Report 2016-126 Recommendation 5 Responses
Report 2016-126: California Department of Social Services: Its Caregiver Background Check Bureau Lacks Criminal History Information It Needs to Protect Vulnerable Populations in Licensed Care Facilities (Release Date: March 2017)
Recommendation #5 To: Social Services, Department of
To ensure that it more effectively shares, receives, and uses administrative action information, Social Services should develop and maintain a centralized database containing its own administrative actions and those received from other state departments, in order to share this information among these departments as required by state law. Social Services should seek funding if it believes additional resources are necessary.
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2020
CDSS, Department of Health Care Services, Emergency Medical Services Authority, Department of Aging, and Department of Public Health are sharing administrative action information by utilizing the Administrative Action Records System (AARS). The AARS screen shot to support implementation will be submitted to CSA via email.
- Completion Date: June 2019
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2019
Department of Social Services (CDSS), Department of Health Care Services, Emergency Medical Services Authority, Department of Aging, and Department of Public Health are sharing administrative action information by utilizing the Administrative Action Records System (AARS).
- Completion Date: June 2019
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented
Social Services submitted no evidence demonstrating that the relevant departments are using its database to share administrative action information. Therefore, we continue to assess this recommendation as only partially implemented.
- Auditee did not substantiate its claim of full implementation
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2018
The AARS centralized database is still in development with an anticipated implementation date of June 2019. Per an executed agreement, data sharing currently occurs via a manual process between CDSS and Emergency Medical Services Authority, Department of Aging, Department of Public Health, and Department of Health Care Services as needed. Refer to the executed agreements attached.
- Estimated Completion Date: June 2019
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented
1-Year Agency Response
In order to share this information and comply with state law, resources have been redirected to create the centralized database Administrative Action Records System (AARS), which contains CDSS administrative actions and those received from other State departments. Although the information has been made available to Emergency Medical Services Authority, Department of Aging, Department of Public Health, and the counties, the AARS is currently in the development phase. Training has been developed and made available to the counties and Department of Aging, Department of Public Health, Emergency Medical Services Authority, and Department of Health Care Services.
- Estimated Completion Date: May 2018
- Response Date: March 2018
California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Partially Implemented
6-Month Agency Response
Due to unforeseen circumstances, progress on this item has been delayed. The Department and the four departments identified above are collaborating to finalize the Interagency Agreements by December 2017.
- Estimated Completion Date: December 2017
- Response Date: November 2017
California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending
60-Day Agency Response
The Department is expanding an existing database which will contain all administrative actions filed by the Departments of Public Health, Health Care Services and Aging, the Emergency Medical Services Authority, and all 58 counties. Once operational, the state departments and counties will be able to enter administrative action information, into the database, when the action is finalized. Additionally, authorized users, including authorized exemption analysts, will now have access to all administrative actions in the database.
The Department is providing the Interagency Agreement amendment language that requires actions to be shared as soon as finalized, and no later than five days after the end of the month the action becomes final to the other four state departments. In addition, the Department also will include language in the agreements to change the term of the agreements to indefinite.
- Estimated Completion Date: September 2017
- Response Date: May 2017
California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending
All Recommendations in 2016-126
Agency responses received are posted verbatim.