DES MOINES — The former director of a drug treatment center in Des Moines mismanaged more than $130,000 intended for client benefits, according to a state audit released Wednesday.
Mindy Williams, former executive director of Center for Behavioral Health in Des Moines, falsified receipts and other documentation when seeking reimbursements for incentive benefits issued to clients, according to a special report by state Auditor Mary Mosiman’s office. Those incentive benefits included gas cards, gift cards and bus passes used to help clients continue seeking services.
Voucher records showed it was unclear if clients received many of the benefits tied to reimbursement requests from Williams.
The Des Moines clinic is one of several in eight states that are managed by the Idaho-based Center for Behavioral Health. The company is primarily funded through client fees, though certain locations receive funding through the state or federal government. With the clinic in Des Moines, the Iowa Department of Public Health issued reimbursements through federal funding
Brent Massman, president of the two Iowa-based centers, said the financial mismanagement was detected during a routine audit and was confirmed by an internal investigation.
“We confronted her, she admitted to it and she resigned,” Massman said, adding that the organization gave all of their documentation to the state. He said no one else was involved and no one at the clinic knew about it.
“Mindy had worked for us since 2006 and was a trusted employee, as any employee would be who works for you for that period of time. For us to discover that she was stealing from the organization in this manner and falsifying documents in order to do so was extremely disappointing,” he said.
Public records did not list a phone number for Williams.
The audit examined financial transactions between Jan. 1, 2011, and May 21, 2013. Copies of the report have been filed with local and state officials, including the Attorney General’s Office.