Reducing Agency Risk

• Lacks adequate staff supervision – agencies need to consider what their staffing ratios are and whether they are adequate
• Failure to enforce staffing gaps/Staffing patterns – this needs to be a top priority both for the safety of the client and staff but also for the agency
• Hiring and background checks – these need to be completed diligently and qualified staff need to be hired
• Maintaining a “code of silence” – this first has to be acknowledged as existing and then addressed openly
• Agency policy and state statute conflict – agencies and staff need to review policy and statutes routinely
• Agency policy includes only managers reporting to APS – Policies must not be in conflict with state statue and it must be clear that those who are mandatory reporters are encouraged and supported when filing reports of harm
• Lack of training – at a minimum vulnerable adult abuse training must be conducted annually
• Different outcome measures – Agencies need to ask:  What is the agencies expectation for care, is it realistic and are you able to be flexible enough to change those expectations if care needs and safety are a concern?
• Agency support when staff are conflicted about filing a Report of Harm – An agency could create or identify a standard practice for mandatory reporting so that staff can go to a supervisor or peer to seek help, support or assistance.
• Not having a system in place to work through a dilemma about a client – Agencies can create a standard plan for solving a dilemma teach it, practice it and post it throughout the agency.
• Language used in different fields is often very different than your own and can create barriers to services and understanding – Teach staff what other systems of care use for their standard jargon for their field.  For example mental health field may refer to the population they serve as client’s or consumers where the healthcare field might say resident.  For the delivery of services they may have different terminology as well like disabled adults could reside in assisted living, group homes, foster care.
• There are differences in philosophy about how to care for vulnerable adults and how to intervene on their behalf – for example victim service providers goal is to empower the victim to make their own decisions verses in healthcare the standard has been that the medical model prevails where residents are told what they will do or take for medical conditions.