[nfbmi-talk] more dhs out of control against pwd

[joe harcz Comcast]

And to top it off they aren't accessible to PWD either.... Including those who are blind which I've documented fastidiously.


Joe Harcz
Outraged Consumer Advocate
Audit says DHS mishandled allegations of adult abuse By Paul Egan Detroit Free Press Lansing Bureau A state audit says the Department of Human Services

has fallen short in its job of protecting from abuse vulnerable adults under the agency's care. The report from Auditor General Doug Ringler says the adult

protective services division of DHS sometimes denied requests for investigations of suspected adult abuse when grounds for an investigation appeared to

exist. The agency didn't launch investigations promptly enough and didn't consistently notify law enforcement when a referral indicated potential criminal

activity, the report said. The agency also didn't investigate all allegations in the adult abuse case referrals it received and didn't adequately train

its staff, the report said. In a response included with the report, DHS said it agreed with six of the eight auditor findings and partly agreed with the

other two. The agency also outlined steps it is taking to improve its performance. "Overall, we accept the findings and we're working to make corrections,"

Department of Human Services Director Maura Corrigan told the Free Press in an interview this morning. The audit "shows us weaknesses that we have in the

delivery of services, and we are responding. Under Michigan's Social Welfare Act, the agency is charged with protecting adults who are vulnerable to neglect,

exploitation or abuse because of mental or physical impairment or advanced age. Adult Protective Services received 80,377 referrals of abuse, neglect or

exploitation between 2010-11 and 2012-13, the report said. During that time, the unit spent about $11.7 million a year. The auditor examined a sample of

124 denied or withdrawn referrals for adult abuse investigations and found that 23% of them appeared to warrant investigation. For example, it denied an

investigation in which the source said an elderly adult was being financially exploited by the adult's daughter, who was also the legal guardian. The source

said the daughter managed her mother's bank account and had not paid for nursing home care for three months, owing $5,000. Instead of investigating, the

agency sent the daughter a letter, the report said. In 3% of the cases, law enforcement should have been notified, but was not, the report said. The auditor

said the problems were likely the result of nobody at the agency reviewing an official's initial decision to deny an investigation. Setting up a review

process "may reduce the number of incorrectly denied or withdrawn referrals," the report said. Corrigan said a new Business Service Center launched in

May will address the shortfalls in the report and the agency has put more staff on call after hours to assure investigations are launched within 24 hours,

as required. The agency said it will implement a system under which a sampling of such decisions will be routinely reviewed, but also defended its decisions

on some of the cases the auditor questioned. "DHS takes with the utmost seriousness all allegations of willful neglect of duty or failure to carry out

assigned tasks in compliance with law and policy," the agency said. "DHS has taken swift action to address the audit findings and has initiated formal

investigation of cases cited in the audit to determine that staff acted appropriately. If any investigation determines that there was noncompliance with

law and policy, appropriate corrective and/or disciplinary action will be taken, including demotion and/or dismissal.