Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
Q&A
Commissioner explains DHS accountability pilot program for adult shelters
1:06:31
·
158 sec
Commissioner Molly Wasow Park provides a detailed explanation of the DHS accountability pilot program, which aims to build a culture of accountability across DHS, including the agency, providers, and clients. The program focuses on adult shelters and addresses issues such as client misconduct, incomplete independent living plans, and rejection of viable housing offers.
- The pilot program does not include shelters for families with children
- Multiple steps are involved before any potential discharge from shelter
- The process includes reviews by the medical office to consider disabilities
- The goal is to improve accountability rather than increase discharges
Molly Wasow Park
1:06:31
Thank you council member.
1:06:32
So let me just take a step back and explain what it is that we're doing before I answer the specific question.
1:06:39
So we are launching a small pilot program that is really designed to build a culture of accountability across DHS, and when I say accountability I'm talking about accountability for the agency, for providers, and for clients.
1:06:54
And so what we will be doing is in the universe of shelters that we are starting which does not I want to be very clear does not include any families with children sites.
1:07:04
This is specifically for adults.
1:07:08
That we are looking at instances where there have been issues of client gross misconduct, where clients have not been completing their independent living plans, or where they have rejected viable offers of permanent housing.
1:07:24
When one of those instances occurs, DHS is going to engage first with the shelter provider and then with the client to understand what has really happened.
1:07:35
Was it in fact a viable housing offer or did a client with a disability, for example, get offered a unit on a fourth floor walk up, in which case that's not a viable housing offer.
1:07:48
And there the issue is really accountability with the provider.
1:07:52
We need to make sure that the provider understands what a viable housing offer is and is really working to make sure that that is happening.
1:08:03
If an independent living plan isn't getting done, why isn't it getting done?
1:08:08
How can we make sure that we are supporting both the provider and the client in maintaining their obligations?
1:08:17
If there is an instance where we find that the shelter provider has done what they are supposed to do but the client has say rejected a particular housing offer, there will be a pre notice.
1:08:32
If it happens again, there will be another level of notice, and it would be on the third instance after we have done this very thorough level of support where there could potentially be a short term discharge from shelter.
1:08:49
That review does include our medical office so that we are not the idea is that people who have a disability that would prevent them from making the appropriate choice will not be impacted.
1:09:01
And really my anticipation is that we will have few, if any, discharges from shelter, but that it is really about building this culture of accountability.
Tiffany Cabán
1:09:09
So I have a couple of follow-up questions.