Finding 518969 (2019-001)

Significant Deficiency Repeat Finding
Requirement
L
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2020
Accepted
2025-01-13

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The Organization is struggling to deliver timely financial reports to funding sources, which is essential for effective oversight.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with the State of Rhode Island and Federal regulations mandates financial audits within nine months of the fiscal year-end.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Ensure clear communication of reporting responsibilities among subcontractors to meet audit deadlines and compliance standards.

Finding Text

Statement of condition: The Organization has been challenged in recent years to provide for the timely reporting of financial activities to its funding sources; particularly the financial statement audit and major Federal program compliance in accordance with the Federal Single Audit Act. Timely financial reporting is a critical internal control feature for the Board and management to provide for prudent oversight of program operations. Further, many of the Organization’s grants and contracts have accountability to an approved budget from the funding source. Criteria: The State of Rhode Island, Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals as well as the Federal 45 CFR 75 Subpart F, require financial and programmatic compliance reporting via an external audit within nine (9) months of the fiscal year-end. Cause of condition: There was a lack of clarity among the subcontractors regarding the reporting responsibilities for grant activities for the funding agencies. Effect of condition and context: Non-compliance with the State of Rhode Island, Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals and the Federal 45 CFR 75 Subpart F reporting requirements. Recommendation: We recommend the Organization provide for timely audited financial and program compliance reporting consistent with the State of Rhode Island, Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals as well as the Federal 45 CFR 75 Subpart F.

Corrective Action Plan

We agree with the recommendation and understand the required compliance responsibility to provide audited financial statements and major Federal program compliance reporting timely each fiscal year in accordance with the Federal Single Audit Act. Because of past misunderstandings and incorrect assumptions about major Federal program compliance requirements for fiscal 2019 and 2020, management failed to provide for timely audits. One critical assumption was that the Organization’s subrecipient, responsible for over ninety percent (90%) of grant distributions, fulfilled the audit requirement for the required Federal grant reporting under the Single Audit Act. However, upon recognizing this error, the Organization promptly engaged for the financial statement and major Federal program compliance audits spanning multiple years including up to last fiscal year and is on track to provide for timely filing with the current year.

Categories

Internal Control / Segregation of Duties Reporting

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1095411 2019-001
    Significant Deficiency Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
93.788 Opioid Str $1.61M
93.959 Block Grants for Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse $1.04M
93.958 Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services $576,251