Alright – so, if you know me or read my blog then you are fully aware that I despise the current DHS administration and leadership. Oh wait, despise is not strong enough, let me rephrase that. I loathe DHS’ current leadership. Why? Ain’t that a good question.
In the interest of fairness and transparency, DHS is by far the agency that I have made the most progress in my autism advocacy. Sadly, we now have Walz and the current commissioner Harpstead. They make North Korea more welcoming. It seems that I am not the only they discriminate against. PRM reported today that under Walz administration, DHS’ racial discrimination cases have risen tremendously. What a shocker.
“PRM has submitted a number of requests to the Walz-era DHS — some within the administration’s early days, and others more recently. As the organization is divided into several sub-components, results have been mixed. In 2020, the agency responded to a PRM data request with a production of memos, e-mails, and summary data. The data PRM sought pertained to racial diversity issues at DHS, and the agency produced a collection of records that revealed both employee complaints (including a letter sent to Lt. Gov. Flanagan from DHS employees); as well as management e-mails and memos pertaining to responses.
Summary data provided by DHS showed that the total number of racial discrimination and harassment complaints filed by DHS by employees rose to 31 under the first year of the Walz administration, up from 22 in 2018 (the last year of the Dayton administration). The number then fell to 23 in 2020. Prior to 2018, the agency had an average of 7 complaints per year during the Dayton administration, and an average of only 1.5 per year during the final two years of the Pawlenty administration. (DHS noted that it did not “maintain responsive data prior to 2009”).
DHS and Commissioner Harpstead discriminating against people of color, no way. That is absurd. Not really, that is how they roll. It gets better, you just wait…
Remember how they go after Somali autism agencies for stealing Medicaid funds, well it turns out MCOs steal hundreds of millions of Medicaid funds and DHS does not even blink. They may even share the stolen money with the MCO since they delete any records to know for sure. And, wait for it…. drum roll pls….there is NO law that says DHS must audit and hold MCOs accountable for the hundreds of millions the state gives them. Now what now? Yep, that is right. So who writes about this? where is the media here? No where to be seen.
“Documents produced by DHS revealed several important facts — including that the taxpayer-funded “rates” that were being paid to HMOs had minimal outside verification, and that Deloitte Consulting had told the state that there was no consistent methodology being used to allocate HMO administrative expenses.
This internal agency data shed additional light on concerns raised by Feinwachs, as well as by the Minnesota Legislative Auditor and the federal Government Accountability Office. Ultimately, DHS hired outside firms (including the Segal Company) to review public program management. In its final report, Segal wrote that the DHS “rate-setting process” raised “serious questions.”
Under the MGDPA, PRM was able to copy and publish thousands of pages of agency financial reports, e-mails, and other data during this period — data that members of the press and policy makers utilized as the discussion around public program management continued. E-mails obtained by PRM also showed that DHS staff sought to steer the direction of a supposedly “independent” legislative study into managed care by attempting to keep agency critics — such as Feinwachs — from being interviewed. Without the MGDPA, such data would likely never have been publicly available”.
Now I get it. Delete public data that would tell the public where the money is going. Deny people like Feinwachs to be interviewed, discriminate against people when they ask for accountability and go after the low-hanging fruit like the Somali community because you know they are not going to fight back nor even understand how – Yet. God willing, we will one day. You see, our community is sooooo behind, almost a century in understanding how crook DHS and the Walz administration has been and continue to be. For example, DHS solicited and kept approving Somali autism centers without training, ensuring people understood EIDBI policy and rules, kept increasing the rate despite my against testimonies because with more reimbursement, you attract all yukies. Then once they had enough village idiots in the pool, and they needed a distraction, DHS starts harassing Somali autism agencies and closing them without care to how this will impact the children. If DHS and I am sure they are, as data will tell us is going after, and only investigating Somali autism agencies while it does not do the same for non-Somali autism centers – then Houston, we will have a problem. There is a name for treating people who are similarly situated differently. What is it? oh yeah, discrimination.
Remember, when Minnesota Autism Center and Lovaas stole millions of Medicaid funds, did DHS close them. Heck to the nope. Why, there were white children with autism going to these agencies. But when it is Somali children whether it is day care or autism center, DHS will close shop faster than a hot NY minute.
One of the liberal reporters called Somalis “shrewd”. Google tells me this is what that means – ” having or showing astute or sharp judgment in practical matters, sometimes at the cost of moral compromise”.
That is an insult and below the belt. If we are morally corrupt then what is DHS. They should’ve made sure before the autism agency opens, it is equipped properly, and people are trained and understand what they are supposed to do. After all, this benefit – EIDBI is to help the child and family. This is not selling furniture, it is about actual children and real families. To DHS and their to go to reporters, our children are not human to them. It is simply cost of doing business and a distraction for them to avoid their own moral corruption.
A must watch of how David Feinwachs explains the MN Medicaid Fraud that DHS pretends to not see. DHS only sees when Somalis make mistakes. How lovely.
The full PRM story – it is soooooo good.
The above words do not represent any candidate, agency, or committee.
Idil Abdull – Somali Autism Mom & Retired Advocate.