Disabled Persons Protection Commission

This is a state performance audit of the Disabled Persons Protection Commission, the Massachusetts agency that investigates and helps address abuse of adults with disabilities.

“The Disabled Persons Protection Commission (DPPC) was created under Chapter 19C of the Massachusetts General Laws and is responsible for the investigation and remediation of abuse of people with disabilities.”

The State Auditor reviewed whether DPPC was doing investigations on time and following the rules that apply to those investigations.

“We reviewed these activities to evaluate DPPC’s ability to perform its investigative functions in a timely manner and in compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations.”

Late investigations can slow down protective action for abuse victims, and missing documentation makes it harder to know whether DPPC followed required steps.

“Delayed investigations could prevent DPPC from promptly implementing remedial action plans to protect abuse victims, and the lack of documented reasons may prevent it from demonstrating its attempts at compliance and from identifying recurring causes for delays.”

For Massachusetts residents, this matters because DPPC handles abuse reports involving adults with disabilities, including people who may be in state care or private settings.

“DPPC’s website also states that its jurisdiction includes adults with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 59 who are “in state care or in a private setting and who suffer serious physical and/or emotional injury through the act and/or omission of their caregivers.””

The audit concluded that DPPC did not fully meet investigative standards and did not always investigate complaints within required timelines.

“Did DPPC investigate all abuse complaints in a timely manner in accordance with established laws, rules, and regulations?”

The auditor recommended that DPPC improve its procedures, keep documentation when deadlines are missed, and work with partner agencies to finish investigations on time.

“DPPC should establish and implement the necessary policies, procedures, and related internal controls to ensure that when required filing deadlines are not met, evidence of the reasons for the delay is documented and retained in case files.”

The key public concern is whether reports of abuse against people with disabilities are handled quickly enough to prevent further harm.

“Timely completion of investigations is critical so that DPPC can intervene quickly if abuse is still occurring.”

An Initial Response is the early part of an abuse investigation, and an Investigation Report is the fuller report that follows.

“Each report is composed of two distinct parts: the Initial Response and the Investigation Report.”