Our Organization

Leadership
Susan Osborne, Assistant Secretary for County Operations
Lisa Cauley, Senior Director for Child, Family and Adult Services
Richard Stegenga, Deputy Director, Business Operations
Carla West, Senior Director of Economic Security 

Business Operations: Business Operations is responsible for all financial and operational activities including contracts and other administrative management functions such as purchasing and facility services for the division. Business Operations is made up of the following sections:

  • Budget: Responsible for administering a $1.3 billion budget for public assistance and social services programs throughout North Carolina.
  • Contracts: Responsible for the coordination of the Division's contract activities to ensure that all contracts and controls are in compliance with applicable rules and regulations.
  • Fiscal Monitoring and Local Business Liaisons: Provides fiscal support to counties as well as monitoring for fiscal compliance.
  • Performance Management: Responsible for supporting the division’s data analysis and reporting efforts, and maintenance and enhancement of various computerized information systems. Supporting the agency’s technology functions to include privacy/security, website modifications, asset inventory and coordinating with the Division and County Department of Social Services on planning, budgeting and acquiring IT services and equipment and quality assurance. This unit is responsible for monitoring Food and Nutrition Services to assure the correct application of Federal and State Laws and the proper administration of benefits to recipients.
  • Program Compliance: Responsible for management of the Division's Limited English Proficiency efforts to ensure appropriate access to services for non-English speaking families and coordination of the Division's HIPAA efforts.

Child Support Services: Child Support Services is responsible for the consistent collection of child support money from non-custodial parents. The goal of this section is to collect as much child support money as possible for the benefit of North Carolina's children.

Child Welfare Services: Child Welfare Services is committed to providing family-centered services to children and families to achieve positive well-being through ensuring self-sufficiency, support, safety and permanency. The section is made up of the following units:

Economic Services: The Economic Services Section provides guidance and supervision for county departments of social services in administering Food and Nutrition Services, Energy Programs and Work First Family Assistance to ensure these economics support programs focus on the goals of providing accurate and timely assistance to families in economic crisis. The section also supports program integrity activities by providing technical assistance to counties in the areas of detecting and preventing the occurrence of erroneous payments and prosecuting fraud. Economic Services also provides guidance and support for the Refugee Services Program that includes cash and medical benefits as time-limited assistance and a wide range of services to foreign-born individuals and families to enable them to become self-supporting and self-sufficient.

Human Resources: Human Resources manages all personnel issues for the Division of Social Services.