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DDS ombudsperson reports individual complaints rising; urges family advocacy during legislative session
Summary
Shannon Jacovino, DDS ombudsperson, told the council that complaints are individual but that some reflect systemic issues tied to increased community use of public settings and encouraged families to contact legislators about staffing and service gaps.
Shannon Jacovino, DDS ombudsperson, reported to the council that although the department’s complaints are recorded as individual instances, she believes some point to systemic problems as more community members use DDS public settings. "They're all individual complaints, but some of those complaints, I think, reflect some systemic issues," Jacovino said.
She said the department is seeing more families seeking help for placement after repeated hospitalizations, and she has connected some families with other systems and resources. Jacovino encouraged advocates to raise staffing concerns with legislators now that the legislative session has begun: "I would have that family be up there talking to legislators as much as possible," she said.
Council members described barriers families face—difficulty finding qualified clinicians for adults, workers’ compensation and liability issues that limit provider willingness to accept higher-acuity residents, and uneven sharing of registry information across agencies. Jacovino and others urged more communication and training for guardianship and residents’ rights.
The ombudsperson also thanked Nicole Milo for connecting families to community resources and noted staff will follow up to provide transcripts and other meeting materials for council members who cannot access the public website due to instability of ct.gov.
