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While Maggie Brooks has been busy alleging that CDR is the target of Medicaid Fraud investigations by the Attorney General, her own Probations department, which was part of the investigation, has issued a letter to CDR announcing the conviction of two attendants and indicating that CDR was the “victim” of the fraud, not the perpetrator. (See documents at www.cdrnys.org)
When faced with the reality that Maggie Brooks’ left hand has not met the right hand, Maggie’s spin doctors had to start getting creative. According to the Democrat and Chronicle: County spokesman Noah Lebowitz said even if CDR was victimized by the attendants, “it clearly shows they failed to properly screen and manage their employees. We hold them responsible for the action of those employees. They refuse to take responsibility for that.”(D&C August 19, 2010 – see below)
This convenient misunderstanding of what a consumer directed program is comes to you DESPITE the accurate information available on Monroe County’s website:
“Recipients have flexibility and freedom in choosing their caregivers. The consumer or the person acting on the consumer’s behalf (such as the parent of a disabled or chronically ill child) assumes full responsibility for hiring, training, supervising, and – if need be – terminating the employment of persons providing the services.” http://www.monroecounty.gov/hs-assistance.php
But wait, it gets better. What (Spin) Dr. Lebowitz is suggesting is that if one employee is guilty of a crime, obviously, the entire organization is corrupt and should be closed down. I wonder if Maggie Brooks has ever experienced anything similar. Oh, wait… there was that whole Robutrad scandal last summer. Maybe there’s a comparable situation?
Maggie Brooks in the Democrat and Chronicle about Robutrad: “We’re talking about one county employee throughout this investigation and that is Bob Morone.” Maggie seems to have a very different perspective on the connection between crimes of her staff and the crimes of attendants (who the County’s website recognizes are actually not supervised by CDR, but the consumers enrolled in the program).
What’s that you say, Maggie’s hypocrisy can’t get worse? Wait, there’s more!
From the Messenger Post regarding Robutrad scandal:
“Brooks, however, would not decisively say the Robutrad group should have been disciplined for visiting strip clubs and drinking alcohol while being paid by the county. “At the time, we were gathering the facts,” said Brooks.”
Maggie wouldn’t even say that Robutrad workers, being paid by Monroe County, should get disciplined for going to strip clubs while being paid by Monroe County!
Thanks for reading,
Two attendants in the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program administered by the Center for Disability Rights recently were convicted of petit larceny for submitting time sheets that falsely claimed they provided care.
Roy E. Hedman, 42, of Clairmount Street, and Louis R. Smith, 74, of Reynolds Street, were convicted Aug. 5 in Monroe County Court before Judge Stephen T. Miller.
CDR made the convictions public Wednesday in a news release, which included letters from Monroe County Office of Probation — Community Corrections that called CDR a victim in the case and e-mails between the agency and the county that CDR said showed its cooperation in the case.
County spokesman Noah Lebowitz said even if CDR was victimized by the attendants, “it clearly shows they failed to properly screen and manage their employees. We hold them responsible for the action of those employees. They refuse to take responsibility for that.”
Darling said that CDR is a fiscal intermediary. Its job was to handle payroll, billing and personnel files for the attendants who were hired and trained by clients who managed their own services, he said. Darling pointed out wording in the letter from probation office. “The agency itself is named as a victim.”
CDR and the county have been at odds since July, when the county ended the agency’s contract to administer the CDPAP program. CDR has disputed county claims about “widespread lapses in client care.” CDR has taken the county to court over the contract, and a hearing is scheduled for Monday.
According to a felony complaint against the defendants, Smith received $3,410.55 and Hedman received $2,826 in wages to which they were not entitled. The complaint said that from on or about July 31, 2007, to on or about July 16, 2008, the men claimed they provided home care services to a Medicaid recipient when the individual actually was hospitalized.
According to the Office of the Attorney General, the state had paid CDR $11,964.76 as a result of the false claims. CDR must repay that money.
Sentencing for Smith and Hedman was scheduled for Sept. 30. Darling said the agency would be asking for restitution.
PSINGER@DemocratandChronicle.com