Report 2014-125 Recommendation 15 Responses

Report 2014-125: California Department of State Hospitals: It Could Increase the Consistency of Its Evaluations of Sex Offenders by Improving Its Assessment Protocol and Training (Release Date: March 2015)

Recommendation #15 To: State Hospitals, Department of

To reduce its backlog of annual evaluations at Coalinga and reduce the number of days these evaluations are overdue, State Hospitals should immediately determine the extent to which its evaluators who work at headquarters can provide assistance to Coalinga. To ensure that it does not develop a similar backlog in the future, State Hospitals should continue its efforts to hire evaluators sufficient to meet its workload.

6-Month Agency Response

DSH-Headquarters identified two (2) evaluators on May 1, 2015 to be temporarily assigned to assist DSH-Coalinga. Additionally, DSH-Coalinga is hiring seven (7) additional Consulting Psychologists and continues to explore options to hire contract evaluators to assist with the backlog as needed. DSH-Headquarters will continue to monitor its evaluator workload and provide assistance to DSH-Coalinga.

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

60-Day Agency Response

DSH-Coalinga continues its efforts to hire evaluators. While DSH-

Coalinga continues to explore options to hire contract evaluators to assist with the backlog; designated DSH-Headquarters evaluators will be made available to assist DSH-Coalinga. DSH-Headquarters has identified two (2) evaluators that have been temporarily assigned to assist DSH-Coalinga with the backlog. DSH-Headquarters will continue to monitor its evaluator workload and provide assistance to DSH-Coalinga.

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

All Recommendations in 2014-125

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.