Field Services

We are now in the final weeks of the Eligibility Technician (ET) and Workforce Development Specialist (WDS) Class Study. Since April, Ellie, the regional managers, and I have been providing feedback on recommendations presented by the Division of Personal on the proposed series and class structure, class specifications, minimum qualifications, job titles, and salary ranges.

On February first, the Gambell Office plans to fully implement a new system of work that promises to dramatically change the way staff in the office manages the workload demands of one of DPA’s largest and busiest offices. This is the culmination of three months of hard work that relied on the support of staff from across the state.

Over the course of a week in late October, over 35 staff from across the division participated in an event that identified the Gambell Office’s workload demands, the key products of the eligibility process and the critical tasks and functions that create those products. The participants of the weeklong meeting charged themselves with looking at how the business processes at the Gambell Office could be changed to provide clients with what they really want and need: same day interviews; accurate benefits issued in a matter of a few days instead of weeks; a workflow that ensures every step is value-added for our clients, and; manageable workloads for staff. In the simplest terms, the model that evolved out of 5 days of intense work shifts the way work is done from a case management model to a process management system that focuses on the of key functions that go into an eligibility determination.

2-1-1 flyers will soon be available in all DPA offices. 2-1-1 is an easy to remember telephone number that connects callers to free information about critical health and human services available in their community. Until 2-1-1, there was no single, comprehensive statewide provider of information and referral for Alaskans.

I am pleased to announce that Susan Marshall, formerly with the Tanana Chiefs Conference, is our new Program Coordinator for the Heating Assistance Program. Susan worked for TCC as a Tribal TANF case manager and most recently was responsible for oversight and management of TCC’s tribal heating assistance program.

Writing notices to clients is an important aspect of our workflow process. It is our principal method of communicating to clients about actions taken on their application or case, ensuring that due process requirements are met, and sharing information about their rights and responsibilities.

DPA sends an average of over three thousand notices clients each and every day. While EIS maintains a tremendous notice history and ensures notices are distributed effectively, the system has many weaknesses and there is a recognized need for changes. The most recent effort to improve our notice system began when staff and local quality councils recommended that the notice system be improved. Subsequently, in 2006, the DPA Leadership Team made notice improvements, aka the Notice Project, one of the division’s top system priorities.