DAP Health — a nonprofit organization that provides primary care, behavioral and dental services — says only a fraction remains of the original $700,000 awarded by the city of Palm Springs for the guaranteed program. The money is the subject of a criminal investigation by the Riverside County Sheriff. Attorney’s Office.
The health care provider, in a statement released Thursday, described its efforts to take over the pilot from the organization Queer Works, a non-profit organization that offers free health programs for queer people. mind to different people and different genders who were not known before their work. and the city.
The organization provided a timeline of events, from when the city invited DAP to participate in October 2021, until a few weeks ago, when DAP was asked to take over suddenly after the departure of Queer Works.
“The first three days were very crazy, but we got through and now, I was able to talk to everyone on the phone,” DAP Chief Transformation Officer CJ Tobe said about program adaptation from Queer Works. in DAP. “We really didn’t know the current status of the program.”
How we got here: A timeline of the UBI program
DAP took full control of the certified pilot program on July 12 after the city became aware of allegations Queer Works had misused the funds. But that was not the first part of DAP.
When the program began in 2022, the city had allocated $700,000 to Queer Works and DAP in the hope that it would allow non-profit organizations to receive government funding that would allow 30 residents to receive $800 per month for months 18. The pilot program will allow for research into the effects of universal basic income, a concept whereby the government would provide regular payments to people in exchange for other public services. .
According to DAP’s statement, the non-profit’s participation stopped after government funds were not secured. From April to October of 2022, DAP worked with Queer Works to design different parts of the program.
In October, the city reached an agreement with Queer Works, ending DAP’s “legal role” in the guaranteed money program despite DAP volunteering to be the program’s financial manager, according to the statement.
“DAP had no insight into the initial financial management of the UBI program or the internal funding of Queer Works,” the organization said in the statement.
The city of Palm Springs declined to comment for this story.
What is happening now?
The conditions surrounding the Queer Works program are always difficult.
The city confirmed that once officials heard about allegations that Queer Works CEO Jacob Rostovsky was accused of misappropriating funds, senior staff conducted a full investigation. The city said Rostovsky will not give a full account of where the money went.
Participants in the program described months of delays in payment and said they received conflicting information from Queer Works about when the program would begin in 2023. Some participants took on the debt because of of delayed start.
DAP says only $30,000 of the original amount has been recovered.
They hope the county DA’s Office investigation will reveal more, but say they intend to continue the program for the remaining 14 participants using money from its operating fund.
“It’s just something this organization does,” Tobe said. “When there’s an unmet need, when there’s a crisis, this organization will respond with everything it has to make sure those vulnerable people are taken care of.”
He explained that the program is going well now that it is hosted by DAP. Payments are made over time and a learning curve has been established throughout the flight.
The city has yet to provide a timeline of events, saying in a previous statement that the serious nature of the DA’s investigation precludes further comment.
“Proper management of city finances is very important to Palm Springs, and the city is prepared and taking all necessary steps to ensure the proper management and use of tax dollars,” the city said earlier.
For now, DAP says they are focusing on better program management, to ensure participants have an enhanced experience.
“We believe that DAP Health’s participation in the Palm Springs UBI pilot program underscores its dedication to health equity, transparency and community empowerment,” the organization said in the statement.
Sam Morgen covers the city of Palm Springs for Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@gannett.com.
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