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By Norman
Smith
 The New York state Office of Vocational and Educational
Services for Individuals with Disabilitie(VESID) has terminated its funding
contract with the Queens Independent Living Center (QILC) amid rumors and
accusations of mismanagement and worse. The termination effective Aug. 1 was
“without cause” according to Robert Gumson, manager of Independent
Living Services for VESID.
VESID did
not need to provide a reason for termination as all their contracts allow for
30 days notice of termination without cause by either party.
Yet, former
board and staff members paint a picture of an organization divided into
factions, riddled with cronyism, and suffering from questionable financial
decisions after Daniel Aliberti was elected president of the board of directors
of QILC.
“The change in leadership vision happened precipitously in
October - November 2003,” said QILC’s immediate past board president
Doris Seligman. She went on to describe an annual meeting to elect a new board
of directors where ineligible people were allowed to vote and the nominations
were changed without proper procedures.
“The
annual meeting was aborted after the ballots were collected but not counted or
certified,“ said Seligman. A
According to Lucy Birbiglia, a former
executive director of QILC, Aliberti started interfering with the operations
shortly after taking office in October 2003.
“Mr. Aliberti made increasingly
frequent calls to QILC, often several calls a day, about issues of internal
management,” said Birbigila, who was fired by Aliberti in June 2004.
According to Birbigila, she was fired shortly after QILC received $1.5 million
from the city that she had applied for, to purchase a new building.
Birbigila
further stated that QILC was fine financially when she left on June 3, 2004.
“The fiscal year for QILC ends on June 30. The budget was entirely in
order. The agency was in excellent financial condition when the new fiscal year
began on July 1, 2004,” she said.
Kenneth Curry was the fiscal
manager/accountant for QILC from September 1995 until September 2005 when he
resigned rather than take a pay cut. He described “poor management and
inappropriate spending.” Curry said he found himself demoted after
questioning some of the expenses that were heading QILC into the red.
Items he cited
by Curry were discontinuing QILC’s van service but not selling the van to
save money on insurance; an $8,000 board retreat to the Catskills; and the
costly use of temporary workers when there was a mass firing of staff.
According
to Birbiglia, Aliberti became acting executive director while remaining as
board president, when he fired her successor, David Arocho.
According to
former QILC staff member Mike Godino, some former board members and QILC rank
and file members tried to change things at the October 2004 annual meeting.
“There were at least two board members opposing the administration,”
said Godino. “I believe they are [the ones] who lead the initiative to
change the administration. Both of them resigned soon after that
meeting.”
Godino described this meeting as “appalling,” with voting
irregularities. “The sitting president and his cronies saw that the
community had come out to make a change and they were not going to let that
happen,” said Godino. Godino resigned as QILC’s systems advocate
after this meeting and now works at another center.
When
reached for comment about QILC losing funding, Aliberti referred Able to
attorney Warren Redlich of Albany, N.Y. who said that QILC was trying to get
VESID to pay for past services.
“There is an ongoing dispute between QILC
and VESID regarding VESID’s contractual obligation to pay QILC for
services provided by QILC,” said Redlich. “We are hopeful this
dispute can be resolved without litigation. VESID owes QILC a substantial sum
of money.”
“We are trying to get a clear written explanation from VESID as
to whether they are refusing to pay outright, or if they are looking for some
further information or documentation from QILC before making payment. So far
VESID has failed to respond in writing to our requests,” continued
Redlich.
He also
said that QILC is open and providing services. “QILC is currently
providing the same services as in the past and is reviewing its operations to
decide how to proceed in the future,” said Redlich..
VESID has
selected the Center for the Independence of the Disabled in New York (CIDNY) as
an interim provider of independent living services for Queens from Aug. 1, 2006
through Sept. 30, 2007 and has informed the Office of the State Comptroller of
its intention to release a competitive application for permanent operation of a
Center for Independent Living in Queens by spring, 2007. VESID has provided
funds to CIDNY on an interim basis to operate in Queens. CIDNY has sublet space
at the United Spinal Association facility in Queens and is actively seeking
more suitable space near an accessible subway station.
“We
expect that the newer space will be available by Oct. 1,” said Gumson.
“CIDNY has begun to recruit for a program director for Queens and staff to
support the operation that is temporarily being served by existing CIDNY staff
that are being out-stationed to Queens. CIDNY is also serving Queens residents
willing and able to come to CIDNY’s Manhattan site, as it had done all
along.”
Seligman,
who believes there were many unethical practices engaged in, asks, “What
took VESID so long to acknowledge the accumulating irregularities people were
reporting to it and to take effective action?”
“With the
cessation of checks and balances, a president that didn’t understand his
role and a board that was satisfied to go along, we see the unfortunate
results,” she continued. “Since rumors generally have some
foundation, there’s one that’s been around for a while and needs to
be addressed. Is it true that public monies, in the six figures, are either
unaccounted for or were squandered?”
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CIDNY Offers Services in
Queens
The Center for Independence of the Disabled in New York
(CIDNY), an agency that has served people with disabilities in New York City
for 28 years, has opened a new office in Queens.
Their
counselors are on site to help individuals evaluate and understand benefits
such as social security disability, Medicare, Medicaid and private healthcare
insurance. They also help people learn how to search for accessible and
affordable housing and provide assistance in getting the education and training
needed to join or return to the workforce.
CIDNY also has a consumer action
network that serves to educate the public about important issues, such as
promoting better housing, health care, transportation, voting rights and
improved access to community life.
Interpreters are available for people who use
ASL, speak Spanish and a variety of other languages.
The new
office, located in Jackson Heights, can be reached by calling 718
512-0065.
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