STATE OF ALASKA

Department of Health and Social Services

Division of Public Assistance

TRANSMITTAL NUMBER:   2011-01

MANUAL:   Administrative Procedures Manual

DATE:   April 29, 2011

We have revised several sections of the Administrative Procedures Manual in response to requests from staff. The changes include:  

1. • Clarifying that staff should use the telephone interpreter service and bilingual employees of DHSS Department of Health and Social Services as the first option and family and friends as a last resort when working with limited English speaking individuals.

   • Adding guidelines for providing services to speech and hearing impaired individuals.   

   • Adding new procedures for handling client complaints.

   • Adding a verification chart showing which items require mandatory verification for each program.

   • Adding a section defining the statewide fee agent process which includes procedures for selecting, training, paying, and terminating fee agents.

   • Adding procedures for processing cases for SSI Supplemental Security Income and non-SSI Supplemental Security Income youth over age 18 re-entering OCS Office of Children's Services custody.

Other changes are either technical in nature or clarifications that are the result of policy questions or suggestions from the field.

Highlights of these revisions are described below.  If you have any questions please contact the Policy and Program Development Team at 465-3382 or email dpapolicy@alaska.gov.

OVERVIEW OF CHANGES

MS 100-6  INTERPRETER SERVICES

1. • Adds language instructing staff to use the telephone interpreter service and bilingual employees of DHSS Department of Health and Social Services as the first option; use family and friends if there are no other options.

   • Adds a subsection with guidelines for providing services to speech and hearing impaired individuals.   

MS 100-11  PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING CLIENT COMPLAINTS

1. • Adds a section to address the new procedures for handling client complaints.

MS 103-3(D)  CASE NUMBERING ON EIS Eligibility Information System

1. • Adds an exception to WD19 Medicaid to allow re-using the same case number for another Medicaid-only category.

   • Adds Breast and Cervical Cancer Medicaid in the table to clarify that this must category must be registered as a stand-alone case number.

MS 104-3(7a)  TOOLS FOR EFFECTIVE CASE LOAD MANAGEMENT

1. • Adds a note to inform staff that Alaska is exempt from the ABAWD Able Bodied Adults without Dependents requirement and a waiver exists.

MS 105-1(B)  VERIFICATION OF INFORMATION

1. • Adds a verification chart showing which items require mandatory verification for each program.

MS 111  Program Losses and Claims COLLECTION

1. • Revises form numbering used in this section (form numbers need to be all CAPS and a space with no # sign).

   • Revises instruction for getting out of the FSAD Food Stamps Allotment Determination screen when processing overpayment claims.

MS 112-4(A)  EARLY FRAUD DETECTION REFERRALS

1. •  Revises e-mail address for Fraud Unit that is mentioned several times in the document: fraud_allegations@alaska.gov.

MS 118  VOTER REGISTRATION

1. • Revises the website address for downloading a voter registration form to http://www.elections.alaska.gov/doc/forms/C03.pdf.

MS 120  FEE AGENTS

1. • Adds a section defining the statewide fee agent process which includes procedures for selecting, training, paying, and terminating fee agents.

MS 124  TITLE IV-E / DPA Division of Public Assistance TRANSFER PROTOCOLS

1. • Revises language used to be consistent throughout this section and with other manuals to achieve better consistency and clarity.

   • Adds section 124-1(B) for the procedure for processing cases for non-SSI Supplemental Security Income youth over age 18 re-entering OCS Office of Children's Services custody.

   • Adds section 124-3(E) for the procedure for processing cases for SSI Supplemental Security Income youth over age 18 re-entering OCS Office of Children's Services custody.

MS 128-2  REPATRIATION PROGRAM

1. • Revises the procedure on repatriation to include Field Services as the contact for the Program and Policy Development Team in determining eligibility and benefit amounts for a repatriate.