104-1          FIRST CONTACT RESOLUTION

First contact resolution means properly assisting clients and addressing their needs the first time they make contact with any DPADivision 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 DPADivision 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 DPADivision of Public Assistance field offices are considered First Contact Resolution sites. All field offices have designated representatives to assist in scanning documents into ILINX if documents from a case file are needed to process a case. The list of office representatives is located at https://go.dhss.ak.local/dpa/ETResources/Administrative%20Resources/FCR%20Contact%20Numbers.pdf.

Staff should refer to the SharePoint at https://sp.dhss.ak.local/dpa/ETResources/SitePages/Home.aspx for instructions on processing applications, reviews, reports of change, mail, documents, client contact, and phone calls received in the office. All DPADivision of Public Assistance work will be entered into current™ for caseworkers to claim for statewide processing.

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

Staff will need to check the CARCCase Record Control on each of the cases and use appropriate CARCCase Record Control (refer to OA Job Aid for LTC Paperwork on SharePoint). 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

Call will be routed and triaged based on client's need through the Virtual Call Center. 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 requests to speak with supervisor, EOM or RM
• Client provides only name and/or phone with no detail to triage call

Refer to the VCC GuideBook on SharePoint for handling calls through the VCC.

Note:

Clerical and eligibility staff will need to use their PPJPrudent Person Judgement 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 staff receives a phone call or voicemail from a client, an entry is input into current™ for identifiable messages. Refer to current™ User Guide on SharePoint.

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 ETAD Job Aid for alerts, ILINX BPR Process for documents received, and Creating a current™ Task job aid.

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 EISEligibility Information System on the same date the document was received, use the date the worker created the alert.

Note:

Staff do not need to set an alert when LTCLong Term Care work is received, this includes LTCLong 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:

If an application is received and there is an open LTCLong Term Care case in EISEligibility Information System or ARIESAlaska'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 LTCLong Term Care office is not in current™. Do not place any LTCLong Term Care related case documents into current™. Refer to OA Job Aid for LTC Paperwork.

No case should be CARCCase Record Control'd to 072 FSOField Service Office.

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

• Alert Verbiage: Client has passed away.

3. Senior Benefit 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 CARCCase Record Control.)

• 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 DPADivision of Public Assistance SharePoint website.
6. When an application is received and the client has other programs in another office, do not change the CARCCase Record Control. Work the case to completion (authorize, pend, or deny). The case remains CARCCase 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 that 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 CANOCase Notes following the CANOCase Notes guidelines, updating EISEligibility Information System and ARIESAlaska's Resource for Integrated Eligibility Services, and sending the correct pend notice(s) or correspondence(s).
4. The EISEligibility Information System notice will state the contact information for the home office (the office the case is CARCCase 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. Cases are processed to completion when pended information is received. This includes a CANOCase Notes following the CANOCase Notes format outlined in the "EIS/ARIES CANO Desk Guide," updating the current entry when a case is pulled to reflect the case was pended, and updating the necessary EISEligibility Information System/ARIESAlaska'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:

Refer to current™ User Guide on SharePoint for assigning cases.

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 CANOCase 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 entry in current™ when the caseworker completes the interview or unable to make contact with the client by selecting "No Contact" from the drop down list.
4. When clients miss their appointments and request a new appointment, the interview is scheduled on a statewide calendar. 

Note:

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

Note:

The case will remain CARCCase Record Control'd to the office that set up and started the case. When a case is pended for an interview, the caseworker creates a CANOCase Notes and schedules the interview and enters the interview date as pend due date in current™.

Refer to the Expedite FS Process and Scheduling Appointments, Scheduling Interview Job Aid for scheduling interviews and current™ User Guide when an interview is completed or when there is a no show.

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.      RECERTIFICATION 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 ETADs Job Aid and Creating a current™ Task job aid for alerts/tasks set, and current™ User Guide.

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 CANOCase Notes using the format outlined in MS Addendum 109B, set alerts and/or tasks in EISEligibility Information System/ARIESAlaska's Resource for Integrated Eligibility Services and current™ when documents and reports of change are received in the office.

Refer to ETADs Job Aid, Creating a current™ Task job aid for alerts/tasks set, and current™ User Guide.

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 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, emailed, or faxed, then it is to be date stamped, scanned and saved in ILINX.
3. Create a CANOCase Notes, set alerts and tasks in EISEligibility Information System, ARIESAlaska's Resource for Integrated Eligibility Services, and current™ when a case is pended or pended documents are received in the office.

Refer to the ETADs Job Aid, Creating a current™ Task job aid for alerts/tasks set, and current™ User Guide.

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 received prior to making a final determination.

If there is information that is still missing and a final determination cannot be made, make a CANOCase Notes entry to document the information received, update necessary EISEligibility Information System and ARIESAlaska's Resource for Integrated Eligibility Services screens.

CANOCase 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 additional information.

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 CANOCase 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.
• CANOCase Notes is required on every case action in both EISEligibility Information System and ARIESAlaska'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 DPADivision of Public Assistance SharePoint website.
• Case files need to be housed where the case is CARCCase 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. The list of office representatives for scanning documents are located on SharePoint at https://go.dhss.ak.local/dpa/ETResources/Administrative%20Resources/FCR%20Contact%20Numbers.pdf.

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 receive 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 WFWork First or FFFamilies First case is CARCCase Record Control'd to.

Note:

Refer to ILINX BPR Process guide for Work Services cases.