About the Division
Administration and Finance
The goal of the Administration and Finance Division is to continually understand the financial issues of the department and provide direction, assistance and support to Department of Developmental Services (DDS) staff to ensure that services to our consumers are of the highest quality. In order to successfully meet this goal, the Division must work collaboratively with all units within DDS to provide timely and useful data, provide interpretive information of the current fiscal condition of central and regional budgets and provide assistance with both short and long term fiscal planning. In order to meet these objectives, comprehensive training is available to all Division staff.
Fiscal Services Unit: The Fiscal Services Unit provides overall fiscal support to and oversight for both Central Office and Regional operations. This support includes the planning and development of the annual operating budget; ongoing review and analysis of the department’s financial position; preparation of monthly, quarterly and annual financial reports for both internal and external distribution; and in-servicing all financial staff in the correct applications of the state accounting system. It is the intention of the Fiscal Services Unit to ensure that sound fiscal practices and accountability are introduced and practiced throughout all departmental operations. The Fiscal Services Unit administers the Department’s Revolving Loan Fund (which provides mortgages and capital improvement loans to private, non-profit agencies that operate licensed Community Living Arrangements) and the Grant-In-Aid program which provides funding for capital repairs and improvements for non-profit non-residential sites.
Audit, Billing, and Rate Setting Services: Audit, Billing and Rate Setting services are responsible for obtaining the maximum federal reimbursement possible for eligible Department of Developmental Services (DDS) programs; for conducting audits of DDS and Qualified Providers, determining rates and working with the Department of Administrative Services to bill public and private DDS programs.
The Audit staff conduct financial compliance audits of the department’s regional and central office operations and of the program contracts of private agencies. The primary focus of these audits is to ensure compliance with state statutes, accounting standards and rate setting regulations. This unit also audits case management files for compliance with the Home and Community Based Waivers and for Medicaid eligibility. The Audit Services Unit also provides liaison activities with the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) to support CHFA’s mortgage program for the development of Community Living Arrangements.
The Rate Setting staff are responsible for the cost accounting of DDS programs. The Office of the State Comptroller and the Department of Social Services (DSS) use this cost accounting information to publish rates applicable to DDS operated programs; the DSS rates are used for Medicaid billings. The unit also develops rates for private programs, Targeted Case Management, and the Birth to Three program.
The Billing staff works with providers and the Department of Administrative Services Financial Services Center on a monthly attendance reporting process used to document services and to submit claims for federal reimbursement. The unit prepares revenue reports and revenue projections.
Information Technology Unit: The Information Technology Unit is responsible for the Department of Developmental Services' (DDS) local area network, network data communications and related hardware. In addition the unit manages HIPAA Security, the Help Desk, desktop hardware and software, the design and operations of the department’s new browser-based information system infrastructure, application development, report development and development of the department's website. Much of the department’s server hardware is hosted at the Department of Information Technology (DOIT) and application hosting services are provided by a quasi service bureau (service level) agreement from this department.