ALBANY, N.Y. – A system that helps people in crisis is facing a crisis of its own.
“This is a system that is breaking under its own weight,” said Meaghan de Chateauvieux, CEO of the Willow Center for Domestic Violence.
Today, people who help families escape domestic violence testified about a system plagued by endless emails, paperwork, payment denials and time limits. News10NBC Chief Investigative Reporter Berkeley Brean heard about a system that has been cobbled together for decades.
“It’s over-complicated, under-resourced and unintentionally penalizes us, the providers, for doing the right thing,” de Chateauvieux testified to state lawmakers in Albany.
When de Chateauvieux told state lawmakers about what Willow has to do to care for survivors in its emergency shelter and get paid, here’s what she said.
“At Willow, one full time staff member is dedicated entirely to managing these communications with the county all day, every day,” de Chateauvieux said. “Five others spent parts of their day reviewing paperwork, chasing signatures and re-submitting claims.”
Willow shared video of its 49-bed emergency shelter in Rochester. The system costs Willow tens of thousands.
“We’ve had $71,000 in denials between April and July,” de Chateauvieux said. “In July alone that was $44,000.”
“What was that again?” asked Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi.
“$71,000 in denials between April and July,” de Chateauvieux repeated.
$44,000 would pay for an advocate at Willow.De Chateauvieux and two other witnesses asked state lawmakers to reduce the paperwork, let them bill for an entire room even if only one bed is used and get them flexibility on rates.
Berkeley Brean, News10NBC: “Did you hear what you wanted to hear?”Meaghan de Chateauvieux: “I did. I think the assembly members who are chairing these committees are showing a commitment to better understanding the issues we’re facing.”
Willow says its emergency shelter is at capacity almost every single night.
Assm. Hevesi: “What happens to a single adult survivor when they don’t get access to shelter?”Meaghan de Chateauvieux: “Well, they sleep on someone’s couch, they sleep in a car if they have one, they sleep on the streets, they figure it out. They stay. They stay with the abuser.”
Willow says it understands the financial situation in New York. According to the state comptroller’s office, there’s a $34 billion budget gap over the next four years. So changes to the system of paperwork would help. That kind of change would be in a bill next year and that’s what News10NBC will be tracking.
Watch the clip called Tanya’s Story. It’s a 60 second example on how the payment system can discriminate against single, adult survivors and how shelters lose money if they follow the rules.
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‘Breaking under its own weight’: Domestic violence shelters struggle with New York’s complex payment system WHEC.com.
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