TITLE
Title
HHS-SOCIAL SERVICES NEUROAGILE LEADERSHIP & WORKFORCE ALLIES 4 OUTCOMES TEMP STAFFING CONTRACT APPROVAL
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SPONSOR
Sponsor
Sharon Barlow
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BACKGROUND
Background
In February 2024, Guilford County entered into contract with NeuroAgile Leadership & Workforce Consulting, LLC (dba Allies 4 Outcomes) to further enhance child welfare practice and leadership skills within the division. This initiative was endeavored in direct response to the Corrective Action Plan (CAP) imposed by the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services (NCDHHS). The goal of the partnership has been to improve overall child welfare service delivery within the organization with two specific outcomes: 1) strengthen safety planning practices and continuous quality improvement processes, and 2) enhancing supervisor and manager skills to better promote the transfer of learning to practice for social workers. On April 23, 2025, the NCDHHS formally confirmed that Guilford County HHS-DSS - Children’s Services Division has successfully completed all requirements of the CAP. This accomplishment reflects the unwavering dedication and tireless efforts of our staff and their steadfast commitment to improving outcomes for children and families. The Board of County Commissioners approved renewal of this contract in September 2025.
Key achievements include:
• Backlogs reduced: Cases open 120+ days decreased from 387 to 95
• Safety planning strengthened: Adequate Safety Assessments increased to 89%
• Ongoing contacts significantly expanded: Now reaching 80% of required contacts
• Supervision enhanced: Consistent, effective supervision now occurring in 100% of cases
• Placement stability improved: Placement moves reduced from 11.1% to 6.1%
• Kinship placements expanded: More children placed safely with relatives
• Complaints resolved: No placement resource complaints reported to NCDHHS in the past 4 months
Children’s Services has also ensured that improvements are sustainable through:
• Consolidated and accessible Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• A redesigned onboarding and training process that integrates state and local protocols
• Ongoing review and improvement through the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) team
• Annual discipline-specific “Boot Camps” to refresh and update staff on policy and practice
• Regular processes to maintain compliance with policy and practice updates
This milestone demonstrates remarkable and measurable progress, positioning Guilford County as a leader in child welfare practice improvements across North Carolina.
Additionally, in September 2025, the Guilford County Board of County Commissioners approved a new contract for temporary staffing services with Allies 4 Outcomes through June 30, 2026 to allow HHS-DSS to obtain much needed staffing support for current child welfare social work vacancies. To date, Allies 4 Outcomes has managed to successfully supply HHS-DSS with staffing for Child Protective Services. Therefore due to continued staffing needs, HHS-DSS is seeking approval to continue the contractual relationship with Allies for Outcomes for both Temp Staffing and Capacity Building.
Guilford County HHS-DSS is requesting approval of a new combined one year term contract in the maximum amount of $322,000. This contract will encompass both Temp Staffing ($292,000) and Capacity Building ($30,000). These expenses were budgeted with 50% county funding; and, the County expects a 50% reimbursement rate by way of Federal/State Revenue for the contract expenses as they relate to aide to foster care, therefore the net County cost will be $161,000 and the expenses and expected revenue reimbursement are already budgeted in FY27 Adopted Budget.
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BUDGET IMPACT
Budget Impact
NO ADDITIONAL COUNTY FUNDS REQUIRED
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REQUESTED ACTION
Requested Action
Approve contract, in substantial form, for a total contract amount of $322,000 with NeuroAgile Leadership & Workforce Consulting, LLC (dba Allies 4 Outcomes) and authorize staff to take all necessary actions to execute this contract.
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