Title
Health and Human Services Agency recommending the Board, acting as the Governing Board of the El Dorado County Area Agency on Aging (AAA), approve the revision of the AAA Grievance Policy.
FUNDING: N/A
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
The California Department of Aging (CDA) administers programs that serve older adults, adults with disabilities, family caregivers, and residents in long-term care facilities throughout the State. These services are provided locally by contracted agencies known as AAA. The El Dorado County AAA is one of 33 in California: 19 agencies are part of a county structure, eight are created by joint power agreements when there is more than one county within a single service area, and the remaining six are non-profit agencies. In El Dorado County, HHSA Community Services Division (CSD) is designated by the Board of Supervisors to cover the local Planning and Service Area (PSA) 29. As such, the CSD is in charge of planning, coordinating, administering, and monitoring AAA programs and services for those individuals aged 60 or older residing in El Dorado County that are funded through the Older Americans Act.
Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR) 7400 (c)(1) requires the Governing Board for each AAA to adopt an AAA Grievance Policy detailing processes for the disposition of complaints by older individuals or persons authorized to act on behalf of older individuals against the AAA’s programs and employees or volunteers of such programs. The El Dorado County AAA has revised the existing Grievance Policy to include the confidentiality requirements of 22 CCR Section 7400 (a)(2)(C) which ensure confidentiality provisions to protect the complainant’s rights to privacy. Only information relevant to the complaint may be released to the responding party without the older individuals’ consent. The updated policy has been reviewed and approved by the CDA and now requires approval of the County of El Dorado Board of Supervisors.
HHSA is recommending the Board approve of this revision to the AAA Grievance Policy. The approval of the updated Grievance Policy will support good governance and the AAA program participants ability to submit confidential grievances regarding the provision of AAA services.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should the Board decline to approve this recommendation to revise the AAA Grievance Policy, the County of El Dorado AAA PSA 29 will be out of compliance with the Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended, and Title 22 of the CCR 7400.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
N/A
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with the approval of the revised AAA Grievance Policy.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS:
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
N/A
CONTACT:
Olivia Byron-Cooper, MPH, Director