One county commissioner said the allegations could be compared to ‘fighting siblings.’

By Ed Runyan | September 12, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

WARREN — Trumbull County commissioners have been asked to recover $165,662 in senior citizens levy money from the SCOPE organization, for allegedly billing $33 per hour for line dancing and other activities that should have cost around $9.

That and other allegations have reached the Ohio Department of Aging and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, one official says.

The request to recover money from Senior Citizens Opportunity for Personal Endeavor was made by Don Medd, director of the District 11 Area Agency on Aging in Youngstown.

The commissioners had asked District 11 to investigate SCOPE’s billing practices concerning the senior services levy to fund senior support services.

The Vindicator, through a public records request, obtained a letter from Medd outlining the request.

SCOPE operates senior citizens centers in Warren, Niles, Howland, Cortland, Champion and Lordstown but provides other services outside of the centers. Many of SCOPE’s services expanded when Trumbull County voters approved the seniors levy in 2005.

The 0.75-mill seniors levy generates about $2.6 million annually. County commissioners began distributing the money in 2006 to agencies that provide services for people 60 and older.

In 2007, SCOPE was awarded $643,851 in senior levy funds, $428,671 being for operation of senior centers and $215,180 to provide personal care, homemaker services, adult day care, adult day-care transportation and chore services.

District 11 documents obtained by The Vindicator say SCOPE didn’t follow rules dictating how the money could be spent at senior centers, overbilled for certain in-home services and provided services that were not needed.

District 11 began the investigation at commissioners’ request based on a complaint from a SCOPE in-home client.

Interviews conducted by an auditing firm hired by District 11 last winter for $4,000 showed that 59 percent of those contacted had complaints with their service, and 25 percent were asked to sign blank forms that were later used for SCOPE reimbursements.

The proper procedure is for the client to sign the form after it is filled out with information on the services rendered.

County commissioners later paid for the $4,000 audit.

District 11 also has reported to commissioners that SCOPE “failed to follow standards” for the amount SCOPE can be reimbursed for certain physical activities such as line dancing and operating a golf league.

District 11 said SCOPE was trying to get a $33 per hour reimbursement, when District 11 felt the guidelines were clear that such services should have been paid at about $9.

District 11 further alleged in documents that Kim Haase, grants coordinator for SCOPE, was uncooperative with District 11 and others when they tried to audit SCOPE’s files.

Janet Schweitzer, SCOPE director, said Thursday the issues raised by District 11 have brewed since at least last September and stem from misunderstandings of terms used to define certain provided services, as well as complicated procedures required by District 11 in order to receive the levy money.

Schweitzer said some “very gray areas” have cropped up over the past year that have caused conflict.

An example is whether a program on German heritage qualified under services that could be billed at a $33 per hour rate. If it is educational, it qualifies. If purely recreational, it doesn’t, she said.

As far as signatures on forms, Schweitzer said SCOPE followed certain procedures before the levy money came along that District 11 doesn’t accept now, and it is taking time to adjust.

For example, to save paper, the agency used to have clients sign a paper at the beginning of the week for services provided several times that week. They would sign it the first day and initial it on succeeding days, she said.

As for the uncooperative allegation, Schweitzer said she believes normal circumstances prevented District 11 and Haase from meeting as quickly as desired. Providing District 11 with access to hundreds of client files was also difficult because, “We’re not set up for all these audits.”

Lisa Solley, District 11 community relations director, said the district reported problems to the Ohio Department of Aging that related to SCOPE’s handling of the state program PASSPORT, which stands for Pre-Admission Screening Service Providing Options and Resources Today. It provides long-term care at home and in nursing homes.

Solley said the ODA has turned the investigation of PASSPORT issues over to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, which is investigating.

Officials from the attorney general’s office and ODA could not be reached to comment.

In Medd’s letter, he asks commissioners, with the assistance of the Trumbull County prosecutor’s office, to reach an agreement with SCOPE whereby SCOPE reimburses the levy a total of $165,662. Solley said that total takes in discrepancies found in several areas of SCOPE operations, including senior centers and in-home care.

Commissioner Dan Polivka said the prosecutor’s office has been sent copies of all of the correspondence in relation to the SCOPE matter; and it’s up to that office to decide what to do.

Commissioner Paul Heltzel characterized the SCOPE issues as two social service agencies in the same business acting like “fighting siblings.”

He said referring the issue to the prosecutor’s office is probably reasonable, but based on preliminary discussions, he questions whether the office will get involved. Helt- zel is a former assistant county prosecutor.

For one thing, the prosecutor’s office may not feel it has the expertise to evaluate such matters, he said.

runyan@vindy.com