Q&A
DHS field staff oversight of shelter providers
1:00:47
ยท
3 min
Commissioner Molly Wasow Park discusses the role of DHS field staff in overseeing shelter providers. She explains the structure of shelter operations and the frequency of site visits and inspections.
- Program administrators and analysts have portfolios based on providers and conduct regular field visits
- Annual physical inspections are conducted by technical experts in conjunction with other agencies
- Field staff have played a crucial role in identifying issues with providers, such as the CCS case
- The importance of multi-pronged approach to provider oversight is emphasized
- Council Member Brewer raises ongoing concerns about high executive salaries at shelter providers
Diana I. Ayala
1:00:47
Thank you.
1:00:47
I appreciate that.
1:00:48
Does DHS have, program officers or staff that is assigned to visit the the providers, on an, I don't know, maybe biannual basis to conduct some sort of, like, internal audit?
Molly Wasow Park
1:01:01
Absolutely.
1:01:02
Field work is a really important part of what we do.
1:01:04
So our our general structure on the shelter operations side, we have a chief of shelter operations, associate and assistant commissioners reporting up to to her, and then, a program program administrators and program analysts that are have a portfolio based by provider.
1:01:21
Their job is to be out in the field and working with providers much more frequently than than biannual.
1:01:26
We want them out on a regular basis.
1:01:29
In addition to that, we do do on a biannual basis, we are doing or annual basis, excuse me, we are doing, physical inspections.
1:01:36
So that is a different set of people, people with the right technical expertise and working in conjunction with, HPD and DOB and other other, technical agencies.
1:01:46
So, absolutely, we can't do our job from from the office.
Diana I. Ayala
1:01:50
So question, did any of those, individuals flag some of the cases that you referenced in your testimony, those cases where, contracts had to be, removed or stripped from an organization, did did those actions be you know, would would were those prior to the DOI, investigations?
Molly Wasow Park
1:02:15
Yep.
1:02:16
Absolutely.
1:02:17
So, I mean, one of the most, egregious cases that we've had, certainly in my tenure at DSS DHS, is the the CCS situation.
1:02:27
Right?
1:02:27
They were a very large provider, and it we the first identification of issues came from the program administrator who was signing off on invoices, who said, hey.
1:02:39
Something is wrong here.
1:02:41
They they raised that up the food chain as they should.
1:02:44
We made the referral to DOI, and we ended operations with them.
1:02:47
This was actually, pre COVID.
1:02:49
So this is, you know, although there is quite a number of mentions of CCS in the report, that that was, something that has been we've closed out business with them many years ago.
1:02:58
But, you know, we we dip that that multi pronged approach to provider oversight, that starts with the the staff who are in the field, who are working with providers on a day to day basis.
1:03:12
They are absolutely a critical part of this, and and we are very grateful for the work that that frontline staff does every day.
Diana I. Ayala
1:03:19
Okay.
1:03:19
Alright.
1:03:20
I appreciate that.
1:03:21
Thank you.
Gale A. Brewer
1:03:22
I'm gonna turn over to council member Brandon.
1:03:24
I just wanna say on the salary issue, because it comes up a lot.
1:03:28
I think what least would be helpful would be to break down for the public.
1:03:31
Like, many times, they're saying, okay, the private sector is paying for x, and so leave me alone.
1:03:37
Don't bother me.
1:03:38
And I understand this legal issue.
1:03:39
But I think we should continue the discussion because it is outrageous to have those really high salaries and then people paying getting paid staff so much less.
1:03:48
And the public doesn't understand it.
1:03:50
So I think it's something to continue.
1:03:52
I understand the legal issues, but I would love to have more discussion about that.
Molly Wasow Park
1:03:56
We're we're happy to continue the
Gale A. Brewer
1:03:58
discussion.
1:03:58
Council member Brennan.