Jerad Ripley, a former Community Companion Home (CCH) provider, has levied complaints against the Department of Developmental Services (DDS), alleging them of retaliating against him and one of his clients, Paul Gentile, by refusing to release over a year’s worth of residential funding.

“He has over $1,200 a month, just sitting in an account, that DDS is supposed to be giving him for residential purposes, so that he can hire his own help to bring them to doctors appointments, bring them to the Special Olympics, it shouldn’t be on my dime,” said Ripley. “So I’ve been begging and pleading, and I’ve kept doing this.”

Ripley said he has lived with Gentile, who is 75 years old and disabled, for 7 years now. Ripley said that he had encountered no issues with DDS until August 2023, when he indicated to DDS that he intended to forfeit his CCH license because he was tired of the work required to maintain it. Ripley said at that time, DDS informed him that they were opening a case of abuse/neglect against him, which he said he still does not know the outcome of. Despite later discovering that he has no claims of abuse or neglect substantiated against him, Ripley said he has since had his CCH license revoked and that CCH has been denying Gentile his residential funding, claiming that the household he lives in is unsafe.

“For 11 months I’ve been begging the state to help him because they’re saying that he’s living in an abusive house,” said Ripley. “But then they’re coming out and saying to me, the person who they’re saying is toxic and abusive to him, has to take him to all of his doctor’s appointments, has to take him everywhere, has to do this and do that.”

In spite of the reasoning provided by CCH personnel for their denial of releasing Gentile’s funding, both Ripley and Gentile said that CCH personnel haven’t made any mandatory visits in approximately a year. Ripley said this is evidence that CCH personnel don’t actually believe him to be abusive, but just want him to care for Gentile without providing him the funding he’s owed.

“If they actually did their due diligence today, somebody should have been coming out to my house on a weekly basis,” said Ripley. “They can’t have it both ways; either I’m an unsafe home, and they’re negligent for not checking up on him, or I’m a safe home, and they’re financially abusing him.”

Ripley said Gentile currently gets $1,600 a month from DDS, but that his residential funding constitutes an additional $1,200 a month that is being denied. Ripley said that Gentile’s half of the rent costs $1,100, leaving Gentile with little left over for activities, doctor appointments, and living expenses. Ripley said that Gentile likes to go to DDS camp a few times a year, the Special Olympics, a bible study group, and wishes to join Ripley and their other roommate, Jose, on a trip to Canada, all of which has since been paid for by Ripley, with no reimbursement.

“He has only a few hundred left [each month] and that’s not enough to do anything!,” said Ripley. “It’s just ridiculous that we have to beg and plead.”

Ripley believes that the issues they have encountered amount to retaliation. He believes CCH officials are essentially punishing him for attempting to forfeit his license, as the CCH program is short on staff, and are attempting to strongarm him into falling back in line, instead of trying to move Gentile to the STEP program, which would give Gentile greater independence.

“They don’t like the fact that I forfeited my license,” said Ripley. “I think the CCH homes are going down the tube. He wants to go move up to the STEP program; he hires his own help, he can get to and from his own doctor’s appointments, he can make his own medical decisions. He’s his own guardian and he’s trying to be more independent, and they’re trying to take that independence away.”

Ripley shared with Inside Investigator various emails he sent to DDS and CCH personnel, requesting help. After being bounced around to different DDS staff members, Ripley received a response from Jill Keppler, South Region CCH Director, on Nov. 27, 2023, explaining the lack of funding.

“DDS was paying you to provide Paul a support [sic],” wrote Keppler. “Paul has made his decision to remain living with you after the department expressed our disagreement with the placement. We expressed to Paul multiple times that if he continued to make the decision to remain living with you that this would be a private arrangement.”

In another email, sent by Subrina Persaud of the DDS Abuse and Neglect Registry on May 21, 2024, Persaud confirmed to Ripley that he was not included on the registry, indicating that the case against him did not substantiate abuse or neglect.

“Good morning, Mr. Ripley, I do not see your name in our Abuse and Neglect Registry Database,” wrote Persaud.

Aside from the funding complaints, Ripley also said that the two have tried to no avail to get Gentile a new case manager. Several emails from CCH and DDS personnel in response to this request cited staffing shortages as a reason why they can’t provide Gentile with a new manager. Ripley said that this request was exacerbated by the fact that Gentile’s current case manager, Pete Wagner, convinced Gentile to sign away his conservator rights this past September, which Wagner said they later reversed in court in October.

“When Paul specifically asked his case worker, “I need access to my residential funding” he [Pete] said, ‘Well let me see what I can do for you,’” said Wagner. “Within the week, he was at his day program and said, ‘Sign this, this will help you get funding.’ He had him sign paperwork to terminate his own conservatorship!”

In spite of all the back and forth, Ripley said that they have seen no progress, with CCH personnel insisting that as long as Gentile continues to live with Ripley, there would be no funding released. Gentile and Ripley co-wrote a letter advocating for themselves and planned to present it to DDS Commissioner Jordan Scheff at an online commissioner forum, held on Oct. 24. Unfortunately, the two never got the chance to, as they were never accepted into the Microsoft Teams meeting. Both indicated that they felt they were intentionally denied access.

“We had set up the meeting right on screen, and the screen said everything’s all set, and then they automatically blocked us, so I couldn’t say my piece and I couldn’t talk to them straight forward when I needed to,” said Gentile. “I felt disgusted and irate, and somewhat unappreciated.”

Gentile described the allegations of neglect made against Ripley as “poppycock,” and called Ripley a “godsend.” Gentile gave Ripley high praise, rating his living experience with Ripley out of 10 “a lot higher than 10.”

“He helps me with things and I appreciate his assistance,” said Gentile. When asked whether he would choose between the residential funding or living with Ripley, Gentile said that he would “prefer to stay here with him, and I would not want to ruin a friendly relationship with Jerad.”

Inside Investigator requested comment from DDS, and received a short response from DDS spokesperson Kevin Bronson.

“As this matter is under investigation, DDS is not able to comment,” said Bronson. “We appreciate your understanding.”

Gentile described the way he and Ripley have been treated as “despicable,” and gave parting advice to any others who may find themselves in a similar situation.

“If anyone is in a similar situation as I am, I hope they put God in their life, and God will help them do the right thing and say the right thing from the heart,” said Gentile. “Say something that’s honest, forthright, and be more outspoken, to have the system straightened out.”

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