Q&A
Discussion on APS client data management and privacy concerns
0:22:36
ยท
3 min
Council Member Diana Ayala and Commissioner Molly Wasow Park engage in a discussion about APS client data management and associated privacy concerns. The conversation highlights the delicate balance between protecting sensitive medical information and having access to necessary data for program assessment and advocacy.
- Commissioner Park explains that APS eligibility involves sensitive mental or physical impairment information.
- The discussion touches on the separation of data between APS program staff and rental assistance voucher processors.
- Council Member Ayala argues for DSS having access to this information for advocacy and needs assessment purposes.
- The conversation extends to the specific eligibility criteria for APS set by state law and the limitations on agency discretion in determining eligibility.
Diana Ayala
0:22:36
Okay.
0:22:37
Hold on.
0:22:38
The, okay, I'm just trying to go back to the APS issue because I just, I find it a little confusing.
0:22:44
So how would personal medical information be accessible to anyone if
Molly Wasow Park
0:22:56
Well, so in order to be APS eligible, you must be so mental hit a meet a definition of mental or physical impairment that you may not you cannot manage your own affairs.
0:23:10
Mhmm.
0:23:11
Right?
0:23:11
So and it is critical that the the program staff within our APS team understands that and knows that, and they certainly have data on their clients.
0:23:20
We have a whole other universe of people who are managing rental assistance vouchers.
0:23:25
Right?
0:23:26
And to know that client Molly is physically seriously physically impaired, they don't necessarily need to know that.
0:23:35
Right?
0:23:35
So it is important that the, APS program staff are monitoring their caseload,
Diana Ayala
0:23:40
and they absolutely are monitoring their caseload.
0:23:40
They engage with with
Molly Wasow Park
0:23:40
everybody on that caseload, are monitoring their caseload, and they absolutely are monitoring their caseload.
0:23:44
They engage with with everybody on that caseload on a regular basis, but the people processing the rental vouchers don't don't need that that medical information on the client.
Diana Ayala
0:23:52
But I would argue that DSS would need that information or should have that information because you're the largest advocate for these types of programs and how are we able to assess whether or not there's a specific need in the aging population that, you know, we're not able to respond to before.
Molly Wasow Park
0:24:09
So we can certainly follow-up with information about the APS case load in general.
0:24:13
Absolutely.
0:24:14
We agree that there is, that that is a critical vulnerable population.
0:24:20
And just to to expand a little bit on the intersection between APS and and cITFEPs, and and to speak broadly about APS in general.
0:24:29
Right?
0:24:30
There are very specific eligibility criteria for APS in, that are in state law, right, around physical mental impairment, ability to manage your own fair affairs, and nobody other else who's able or willing to to take responsibility for that individual.
0:24:47
And there is some curtailment of civil liberties when somebody is is participating in APS.
0:24:53
So it's a very, very specific program without a lot of discretion for the agency.
0:24:58
So we process all we look at all of the referrals that come to us.
0:25:02
You know, the fact that somebody isn't is or isn't qualified for for APS is whether or not it's strictly based on whether or not they meet those state requirements.
0:25:12
There may be many other you know, somebody can meet their not meet their requirements for APS and still have other kinds of of housing stability needs, at which point we would really engage with them to look at our full complement of can we bring our emergency rental assistance to bear?
0:25:28
Do they need assistance with a lawyer?
0:25:30
Are there are they eligible?
0:25:32
Right?
0:25:32
There's a a slew of benefits.
0:25:34
So APS is
Diana Ayala
0:25:34
a very narrow slice of it and very, constrained
Molly Wasow Park
0:25:35
by state law, but there are other slice of it and very, constrained by state law, but there are other resources for seniors facing housing instability.
Diana Ayala
0:25:43
Yeah.
0:25:44
I would I I mean, most of the cases that you described to me warrant, some sort of supportive housing, not necessarily city fives where they're living independently after they've had a history of not being able to do that on their own.
0:26:00
I had another question about it.
0:26:02
It just left go ahead.
0:26:04
Alexa had a follow-up.