More Charges Against Colorado Department of Human Services Management; No Surprise to NFBCO
By: Kevan Worley
The latest series
of articles in the Denver Post detailing a growing chorus of dissatisfied
voices from members of the public and General Assembly over Department of Human
Services mismanagement brings us no pleasure, neither is it a revelation. Last
week in this Blind Coloradan blog post, we cataloged our effort to bring about
systemic change in culture, funding, and meaningful service delivery at the
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, overseen by the Department of Human
Services. Before going to the General Assembly with our substantiated and substantial
list of grievances we met with numerous officials of the Hickenlooper
administration. Although not mentioned specifically in the Denver Post piece I
have chosen to print below, lack of service delivery and employee
dissatisfaction at the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation has been one more
failure of Director Reggie Bicha’s department.
On March 7, 2014, a
delegation of leaders from the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado met
with Director Bicha, as well as Viki Manley and Joelle Brouner of his team. We
were cordial, concise, and clear. We were given a one hour audience and it was
evident that we were being hustled with the bureaucratic shuffle. In the face
of the department’s numerous egregious violations of Federal and State laws,
unsatisfactory audit conclusions, and a wait list of Colorado citizens with disabilities
eligible for services approaching 7,000, we were there to offer our knowledge,
experience, and solutions. In return, we were treated to excuses, denials, and
platitudes.
Last spring, we
took our serious concerns and our offers to be of help to key officials within
the Governor’s highest echelon. They acted very interested. They were quick to
return our calls and agree to dialog. But, within days these very highly placed
officials told us that they had met with Reggie Bicha and most of our concerns
were unfounded or without merit.
As previously
detailed, the Joint Budget Committee has agreed with us that immediate change
is necessary. The General Assembly has agreed to take an unprecedented look at
services for Colorado’s citizens who are blind. And now, others who have borne
the brunt of the DHHS callous, unyielding bureaucracy have joined us in our
quest for compassion and accountability. Make no mistake, it gives us no
pleasure to say, we told you so. Too many people have been hurt. The
contributions of countless DVR employees have gone unrecognized and devalued.
Federal funds have been squandered. Jobs have gone unfilled by people with
disabilities. Who knows how many blind people have simply gone home to the
rocking chair rather than face the continued battle to be taken seriously. Who
knows how many Colorado residents who happen to be blind or have other
significant disabilities have been denied the kind of quality empowering
training that would have changed their lives. The fact that other advocates,
the media, and legislators have come to realize what we have known brings us no
joy or opportunity to gloat. It does give us an opportunity to say to all who
will listen, the National Federation of the Blind has subject matter experts.
Our philosophy of blindness and rehabilitation has been proven out over
generations. We do not go off half-cocked, looking for red herrings, or causing
trouble for the sake of trouble causing. We are caring, well-informed
advocates. We represent a significant constituency. We will not go away. We
seek mutual respect and partnership in order to bring equality of opportunity
through training and employment. Everyday, we work to raise expectations
because we know that it is the low expectations which all too often stand
between blind people and a bright future. We don’t always get it right, but we
often do. Those who work with us will often find that they get it right too. We
simply ask and occasionally we have to demand that public officials take us
with the seriousness we deserve. When they do, great things happen. When they
don’t, opportunities are lost. Below, please find the text of one of the Denver
Post articles from Wednesday, May 13.
Colorado lawmakers demand Hickenlooper make changes at Human Services
Nearly 90 of the
state's 100 lawmakers signed a letter delivered to Gov. John Hickenlooper this
week saying they have lost confidence in the leadership of the human services
department, requesting he replace top-level staff or correct the management
problem.
The letter addresses "numerous accounts of
disturbing issues" within the department that oversees child welfare,
youth prisons and mental institutions, including alleged abuse of people with
disabilities and overmedication of the state's
foster children.
"Most recently, these accounts have increased
dramatically, now coming directly from our constituents, some having reached
the public media outlets, with no word from the department or your
office," says the two-page letter, which precedes 86 signatures.
It says lawmakers also are concerned about a
"pervasive hostile work environment" at the human services
department, including a "driven-from-the-top culture of fear, retaliation,
secrecy and self-protectionism."
The letter comes after a tumultuous year for the
department and executive director Reggie Bicha, who clashed with lawmakers over
a youth prisons funding request
one legislator called "deceitful" and a bill to give independence to the
ombudsman who
investigates the handling of child abuse and neglect cases.
"Please know I take all concerns seriously,"
Bicha said in a statement. "I have worked my entire life to make the lives
of families and children better — a goal I know is also motivating those who
signed this letter."
The Denver Post, which requested the letter Monday
night, received it from the governor's office Wednesday afternoon. The delay
occurred because release of the letter required review by the governor's legal
division as a matter of procedure, spokeswoman Kathy Green said.
The governor and staff were surprised by the letter
because "many of the issues had not been raised" during weekly meetings
with legislative leadership, Green said. In contrast, the letter states
lawmakers requested meetings with the governor to talk about the problems but
were denied or ignored.
"Therefore, with the health and welfare of
thousands of Colorado citizens at risk, the legislators signed below are asking
for your formal accountability and stewardship in correcting or replacing the
highest levels of leadership within the Colorado Department of Human Services,
in whom we have lost confidence," it states.
The letter, dated May 4 but delivered to Hickenlooper on
Monday, does not mention Bicha by name. Hickenlooper hired Bicha from
Wisconsin, where he headed the department of children and families, soon after
he was elected in 2011.
Green said Bicha "has addressed or is currently
addressing each of the concerns raised.
"That said, we take the letter very seriously and
intend to review and provide the full context that the people of Colorado
deserve. Our priority has been, and continues to be the health and welfare of
our residents."
Bicha said he had "brought a number of the issues
noted in the letter to the attention of lawmakers and have worked
collaboratively in addressing them."
Sen. Lucia Guzman, a Denver Democrat who signed the
letter, said lawmakers have been concerned in the past two years about problems
within the department that surfaced during state audits and legislative
committee hearings. Lawmakers who signed it also are concerned about allegations of abuse reported
last month at the Pueblo Regional Center, which treats
people with developmental disabilities.
"There was concern about problems that continued to
arise in the department, which is responsible for the health and well-being of
the most vulnerable people," Guzman said.
Sen. Kevin Lundberg, a Berthoud Republican who signed
the letter, said he is fed up with the department's "intimidation"
and "heavy-handed politics" when dealing with day care and child treatment
facilities it licenses. The senator said constituents
working with him on past legislation have backed away because the pressure from
the department was too strong.
"We've been very frustrated with just the general
tone," he said. "What I have experienced through the years is an
atmosphere of intimidation." He said the letter was initiated by Democrats
but he signed it "quite willingly."
The purpose of the letter, which its authors originally
intended to keep quiet, was to inform the governor of dealings between the
legislature and the department.
In January, Bicha took heat from the budget committee
regarding a request for additional guards for youth prisons. The department had
asked state budget writers in December for $6 million to add 125 guards, but
Bicha made no mention that the agency already started hiring in November.
The lawmakers didn't learn about the 53 hires until
January, when the department, which oversees the Division of Youth Corrections,
asked for an extra $1.2 million this year to pay the new guards.
Sen. Pat Steadman, a Denver Democrat on the budget
committee, questioned then whether the department's initial request for extra
hires was "purposefully deceitful."
"These plans didn't happen overnight,"
Steadman said after concerns led the committee to unanimously reject the
request for additional money. "And to keep it a secret ... just really
seems like poor form."
Sen. Kent Lambert, the committee chairman, said the
agency's transparency problems are not new.
"Transparency, (it) appears to me, is what's needed
here," the Colorado Springs Republican said in January.
On Wednesday, Lambert said he added his name to the
letter because of multiple concerns about the department's leadership and
middle management.
"There is so much going on in that department, and
it seems it's in every division," he said. "It's just one bad audit
after another."
Sen. Rollie Heath, a Boulder Democrat and one of 14
lawmakers who did not sign the letter, said he does not regularly deal with the
department or Bicha and didn't have "any personal knowledge of all of
this."
Human services department leaders also battled with
lawmakers this session over a bill to give the child welfare watchdog
independence from the department.
A compromise bill to
move the ombudsman to the state judicial branch is awaiting the governor's
signature.
My son and I experienced their ineptitude for almost three horrific years in Larimer County. I, unbelievably, was told by my own court appointed legal rep that because I was appearing in Larimer County kiddie court, the rights afforded me as an American no longer applied. I would be denied the right to question my accusers in court. It only got more appalling and surreal from there. I'll share the whole nightmare if it will help bring those bullies down!
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