VI. Department Responsibilities

A. Referral Process

FCRC staff will identify customers and make referrals to Providers in a manner which assures that customers are referred according to the Provider's program and the individual needs of the customer.

  1. Customers will be referred to the Provider via Referral Form 2151 in the Work Verification System (WVS)/Integrated Eligibility System (IES). 
  2. Referrals to Job Placement Providers will include the customer's Responsibility and Services Plan (Form 4003) and a completed Work First/Work Experience/Community Service Worksheet (Form 4044) which is included in the RSP in the Work Verification System (WVS)/Integrated Eligibility System (IES), showing the maximum number of work experience or community service hours that may be assigned. 
  3. Referrals for customers being assigned to Work First Providers will contain the following:
    1. Referral Form in the WVS/IES. 
    2. Responsibility and Services Plan in the WVS/IES. 
    3. A completed Work First/Work Experience/Community Service Worksheet (Form 4044) showing the maximum number of hours required to earn the assistance grant, the cash benefit amount, and the hourly payment reduction rate, which is included in the RSP in the WVS/IES.
  4. Initial referrals will be scheduled on dates/days agreed to by the Provider and FCRC staff. 
  5. Referrals and RSP will be submitted through the WVS/IES to the Provider within 48 hours of completing the Responsibility and Services Plan (Form 4003) with the customer.

B. Change/Progress Reporting

The Department will use the Change/Progress Report Form (Form 2151A) in the WVS/IES to notify the Provider within 48 hours of a No-show, SWAP action, cancellation, employment, change in benefits or other case action relevant to the Provider's involvement with the customer.

  1. Work First - If the hours required to earn the assistance grant change as a result of a change in benefits, the Department will submit through the WVS/IES a revised RSP to the Provider which includes a revised Work Experience/Work First Worksheet (Form 4044).
  2. If there is a need to revise the Responsibility and Services Plan (Form 4003), FCRC staff will make the changes and submit in the WVS/IES.  The Provider will have access to updated RSP in the WVS/IES within 48 hours of the change. The Department will use the Change/Progress Report Form (Form 2151A) through the WVS/IES to notify the Provider within 48 hours if the revised Plan is approved.
  3. The FCRC will respond to the Provider within 48 hours when a decision is requested regarding a customer's inability to complete assigned activities and required hours due to a disability or medical problem impacting the customer's participation level in assigned activities.
  4. Work First Only - The FCRC will remove the case from "0" grant status and budget earnings within 48 hours of receiving the RSP Attendance and Activity Report showing the customer has obtained unsubsidized employment.

C. Non-Cooperation

  1. Job Placement and Special Projects - When a customer fails to cooperate by completing the required activities and assigned hours, and the contractor has attempted reconciliation without success, the contractor will notify the FCRC via the RSP Attendance and Activity Report. The FCRC caseworker will impose the sanction within 48 hours of receiving the report. If the customer later agrees to cooperate, the Department will re-refer the customer via Referral Form (Form 2151 or 2151C) to the Provider that made the initial request for sanction action.
  2. Work First - Within 48 hours of receiving a 2151A Change Progress Report, from the Provider reporting non-cooperation, the Department will discontinue the cash assistance and swap the case to Family Health Plans (formerly MANG).
  3. Providers are responsible for maintaining records and documentation of action taken to reconcile issues with non-cooperating customers and make them available to the Department upon request.

D. Staffing

Department staff will participate in staffings with the Provider to review and discuss the status of customers assigned to the Provider using the established staffing protocols and forms. The Department reserves the right to remove a customer from a Provider's program when the Department determines that the customer demonstrates insufficient progress and/or a pattern of non-compliance.

E. Mediation

  1. The Regional Employment and Training Liaison and the DHS Provider Manager will act as mediators when the FCRC Administrator and the Provider are unable to resolve issues in a timely manner. 
  2. The FCRC Administrator will notify the Regional Employment and Training Liaison within two (2) workdays if: the Provider fails to adhere to the quarterly staffing meeting schedule without notification; or, there is an unresolved dispute about the customer's plan or how the customer is handled; and/or any issue that the FCRC Administrator identifies which will affect the terms of the Agreement. 
  3. The Regional Employment and Training Liaison will arrange a meeting with the DHS Provider Manager within 10 calendar days to resolve the specified issue.

F. Work First Benefits

  1. Authorization
    • Upon receipt of the Work Experience/Work First Worksheet (Form 4044) reporting the participation of the customer, the Department's Office of Program Support and Fiscal Management will centrally deposit the appropriate amount of the assistance benefit into the customer's Link account or checking or savings account if they are participating in the direct deposit program. 
  2. Notification of Benefits
    • Within five (5) days of receipt of the Work First Financial Assistance Link Payment Summary from the Provider, the Department will return the form to the Provider by e-mail showing the date that the Link payment for benefits will be available to the customers listed on the summary. Problems with authorization, if any, will be indicated on the form.