Director to oversee 2 agencies

MERCER, Pa. — Mary Ann Daniels, the current Mercer County Children and Youth Services director, will be named to a new position — human services director — by county commissioners this week.

The new position was created to oversee CYS and Mental Health/Retardation functions, Commissioner Olivia Lazor said Tuesday.

Lazor said the bottom line is that the combination of CYS and MHR will make delivery of services to clients more efficient.

“We will make sure we don’t have multiple caseworkers from different agencies serving the same individual,” she said.

Though an annual salary has yet to be set for the director position, Daniels will receive $2,000 to do the job for the remainder of 2007.

Commissioners said that assistant directors for both CYS and MHR will work under Daniels. Both agencies currently have their own directors.

In addition, drug and alcohol treatment programs as well as juvenile probation will be in close communication under the director, Lazor said.

There are still some problems to be ironed out, such as what to do with the current advisory boards for CYS and MHR, Lazor said. Those advisory boards may be combined. State approval is also needed for the change.

Lazor said financial impact on the county budget will be minimal because the human services director’s salary will be reimbursed by the state.