local management entity
Overview
A local management entity (LME) is, according to the Wake County Human Services web site [1], "is a county program or public authority that is responsible for the management of public policy for the citizens the system is intended to support and serve." Another (possibly less vague) explanation is that an LME acts as a sort of "front door" for individuals (clients) in need of services; the LME does not provide the services, but helps guide the client to providers of the services s/he may need and assists with any difficulties the client may be having in obtaining services from the provider(s).
Usage
This phrase seems to be used solely with respect to social services in North Carolina; presumably other states have their own terminology. (Other English-speaking countries mostly handle social services in a completely different way from the United States, so it is not surprising if the term is not found outside the US.)