Complaint Investigation Report

On the allegation: Staff do not ensure clients property is provided in a reasonable time. It was alleged that a client got admitted in May, and the family dropped off clients things the next morning. The reporting party stated that staff asked client if they wanted to go through their things, and client said yes because they wanted to shower and change. But later that day the client still hadn’t gotten their property. The reporting party claims that client even came up to ask for a jacket because client was cold and still hadn’t showered or changed since admission. Reporting party alleges clients “are left waiting way too long just to get basic stuff like clean clothes or a toothbrush…[clients] go almost a whole day or more without things they need to feel clean and comfortable.”

LPA reviewed all current client records and noted that all initial Personal Property and Valuable Forms were dated the same day as intake. The forms all had signatures and dates from the client the property belonged to. LPA interviewed available clients, four (4) total, three out of four clients stated that they got their personal items quickly, one claims it took a couple of hours and believes that staff could have processed it sooner, most clients stated that they observe clients to get personal property within a few hours, but expressed that they have seen processing time vary due to the intake hour such as meal time, group time, client appointments, and/or staffing that day. No clients interviewed stated it took more than a couple of hours. No clients stated that they have heard other clients complain about the turn-round time of property return.

LPA interviewed staff and administrator; all stated the expectation is to get items documented on the property form and return them to clients within a few hours and/or by the end of the shift that they arrived. LPA discussed with the administrator ideas for times where the turn around is not as quick, administrator agrees to discuss with staff ideas for being flexible when appropriate such as, if all property cannot be documented and returned right away, that they should ask clients if there is any item they need so that that item may be documented and the client can have that personal property sooner.

Based on interviews, observations, documentation, the allegations are deemed unsubstantiated at this time.