Accounting problems found in state agency

Disabled-disability office can't make figures match, says it's overworked

Wednesday, February 13, 2002

By ANGELA GALLOWAY
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

OLYMPIA -- The state agency that oversees the care of developmentally disabled Washingtonians cannot credibly account for millions in state and federal tax dollars it spends, according to a new draft report by legislative auditors.

"We have major concerns with the accuracy of their caseload information and whether or not thousands of clients are indeed eligible for services," reads the preliminary report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC.)

For example, nearly 3,000 Division of Developmental Disability clients who qualify for services meant for children under 6 years old are actually older than that, JLARC found in its review of the division's own records. Those clients received $1.8 million in public services during the three-month period JLARC reviewed last summer. The division is part of the state Department of Social and Health Services.

DSHS Secretary Dennis Braddock acknowledged yesterday that the division fails to reliably track its clients and their eligibility. However, DSHS believes that nearly all of the children that JLARC identified qualify for services elsewhere within state programs, he said.

"There's not somebody getting services that doesn't need services or deserve services," Braddock said. But "our figures just aren't accurate and ... it really threatens our credibility with the Legislature."

At Gov. Gary Locke's direction, Braddock plans to hire an executive and outside consultant to improve caseload monitoring and develop long-term solutions by July.

The report was recently released to lawmakers just as they consider cuts to developmentally disabled services and other social programs to help patch a state budget deficit of more than $1 billion.

Last year, the Legislature ordered JLARC to review the caseloads of division staff as well as the Children's Administration under DSHS, in light of increased funding meant to reduce caseworker-client ratios. The full report is not due until July."It's a working paper, and we put it out because it's timely information for people who have to make difficult decisions," said Tom Sykes, JLARC legislative auditor.

Sue Elliott of the advocacy group The ARC of Washington State worries about a backlash for the developmentally disabled community in budget negotiations. "That's my fear -- that the Legislature will review this and say, 'Oh, why are we funding anything?'" said Elliott, who headed the division from 1987 to 1993.

Its very lack of resources, Elliott said, prevents the division from accurately accounting for its spending in programs for children under 6. "They haven't had enough case managers to go back and reassess those young people," she said.

Lori Flood, the Bothell mother of an 11-year-old developmentally disabled boy, also worries about a backlash. At the same time, she worries about folks waiting for services, such as the nearly 6,000 people in line for family support.

""It's very disturbing," said Flood of the Parent Family Coalition of Snohomish County.

"Although this doesn't look good, we also need to remember that (the division) does support and has enabled many families to stay together."

Aiming at early intervention, the state provides care for thousands of children who are diagnosed as "developmentally delayed." While that classification includes some clients who are developmentally disabled, some have relatively minor diagnoses, such as speech impediments or low birth weights.

The division is supposed to review those cases by the time the children are 6 and determine whether they qualify for continued care under diagnoses including mental retardation or cerebral palsy.

But those reviews often weren't conducted, Braddock said. "There are always much greater demands than there are services," he said.

In light of the JLARC report, DSHS reviewed the records of the nearly 1,000 children among that group who received services during the three-month period studied. DSHS believes that nearly all of those clients actually qualified for other programs, and that about 150 children are actually ineligible, receiving less than $202,000 in services.

The report also found that about 500 of the 16,000 clients receiving paid services did not appear in the state's database of who is eligible.

Other findings include multiple instances of duplication in case counts.

The bad accounting of state caseloads may lead to inaccurate predictions of service needs and inappropriate state budgeting, JLARC said.

"These are pretty alarming numbers," said Sen. James West, R-Spokane. "I'm sure they're looking for a way to cover their rear, but it does call into question the information they give the Legislature."

Seattle Democratic Sen. Pat Thibaudeau, chairwoman of the Health and Long-Term Care Committee, said she's not worried that lawmakers will cut division services in the wake of the report.

Still, she wants answers.

"We need better data," said Thibaudeau, a member of JLARC. "And we're going to go out looking for it."

Seattle P-I

-- Anonymous, February 13, 2002