CSB director addresses claim that caseworker refused to respond

YOUNGSTOWN -- Denise Stewart, the director of the Mahoning County Children Services Board, said she can't believe that a CSB caseworker would refuse to respond to a call from police.
County Prosecutor Paul Gains, however, says police reports indicate that a caseworker refused to go to Neda Brimhall's North Raccoon Road apartment when called by police Sept. 9.
Police found Brimhall's 1-year-old son playing unsupervised on North Raccoon Road at 2:30 a.m. Sept. 9. They also found her 2-year-old daughter on the road Oct. 11, and both children were said to be playing on the road Nov. 25.
Gains wrote a letter to Stewart on Oct. 11 asking why a CSB caseworker refused to come to Brimhall's apartment Sept. 9. He said his question was based on the police report from that day.
The police report states that, "it should be noted that CSB was notified prior to the accused returning home." The report adds a caseworker was advised of the situation. No other mention of CSB is made in the report.
Stewart said she wasn't sure how the report inferred that a caseworker refused to go to Brimhall's apartment. She said she plans to respond to Gains' letter in the next few days.
"If there is a problem, we'll certainly address it," Stewart said. "I can't imagine a situation where a police officer would say, 'I need a caseworker,' and we wouldn't go."