104-1          FIRST CONTACT RESOLUTION

First contact resolution means properly assisting clients and addressing their needs the first time they make contact with any DPA Division of Public Assistance office.  This could be face-to-face, through phone calls or by mail. First contact resolution also eliminates the need for clients to follow-up with a second call or visit to the office. It has been proven that Implementing first contact resolution greatly assists with the workload in DPA Division of Public Assistance offices statewide and results in decreased phone calls, a reduction in multiple exchanges of information between offices, and a decrease in duplicate or lost paperwork. This, in turn, also allows staff to provide better customer service and assist clients at the first point of contact.

104-1 A.     OFFICES PARTICIPATING IN FIRST CONTACT RESOLUTION

All DPA Division of Public Assistance field offices are considered First Contact Resolution sites. Staff should refer to the HowWe Guide at https://go.dhss.ak.local/dpa/ETResources/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx for instructions on processing applications, reviews, reports of change, mail, documents, client contact and phone calls received in the office. All DPA Division of Public Assistance work will be entered into current™ for caseworkers to claim for statewide processing.

All DPA Division of Public Assistance offices will direct their focus to ensure all clients visiting or calling the office in the Division will be served to the fullest extent possible and cases are processed statewide.

• Home Office -the office that the case file is CARC Case Record Control'd to; the home office may also be called the assigned office.   
  
  

• Receiving Office - the office that receives the information from the client.
  

Exceptions: 

The Long Term Care (LTC Long Term Care) unit is a statewide specialized unit. The LTC Long Term Care unit only sees walk-in clients related to the Long Term Care program as they are not staffed to handle all in-coming work to the office.

Staff will need to check the CARC Case Record Control on each of the cases and use appropriate CARC (refer to HowWe Guide Addendum 13). If cases are assigned to a lead worker or supervisor, staff cannot work the case and must immediately transfer the information directly to that lead worker or supervisor.

104-1 B.     RECEIVING CALLS AND PAPERWORK

Procedure for clerical staff when they receive a call or paperwork from a client either assigned to their office or another office:

1.    Phone calls

Calls will be routed and triaged based on client's need. All identifiable messages are entered into  current™ same day. If a client leaves required detailed contact information in the message, enter them in the remarks section of current™.

Do not input information into current™ for the following:

• Confidential case

• Client request to speak with supervisor, EOM or RM

• Client provides only name and/or phone with no detail to triage call

Refer to the HowWe Guide, Addendum 2 for triaging phone calls based on needs ("How to Triage") and inputting calls into current™ ("Examples of Types of Phone Calls and How To Put Into current™"). Staff should refer to HowWe Guide ("Phone Clients" and "Phone Access Point") for detailed instructions on answering client phone calls.

Note:

Clerical and eligibility staff will need to use their PPJ Prudent Person Judgment when clients are inquiring about their case.  If it’s an urgent medical need, the case must be worked immediately. 

Clerical staff can respond to non-eligibility related requests. For eligibility questions that require more program knowledge, a caseworker or eligibility supervisor will be responsible for returning the call to the client.

When a staff receives a phone call or voicemail from a client, an entry is input into current™ for identifiable messages. Refer to Addendum 2 in the HowWe Guide on required remarks into current™ for phone calls and client contact.

2.    Paperwork (except Gen 50s and Gen 72)

Mail is processed daily and paper documents that are received (fax, conventional mail, drop boxes, emails) are date stamped, saved and scanned into ILINX and an alert or task is set. Refer to the HowWeGuide, "Mail Blitz Entry of Alerts/Tasks for Clerical" in Addendum 7 for a list of tasks and/or alerts that are required entry into current™.

When setting due dates for receiving reports of change or other documents, the due date is the date the report of change or document was received. If unable to set the alert in EIS Eligibility Information System on the same date the document was received, use the date the worker created the alert.

For alert/task verbiage in EIS Eligibility Information System and ARIES Alaska's Resource for Integrated Eligibility Services, refer to Addendum 9, "State When to Set An Alert" or "Task Job Aid" in the HowWe Guide.

Note:

Staff do not need to set an alert when LTC Long Term Care work is received, this includes LTC Long Term Care reviews, reports of change, and pended information.

104-1 C.    APPLICATIONS, aDD-TO-PROGRAM AND REAPPLICATIONS (GEN 72)

1. Applications received in the office are date stamped, registered, inputted into current™, scanned and saved into ILINX for statewide processing, this includes Senior Benefits and Heating Assistance Program.
   
   

Exceptions:  

Follow the process in the HowWe Guide Addendum 17 for Long Term Care applications and documentation.

If an application is received and there is an open LTC Long Term Care case in EIS Eligibility Information System or ARIES Alaska's Resource for Integrated Eligibility Services, the documents must be entered into ILINX, following normal office procedure and the home office should be set as Long Term Care.

The LTC Long Term Care office is not into current™. Do not place any LTC Long Term Care related case documents into current™.

No case should be CARC Case Record Control'd to 072 FSO Field Service Office.

2. Burial applications - If an LTC Long Term Care case exists, the office that works the application will notify LTC Long Term Care that the client has passed away. Do not process the LTC Long Term Care case since it is only processed by the LTC Long Term Care unit (LTC Long Term Care cases are identified by the 070 CARC Case Record Control).
   
   

3. Alert Verbiage: Client has passed away.
   
   

3. Senior Benefits applications - If the Senior Benefits case has other open program(s), it will be maintained by the office that has the other open program(s). Refer to Admin Manual MS 101-5D.
   
   An alert will also be set for the Senior Benefits case if the client has passed away.  (Senior Benefits cases are identified by the 030 CARC Case Record Control).
   
   

4. Alert Verbiage: Client has passed away.
   
   

4. Heating Assistance applications - If the Heating Assistance case has other open program(s), it will be maintained by the office that has the other open program(s).
   
   

5. The caseworker will work the case to completion, authorize, pend, or deny. All documents and paperwork will be scanned and saved in ILINX. The ILINX Capture and Content Store overview and process guide is available on the DPA SharePoint website.
   
   

6. When an application is received and the client has other programs in another office, do not change the CARC. Work the case to completion (authorize, pend, or deny). The case remains CARC Case Record Control'd or assigned to the office that has the file. This is very important in order to identify where the physical file is located.
   
   

7. Supervisors are responsible for monitoring the unacted report in their assigned office. If any problems occur, supervisors will work closely to resolve any issues or concerns. It is important the specific concerns are clearly communicated between supervisors.
   
   

104-1 D.      PENDED APPLICATIONS

1. The caseworker will pursue any required verification to complete the case and must exhaust all means of collateral contact, pending as few applications as possible.  
   
   

2. Each office will develop a spot check process for pends to ensure all items are pended correctly and follow policy guidance.
   
   

3. The office that works the application will take all actions including a CANO Case Notes following the CANO Case Notes guidelines, updating EIS Eligibility Information System and ARIES Alaska's Resource for Integrated Eligibility Services, and sending the correct pend notice(s) or corrspondance(s).
   
   

4. The EIS Eligibility Information System notice will state the contact information for the home office (the office the case is CARC Case Record Control'd or assigned to and has the file).
   
   

5. If the client returns with pended items, the office that receives the information will scan and save the documents in ILINX for statewide processing.
   
   

6. Case are processed to completion when pended information is received. This includes a CANO Case Notes following the CANO Case Notes format outlined in the "EIS/ARIES CANO Desk Guide," current™ entry and updating the necessary EIS Eligibility Information System/ARIES Alaska's Resource for Integrated Eligibility Services screens. If all the pended information is not received, the case will remain pended until all information is received by the due date, or deny if the PEND date has passed. It is the "home" office's responsibility to work off their unacted report and/or alerts to ensure cases are denied timely.
   
   

7. The caseworker will read all information relevant to the pend action, only updating information that was pended and not working the entire case. If an error is discovered (for example an income error) while working the pended case, the caseworker will make the necessary correction and notify their supervisor of the discovery and correction to provide to the prior caseworker.
   
   

8. If the client provides information and the caseworker can identify other information has been received in another office and cannot be located in ILINX, the caseworker will contact the other office and request the other information be scanned and saved in ILINX. The caseworker will work the case to completion once the information is received.

Note:

See the HowWe Guide Addendum 13 "Case Records (CARC) Job Aid" for assigning cases to the office.

104-1 E.      DENYING FOR FAILURE TO PROVIDE

1. Prior to denying the case, the case file, alerts/tasks, current™ and ILINX must be checked to ensure the pended information has not been received.  
   
   

104-1 f.     INTERVIEWS AND NO-SHOWS

1. If the client cannot stay for their interview, the receiving office will schedule the interview. Interviews are scheduled only when the office cannot reach the client after cold call attempts or client is not unable to do the interview at the time of the cold call. Create a CANO Case Notes with date and time of the scheduled interview and send appropriate notice.
   

2. If the caseworker is unable to reach the client by phone during a cold call, the caseworker will send a flexible interview notice, allowing the client to wait for the scheduled interview date and time or they can contact the office prior to their scheduled interview. The caseworker will complete all work that does not require an interview. Refer to the job aid on the SharePoint for additional information on Flexible Interview Process.
   

3. Update the SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Appointment Calendar as appropriate, as "no show" when the client has missed their scheduled interview.
   

4. Clients will often contact the office when an appointment has been missed and request a new appointment. If this occurs, the office that receives the request for a new appointment will schedule and complete the appointment. New appointments are scheduled using SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Appointment Calendar. Follow the HowWe Guide for processing and scheduling appointments ("Non-Lobby Access Point – Applications/Recerts needing Interview" and "Phone Access Point – Client requesting an Interview").

Note:

If a client calls who is assigned to the LTC Long Term Care unit (070/071), the call should be transferred to the LTC Long Term Care office so that the client can be helped immediately.

Note:

The case will remain CARC Case Record Control'd or assigned to the office that has the case file. A CANO Case Notes, SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Appointment, and current™ must also be entered noting the date and time of the scheduled appointment and also for any rescheduled appointments.

Refer to the HowWe Guide Addendum 5 on scheduling appointment for expedited SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Addendum 6 job aid for scheduling interviews.

104-1 g.     REQUIRED ACTION AFTER AN APPLICATION IS APPROVED, DENIED, OR PENDED

1. If there is an existing case in another office, the interviewing office will scan and save the application and other attached documents in ILINX.
   
   

2. If there is a closed file and it has been longer than 12 months, the receiving office will keep the case, scan and save in ILINX.

104-1 h.     RECERTIFICATIONS AND REVIEWS

ALL recertifications and reviews will be date stamped, registered, scanned and saved in ILINX, and alerts/tasks set.

Notes:

Refer to Admin Manual MS 104-2 for additional information about recertifications and reviews.

Refer to the HowWe Guide, Addendum 9 "Statewide When to Set An Alert or Tasks Job Aid" when a review is received.

104-1 i.     REPORTS OF CHANGE

1. If the client is in person and is seen by the caseworker, it is expected that the receiving office will work the case to the fullest extent possible (authorize/pend/deny).
   

2. If the paperwork is placed in a drop box, mailed or faxed in then it is to be date stamped, scanned and saved in ILINX.
   

3. Create a CANO Case Notes using the format outlined in MS Addendum 109B, set alerts and/or tasks in EIS Eligibility Information System/ARIES Alaska's Resource for Integrated Eligibility Services, and current™ when documents and reports of change are received in the office.
   
   Refer to HowWe Guide Addendum 9, "Statewide When to Set An Alert or Task Job Aid" for list of alerts, tasks and mandatory verbiage.

Note:

The task due date needs to be the date the document was received; if unable to set the alert due date for the same date the document was received, used the date the task was created.

4. The office that processes the case will work and clear all the alerts.

Note:

Refer to Admin Manual MS 107 additional information about how offices process reports of change.

104-1 j.     PENDED INFORMATION

1. If the client is in person and is seen by a caseworker, it is expected that the receiving office will work the case to the fullest extent possible (authorize/pend/deny).
   

2. If the paperwork is placed in a drop box, mailed, e-mailed, or faxed, then it is to be date stamped, scanned and saved in ILINX.
   

3. Create a CANO Case Notes, set alerts and tasks in EIS Eligibility Information System, ARIES Alaska's Resource for Integrated Eligibility Services, and current™ when cases are pended or pended documents are received in the office.
   
   Refer to HowWe Guide Addendum 9, "Statewide When to Set An Alert or Task Job Aid" for list of alerts, tasks and mandatory verbiage.

Note:

The task due date needs to be the date the document was received; if unable to set the alert due date for the same date the document was received, use the date the task was created.

4. The caseworker must check current™ and ILINX to ensure the pended information is not receive prior to making a final determination.
   
   If there is information that is still missing and a final determination cannot be made, make a CANO Case Notes entry to document the information received, update necessary EIS Eligibility Information System and ARIES Alaska's Resource for Integrated Eligibility Services screens.

CANO Case Notes example:

Title: Partial info rec’d – pend continues

Rec’d 030114 check stubs from Walmart for Jackie paid bi-weekly

 PPE      PD     HRS      OT       GROSS     YTD

(All payroll information must be recorded here)                          

GROSS AVERAGED PAY MUST BE CALCULATED

Remains pended for….

5. If all the information is received, make the eligibility determination. All paperwork must be scanned and saved in ILINX. The office that processes the case will work and clear all the alerts/tasks.

104-1 K.      OTHER REMINDERS

• If an error is discovered while working a case, the caseworker working it will ensure that benefits going forward are correct and complete the necessary underpayments and overpayments on the case. The caseworker will then send a copy of the CANO Case Notes to his/her supervisor who will contact the supervisor of the caseworker who initially made the error. That caseworker is then responsible for addressing previous corrections that may be necessary.
  

• CANO Case Notes is required on every case action in both EIS Eligibility Information System and ARIES Alaska's Resource for Integrated Eligibility Services.
  

• All applications, reviews, documents, reports of changes are scanned and saved into ILINX. The ILINX Capture and Content Store overview and process guide is available on the DPA SharePoint website.
  

• Case files need to be housed where the case is CARC Case Record Control'd.
  

• Case review errors will continue to be assigned to the caseworker that initially created the error.
  

• If there are items from the file that are not scanned and saved in ILINX that are necessary to complete processing the case, contact the designated office representatives. For a current listing of office representatives, email DOST Division Operations Support Team at dpadost@alaska.gov.

Note:

The designated office representatives have agreed to each have a back-up person in case they are out of the office or on leave.

104-1 L.      WORK SERVICES

1. If Work Services staff receives a report of change or other information, they will forward the information to the home office for processing.
   
   

2. If caseworkers receive a report of change, they will forward the information to where the WF Work First or FF Families First case is CARC Case Record Control'd to.

Note:

Refer to Addendum 10 in the HowWe Guide for processing Work Services cases.