Kentucky Revised Statutes Title VI. Financial Administration § 43.035.Commonwealth Office of the Ombudsman; duties; expenses charged to entity under review

(a) Investigate, upon complaint or on its own initiative, any administrative act or inaction of an organizational unit, employee, or contractor of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services without regard to the finality of the administrative act or inaction. Organizational units, employees, or contractors of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall not willfully obstruct an investigation, restrict access to records or personnel, or retaliate against a complainant or cabinet employee;

(b) Make recommendations that resolve citizen complaints about the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and improve the cabinet's performance and may require corrective action when policy violations are identified;

(c) Provide evaluation and information analysis of the Cabinet for Health and Family Service's performance and compliance with state and federal law;

(d) Place an emphasis on research and best practices, program accountability, quality service delivery, and improved performance of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services;

(e) Provide information on how to contact the office in poster, brochure, pamphlet, or other format to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which shall print and publicly post or otherwise make the information available at all offices where Department for Community Based Services of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services employees or contractors work, at any facility where a child in the custody of the cabinet resides, and to all cabinet or contracted foster parents in a manner approved by the ombudsman;

(f) Report to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Office of Inspector General for review and investigation:

(g) Compile a report of all citizen complaints about programs or services of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and a summary of resolution of the complaints and submit the report upon request to the Interim Joint Committee on Health Services and the Interim Joint Committee on Families and Children;

(h) Provide information to the Office of the Attorney General, when requested, related to substantiated violations of state law against an employee or contractor of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services or a foster or adoptive parent;

(i) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, maintain confidentiality except when disclosures may be advisable in the ombudsman's judgment to enable the office to carry out its duties and to support recommendations; and

(j) Promulgate administrative regulations in accordance with KRS Chapter 13A necessary to perform its duties as specified in this chapter.