County’s social services agency opening more offices here

by Dan McClelland

Franklin County Commissioner of Social Services Michelle Mulverhill met with County Legislator Nedd Sparks at Ivy Terrace in recent days to scope out some of the rooms her office will be renting there.

It’s part of an overall plan to expand the services of her agency to Tupper Lake to better serve those who rely it here.

The first step occurred several months ago when the county rented one office off the large Ivy Terrace community room.

That led to the recent hiring of Adirondack Adult Center Director Stacey Button to staff that office on a full-time basis. Stacey’s now there during normal business hours each day of the week to distribute applications to people seeking public assistance and to explain to them what information is needed for them to include in their applications.

She’s doing interviews with people that are required at the beginning of the process, Mrs. Mulverhill explained. Once all the initial work is done, the paperwork is then sent to the main office in Malone for processing.

According to Mr. Sparks, who has been lobbying since last fall to have a permanent presence for the county’s social services agency here in Tupper Lake, the first office and Stacey’s presence have been very well received thus far. It’s helping people avoid the trips to either Saranac Lake or Malone to apply for help.

The next step was the reason the reason for Mrs. Mulverhill’s visit to the administrative wing of the local housing complex.

Social services is expected to create again a full-service satellite office in Tupper Lake, under the current plan, according to the county commissioner.

“We’ll have case workers working here” representing several parts of her agency which deal with children, including child protective services.”

She noted that several CPS case workers already live in Tupper Lake so it will be handy for them. Case workers in other social services divisions will also use the office space when they are in town seeing local clients. While they will be using the new office space for their paperwork, typically the county case workers visit people in their homes for reasons of privacy.

In all the county is looking to occupy three of the Ivy Terrace offices and the commissioner and Mr. Sparks were there that recent day to forge the new office plan. As the director of maintenance at Ivy Terrace Mr. Sparks knows every aspect of the facility.

The case workers who work in prevention, adult protective care and foster care will also be using the new offices from time to time when their work brings them to Tupper Lake, according to the commissioner.

Mr. Sparks feels that bringing more county offices here is not only good for the local economy and for those in need of county services, it will also build traffic and add riders to the local county buses circulating here and throughout the county.

The county legislator and Supervisor Ricky Dattola have also secured a promise from the county board to provide surplus buses to the town as early as this summer- to help further community bussing programs here.

The one office that social services will use is the one on the most westerly end of the building which for a time was called “the library.” That’s where the various case workers will be.

The second office, across the community room from Stacey Button’s financial office, will be for private meetings between case workers and clients, out of public view.

As for its other south-end offices in Saranac Lake, the social services agency is in transition, as the lease for its space in the former Niagara Mohawk building is up. That’s the building which some on the APA are interested in situating, relocating from the agency’s long time headquarters in Ray Brook.

Mrs. Mulverhill said they expect to have a smaller satellite office in Saranac Lake in new quarters there with a financial person like what Ms. Button is doing here.

She said they are looking at various places for the offices, but no decision has been made yet on specific locations.

The commissioner noted that with respect to space size and rental fees, officials at the Tupper Lake Housing Authority which operates Ivy Terrace “have been very accommodating” to bring more county offices here.

In an interview several weeks ago County Manager Donna Kissane explained that finding affordable office space is always a big part of bringing county services to all parts of the county. Mrs. Mulverhill agreed, saying having more county offices here really helps local residents get the services they need.

She noted, too, having offices in all the three communities in the county provides more opportunities for more “face to face” meetings between case workers and clients.

All offices at Ivy Terrace are handicapped accessible, making for easy access to all residents who rely on the county’s social services agency.