STATE OF WASHINGTON

August 1, 2016

David Carlson

Director of Legal Advocacy
Disability Rights Washington
315 5th Avenue South, Suite 850
Seattle, WA 98104

Dear Mr. Carlson:

Thank you for your correspondence of July 20, 2016, to the Department of Social and Health
Services (DSHS) and the Health Care Authority (HCA) regarding residential habilitation support
services. Representatives from DSHS and HCA appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to
discuss matters identi?ed in your letter and any additional, related matters yOu identify prior to
meeting.

Your letter makes allegations about certain individuals Who receive services from DSHS and
HCA, labels those people, examples,? and requests that we begin, ?settlement
discussions.? We are concerned about your statements that the ?examples? you cite are
?representative? of services to our clients. We also ?nd the legal conclusions contained in your
letter and your request for settlement discussions concerning and premature given we have not
been engaged in a discussion about your concerns.

We have a shared commitment to promoting our clients? wellbeing. We appreciate the
opportunity to discuss the content of your letter and our common interests in serving our clients.
We offer to meet with you for discussion purposes, but not to engage in settlement discussions.
We are hopeful that you are willing to meet.

Please contact Deborah Hoines by telephone at 360?725?3431 or via email at
deborah.hoines@dshs.wa.gov, to make arrangements if you are willing to meet.

Sincerely,





Patricia K. Lashway Dorothy F. Teeter, MHA
Acting Secretary Director
Department of Social and Health Services Health Care Authority

 

By email