Last year, the King County Auditor’s Office released a report showing the need for stronger financial oversight at the Department of Community & Human Services (DCHS). The report also detailed 10 recommendations for DCHS to implement to strengthen internal controls and stewardship of public dollars. Now, the department is making progress on the 10 recommendations, with nearly half completed.
“I’m proud of the progress DCHS has made. This is a testament to our commitment to being responsible stewards of public funds,” said Amber Green, DCHS Deputy Director. “DCHS is laying the groundwork for Better Government practices across the entire county.”
Among the 10 recommendations from the King County Auditor’s Office, DCHS has completed the following:
- Anti-fraud training, now countywide (Recommendation Three): In April, DCHS launched required anti-fraud training for all department staff. Leveraging that work, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay announced in August that approximately 4,000 executive branch employees are required to take a slightly modified version of DCHS’s training.
- Supporting providers (Recommendation Six): DCHS launched three training courses that give providers the knowledge and tools they need to successfully contract with King County. All three trainings are available in English and Spanish.
- Mitigating risks (Recommendation Four): DCHS conducted a risk assessment of the department’s hybrid payment model to help mitigate the risks of fraud and improper payments.
- Cross-departmental work (Recommendation Two): DCHS and Public Health — Seattle & King County worked together to identify and implement shared practices to improve financial oversight of organizations funded by both departments.
In December, the King County Auditor’s Office will publish an updated report that acknowledges this most recent progress. In April, the King County Auditor’s Office published a report stating DCHS “made significant progress on audit recommendations, improving training and awareness.”
DCHS continues to advance the other six recommendations. To learn more about DCHS’s work to strengthen financial stewardship, visit our webpage.