Score: +8 (8/13/0)

Humboldt County Grand Jury • 2019-2020

BeHOLD: The Department of Mental Health’s Management of the Public Guardian Office and Patients’ Rights Advocate

Published: June 25, 2020 19 pages

View Original PDF

⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.

⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.

Findings and Recommendations 5 findings

The Public Guardian Office is understaffed. (R1, R2, R3) 16 Privacy and Security Training: Department of Health and Human Services: 8. 15

Related Recommendations (3)

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors ensure that adequate funding is budgeted for the hiring of an additional deputy public guardian. (F1, F2, F3)

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury recommends that the Department of Health and Human Services hire an additional (fourth) deputy public guardian in order to ensure the office can manage its caseloads. (F1, F2, F3)

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury recommends that the Department of Health and Human Services develop and implement a process to mitigate the effects of the increased workload on remaining staff when a staff member takes an extended leave. (F1, F2, F3, F4)

Mental Health, which administers the Public Guardian Office, did not take sufficient proactive measures to help the Public Guardian Office manage the increased caseload when a key staff member took extended leave. (R1, R2, R3)

Related Recommendations (3)

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors ensure that adequate funding is budgeted for the hiring of an additional deputy public guardian. (F1, F2, F3)

The present Public Guardians are unable to meet their obligations to clients adequately because they are burdened with inordinately high caseloads. (R1, R2, R3)

Related Recommendations (3)

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors ensure that adequate funding is budgeted for the hiring of an additional deputy public guardian. (F1, F2, F3)

The Humboldt County Memorandum Of Understanding with employees has language that restricts the replacement of employees when a full-time employee is out on prolonged medical leave. (R3)

Related Recommendations (1)

The Mental Health administration’s interpretations of confidentiality create obstacles that prevent the Patients’ Rights Advocate from serving clients’ needs despite the Advocate’s having signed a confidentiality agreement and having undergone the County’s annual HIPAA training. (R4, R5, R6, R7)

Related Recommendations (4)

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury recommends that Mental Health ensure that the Patients’ Rights Advocate have full access to patient information relative to their duties. (F5)

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury recommends that Mental Health ensure that the Patients’ Rights Advocate be provided with an unredacted census daily. (F5)

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury recommends that Mental Health ensure that the Patients’ Rights Advocate be provided unredacted denial-of-rights reports with patient information. (F5)

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury recommends that Mental Health welcome the Patients’ Rights Advocate to the entirety of Continuous Quality Improvement meetings without restrictions. (F5) 16

Agency Responses 5

Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.

Board of Supervisors

January 01, 2021 • 5 pages • 7 responses • Score: +1 (+1, 6, 0) View Details ▾

PDF

7 responses to findings and recommendations

The Public Guardian Office is understaffed. (R1, R2, R3) 16 Privacy and Security Training: Department of Health and Human Services: 8. 15

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The county partially agrees with the findings numbered F5. 3. The county disagrees with the findings F1, F2, F3, and F4.

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors ensure that adequate funding is budgeted for the hiring of an additional deputy public guardian. (F1, F2, F3)

Response: Will Implement

Score: +1

R1 will be implemented.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The county partially agrees with the findings numbered F5. 3. The county disagrees with the findings F1, F2, F3, and F4.

Response: Implemented

Score: 0

R2 has been implemented.

The present Public Guardians are unable to meet their obligations to clients adequately because they are burdened with inordinately high caseloads. (R1, R2, R3)

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The county partially agrees with the findings numbered F5. 3. The county disagrees with the findings F1, F2, F3, and F4.

The Humboldt County Memorandum Of Understanding with employees has language that restricts the replacement of employees when a full-time employee is out on prolonged medical leave. (R3)

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The county partially agrees with the findings numbered F5. 3. The county disagrees with the findings F1, F2, F3, and F4.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The county agrees with the findings numbered _____ 2. The county partially agrees with the findings numbered F5.

Board of Supervisors

September 29, 2020 • 3 pages • 12 responses View Details ▾

PDF

12 responses to findings and recommendations

The Public Guardian Office is understaffed. (R1, R2, R3) 16 Privacy and Security Training: Department of Health and Human Services: 8. 15

Response: Unknown Score: 0

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors ensure that adequate funding is budgeted for the hiring of an additional deputy public guardian. (F1, F2, F3)

Response: Unknown

Score: 0

Response: Unknown Score: 0

Response: Unknown

Score: 0

The present Public Guardians are unable to meet their obligations to clients adequately because they are burdened with inordinately high caseloads. (R1, R2, R3)

Response: Unknown Score: 0

Response: Unknown

Score: 0

The Humboldt County Memorandum Of Understanding with employees has language that restricts the replacement of employees when a full-time employee is out on prolonged medical leave. (R3)

Response: Unknown Score: 0

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury recommends that Mental Health ensure that the Patients’ Rights Advocate have full access to patient information relative to their duties. (F5)

Response: Unknown

Score: 0

Response: Unknown Score: 0

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury recommends that Mental Health ensure that the Patients’ Rights Advocate be provided with an unredacted census daily. (F5)

Response: Unknown

Score: 0

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury recommends that Mental Health ensure that the Patients’ Rights Advocate be provided unredacted denial-of-rights reports with patient information. (F5)

Response: Unknown

Score: 0

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury recommends that Mental Health welcome the Patients’ Rights Advocate to the entirety of Continuous Quality Improvement meetings without restrictions. (F5) 16

Response: Unknown

Score: 0

Board of Supervisors

August 25, 2020 • 4 pages • 5 responses • Score: +1 (+1, 4, 0) View Details ▾

PDF

5 responses to findings and recommendations

The Public Guardian Office is understaffed. (R1, R2, R3) 16 Privacy and Security Training: Department of Health and Human Services: 8. 15

Response: Agree Score: +1

The county agrees with the finding numbered F1.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The county agrees with the finding numbered F1. 2. The county partially agrees with the findings numbered F2, F3, and F4.

Response: Implemented

Score: 0

R2 has been implemented.

The present Public Guardians are unable to meet their obligations to clients adequately because they are burdened with inordinately high caseloads. (R1, R2, R3)

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The county agrees with the finding numbered F1. 2. The county partially agrees with the findings numbered F2, F3, and F4.

The Humboldt County Memorandum Of Understanding with employees has language that restricts the replacement of employees when a full-time employee is out on prolonged medical leave. (R3)

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The county agrees with the finding numbered F1. 2. The county partially agrees with the findings numbered F2, F3, and F4.

Board of Supervisors

August 25, 2020 • 5 pages • 3 responses • Score: 0 (+0, 2, 0) View Details ▾

PDF

3 responses to findings and recommendations

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The county partially agrees with the finding F5 and F7. 3. The county disagrees with the finding F2.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The county agrees with the findings numbered F6 an F8. 2. The county partially agrees with the finding F5 and F7.

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury recommends that Mental Health ensure that the Patients’ Rights Advocate be provided unredacted denial-of-rights reports with patient information. (F5)

Response: Unknown

Score: 0

R6 is in the process of being implemented.

Board of Supervisors

August 25, 2020 • 5 pages • 7 responses • Score: +6 (+6, 1, 0) View Details ▾

PDF

7 responses to findings and recommendations

The Public Guardian Office is understaffed. (R1, R2, R3) 16 Privacy and Security Training: Department of Health and Human Services: 8. 15

Response: Agree Score: +1

The county agrees with the findings numbered F1, and F3.

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors ensure that adequate funding is budgeted for the hiring of an additional deputy public guardian. (F1, F2, F3)

Response: Will Implement

Score: +1

R1, R2, R3 and R4 will be implemented.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The county partially agrees with the findings numbered F2.

Response: Will Implement

Score: +1

R2, R3 and R4 will be implemented.

The present Public Guardians are unable to meet their obligations to clients adequately because they are burdened with inordinately high caseloads. (R1, R2, R3)

Response: Agree Score: +1

The county agrees with the findings numbered F1, and F3.

Response: Will Implement

Score: +1

R3 and R4 will be implemented.

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury recommends that Mental Health ensure that the Patients’ Rights Advocate have full access to patient information relative to their duties. (F5)

Response: Will Implement

Score: +1

R4 will be implemented.

No Responses Found 1

Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.

Tri-City Mental Health Authority Jpa