The state Legislative Auditor took a look at a domestic violence shelter's operations after a state agency expressed concerns about rent for shelters, cars used to transport survivors and food provided to survivors and their children.
The auditor provided several recommendations to improve operations, but the first was that the Department of Child and Family Services and Chez Hope work on their communication - and that DCFS provide clearer guidance to these agencies.
"Both DCFS and Chez Hope confirmed that domestic violence programs statewide vary significantly in their service delivery models. These differences include how shelter, food, transportation, and furniture are provided to survivors. There is also uncertainty about how beds should be defined within the shelter provided to survivors. Per discussions with DCFS, there does not appear to be a uniform method by which these services are required to be offered. Furthermore, it should be noted that Chez Hope receives funding from other Federal and State grants, as well as local funding, private grants, and donations. Therefore, restrictions on managing funds may vary depending on the source of the revenue used to make certain purchases," the report states.
Here's the LLA's summary of findings:
In this informational brief, advisors analyzed documentation related to concerns raised by the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) about Chez Hope, which provides services to domestic violence survivors. The analysis addressed seven DCFS concerns and recommendations were made for each. The operational areas analyzed for Chez Hope included: staffing levels, organization, and compensation; reasonableness of rent paid for facilities; purchase and operation of service vehicles; coordination of food assistance, including SNAP application support and providing food directly using other federal funds; lack of controls over purchases from vendors; accuracy of performance data related to services provided to survivors; and requests for increased funding and the relationship between funding levels and service expansion.
Another issue DCFS was concerned about was providing food to survivors and their families. State officials said many of the survivors were receiving food from the shelter when they already had SNAP.
Chez Hope officials said they're not allowed to ask survivors about their SNAP benefits because of a federal law that shelters can't require survivors to meet any conditions to access emergency shelter.
"DCFS and Chez Hope should work together to determine what activities are allowable under applicable laws and program regulations. They should clarify and agree on allowable methods of providing services, and, if necessary, consult legal counsel to ensure proper interpretation of the laws and regulations governing program operations. This alignment will help prevent misunderstandings and ensure that services are provided in compliance with funding requirements," the LLA recommended.
Here's the full report, so you can read it for yourself:
