Report 2012-107 Recommendation 14 Responses

Report 2012-107: Developmental Centers: Poor-Quality Investigations, Outdated Policies, Leadership and Staffing Problems, and Untimely Licensing Reviews Put Residents at Risk (Release Date: July 2013)

Recommendation #14 To: Developmental Services, Department of

To allow for the creation of consistent performance measures and comparisons of resident abuse data across all developmental centers, the department should ensure that each of its centers consistently uses the same data fields in IRIS.

6-Month Agency Response

As previously reported, IRIS was installed at all DCs in the latter part of 2012, and the Department continues to refine the use of IRIS. A revision to the IRIS database was completed in November 2013, which includes a customized component to enter and track data related to investigations and findings, and an input form that will provide for more standardization in the reporting.

Although DC employees have received initial training on the use of IRIS, retraining continues to be provided to employees individually and collectively to ensure consistency and accuracy of the data. Entries into IRIS are reviewed daily by DCD staff with immediate feedback provided to the facilities when corrections are necessary.

The IRIS software enforces data integrity rules to improve consistency in reporting. The Department has also provided a Wiki that contains online documentation and instructional information with rules defining incident types and how they are to be reported. Whenever changes to the system are implemented, immediate instructional information goes out via Wiki to all DC staff concerning reporting changes.

Even though over time there will be system modifications and improvements, DDS has implemented ongoing training, monitoring and feedback for using IRIS. DDS has achieved reasonable data consistency and will continue to support efforts toward improved data quality.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Fully Implemented

60-Day Agency Response

DDS is implementing this recommendation. As previously reported, IRIS was installed at all developmental centers in the latter part of 2012 and the Department continues to refine the use of IRIS. For example, the Reporting and Notification of Incidents and Unusual Occurrences Policy was finalized and distributed in May 2013, which expanded the criteria for types of incidents to be reported along with definitions. The tools used by staff for entering the incident data into the system are being adjusted accordingly and data is being reviewed for accuracy and compliance with the new policy. Additionally, on May 14, 2013 the Deputy Director of the Developmental Centers Division provided direction to all the developmental centers requiring standardized use of the data fields within the IRIS.

Although developmental center employees have received initial training on the use of IRIS, retraining continues to be provided to employees individually and collectively as needed to ensure consistency and accuracy of the data.

Entries into IRIS are reviewed daily by the Developmental Centers Division staff with immediate feedback provided to the facilities when corrections are necessary.

Following a DC Leadership meeting in July 2013 to review the IRIS implementation, the Department worked with the system developer (Therap) in August 2013 to further customize an input form that will provide for more standardization in the reporting. This modification is expected to be completed in October 2013 with staff training to follow.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2012-107

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.