• By Todd Luck
• Posted Tuesday, November 20, 2018

DSS Director Victor Isler recommended for state council to reform child welfare

Victor Isler, director of the Forsyth County Department of Social Services, has been recommended to a new state council that will help reform child welfare.

Isler has been designated by the North Carolina Association of County Directors of Social Services for a gubernatorial appointment to the new North Carolina Child Well-Being Transformation Council. This new working group is a part of Social Services reform enacted in N.C. House Bill 630, or "Rylan's Law," and will recommend changes to the child welfare system.

“Any time you can be a part of change, it’s a humbling experience and I’m excited about being able to be a voice for all 100 counties as it relates to our strengths, but also in our areas of growth but then, most importantly, what we need from our partners as it relates to community-based organizations and our state in order to be successful,” said Isler.

Isler will fill the role of Social Services representative among the 17 member council, appointed by the governor and the General Assembly, that will feature representatives of many different departments and organizations.

“I’m really excited about that because when you look at child welfare, it’s a multidisciplinary approach: you’re working with mental health, substance abuse, education, the court system,” said Isler “And so to reform the system you have to make sure you have multi-disciplinary team, so therefore the system is best designed to engage and create synergy around those diverse entities.”

Isler became Forsyth DSS director this year and was previously the department’s Family and Children’s Services director. He’s already been participating in discussions with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on how local Social Service departments and Managed Care Organizations can better work together on child welfare placements.