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Coates' Canons 1 4 <br />UNC <br />NC Local Government Law <br />i hftp://canons.sog.unc.edu <br />SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT <br />Coates' Canons Blog: An Update on Recent Changes for Local Human Services Agencies <br />By Aimee Wall <br />Article: http://canons.sog.unc.edu/?p=7090 <br />This entry was posted on April 23, 2013 and is filed under Agency Administration, Agency Administration, Agency Administration, Board <br />Structure & Procedures, Boards Of Public Health, Boards Of Social Services, Boards Of Social Services, Public Health, Social Services <br />In the wake of new legislation enacted in June 2012, several counties have decided to make changes to how they <br />organize and govern their local human services agencies. Last September, I wrote about this issue and identified three <br />counties that had already made some changes (Montgomery, Buncombe, and Brunswick). Since that time, five more <br />have made changes and I believe several more transitions are in the works for the coming fiscal year. I thought I would <br />use this opportunity to offer a quick status update and also identify some of special process considerations that are tied to <br />the revised human services law. <br />Status Update <br />Throughout the fall and winter, School of Government colleagues and I met with several counties around the state to <br />discuss all of the options available for organizing and governing local human services agencies, including the three new <br />options available pursuant to the 2012 legislation (H 438) amending G.S. 153A-76 and G.S. 153A-77. For ease of <br />discussion, we summarized the new options as follows: <br />Option One <br />• Organization: Under this option, the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) does not change the overall <br />organization of the agency or agencies involved. <br />• Governance: The BOCC directly assumes the powers and duties of one or more of the governing boards <br />responsible for overseeing a local human services agency (i.e., local board of health and/or county board of social <br />services). <br />• Counties electing: One county (Columbus) has elected this option. The BOCC abolished the county board of <br />social services and assumed its powers and duties. <br />Option Two <br />Organization: The BOCC creates a new agency called a consolidated human services agency (CHSA) by <br />combining two or more county human services agencies. The term "human services" is undefined in the law. Most <br />of the discussion has focused on local health departments and departments of social services, but other <br />departments and agencies may also be involved (such as local agencies focused on veterans, aging populations, <br />or transportation). Note that local management entities (LMEs) involved with mental health, substance abuse, and <br />developmental disabilities services may not be included in these new CHSAs (with the exception of the CHSA <br />serving Mecklenburg county). <br />Governance: The BOCC appoints a new consolidated human services board that serves as the CHSA's <br />governing board. <br />Counties electing: Four counties have elected this option (Buncombe, Edgecombe, Union, and Wake). Wake <br />elected this option many years ago when the option was available only to counties with large populations. <br />Option Three <br />• Organization: The BOCC creates a new agency called a consolidated human services agency (CHSA) by <br />combining two or more human services agencies. <br />• Governance: The BOCC becomes the governing board when it directly assumes the powers and duties of the <br />Copyright © 2009 to present School of Government at the University of North Carolina. All rights reserved. <br />Page <br />