MCB Does Not Have a Standard Method of Tracking Certain Aspects of Its Complaint-Resolution Process.

MCB did not have a system to track informal complaints it received from clients or constituents who may have been dissatisfied with services provided.

Overview

MCB does not track any complaints it receives from constituents, regarding dissatisfaction with its services or disagreements with decisions made by MCB staff members, that are resolved through MCB’s informal complaint-resolution process. MCB only tracks complaints that reach the RSA-mandated reporting level.⁶ Five of the six regional directors with whom we inquired stated that they documented informal complaints in the case notes in each consumer’s file. However, there is no formalized process to ensure that all complaints of this nature are properly recorded and addressed. Additionally, there is no central system to aggregate and monitor these complaints, so process deficiencies could go undetected. As a result, there is inadequate assurance that all complaints received by MCB regarding VR program dissatisfaction are tracked, reviewed, and properly addressed.

Authoritative Guidance

According to Section 1.01 of Title 111 of the Code of Massachusetts Regulations (CMR), the purpose of 111 CMR 1 is “to provide an orderly system for review of [MCB] action where applicants for or recipients of services are dissatisfied with delivery or denial of such services.” To meet the requirements of this regulation, MCB should have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all complaints received by the commission are properly addressed and documented.

Reasons for Noncompliance

According to MCB management, MCB does not maintain this information because it is only required to report complaints that reach the RSA-mandated reportable level. MCB management stated that the decision of how to record and resolve any complaints below that level rests with the caseworkers.

Recommendations

1. MCB should ensure that its staff members properly record all complaints, including informal ones, that it receives as well as the actions taken to address these complaints.
2. MCB should establish a way to centrally monitor this information to keep management aware of the nature of the complaints received and ensure that they have been sufficiently addressed in a timely manner.

Auditee’s Response

MCB agrees that although many of the complaints were solved and noted in the case notes, there was no formal tallying. MCB has built a spreadsheet with pertinent fields to track complaints and has issued a memo to VR staff on how to track service complaints using this central service complaints spreadsheet.

Auditor’s Reply

Based on its response, MCB is taking measures to address our concerns in this area.

6.    MCB must report requests for mediation and fair hearings, as well as judicial review filings, to RSA.

Date published:	March 28, 2019