I Think I Can, I Think I Can . . .

The QA results are nearly complete for May. We did make further progress toward our Food Stamp Program goal of 94% payment accuracy. The accuracy rate is now at 93.2%. Our statistician tells me that if we finish as strongly as we did during the final months last year, we can still reach our goal. Your daily attention to the many details that assure our ongoing work quality is appreciated. Good as we've done, there's still a way to go to for us to better the national payment accuracy average of 95.5%.

DPA Overview Semi-Annual Newsletter - June, 2005

DPA Overview - June, 2005

Here is the Division Overview newsletter that was released in June. It has been available on the public DPA website under the "Headlines" section and you can also view it by clicking on the link above. We have had a very enthusiastic response about this newsletter from our state partners, fellow divisions, members of the Alaska Workforce Investment Board, and many others. Our partners appreciated the report and thought it was 'best practice' in communicating to our broad stakeholders - and also tells the terrific story of your hard work and DPA's results as well! We intend to update this newsletter every six months or so with news of our efforts and outcomes.

Accuracy Improvement Campaign Update: The Final Push

We are approaching the end of federal fiscal year 2005 QC sample. The August sample is drawn today leaving only September left to go. It will take several months for our QA staff and the Quality Assessment Review Committee to complete the process, yet our ability to effect the final FFY 2005 error rate is coming down to these final weeks. Our current 93% performance is good, and we are still a percentage point short of our 94% payment accuracy goal. Last year you delivered strong results for us in the final months. Hopefully, we will repeat that trend this year. The national payment accuracy average remains above 94%, so our quest to be Better than Average continues. Let's keep our work quality focus, and push a bit more if we can to assure these last few months further improve our accuracy rate.

Native Family Assistance Program celebrates expansion

Health and Social Services Commissioner Joel Gilbertson joined charter members of the Native Family Assistance Program at the Alaska Native Heritage Center

(Anchorage, Alaska) – Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Commissioner Joel Gilbertson and Division of Public Assistance Director Katherine Farnham joined the Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC) and charter members of the Native Family Assistance Program today at the Alaska Native Heritage Center to celebrate the passage of Senate Bill 51. SB51 reauthorizes and expands Alaska’s Native Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program that helps families move from welfare to work.

Alaska Native Family Assistance Program Celebrates Expansion

Alaska Health and Social Services Commissioner Joel Gilbertson will join charter members of the Native Family Assistance Program at the Alaska Native Heritage Center July 22

(Juneau, Alaska) – Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Commissioner Joel Gilbertson and Division of Public Assistance Director Katherine Farnham will join the Cook Inlet Tribal Council and charter members of the Native Family Assistance Program on Friday, July 22 at the Alaska Native Heritage Center to celebrate the passage of Senate Bill 51, reauthorizing and expanding the Native Family Assistance Program that helps families move from welfare to work. Cook Inlet Tribal Council began providing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) services July 1, 2005.