Chautauqua County reports improvements after CPS audit but seeks more Spanish‑speaking staff

Carmela Hernandez, commissioner of mental hygiene and social services, told the Chautauqua County Human Services Committee on Dec. 10 that an audit by the Bonadillo Group uncovered gaps in child‑protective‑services (CPS) records but that the department has made measurable improvements.

Hernandez said the audit, which reviewed records from before the county’s recent integration of services, found documentation gaps in roughly 40% of cases for timely Statewide Central Register (SCR) history checks and that timeliness averaged about 65% during the audited period. "The audit was conducted by the Bonadillo Group," Hernandez said, adding the review covered older records rather than the current, post‑integration performance.

She said the county has improved its performance since January 2024. "We were a 100% at 24 hours and 85 percent 7 day," Hernandez said, describing stronger safety‑assessment compliance and higher rates of family assessment, casework contacts and permanency efforts. Hernandez credited staff work, name-checked improvements from John Anderson and Lori, and changes made as part of the finalized contract.

Hernandez also identified remaining operational issues: some policies need updating (for example, on‑call and night‑shift procedures) and the county is working to better integrate the state‑provided electronic record system with its Northwoods platform to maximize features and contract value. She said the county’s services team performed well in a federal audit and that state Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) follow‑up has been collaborative.

Committee members pressed on staffing. Hernandez said the county is "looking at how we can improve our CMWs" (case management workers) and that the county has not yet filled a Spanish‑speaking CMW vacancy after an employee moved out of the county. "So we need a Spanish speaking," she said. Hernandez reported that human resources had posted the position in the county hiring system that afternoon and that the testing list should be available by the next morning.

Hernandez said the county will continue to address the policy, staffing and records‑integration tasks identified in the audit as the agency implements contract and process changes.

The committee did not take a formal vote on policy changes during the update; the item was presented as an operational briefing and status report. The meeting adjourned after the update.