NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WECT) – New Hanover County's Department of Social Services will spend more than $100,000 for employee training to prepare for the next transition to NC Fast.
DSS first joined the statewide system for food stamp casework, and the next two programs to join are Medicaid and Work First, according to Assistant Director of Economic Services Christine McNamee.
WECT reported signs of delays in the NC Fast system for food stamp delivery, and the subsequent weekends of overtime hours for staff.
The two new programs are expected to make the transition in July, and McNamee said the training is an effort to avoid any possible slowdowns in service provided to county residents.
"We're trying to be proactive this time," she said.
The estimated $144,000 should cover salary and overtime hours for the workers who will complete 20 hours of a web seminar two and half days worth of workshops.
Director LaVaughn Nesmith said Tuesday that roughly $40,000 of the needed money is already in the department's budget, and the rest could come from other areas.
Nesmith suggested shifting money from salary lag, but he said county administrators will have to approve it first.
The growing number of programs added to the NC Fast system are meant to create a universal approach to the services offered by DSS, according to Nesmith. He said it will make the department a one-stop shop for families, instead of requiring separate interviews for each program.
"You'll tell one story one time and the system will tell you what you qualify for," he said.
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