AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

2005 BH "Dear Provider" Letters

September 16, 2005

ADSA: BH #2005-013
IDR PILOT PROJECT UPDATE & PROCESS CONTINUATION

Dear Boarding Home Provider:

This is an update on the Centralized Informal Dispute Resolution (IDR) Pilot Project that ran from February 2004 through May 2005. The project introduced several new aspects, such as resident and Ombudsman participation in the IDR process.

• There were 143 boarding home IDRs as part of the pilot project, with a total of 451 participants in those IDRs, identified as follows: 67% providers, 18% residents or resident representatives, 13% ombudsmen, and 2% “other” participant type.
• Over half of the IDRs were conducted by phone, although 42% of the participants were involved in a face-to-face IDR.
• 72% percent of the IDRs resulted in some type of change, such as changing the wording in a Statement of Deficiencies, changing the WAC cited, deleting a WAC citation, deleting an example, or changing the enforcement action.
• There was an average of 8 days between the date the IDR was requested and the date the IDR was held. This excludes those IDRs that were delayed due to provider request, which averaged 29 days between the date that the IDR was requested and the date it was held.
• There were 14 days on average between the date of the IDR and the date the provider was called with the IDR decision.

Participants in the centralized process were queried about their experience with the centralized process via a postcard survey about their experience with the new process. Over half of the IDR participants completed the postcard survey. The participants provided positive feedback about the process:

• 95% indicated they were given sufficient opportunity to present the information that they felt was important for RCS to consider (whereas 3% disagreed with this statement);
• 62% indicated that they received useful information during the IDR to help them comply with or better understand the boarding home licensing requirements (7% disagreed);
• 51% indicated that they received useful information after the IDR to help them comply with or better understand the boarding home licensing requirements (13% disagreed);
• 95% indicated they were satisfied with their method of participation (telephone, face-to-face, or record review) (1% disagreed);
• 80% indicated that they were satisfied with this IDR process (14% disagreed);

For those who participated in the previous, decentralized IDR process:

• 78% indicated that the centralized process provided improvements in timeliness;
• 72% indicated that the centralized process provided improvements in compliance with or understanding of the boarding home licensing regulations.

Residents and the Ombudsman also provided positive feedback based on their involvement with the new process.

Because of the positive feedback about regarding this process, the centralized IDR Pilot Project will continue through May 31, 2006. Dahl Kim will serve as the IDR Project Manager during this period of time.

The pilot project applies only to the boarding home IDRs. The provider must request the IDR within ten (10) working days of the receipt of the statement of deficiencies. Effective immediately, requests for IDRs should be sent to:

Dahl Kim, IDR Project Manager

Residential Care Services
PO Box 45600
Olympia, WA 98504-5600

Boarding home IDRs may be held face-to-face, by telephone, or be based solely on a record/documentation review. The provider will have the option of which type of IDR meeting they would prefer. Given budgetary limitations, face-to-face IDR's must be held at RCS headquarters in Lacey, Washington.

The IDR process does not replace or stop the formal process for enforcement actions. It is designed to promote the resolution of disagreements during the inspection process and immediately following the receipt of the statement of deficiencies so that the need for formal and protracted disputes might be avoided or reduced.

For additional information regarding the focus of the centralized BH IDR Pilot Project , please refer to provider letter ADSA: BH #2004-002. To view the centralized IDR Process, visit our website at http://www.adsa.dshs.wa.gov/Professional/bh.htm, and select “IDR Process”.

We appreciate the feedback received from those who participated in this pilot project. If you have questions regarding the Informal Dispute Resolution Pilot Process, contact Dahl Kim, IDR Project Manager, at (360) 725-2348.

Sincerely,

Joyce Pashley Stockwell, Director
Residential Care Services