Legislative auditors have given the state’s Supported Living Arrangements program a generally clean review saying the vast majority of homes inspected were generally clean, safe and in good repair.
“For 76 of the 87 homes inspected, we did not observe any conditions that would affect the health or safety of the individuals living in the homes,” according to the key findings. ‘For the other 11 homes inspected, most of the issues observed were minor.”
The program provides living arrangements and services for clients with a diagnosis of an intellectual or developmental disability. Many have multiple diagnoses including mental health issues.
In examining more than 50 client files, auditors reported their mental health diagnoses, “were either being medically managed or they visited with professionals to address their mental health needs.”
One criticism auditors reported was the Aging and Disability Services Division’s systems for tracking client placements was faulty. They recommended the division address those problems and improve the tracking of client locations.
During Fiscal 2018, the division served a total of 7,471 clients, 3,452 of them classified as having mild or moderate intellectual disabilities and 1,214 with autistic disorders. The program has a total of 379 homes.
The program budget totals $190.2 million a year, split roughly 50-50 between federal and state appropriations.