The Family Support Division (FSD) must designate a staff member to represent the FSD in the fair hearing. This staff person may be referred to as the FSD or agency witness. In most fair hearings, the FSD witness will be a member of the FSD Hearings Unit. The FSD Hearings unit does not act as the FSD witness when the hearing request is for MO HealthNet services or a LIHEAP case.
NOTE: Texas County Spend Down Unit does the hearings related to bills not qualifying to meet the spend down amount.
The FSD witness:
- may confer with the household member(s) and/or the household’s representative(s) to attempt to resolve the issue prior to the hearing
- may discuss the issue with the supervisor, manager, FSD team member who took the action, the appropriate Program and Policy unit, or anyone else who may be able to assist in the preparation of the case for hearing
- must not discuss the case with the hearings officer who will preside over the hearing