Auditors: State agency falls behind on abuse and neglect investigations

HARTFORD, Conn. –The state Department of Developmental Services, which provides services for tens of thousands of intellectually and developmentally disabled clients, has fallen behind on investigating allegations of the abuse and neglect, according to the Auditors of Public Accounts.

A review of the agency released Thursday found that between 1,100 and 1,200 abuse and neglect complaints are filed each year. Generally, DDS investigates the ones in public group homes and institutions, while private providers are left to do their own investigations per an agreement reached in 2008.

Under state law the investigations are supposed to be completed in 90 days, but the auditors found that as Sept. 30, 2012 there were 243 cases older than 90 days. An estimated 211 of those 243 were being conducted by private providers and 32 were investigations by public employees, including six at the Southbury Training School. Of the 211 private provider investigations about 71 percent were older than six months, the report found.

The agency agreed with auditors that it should revisit its contract with the Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities for how abuse and neglect investigations are handled in its contracts with private providers and internally on different computer systems. It told auditors that it is reviewing its “policies and procedures and will make changes or revisions as required to ensure that processes are standardized throughout the department.”

Read the complete story at CT News Junkie.