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Audit

Audit  Audit of the Department of Youth Services

The audit examined whether DYS caseworkers met with their assigned youths with a frequency and method that were in accordance with applicable policies, whether DYS assigned caseloads in accordance with the recommended caseload standards of the Child Welfare League of America, whether DYS administered a gang training program for its employees. The audit examined the period of July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019.

Organization: Office of the State Auditor
Date published: March 14, 2022

Executive Summary

In accordance with Section 12 of Chapter 11 of the Massachusetts General Laws, the Office of the State Auditor has conducted a performance audit of the Department of Youth Services (DYS) for the period July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019. The purpose of this audit was to determine whether DYS caseworkers met with their assigned youths with a frequency and method that were in accordance with applicable policies in the DYS Case Management Practice and Procedure Manual, whether DYS assigned caseloads in accordance with the recommended caseload standards of the Child Welfare League of America, whether DYS administered a gang training program for its employees in accordance with the United States Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s “Best Practices to Address Community Gang Problems,” and whether DYS prevented the reoccurrence of abuse and/or neglect of youths in its care or custody in accordance with Section 4.47 of Title 110 of the Code of Massachusetts Regulations.

Below is a summary of our findings and recommendations, with links to each page listed.

Finding 1
 

DYS had not established a maximum caseworker caseload threshold to monitor caseworkers’ caseloads.

Recommendation
 

DYS should establish written policies and procedures for assigning, managing, and monitoring caseworker caseloads that ensure that, to the extent possible, its caseworkers manage 12 to 15 cases at a time.

Finding 2
 

DYS did not always revoke terminated employees’ user access in its case management system in a timely manner.

Recommendation
 

DYS should amend its policies and procedures to require that its Human Resources Department notify the Executive Office of Health and Human Services’ Information Technology Department immediately when an employee has been terminated.

A PDF copy of the Audit of the Department of Youth Services is available here.

Table of Contents

Downloads

Open PDF file, 845.2 KB,  Audit of the Department of Youth Services (English, PDF 845.2 KB)

Contact

Phone

Main (617) 727-2075

Online

Auditor@MassAuditor.gov

Fax

(617) 727-3014

Address

Massachusetts State House
Room 230
Boston, MA 02133
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