Mysterious bruises. An unreported burn. Two vulnerable clients left alone overnight. These are just some of the complaints that families are leveling against Aacres WA — a troubled residential care provider that gets tens of millions of dollars a year from the state to care for people with developmental disabilities. Now state officials say they’re investigating.Read More
Roughly nine in 10 employees of the state of Washington are now vaccinated against COVID-19. Gov. Jay Inslee considers that a huge success and a win for public health. But his vaccine mandate has also led to the departure of hundreds of state employees. Now there are questions about the implications for some state services.Read More
Currently, nearly 14,000 people who meet the Washington state's criteria as developmentally disabled are not receiving services. They’re on what’s known as the no-paid services caseload.Read More
Fifty years ago, Owen might have been institutionalized because of his developmental disabilities. Today, his family just wants to take care of him at home. But they can’t get services from the state to help. And they’re not alone.Read More
Initially it was traumatizing. On the occasions when MaryAnn Brookhart would visit her brother, who was nonverbal and diagnosed with severe "mental retardation," he seemed institutionalized and "beat up." But over the years, Brookhart came to accept that the state-run Rainier School was where her Greg belonged.Read More
Not only are these patients being hospitalized unnecessarily, they’re taking up beds needed by other patients. As of Sept. 6, the state said there were 19 patients waiting for a bed at Western and Eastern State Hospitals.Read More
In recent months, court commissioners on both sides of the Cascades have found the state of Washington in contempt, and even imposed fines, over access to state psychiatric care for people with severe developmental disabilities. The cases involve people who’ve been found to pose an imminent risk to themselves or others, but are languishing in local hospitals.Read More
It’s been more than a year since the state Department of Social and Health Services took the unprecedented step of shutting down a major in-home care provider for developmentally disabled adults. Now, 16 months after the provider’s sister company, Aacres Washington, took over care of many of those vulnerable adults, the cycle is repeating itself.Read More
File photo of the inside of the home Cheyene and her siblings were rescued from in January 2015. LAKE STEVENS POLICE DEPARTMENT Listen The state of Washington has agreed to […]Read More
Western State Hospital CEO Cheryl Strange has been named the new secretary of Washington’s Department of Social and Health Services following a national search. WASHINGTON DSHS Listen After a national […]Read More
A new report has highlighted the ”failures and tragedies” of Washington state’s Residential Habilitation Centers, including the Yakima Valley School in Selah. ESMY JIMENEZ / NORTHWEST PUBLIC RADIO Listen Last […]Read More
An image of a check issued by the state of Washington, which was sanctioned for failing to turn over evidence in a civil court case. Listen For the second time […]Read More