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Investigations Unit (IU)

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Our Investigations Unit (IU) looks into allegations of abuse and neglect involving people with disabilities. The victims may be children, adults or elders with a disability of any type, including developmental, psychiatric, physical, and traumatic brain injury. The IU investigates incidents occurring in any imaginable setting, from abuse in large state institutions to public schools to incidents occurring in a private residence, if the individuals receive disability-related services there.

Areas of focus include:

1. Abuse or neglect occurring in institutions or facilities including hospitals, state run institutions, skilled nursing facilities, licensed residential care facilities, and jails, prisons, and other correctional institutions;
2. Abuse or neglect occurring in community settings including schools, day programs and vocational training settings, unlicensed facilities and community living arrangements, and out in the community;
3. Excessive or inappropriate restraint or seclusion,
4. Failure of responsible agencies to recognize or respond timely to reports of abuse or neglect and take prompt action to address the incident and prevent future occurrences.

Based on the outcome of an investigation, the IU develops and implements public policy initiatives to prevent similar incidents in the future. This may involve:

• issuing a report to publicize a problem,
• working directly with involved entities and oversight agencies to address the issue and
• developing corrective action to prevent similar occurrence, or drafting legislation in areas where protections do not yet exist.

How can I report abuse?

People with disabilities are given special protections when they have been abused, neglected or targeted for a crime because of their disability.

If you see or hear of an incident of abuse or neglect involving an elder or someone whose disability limits his or her ability to carry out normal activities or to protect his or her rights (including yourself), you can and should notify to appropriate authorities.

If the abuse or neglect occurred in the community, such as in a home, or at a hotel, hospital, clinic or training program, you should contact:

• The local police department or sheriff’s department or 911.

And also contact:

• The Adult Protective Services (APS) agency in the county where the incident occurred.

If the abuse or neglect occurred a facility, such as a group home, a nursing home, or residential facility (like assisted living or board and care home), you should contact:

• The local police department or sheriff’s department or 911.

And also contact:

• The county Long-Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO) or call the state LTCO crisis phone number at 1-800-231-4024

You may also report the incident on an abuse/neglect report form, also known as a SOC 341, and fax it to APS, the LTCO, or the local police or sheriff’s department.

Other state agencies that investigate incidents of abuse or neglect are state agencies responsible for licensing residential and health care facilities.

• The California Department of Public Health (DPH) licenses health facilities and investigates complaints of abuse, neglect and bad care. There are different district offices that oversee facilities by county.
• The California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing (CCL) investigates complaints of abuse, neglect and bad care and conditions in licensed community facilities, such as group homes and board care homes. Where you make a complaint depends on the type of facility.
• The California Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse (BMFEA) investigates and prosecutes abuse, neglect, and fraud in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. You can file a complaint with them by sending a written complaint by email or mail or calling their hotline.

If you are interested in knowing more about our investigations, click here to see our publications.

Media Coverage

• ABC News San Francisco interviews DRC investigator in its story about pervasive, systemic problems at Sonoma Developmental Center - On August 23, California Watch released details from the annual review of the Sonoma Developmental Center, revealing numerous problems including abuse, neglect and lack of safety seriously affecting the quality of care for the 531 residents with developmental disabilities. Leslie Morrison, head of DRC investigations, was among those interviewed about the dismaying findings. Watch the ABC7 news video here and read our press release here.
• More about taser assaults on residents of Sonoma Developmental Center: DRC investigator Leslie Morrison quoted. Read the Bay Citizen article here.
• Police force's sloppy investigations leave abuse of disabled unsolved, News10, 2/24/12

Other

• DRC testimony to March 13 Senate Human Services Committee hearing on "Law Enforcement Practices within the CA Developmental Centers" - In response to California Watch investigations of abuse of people living in the state developmental centers, Senator Carol Liu, chair of the Human Services Committee, called a hearing to review practices of the internal police force administered by the Office of Protective Services. Among presenters was Leslie Morrison, directing attorney of the DRC Investigations Unit, to testify about her just concluded review of selected issues and make some recommendations for change.