A new report this week commissioned by the Arizona Auditor General found that Arizona’s Adult Protective Services system was not adequately protecting vulnerable adults from abuse and neglect.
Arizona Auditor General: Examining the Delivery of Services to Vulnerable Adults in AZ Protective Service System
The report found AZ’s system “lacked direction” and conducts lengthy investigations that result in rates of substantiating abuse, neglect and exploitation that are “well below” national levels. For example, during the study period (during the Ducey Administration) APS substantiated less than 1% of reports of abuse and neglect compared with national substantiation rates of between 29% and 33%.
The report suggests it’s not just poor leadership and accountability that led to the scathing results in the report. Staffing levels appear to be one of the root causes. APS caseworkers handled an average of 58 cases per caseworker in fiscal year 2022 compared with best-practice standards of 25/caseworker.
Arizona’s system of protecting vulnerable adults lacking
The report calls for an independent evaluation of the APS investigation process to help determine the causes of the low substantiation rates and poor-quality investigations.
One encouraging note is that ADES didn’t dispute the findings – the standard practice during the previous administration. That suggests the new agency leadership is interested in fixing things – or at least admits that the shortcomings exist.
The ineffectiveness of the APS system during the prior administration is a huge public health problem because when follow-up of complaints is slipshod, and staff is under-resourced, vulnerable adults end up staying in dangerous and neglectful environments.
