BERRYVILLE — As of today, Clarke County residents can obtain immediate help for mental and behavioral disorders and substance abuse without leaving the county.
BERRYVILLEÂ â Five years from now, Clarke County residents may be able to have all of their human services needs handled in one location.
A five-year capital improvement plan (CIP) includes the construction or acquisition of a joint building for the Clarke County Department of Social Services (DSS), the Lord Fairfax Health District s local office and possibly Northwestern Community Services. The latter currently doesn t have an office in the county.Â
The CIP estimates the building s construction cost at $1.5 million and recommends that funding be provided in fiscal 2026, the last year covered by the document.
It s the largest single expense listed in the plan, which the Clarke County Board of Supervisors recently adopted.
BERRYVILLEÂ â The new director of the Clarke County Department of Social Services (DSS) is a Frederick County resident with more than two decades of experience in the human services field.
Jennifer Parker, currently director of social services in Rappahannock County, was hired by the Clarke County Social Services Board this week. She was one of four finalists for the job after the Virginia Department of Social Services initially screened 30 applicants.
Parker has worked for the Rappahannock County DSS since 2011, working her way up its ranks from family services specialist to comprehensive services coordinator and then agency director in October 2017. She previously worked for the Culpeper County Department of Human Services, where she was named Employee of the Year in 2002.