Finding 539530 (2024-002)

Program(s) Affected AL #93.558, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and CFS-23-8711B, Family Visitation Program, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, pass-through Maine Department of Health and Human Services, agreement period October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2024. Criteria Under the CFS-23-8711B contract, the Organization must ensure the first visit occurs within seven calendar days of referral, assign a Visit Support Worker (VSW) to the family within three business days of referral, and notes must be entered within five business days of the visit. Condition and Context Of the 40 selections made from a nonstatistical sample, the following did not have auditable documentation to support the completion of certain steps in line with the contract timeline. Our testing identified: 13 of 40 selections did not have evidence of the first visit occurring within seven calendar days of the referral date. 7 of 40 did not have evidence of having a VSW assigned within three business days of the referral date. 7 of 40 selections did not have evidence of visit notes being entered within five business days of the occurrence. Questioned Costs N/A Cause and Effect While the client and grantor have been transparent about the noted limitations, the cause of the finding was due to a significant workforce shortage and availability of resources to support the contract. This resulted in this program not complying with the contract terms. Repeat Finding? Yes, Finding 2023-003, 2022-002, 2021-003. Recommendation In addition to addressing the workforce shortage, we recommend the Organization institute procedures, such as a tracking system, to ensure staff are appropriately addressing the contract requirements on a timely basis. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions Management agrees with finding. See attached Planned Corrective Actions.