to receive their regular monthly benefit amounts in March 2023 based on a person’s or household’s current eligibility, income, household size and other federal eligibility requirements. FNS recipients can view their regular monthly FNS benefit amount and their emergency allotment amount online at www.ebtedge.com. NCDHHS encourages families to keep their FNS information up to date to help them get the greatest benefits they are eligible to receive.

NCDHHS is working to increase access to food support by growing the NCCARE360 network to help connect families in need to resources in their communities. Additionally, the NC Medicaid Healthy Opportunities Pilot program is connecting people in certain counties with food vouchers and other services to boost their overall health.

North Carolinians in need of additional food assistance can learn more about additional food and nutrition resources at www.ncdhhs.gov/foodresources. Residents can apply for FNS benefits online with ePass or by filling out a paper application and mailing it to or dropping it off at their county Department of Social Services.

 

En Carolina del Norte y a nivel nacional, las asignaciones de emergencia para COVID-19 en el programa de Alimentos y Servicios de Nutrición (FNS) se terminarán en marzo de 2023. Los hogares que han estado recibiendo beneficios adicionales de FNS (llamados “asignaciones de emergencia”) cada mes desde marzo de 2020 o después, verán una reducción en los beneficios debido a un cambio federal que termina las asignaciones de emergencia para todos los estados.

Como parte de la emergencia de salud pública COVID-19, las familias inscritas en el programa FNS en Carolina del Norte han estado recibiendo al menos $95 adicionales por mes desde marzo de 2020 a través de asignaciones de emergencia. Con el fin de las asignaciones de emergencia, el beneficio promedio de FNS por persona por día disminuirá de $8.12 a $5.45.

Estas asignaciones de emergencia han sido vitales para ayudar a las familias a compensar las dificultades financieras y económicas debido a COVID-19.

“Las familias necesitaban estos beneficios adicionales para obtener alimentos saludables y nutritivos durante toda la pandemia”, dijo Susan Gale Perry, Subsecretaria Principal de Oportunidades y Bienestar de NCDHHS. “Si bien los pagos de emergencia de FNS se están terminando, la necesidad no. Continuaremos priorizando la seguridad alimenticia para todos los habitantes de Carolina del Norte”.  

Desde marzo de 2020, un promedio de 900,000 hogares de Carolina del Norte recibieron asignaciones de emergencia de FNS, dando a más familias acceso a comidas nutritivas que apoyan vidas saludables y productivas, y aportando aproximadamente $150 millones de dólares federales cada mes a las economías locales.

Los beneficiarios continuarán recibiendo sus montos regulares de beneficios mensuales en marzo de 2023 en función de la elegibilidad actual, los ingresos, el tamaño del hogar y otros requisitos federales de elegibilidad de una persona o hogar. Los beneficiarios de FNS pueden ver su monto mensual regular de beneficios de FNS y su monto de asignación de emergencia en línea en www.ebtedge.com. NCDHHS anima a las familias a mantener su información de FNS actualizada para ayudarles a obtener los mayores beneficios a los que califican para recibir.  

NCDHHS está trabajando para aumentar el acceso al aoyo alimentario mediante el crecimiento de la red NCCARE360 para ayudar a conectar a las familias necesitadas con los recursos en sus comunidades. Además, el programa Piloto de Oportunidades Saludables de NC Medicaid conecta a las personas en ciertos condados con cupones de alimentos y otros servicios para mejorar su salud en general.  

Los habitantes de Carolina del Norte que necesitan asistencia alimentaria adicional pueden obtener más información sobre recursos adicionales de alimentos y nutrición en www.ncdhhs.gov/foodresources. Los residentes pueden solicitar los beneficios de FNS en línea con ePass o completando una solicitud en papel y enviándola por correo o dejándola en el Dpartamento de Servicios Sociales de su condado.

NCDHHS Announces Funds for Collegiate Recovery Programs to Support Students with Substance Use Disorders

Posted on by Press Release
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has awarded more than $3.2 million to nine colleges and universities across the state to increase access to recovery services and supports on campuses for students with substance use disorders. These awards address a growing need for behavioral health care among young adults and the Department’s top priority to improve Behavioral health and resilience in North Carolina.
RALEIGH

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has awarded more than $3.2 million to nine colleges and universities across the state to increase access to recovery services and supports on campuses for students with substance use disorders. These awards address a growing need for behavioral health care among young adults and the Department’s top priority to improve Behavioral health and resilience in North Carolina.

Collegiate Recovery Programs (CRPs) have been in existence for more than 40 years. They were developed in response to the growth in drug and alcohol use among adolescents and young adults, the risks posed to students while on campus and the unique needs of students in recovery. CRPs provide services and educational opportunities in a supportive environment as well as promote personal accountability while attending a public or private college or university.

“These recovery programs support young adults at a critical juncture in their lives,” said Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, Director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services. “College can be very stressful, especially for young adults struggling with substance use or mental health issues. These programs provide an educational opportunity alongside recovery support to ensure students do not have to sacrifice one for the other.”

Campuses will use these funds to develop and implement comprehensive collegiate recovery programs that provide access to drug- and alcohol-free places and locations for students to live, study and socialize, provide peer mentorship and receive other recovery supports. Funds may also be used to provide alcohol-free and drug-free social activities for students, as part of the collegiate recovery programming.

An identified priority for NCDHHS, funding for collegiate recovery programs has been provided since 2015 and supported programs in 13 out of the 17 universities in the UNC system. Last year, $873,760 was distributed and helped serve approximately 320 students. Today’s awards will significantly expand this investment and increases access to substance use disorder recovery services available at public or private, non-profit colleges and universities across the state.

The nine colleges or universities receiving grant funds are:

  • Appalachian State University (expansion programming), Boone   $262,549
  • Elizabeth City State University (expansion programming), Elizabeth City   $400,000
  • Elon University (new program), Elon   $257,576  
  • Fayetteville State University (expansion programming), Fayetteville   $399,090
  • High Point University (new program), High Point   $797,807
  • Mars Hill University (new program), Mars Hill   $75,770
  • Methodist University (new program), Fayetteville   $514,093
  • University of North Carolina (expansion programming), Chapel Hill   $130,700
  • University of North Carolina (expansion programming), Greensboro   $394,727

Students should reach out to the school’s student counseling center for more information.

These grants are made available through funding from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant.

NCDHHS Offering Free Residential Radon Test Kits Governor

Posted on by Anna Burton
Governor Roy Cooper proclaimed January as National Radon Action Month to help educate people about how to reduce their risk of lung cancer from radon. Because testing is the only way to know if your family is at risk, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is providing 3,000 free radon test kits available now at radon.ncdhhs.gov.
RALEIGH

Governor Roy Cooper proclaimed January as National Radon Action Month to help educate people about how to reduce their risk of lung cancer from radon. Because testing is the only way to know if your family is at risk, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is providing 3,000 free radon test kits available now at radon.ncdhhs.gov.

Radon is an odorless, colorless gas and currently the leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers. It is released from the ground into outdoor air but can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and other buildings. Additionally, the risk factor for lung cancer among current or former smokers of tobacco increases by 10 times if they live in a home with elevated radon.

Information provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that 77 of the 100 counties in North Carolina have indoor air levels of radon that are above safety standards. A level four or higher in your home is considered unsafe.

Approximately 450 people die each year in North Carolina from radon-induced lung cancer. Despite the large number of yearly deaths, many people are unaware they need to test for radon in their homes.

Survey data collected through the 2015 and 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System reflects a lack of awareness about radon among historically marginalized communities particularly among Black and Hispanic communities, people with low income and people who rent their homes.

The governor’s proclamation also acknowledges that elevated indoor radon is a preventable and fixable problem, similar in cost to other home improvements. The NC Radon Program recommends hiring a certified radon mitigator to fix elevated radon levels.

Everyone is exposed to some level of radon. The question is not if you are exposed to radon but how high is your level of exposure? Testing for radon is the only way to know. Visit radon.ncdhhs.gov for more information and to order your free test kit while supplies last. For information on radon mitigation, visit the NCDHHS radon mitigation webpage.

Thousands of veterans deluge VA with claims for toxic exposure benefits, health care

Posted on by NC Policy Watch

NCDHHS Refreshes COVID-19 Dashboards To Enhance User Experience

Posted on by Staff Reports

Raleigh
Nov 8, 2022
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is refreshing the COVID-19 dashboards to enhance design and user experience.

The first of three dashboard updates will be Cases and Deaths on Wednesday, Nov. 9. The Vaccinations and Hospitalizations dashboards will be updated later this year, and the Summary dashboard will be updated in early 2023. Dashboards will have a new look-and-feel, and some data will be moved from the main dashboard display to the Data Behind the Dashboards page.

The data that will be moved will continue to be updated and includes:

Total cases and deaths by PCR-positive vs. antigen-positive case classification
County and zip code level maps
Case and death data by demographic group by week
NCDHHS continues to elevate and publicly share data to help North Carolinians understand the impacts of COVID-19 and support state and local pandemic response efforts. Equity and a commitment to data transparency remain at the center of our work.

Staying up to date on vaccination and boosters continues to offer the best protection against COVID-19. Anyone 6 months of age and older can get vaccinated, and everyone 5 years and older can get the updated booster. Find a vaccine location near you at MySpot.nc.gov or by calling 888-675-4567.

Talking About Suicide

Posted on by Pew Research Center

The Pew Charitable Trusts

The U.S. had more than 45,000 suicide deaths in 2020, and millions more Americans reported having had thoughts of taking their own life.

To help address the issue, this National Suicide Prevention Week we’re sharing crucial data, stories, and solutions.
A Few Simple Questions Can Help Prevent Suicide
About half of people who die by suicide in the U.S. visit a health provider within the four weeks before their deaths. These visits are often missed opportunities to connect people to care—but universal screening can help.
EFFECTIVE SOLUTION
NEW DOCUMENTARY | SEPT. 13
How Can We Destigmatize Suicide, Support Families?
To prevent suicide, we must talk about it. To further that message, a new Pew-supported PBS documentary, “Facing Suicide,” aims to normalize these often-difficult conversations. The film debuts next week—don’t miss it.
FIRSTHAND INSIGHTS
FACT OF THE MATTER
33% Increase in America’s suicide rate from 1999 to 2019 across all sexes, races, and ethnicities
Explore demographic stats
New Effort to Boost Suicide Care in Health Settings
A 1999 surgeon general’s report on suicide led to several prevention efforts. Among them: Zero Suicide, an organization that has improved suicide care in health settings. Now, we’re working with them to scale up.
HOW IT WILL HELP
QUOTE OF NOTE
“If we limit our [suicide risk] screening to patients seeking mental health treatment, we miss an opportunity for detection and prevention.”
Dr. Kimberly Roaten, Parkland Health in Dallas, Texas
Suicide screening program lessons
RELATED RESEARCH
How Communities Can Improve Crisis Response
Beyond suicide risk screening programs, how can communities prevent suicide and other behavioral health emergencies? For starters, by using these resources to improve responses to mental health and substance use crisis calls.
GET RESOURCES

Advisory: Detention Center Investigation into Inmates’ Overdoses

Posted on by Press Release

On August 22, 2022 an investigation revealed that a total of four inmate’s, at the Rutherford County Detention Center, overdosed on some type of narcotic. Three of the inmates were administered Narcan by officers and were transported to Rutherford Regional Medical Center where they were treated and released back into the custody of the Rutherford County Detention Center. The fourth inmate was administered Narcan on a precautionary status and remained at the Rutherford County Detention Center.

This investigation is still active and being conducted by investigators of the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division to determine how the narcotics were brought in to the Detention Center.

Governor Roy Cooper Comments on Judge Reinstating 20-Week Abortion Ban

Posted on by Press Release

Raleigh

Today, Governor Roy Cooper issued the following statement in response to a judge reinstating North Carolina’s 20-week abortion ban:

“Although I disagree with this ruling, the vast majority of patients will still be able to access reproductive health care in North Carolina, and I remain committed to protecting it.

“The significant problem with this ruling is that it will criminalize important health care that’s needed in certain extraordinary circumstances. Abortion past 20 weeks in pregnancy is exceptionally rare and happens because of a devastating health emergency or diagnosis. Denying women necessary medical care in extreme and threatening situations, even if rare, is fundamentally wrong, and we cannot let politicians mislead people about the real world implications of this harmful law.”