To avoid expensive nursing home placement, the Adult Services Program serves vulnerable adult victims of abuse as well as disabled adults. This report reviews program performance, suggested operational improvements, and actions taken by the Department of Children and Families in response to two 2001 OPPAGA reports.

• The program has been timely in commencing investigations but not in closing them, resulting in a backlog of cases.
• Both a statewide uniform needs assessment and a funding allocation system are needed to ensure that the highest priority disabled adults are served first.
• Moving 233 general revenue clients to the Medicaid Waiver Program could save at least $319,000 in state general revenue.
• The program's accountability system, including performance data and monitoring and oversight, needs improvement. Data on the number of elder abuse referrals made to the Department of Elder Affairs continues to be faulty.
• The department has not implemented working agreements with law enforcement as mandated by the 2000 Legislature nor has it implemented a uniform fee assessment and collection system for clients eligible to pay for services, although the collection system may not be cost-effective.
• The program could not document that it has implemented our recommendation to reduce optional state supplementation (OSS) case management visits and thus save state general revenue.