Morano asks Boyd about unmet clinical recommendations and PACE waits
Morano asks whether unmet CHS recommendations for higher care are tracked and published. Boyd says placement concerns are discussed with CHS, and Caputo says CHS knows bed availability when making recommendations and that DOC does not reject higher-care placements.
Deputy Commissioner Boyd, obviously you're responsible for quality assurance and compliance.
If CHS recommends a higher level of care and Department of Corrections can't provide the bed, is that recorded somewhere as an unmet clinical recommendation?
And if it is, do you publish that number?
I think if there is a concern regarding the placement, then that's where we'll have that conversation.
If it's a concern about the safety of individuals where the requested placement for these individuals should go to, then we're having that conversation with CHS to see if they could be placed somewhere else.
And so if there's really serious concerns about...
A challenging detainee who might need to be placed in PACE or another unit, and we think they might be a threat to the safety of other folks in that particular housing unit, then that's a conversation with CHS to see if they could be placed somewhere else and still receive
the same level of care.
I don't know if that answers your question.
I think it does in part.
I guess what I'm wondering is if there's specific data available about people that are being recommended for a higher level of care when we don't have the resources for that bed.
And I'm wondering what that number is.
So, good morning, everyone.
Morning.
I'm Joseph Caputo.
I'm the Assistant Chief of the Criminal Justice Bureau on Facility Operations.
So, in reference to your question, we are partners with CHS.
CHS is aware of the number of beds that are available when they make the placement recommendations.
So, like it was alluded to as far as the PACE unit, that there is individuals that they're tracking based upon space and ensuring that they meet their clinical needs while they're pending that bed.
We are not.
rejecting people that need a higher level of care in the mental health, especially in that mental health population aspect of things.
And we're partners with CHS in making the affecting the placements.
And they're aware of the number of beds when they make those recommendations.