You would think the vital importance of an agency like this would be universally recognized. You would think such an agency would at least be adequately funded. You wouldn’t think such an agency would have to go begging, hat in hand, year after year, to the Legislature and the Exectutive for enough money to limp along and live to see another day.
You would be incorrect. For the past several years, the DPPC has had to go begging and limping along, and the results are all too apparent.
As we and others have reported, the number of cases of abuse and neglect of persons with disabilities in Massachusetts has continued to rise, particularly in vendor-operated community residences for persons with mental retardation. United States Attorney Michael Sullivan noted this disturbing trend in his report earlier this month to United States District Court Judge Joseph Tauro on the transfers of residents of the Fernald Developmental Center to community-based care.
The DPPC is in many cases the first and last line of defense for people with disabilities in Massachusetts. It can mean the difference between life and death. Yet, this agency has faced declining budget appropriations for the last several years, requiring it to repeatedly cut its investigative and legal staff. Hundreds of cases are now backlogged and the resolutions of these cases are months overdue.
The DPPC is the only state agency with the sole responsibility to “investigate and remediate” instances of abuse and neglect committed against adults with disabilities between the ages of 18 to 59. The DPPC fills the gap between child protective services, which is under the purview of the Department of Social Services, and elder protective services, under the authority of the Executive Office of Elder Affairs.
In fiscal year 2005 the DPPC Hotline received 12,880 calls; in fiscal year 2006 this number rose to 13,080. In fiscal year 1999, 1,074 cases were investigated under the authority of the DPPC. In fiscal year 2006, this number rose to 1,824, a 70% increase over eight years. At the same time, because of budget cuts, the number of DPPC investigators has decreased from seven to four.
The budget cuts that the agency has sustained have had a direct impact on the number of cases that remain unresolved more than 30 days after the date of assignment. In March 2000, the number of these overdue or backlogged investigation reports was 124. In February 2007, the number rose to 723, a 483% increase.
Moreover, because the DPPC now has so few investigators, it is forced to refer the vast majority of the complaints brought to it to line agencies, such as the Department of Mental Retardation and the Department of Mental Health. This, in effect, allows DMR, DMH and the other line agencies to police themselves. This is an unconscionable situation, and provides little protection and reassurance to the victims of these often horrendous crimes.
The DPPC is currently funded to support 27.8 full-time equivalent positons, which is 2.2 FTE less than the number of staff the agency had in 2001. The governor’s fiscal year 2008 House 1 recommendation of $1,903,034 for the DPPC’s total operating budget would force the agency to reduce its staff by an additional 1.5 FTE’s, an almost 5% further reduction in staff.
The DPPC has proposed options for increasing the governor’s appropriation: by approximately $71,000 (which would prevent the 5 percent staff reduction); $221,000 (which would prevent the backlog in cases from further worsening); or $1.1 million (which would allow the agency to conduct “timely” investigations and protective services.
We believe the $1.1 million amount is actually the minimum increase that should be considered for this vital agency. Yet even is not what is ultimately needed to provide the agency with the resources it needs to investigate all cases of abuse and neglect of persons with disabilities in the commonwealth.
You can call Rep. DeLeo’s office at 617-722-2990, or email him at Robert.DeLeo@state.ma.us to urge the Legislature’s recognition of the importance of the DPPC by providing it with a level of funding requisite to its needs.
Our ability to provide safe and adequate care for our most vulnerable citizens is a fundamental measure of the level of compassion that our society possesses.
Have two units that are solely devoted to investigating this stuff. Was that mentioned?
This is a police issue, from the sound of the post at least.
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I’ve got no problem with these people’s funds going to Chap 70.
One State Police Detective Unit, comprised of a detective lieutenant and four troopers, is assigned to work at DPPC, according to the DPPC testimony to Ways and Means. The State Police Unit reviews all complaints received by DPPC’s Hotline and conducts criminal investigations to determine which complaints constitute criminal activity. However, not all of these cases do constitute criminal activity, and my understanding is that only a small percentage of these cases are prosecuted criminally.
also another state police unit that investigates elderly abuse and they combine forces from my understanding. What was illustrated in the posting was criminal behavior in the extreme and the district attorneys office should go after the perpetrator. There is no need for DPPC to have the added expense of having their own “investigators”. That’s the responsibility of the state police.
Have two units that are solely devoted to investigating this stuff. Was that mentioned?