COMIT Shutdown Threatens Vulnerable Adults | Tucson News

Arizona’s vital oversight program for group homes serving vulnerable adults, COMIT, faces shutdown by year’s end despite being made permanent just last year. Created after a harrowing 2018 incident where a pregnant woman with developmental disabilities went unnoticed by caregivers — and her nurse father was later convicted — COMIT was designed to independently monitor facilities for safety and care. With its $1.2 million budget slashed from the state’s new budget, critics call the move “penny-wise and pound-foolish,” warning that removing oversight exposes vulnerable residents to abuse and future crises. COMIT’s own 2023 reports revealed that 80% of clients weren’t receiving all services, staff competency issues, and substantiated 13 cases of abuse or neglect — including two deaths potentially linked to care failures. Advocates and families fear the loss of this critical watchdog, with Disability Rights Arizona CEO lamenting the setback and scrambling for new funding, knowing rehiring and retraining staff could take months — if not years — without intervention. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/75d56ea33ffe20d2