Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor will launch an audit of the operation and effectiveness of Mental Health and Drug & Alcohol programs within the Office of Behavioral Health in the Department of Human Services (DHS).
As part of the Controller’s commitment to ensuring that support systems for vulnerable communities are effective, this latest audit is meant to identify gaps in service, analyze program outcomes, and improve residents’ quality of life. The audit builds off O’Connor’s previous review of DHS’ homelessness programming, which revealed that millions of dollars in state funding were being diverted from behavioral health programs to provide services to homeless and housing insecure populations.
“The range of critical needs of our most vulnerable residents must be addressed as effectively as possible with the resources we have, and our audits provide valuable insight into where performance can be improved and where identifying more resources is truly necessary,” O’Connor said. “When we see these serious needs in our community, every dollar has to count.”
The audit will assess compliance with regulations and policies, practices surrounding service providers, staffing vacancies and provider monitoring, and program outcomes and effectiveness.
To ensure that these programs are delivering real results for residents, auditors will: review the process of obtaining Behavioral Health services, and how DHS documents these services and receives reimbursement; examine how DHS assigns individuals receiving services to contracted providers and if waitlists exist for these services; evaluate DHS’ processes to coordinate assistance for individuals requiring multiple services from providers; and gauge whether DHS maintains proper staffing for efficient delivery of services.
“I’ve focused the auditing capabilities of my office on ensuring that our resources are assisting the most people to the greatest benefit possible. Behavioral health challenges, including mental health needs and addiction, impact people’s ability to secure housing and employment, and support their families,” O’Connor said. “These challenges can lead to unnecessary and costly interaction with the justice system. If we can provide impactful services on the front end, future intervention can be avoided, and lives can be saved.”