TACOMA — A spokesperson with the Washington State Department of Health confirmed to The News Tribune in an email Friday that the DOH and the Office of Infectious Disease have terminated all contracts with the Pierce County AIDS Foundation effective Oct. 17.
Currently the Office of Infectious Disease is implementing administrative support to assume responsibility for PCAF’s comprehensive services, including HIV and STI prevention services, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS care services and services offered through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. That might include case management, prevention navigation and housing, among others, public information officer Mark Johnson said in the email.
According to a different email obtained by the News Tribune Thursday, the Department of Health announced to PCAF leadership its plan to terminate two contracts covering the period of July 1, 2023, through Dec. 31, 2023, totaling $1,207,401.
Johnson noted Friday that terminating a contract is an unusual occurrence at the Department of Health, “and in this case the rationale was primarily to ensure people living with HIV can effectively receive the necessary services these federal grants provide.”
The decision comes less than a week after the PCAF Board of Directors announced it would be putting CEO Ace Robinson on paid administrative leave “as the Board conducts an inquiry into personnel matters,” according to a board message obtained by The News Tribune. PCAF Board president Will Wayburn previously told the News Tribune the Department of Health is one of PCAF’s main funders.
In August the News Tribune reported PCAF was having issues receiving funding from the Department of Heath for a variety of services it offers to residents living with HIV/AIDS in the South Sound region. Four employees also told The News Tribune they believe they were fired in retaliation for expressing concerns about financial mismanagement and a toxic workplace to nonprofit leadership and PCAF’s board that month.
“This transfer of services to DOH is temporary. We will be helping clients with these services while we choose providers in their area who can offer these services long term,” Johnson said in the Friday email. “DOH and OID are actively recruiting temporary staff now to support clients to facilitate this temporary solution. The intent of transitioning service delivery and responsibilities to OID is to ensure continuity of care to the nearly 700 PCAF clients and to ensure ample time to recruit a new community service provider to take on this work long term.”
PCAF offers a variety of case management, mental health, substance-abuse and outreach services, as well as a food bank, housing assistance, medical transportation and emergency financial assistance services to people living with HIV and AIDS. It serves about 700 clients in Tacoma and Olympia, Wayburn said.
Due to the ongoing situation, Wayburn told the News Tribune Friday that PCAF has no comment to make at this time.
