Grant funds will revamp Westmoreland's human services department, hire new director

Although human services account for 35% of Westmoreland’s $339 million annual budget, it has been several years since any one person oversaw operations for child welfare, aging, behavioral health and developmental programs operated by the county.

That is expected to change later this year through $250,000 grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, which will redesign how the county administers human service programs and help hire a director to oversee a redefined department.

Commissioners said the grant, approved last week, will cover the first year’s salary for a human services director and to hire a consultant to help revamp the administrative changes and improve coordination of services provided by more than 100 nonprofit agencies that operate in the county.

“We need someone who knows this space intimately, someone who is the center of a wagon wheel,” said Commissioner Doug Chew.

Chew said the county — which will allocate $127,000 from its general fund to pay support staff and other expenses associated with the redefined department — is expected to seek additional grants to cover the director’s salary in future years.

Officials said a national search to fill the director’s post is expected to take several months.

A study completed earlier this year concluded the hiring of a director is needed to bring together the segmented government departments.

The county budgeted more than $119.6 million in 2021 on human service programs, which are primarily funded through state and federal grants.

Human services are now administered by three separate departments, each with their own directors: the children’s bureau, area agency on aging and behavioral health departments. The revamped department will be tasked with improving communication and coordination with more than 100 nonprofit agencies that offer similar and complementary programs.

“Over the past few years, we have been working with outside agencies to help ensure that there isn’t wasted resources because of duplicated services. Our new director will also be an asset to that task,” said Commissioner Gina Cerilli Thrasher.

Coordination among the various human service departments within county government have been all but nonexistent in recent years.

In 2013, commissioners created a human services director position and hired Dirk Matson for the job, but the primary responsibility was to oversee grant applications.

Throughout his tenure, Matson’s overall administrative responsibilities were lessened as he was other assigned additional duties, including interim postings to run the juvenile detention center and area agency on aging and coordination of the county’s overdose drug task force.

Matson was permanently assigned to serve as the director of behavioral health and developmental services programs in 2018 and in doing so, left the human services job vacant. Matson retired earlier this year.

“There is a need for a single person to be responsible for human services,” Matson said on Thursday.

“The previous board of commissioners didn’t have a commitment for that position. Commissioners have to have a commitment for this, to make sure they institutionalize it, make sure if a new board comes in they can’t monkey with it. It’s something the commissioners have to put in place and it has to last,” he said.