[Amended by referendum 11-6-1973; amended by
referendum11-8-2022]
The Town Manager shall appoint a Director of
the Department of Human Services who shall be trained in the fields
of social and human services. The Director shall appoint, with the
approval of the Town Manager, social service workers and other employees
as shall be necessary for the administration of the Department, define
their duties and fix their compensation within a scale of wage rates
recommended by the Director and approved by the Town Manager and within
the appropriations made by the Board of Directors. All employees of
the Department engaged in social service and public welfare work shall
be trained and qualified therein.
[Amended by referendum 10-1-1962; amended by
referendum 11-6-1973; amended by referendum 11-5-1991; amended by referendum11-8-2022]
The Director of the Department of Human Services shall have
the responsibility of the management and supervision of the affairs
of the Town relative to impoverished persons, older adults, persons
with mental health disabilities, persons with developmental disabilities
and persons lacking the means to be self-sufficient. The Director
shall oversee the efforts of the Town relative to the impoverished,
shall have charge of the Town almshouse, if there be one, and, at
the expense of the Town, shall seek to ensure that adequate resources
exist to meet the needs of the impoverished and those who lack the
means to be self-sufficient and shall exercise all the powers and
perform all the duties, except the release of the welfare reimbursement
agreements and liens referred to in Chapter 319 of the General Statutes, given or delegated by the General
Statutes to selectmen of towns relative to the support of aged and
persons in need and relative to charities, shelter, emergency housing
or housing for homeless persons, parentage proceedings, commitments,
removals, burials, Town charges, persons with mental health disabilities,
persons with developmental disabilities, persons with disabling conditions
and the impoverished. The Director shall cooperate with and support
the work of the agencies of the state and private organizations engaged
in social service and welfare work within the Town in order that the
work of the Department may be coordinated with the work of said agencies
and private organizations, and for that purpose the Director may avail
the Department of and exchange with such agencies and organizations
all data of common interest respecting social service and welfare
work. The Director shall research, propose and advocate for new programs,
efforts and services as necessary in order to ensure that the adequate
resources exist to meet the needs of older adults, impoverished persons,
persons with disabilities and persons who lack the necessary resources
to be self-sufficient.