Transcript Closing Welfare Transition Cases and Changing Welfare Transition Case Status One-Stop Service Tracking (OSST) System 2007-2008

Closing Welfare Transition Cases
and Changing Welfare Transition
Case Status
One-Stop Service Tracking (OSST)
System
2007-2008
1
Topics of Discussion

Reasons Welfare
Transition (WT) cases
close or the case status
changes

Appropriate time to close
cases or change the case
status in the One-Stop
Service Tracking (OSST)
system

Closure reasons entered
on the Case at a Glance
screen
2
Reasons for Case Closure

Individuals stop getting cash assistance or stop
having to cooperate with the WT program for a
variety of reasons



The individual fails to cooperate with Child Support
Enforcement (CSE)
The individual decides to stop getting cash
assistance or “opts off”
The individual becomes exempt and no longer has
to participate with WT program requirements
3
Reasons for Case Closure Continued



The individual fails to cooperate with the
WT program, and a work penalty or
sanction is imposed
The individual fails to meet or turn in
documents to the Department of Children
and Families (DCF)
The individual gets a job and has too much
income to continue getting cash
assistance
4
Reasons for Case Closure

Over the next few slides




We will review each reason for case closure or
status change
We will provide the steps staff should take to
close the case appropriately
We will provide the steps staff should take to
change the case status in OSST appropriately
We will discuss engagement information in an
effort to improve both performance and
customer service
5
Child Support Enforcement (CSE)
Sanctions

A case closure To-Do (alert) is received
for a mandatory WT case because the
individual did not cooperate with CSE



Review the case on the FLORIDA system
Determine the last month the family will
receive cash assistance
Because the individual received assistance
for the month and is included in the
denominator of the participation rate, attempt
to engage the participant through the last
month of cash receipt
6
Child Support Enforcement
(CSE) Sanctions
 Determine
the last month the individual
will receive cash assistance using the
FLORIDA system
 Set
a To-Do on the OSST system for the
first day after the last month of cash
assistance

For example, the last month the family will
receive cash assistance is October 2007
7
Continued

Set a To-Do to review the case around the
last day the family receives cash
assistance
• The Start Date of the To-Do should be a few
days before November 1, 2007
• The Due/End Date of the To-Do should be
November 1, 2007
8
Child Support Enforcement
(CSE) Sanctions

Always review the
case in the FLORIDA
system before
closing the case

The individual may
have subsequently
cooperated with CSE

DCF may have
reopened the cash
assistance
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Quick Question
 The
CSE sanction To-Do was received.
The family’s cash assistance is still
open for another month. While
engaging the individual in the WT
program, the individual fails to
participate. What action should be
taken?
10
Child Support Enforcement (CSE)
Sanctions

If the individual fails to cooperate with the
Individual Responsibility Plan or refuses to
participate with program requirements before
the last month of cash assistance has ended



Begin the counseling process
A sanction may be requested through the last
month of cash assistance
If the cash assistance terminates prior to a
sanction being requested, close the case with
the appropriate closure reason on the Case at
a Glance screen
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Closing the Case
Select “Close” using the
Select an Action drop down box.
The case status in OSST will not change if the user closes the WT case.
If the case is reopened, the user must review the case status and update
appropriately.
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Closure
The user will be prompted to confirm any
unconfirmed To-Dos, close open services,
activities, trainings, etc. Essentially, the user
must satisfy case requirements before closing
the case.
13
Closure
Enter the appropriate closure reason in
the Reason Code drop down box.
Enter the date the case was closed.
This date should reflect the date the
action was taken on the case.
Do not forget to select
Save.
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Opting Off
 The
individual closes his/her cash
assistance or “opts off” of cash
assistance
 The



closure To-Do is received
Review the case in the FLORIDA system
Determine the last month the participant
will receive cash assistance
Because the individual received
assistance for the month and is included
in the denominator of the participation
rate, attempt to engage the participant
15
Opting Off

Determine the last month the family will
receive cash assistance using the FLORIDA
system

Set a To-Do on the OSST system for the first
day after the last month of cash assistance


For example, the last month the individual will
receive cash assistance is October 2007
Set a To-Do to review the case around the last day
the family receives cash assistance
• The Start Date of the To-Do should be a few days before
November 1, 2007
• The Due/End Date of the To-Do should be November 1,
2007
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Opting Off

Always review the case
in the FLORIDA system
before closing the case

The individual may have
subsequently requested
cash assistance

DCF may have reopened
the cash assistance and
referred the individual to
the WT program
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Opting Off
 If
the individual fails to cooperate with
the Individual Responsibility Plan or
refuses to participate



Begin the counseling process
A sanction may be requested through the
last month of cash assistance
If the cash assistance terminates prior to a
sanction being requested, close the case
with the appropriate closure reason
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Opting Off

What if the individual cooperates through the
end of the last cash assistance month and does
not have a job or does not begin getting
assistance again




Update the hours of compliance on the “JPR” screen
Terminate services, activities, trainings, jobs,
deferrals and satisfy other required program
elements
Go to the Case at a Glance screen and select the
action “Closure”
Select the correct closure reason - “Assistance
Cancelled”
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Quick Question

What if the individual started a job before the
cash assistance closure To-Do was received
and continues to receive services after the last
month of cash assistance is received?



Continue to engage the participant through the last
month of cash assistance
Update the hours of compliance on the “JPR” screen
Terminate services, activities, trainings, deferrals and
satisfy other required program elements

Do not close the job on the Skill Development screen

Go to the Case at a Glance screen
• Change the case status to transitional after the last
month of cash assistance is received
20
Changing the Case Status
On the Case at a Glance screen,
Select the “Edit” icon under the section
“Demographic Information”.
21
Changing the Case Status
Select “Transitional” from the Change OSST Registration
Status drop down. Do not forget to select “Save”.
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Changing the Case Status
 The
OSST case header will now show the
OSST status as transitional
 Transitional
services, activities and
training can be entered on the Skill
Development screen
 Blocks
to enter hours of participation will
not be generated, so do not change the
case status to transitional until after the
last month of cash assistance is received
23
Changing the Case Status
The case header looks a manila folder. A benefit status called “FLA Status”
shows if the cash or food stamps case is “open” in the FLORIDA system based
on the latest interface record. The case header also displays the status
of the OSST case and the household affiliation.
In the example above, the OSST case is transitional (TS) and open. The
“PA” indicates that the case is located in a WT unit and is a single parent
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family.
Exemption
 Case
Closure “To Do” is received when
the individual is exempt from WT
program participation

Close the case in OSST immediately
• Do not wait until after the last month of cash
assistance is received

If the individual is still receiving TCA and
wants to participate in the WT program, the
individual must ask DCF to change the
referral code to “exempt volunteer” or “57”
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Quick Question
 Case
Closure “To Dos” often include
language stating the case is
“exempt.” Should we close all cases
with this language immediately?

No, before closing the case or setting a “ToDo” to close the case after the last month of
cash assistance is received, check the
FLORIDA system to determine the reason the
cash assistance is closing
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Exemption

Terminate the services,
activities, trainings,
jobs, deferrals and prepenalties

Go to the Case at a
Glance screen

Select “Closure” in the
Select an Action dropdown box

The user should enter
the Reason Code
“Became Exempt”
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Quick Question

The individual is not in compliance. The
individual has been counseled, and a sanction
should be requested tomorrow if (s)he does
not contact the Career Center. Should the
case still be closed if the case has become
exempt?



First, check the reason the case is closing on
the FLORIDA system
Verify the individual is exempt from
participation
If the individual is exempt based on a referral
code entered on the referral screen, yes
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Welfare Transition Sanction
(Work Penalty)

Work program sanction is requested by the RWB
and the sanction is imposed by DCF

Case Closure “To Do” should be received when
DCF actually imposes the sanction

Case closure and/or

Sanction imposed

Verify the closure reason in the FLORIDA system

Close case immediately in OSST

Sanctioned individuals are not eligible for
transitional services
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Quick Question

What happens if staff are not receiving
closure or sanction imposed To-Dos on a
regular basis?



Create a Case Closure or Special Alert To-Do for
ten days after the sanction is requested
Give DCF ten days from the date the sanction is
requested in the system to take action
If a closure or sanction imposed notice has not
been received in the ten days, the Case Closure
To-Do will remind the user to check the case
30
Quick Question




If the case is still open in OSST when the
reminder to review the case, the To-Do, appears
on the To-Do list, review the case in the FLORIDA
system
If the sanction has been imposed by DCF and the
cash assistance is closed, the case may be
terminated in OSST
The screens displaying the imposed sanction, and
cash assistance closure must be printed and
retained in the case file
Enter a case note detailing the case closure
process
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Unable to Determine Continued
Eligibility (DCF)
 The
individual fails to cooperate with
DCF; as a result, the DCF terminates
the family’s benefits and/or closes the
case


A Case Closure “To Do” is received on a
mandatory case when DCF is unable to
determine continued eligibility
This may be a result of the individual not
attending an appointment or providing
required documentation
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Unable to Determine Continued
Eligibility (DCF)

Steps to close the case in the OSST system




Review the case in the FLORIDA System
Determine the last month the individual will
receive cash assistance
Because the individual received cash for the
month and the individual is included in the
denominator of the participation rate, attempt to
engage the participant
Enter participation information through the last
month that cash assistance is received
• Ensure to record participation in the OSST system
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Unable to Determine Continued
Eligibility (DCF)

Determine the last month the individual
will receive cash assistance using the
FLORIDA system

Set a To-Do on the OSST system for the
first day after the last month of cash
assistance

For example, the last month the individual
will receive cash assistance is November
2007
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Continued

Set a To-Do to review the case around the
last day the family receives cash
assistance
• The Start Date of the To-Do should be a few
days before December 1, 2007
• The Due/End Date of the To-Do should be
December 1, 2007
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Unable to Determine Continued
Eligibility (DCF)

If the individual complies
through the last month of cash
assistance receipt and does
not begin to receive assistance
again as a result of
cooperating with DCF


Close all services, trainings,
activities, jobs and deferrals
Close the case with the reason
code “Assistance Cancelled”
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Unable to Determine Continued
Eligibility (DCF)

Always review the case in
the FLORIDA system before
closing the case in OSST

The individual may have
subsequently requested
cash assistance and
complied with DCF

DCF may have reopened the
cash assistance and
referred the individual to the
WT program
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Unable to Determine Continued
Eligibility (DCF)

If the individual fails to cooperate with the
Individual Responsibility Plan or refuses
to participate



Begin the counseling process
A sanction may be requested through the last
month of cash assistance
If the cash assistance ends (the last month of
receipt expires) prior to a sanction being
requested, close the case with the appropriate
closure reason on the Case at a Glance screen
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Quick Question

What if the individual started a job before
the cash assistance closed due to failure to
recertify? Is the family eligible for
transitional benefits?

If the family is eligible, transitional services
may be provided


Review the family’s information for eligibility for
transitional services
The family must be determined eligible before
transitional services are received
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Unable to Determine Continued
Eligibility (DCF)

If the family meets eligibility requirements and is
receiving transitional services, the case status
should be changed to transitional after the last
month of cash assistance receipt has ended

Continue to engage the participant through the
last month of cash assistance


Update the hours of compliance on the “JPR” screen
Terminate services, activities, trainings, deferrals and
satisfy other required program elements

Do not close the job on the Skill Development screen

Go to the Case at a Glance screen

Change the case status to transitional after the last
month of cash assistance is received
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Employment

A Case Closure “To-Do” is received because
the individual is working and DCF has
budgeted the earnings

The family’s cash assistance closes




Review case in the FLORIDA System
Determine the last month the individual will receive
cash assistance
Because the individual received cash for the month
and the individual is included in the denominator of
the participation rate, attempt to engage the
participant
Enter participation information through the last
month that cash assistance is received
41
Employment

Determine the last month the individual will
receive cash assistance using the FLORIDA
system

Set a To-Do on the OSST system for the first
day after the last month of cash assistance


For example, the last month the individual will
receive cash assistance is November 2007
Set a To-Do to review the case around the last day
the family receives cash assistance
• The Start Date of the To-Do should be a few days before
December 1, 2007
• The Due/End Date of the To-Do should be December 1,
2007
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Employment

Engage the participant and encourage
the participant to continue working

If the participant indicates that work is not
going well, work with the participant to
retain employment or get another job
instead of quitting

Continue to update JPRs through the
last month of cash assistance receipt

Do not request a sanction for failure to
participate or provide requested
documentation after a Case Closure
To-Do has been received
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Employment (Continued)

If the participant does not comply with the
program


Terminate support services, trainings, activities,
employment, pre-penalty entries and deferrals
The participant must be notified of the ability to
request transitional services
• Mail the Transitional Services Reminder letter
• If the individual subsequently requests transitional
services and the family is eligible for transitional
services, the case may be re-opened and the status
updated

Close the case with the reason code “Employment”
44
Quick Question

If the employment service
has been closed on the
job skill screen, and the
participant comes back for
transitional services,
should we enter a new job
on the Skill Development
screen?


No
Then how do we update
employment information?
45
Quick Question
Follow-up records may be entered
on each job entry.
A hyperlink is displayed to the right
of the job entry.
Enter a new employment entry on
the Skill Development screen if the
individual secures a new job.
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Follow-up Information
The user must enter the date the follow-up was conducted,
the name of the contact spoken to (or if documentation was
secured), the wages the individual was making at the
time the follow-up was conducted, the number of hours the participant
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is working, etc.
Another Question

If the case status is
transitional and the
individual secures a
new job, should the
new job be entered
in OSST?
48
Subsequent Employment

Yes

Any time an individual is
engaged by the WT program
and the individual secures a
new job, the employment
should be entered in OSST
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Transitional Services


If the individual secures employment prior
to cash assistance closing for one of the
following reasons, the family may be
reviewed for transitional services

Earnings

CSE sanction

Opting off

Failure to recertify or comply with DCF
The family must be found eligible for
transitional services prior to the receipt of
transitional services
50
Transitional Service
 If
the cash assistance benefit is closed
by the DCF, the family must be
informed of the ability to receive
transitional services

Before the case is closed in OSST, the
RWB must send notification of transitional
services
 Notification
must be sent before or at
the closure of the OSST case
51
Quick Question

Can you please
review the process
to change the case
status in OSST?
52
Changing the Case Status to
Transitional
Once the last month of cash assistance
is received and all information is updated,
the case status can be changed.
On the Case at a Glance screen,
Select the “Edit” icon under the section
“Demographic Information”.
53
Changing the Case Status to
Transitional
Select “Transitional” from the Change OSST Registration
Status dropdown. Select “Save”.
54
Changing the Case Status to
Transitional
 The
case header will now show the OSST
status as transitional
 Transitional
services, training and
activities can be entered on the Skill
Development screen
 Blocks
to enter hours of participation will
not be generated, so do not change the
case status to transitional until after the
last month of cash assistance is received
55
Quick Question
 An
applicant for cash assistance is
approved for a diversion payment or
diversion service
 The
individual secures employment in
the required period of time based on
the guidance paper
 Should
the case status remain
“Applicant”?
56
Quick Question

No




Once the individual begins to receive transitional
services, the case status must be changed to
transitional
Employment must be recorded in the OSST
system
Eligibility for transitional services must be
determined prior to transitional services being
received
Documentation to support eligibility for
transitional services must be retained in the case
file
57
Reminder

Before the case is closed or the case
status is changed to “Transitional”,
check the case in the FLORIDA
system to confirm the case is not
referred to the WT program and cash
assistance is closed

Do not close the case or change the
case status in OSST (with the
exception of exemptions or work
program sanctions) until the last
month TCA received has ended

The OSST closure reason should
reflect the reason the cash
assistance case closed
58
Reminder
 The
OSST closure date should reflect
the date the RWB provider closed the
case in the OSST system
 Enter
clear case notes regarding the
case closure or the change in OSST
case status
59
Summary

Cases close for a variety of reasons

Always investigate the reason cash
assistance closed on the FLORIDA system
before taking any action in OSST

Engage the participant through the last
month of cash assistance receipt if
appropriate

Close the case or change the case status in
OSST when appropriate based on the reason
the cash assistance ended
An equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. All voice telephone numbers on this document may be
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