Franklin County won't pay firm that helps toddlers after allegations of financial errors surface

This is pathetic.
I've thoroughly picked this article apart and it's a joke. How did the county and CEI make such a mess of this? 1. Wynn, why did it take you so long to discover a significant problem in a service contracted by the county office you direct? 2. Seeber, why don't you be more disclosing about the confidentiality issue you're trying to cite? There's nothing confidential about a bill for services, you know. CEI can't bill for an anonymous service.

I'm glad to hear there's enough compassion for these little tykes that alternative measures are being taken by the county to provide services.

A note to Ms. Audrey: You better come clean with your personal pocketbook and also get your act together as a businesswomen. If you can't, I say that you be tarred and feathered in the public square. Know what I mean, homegirl?

Nothing in this article states that Audrey herself has committed any crimes. She is a wonderful therapist. All the therapist that we have had contact with through therapy sessions have been very caring,compassionate,knowledge able,and informative. Over the last year plus they have done a wonderful job working with our disabled child. Due to their continuous work she is now able to walk,run,jump,play,and talk. It has been 14 days (Mon-Fri) since any therapy sessions have occurred. we have been told it maybe another 14 days plus till therapy can proceed. the progress the children have made is declining due to the lack of therapy. Also, a rapport has been made with the current therapist....a new therapist in my opinion seems as though will hinder the process of improvement as a new rapport and also a new method of doing therapy will be being done.
Now which is of more importance money or the disabled child being able to coexist and function in our world.
Personal message to Audrey hang in there. Let the words roll off your back like the water on a ducks back. You are great physical therapist and you have made a huge difference in my disabled childs life. God is always with you.

It is a shame as to what is happening to the children who are not receiving the services that were being provided by CEI. The therapists and staff at CEI are professional people and it is a terrible thing that is happening. I know that there is another agency called UCP of South Central Pa who is also an Early Intervention provider and has not stopped services to the children of Franklin or Fulton Counties.

First of all, I had children who went through services with this organization. We were more than pleased. From someone who had the opportunity to work with the therapists and Ms. Audry (as well as other organizations in this area) know that she is an honest, hard working, and for the KIDS person. So BGSU, maybe you should keep your negative comments to yourself because obviously you do not having any dealings with this organization or Ms. Audrey. They did wonders for my children. The truth will come out and I hope their organiztion is up and running ASAP. Too many children are losing out on needed services from a FANTASTIC organization with the best therapists around.

gr8ly confused wrote:

Nothing in this article states that Audrey herself has committed any crimes. She is a wonderful therapist. All the therapist that we have had contact with through therapy sessions have been very caring,compassionate,knowledge able,and informative. Over the last year plus they have done a wonderful job working with our disabled child. Due to their continuous work she is now able to walk,run,jump,play,and talk. It has been 14 days (Mon-Fri) since any therapy sessions have occurred. we have been told it maybe another 14 days plus till therapy can proceed. the progress the children have made is declining due to the lack of therapy. Also, a rapport has been made with the current therapist....a new therapist in my opinion seems as though will hinder the process of improvement as a new rapport and also a new method of doing therapy will be being done.
Now which is of more importance money or the disabled child being able to coexist and function in our world.
Personal message to Audrey hang in there. Let the words roll off your back like the water on a ducks back. You are great physical therapist and you have made a huge difference in my disabled childs life. God is always with you.

I'm a advocate for your disabled child. I have a very near and dear child to me in this program right now.

My statements also generate from my professional background experience.

Audrey may be a wonderful therapist, but she's got some explaining to do. I am not convinced the county isn't on to something. Read this article with careful, objective consideration.

I do agree that a child that is benefiting from their therapist shouldn't experience a disruption in continuity.

This not a time to be subjective, however. I posted what I did because there are informed and experienced people out there and I'm one of them. I'm not afraid to say exactly what I think.

Bring it on.

The county approved the invoices EVERY month. So how can they go back and NOW say there was a problem? They knew what services were rendered, how long, and the payment. Maybe CEI received MANY more children this year than they expected. With the rise of Autism alone, many more children needed services. The county is not painting an accurate picture at all. I am impressed that CEI is being tight lipped.

You can't bill for ambiguous services; I don't care if you're the Pope.

OK, the state did an audit and they found problems with the company's expenditures...what is there to discuss here. The company should be required to pay back the unautorized expenses...end of story. This is taxpayer money we are talking about and it's nice to see some oversight happening here in Franklin County.

The attorney for the company didn't want to get into the details because the details might be pretty freakin damaging?

The details are fairly clear in this case. The county approved expenses becuase the expenses where accurate. So is the issue that more kids more referred to the organization than originally planned. It's a shame that providers of good service need to suffer through no wrongdoing on their part.

I agree that it is not fair to the children or (caring & wonderful!) therapists in this situation, regardless of who on the business end is at fault. I also agree that the county shouldn't be making such a big deal of this now considering it was their responsibility to be sure the invoices were accurate PRIOR to making payments each month. Isn't that the point of having a detailed invoice? But now that the county government is having its own financial problems, it wants to suddenly do the job right and expect CEI to come up with the total payment immediately. And yet again, the most vulnerable children and innocent employees must suffer due to government inefficiency.

Folks, please settle down.

No doubt a low-level county employee approved payment. Later in time an audit was done and the backup documentation revealed questionable billings. Remain calm. If payment of the claims is warranted and no error occurred, then the provider will be paid. It's not the time to get excited and try to move fireplugs.

Another black eye for the management and oversight skills of our illustrious County Commissioners.

Will the Circus never end???

concerned wrote:

The county approved the invoices EVERY month. So how can they go back and NOW say there was a problem? They knew what services were rendered, how long, and the payment. Maybe CEI received MANY more children this year than they expected. With the rise of Autism alone, many more children needed services. The county is not painting an accurate picture at all. I am impressed that CEI is being tight lipped.

yea they would receive more referrals with they can pick and choose who they want to serve!!

This newspaper's reporting is not comprehensive. A follow-on article should be written by the editor or best reporter in the meager stable. The headline writer's choice of language is inflamatory. The newspaper could do a better, and more thorough job, of telling the story.

I can't believe how people are making these JUDGEMENTS when they do not know all the facts. After the investigation, CEI will be up and running again. The county is upset because they spent more than they budgeted. The money was spent ALL on the kids.
They did not go X-mas shopping! Cmon guys! That organization is ALL for the kids. I know this first hand as a parent who went through these services.

I find it amusing that people like CEI fault and BGSU do not give their name!!!!!!!

to bad people here like to pass judgement WITHOUT knowing the entire story! I personally know the owners of CEI and several of the therapists...they are NOT the ones at fault here. Problem is...when an agency creates a budget based on the previous year...and there is a dramatic increase in the number of referrals (which can not be refused!)...an agency is, in fact, going to go over budget. It has NOTHING to do with misusing budget money, simply not enough in the budget to service the number of referrals!

C-burg grad wrote:

to bad people here like to pass judgement WITHOUT knowing the entire story! I personally know the owners of CEI and several of the therapists...they are NOT the ones at fault here. Problem is...when an agency creates a budget based on the previous year...and there is a dramatic increase in the number of referrals (which can not be refused!)...an agency is, in fact, going to go over budget. It has NOTHING to do with misusing budget money, simply not enough in the budget to service the number of referrals!

Then explain why the other providers are still seeing children.