"Management concurs with this finding and appreciates the opportunity to provide additional context regarding the circumstances that contributed to the delayed audit reporting. During the audit period, Ability1st experienced an unprecedented transition in its financial management infrastructure. The...
"Management concurs with this finding and appreciates the opportunity to provide additional context regarding the circumstances that contributed to the delayed audit reporting. During the audit period, Ability1st experienced an unprecedented transition in its financial management infrastructure. The Organization unexpectedly lost its long-term accounting support, engaged multiple accounting providers during the transition period, and ultimately retained a new accounting firm while simultaneously completing two fiscal years of audit activity. Despite these significant administrative challenges, the Organization continued uninterrupted delivery of critical independent living, housing, mental health, disaster recovery, youth transition, and accessibility services throughout its seven-county service area. Staff remained focused on meeting contractual obligations and serving individuals with disabilities while rebuilding financial systems. Since that time, Ability1st has implemented substantial improvements, including: • engaging a permanent external accounting firm; • strengthening month-end closing procedures; • improving reconciliations and financial reporting; • establishing regular fiscal monitoring meetings; • improving coordination among management, accounting personnel, and auditors; • developing standardized financial schedules for grant reporting; • improving documentation supporting accounting transactions; and • implementing earlier audit preparation timelines. Management believes these improvements have significantly strengthened the Organization's financial reporting process and will greatly improve future compliance with federal reporting deadlines. Responsible Official: Executive Director Implementation Date: Substantially complete; ongoing monitoring throughout FY2026 and beyond."