<\/p>\n
DENVER \u2013 Colorado lawmakers are frustrated with the response from human services officials after the majority of the Legislature sent a letter of no-confidence earlier this month.<\/p>\n
Several lawmakers who organized the letter to Gov. John Hickenlooper, and who were early supporters of the communication, worry that the Department of Human Services is missing the point. That point, they say, was to highlight systemic failures in the hopes of spurring a change in leadership and direction.<\/p>\n
The department\u2019s embattled leader, Reggie Bicha, said on Tuesday that he believes he is capable of continuing to oversee the massive and complicated department, and he has the support of his boss, Hickenlooper.<\/p>\n
Only a day after their first public remarks on the subject since the letter was drafted May 4, a report by The Denver Post highlighted ongoing problems within the department, this time focused on possibly having to repay the federal government nearly $1 million after the department spent money on a food-assistance program without receiving federal approval. The state is appealing the order and negotiating the total amount.<\/p>\n
Eighty-four of the Legislature\u2019s 100 lawmakers signed the rare bipartisan letter of no-confidence, pointing to \u201cnumerous accounts of disturbing issues\u201d over the last 18 months.<\/p>\n
Alicia Caldwell, spokeswoman for the Department of Human Services, said the letter highlighted only isolated incidents, including allegations of \u201cphysical abuse, verbal abuse and unwanted sexual contact\u201d at the Pueblo Regional Center, not within the entire child-welfare, mental-health, youth-incarceration and developmental-disabilities systems.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt raises concerns about physical, verbal and sexual abuse within the Pueblo Regional Center \u2013 one facility \u2013 not four major systems run by CDHS,\u201d Caldwell said.<\/p>\n
But the letter also references lack of oversight by the state over county-delivered human services, which is \u201cencroaching on the safety of children,\u201d according to lawmakers. Children in the Denver Human Services system died without the state taking action against the county, according to the letter. Critics of the department say this highlights more systemic issues.<\/p>\n
Earlier state audits \u2013 including one from October 2014 \u2013 pointed to deficiencies with investigations conducted by the department, with many of those concerns playing out during hearings this year in the Legislature. Lawmakers raised questions concerning oversight of screening and assessing child abuse and neglect allegations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose were specific examples, but they were examples. They were not intended to minimize the scope of some of these problems that we\u2019ve already identified,\u201d Sen. Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs, who signed the letter and investigated many of the issues as chairman of the Joint Budget Committee, said of the intent of the scathing dispatch. \u201cThe problems go back years.\u201d<\/p>\n
The department\u2019s response worries Sen. Pat Steadman, D-Denver, an early signer of the letter.<\/p>\n
\u201cI realize it was a litany of isolated events, but the point wasn\u2019t to look at them in isolation,\u201d Steadman said. \u201cI\u2019m watching \u2026 something needs to be done, to draw a line here and say, \u2018Enough is enough, let\u2019s get this under control.\u2019 I\u2019d like to see evidence that that\u2019s happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sen. Leroy Garcia, D-Pueblo, an early signer of the letter, was stern, adding: \u201cAll the communications in the world with the Legislature isn\u2019t going to solve the challenges going on within the department right now. This is exactly the concern I have with the department \u2013 they are failing to recognize the importance of real problems coming forward.\u201d<\/p>\n