IM-18 01/29/01 TRANSITIONING CONTRACTED CASE MANAGEMENT TO LOCAL DFS OFFICES
| SUBJECT: |
| TRANSITIONING CONTRACTED CASE MANAGEMENT TO LOCAL DFS OFFICES |
| DISCUSSION: |
| The purpose of this memorandum is twofold.
First, clarification is provided concerning specific individuals who will
continue to receive contracted case management services from the contractors
beyond the end of the contract period. Second, a timetable has been
established for transitioning case management participants and files to
the local Division of Family Services offices. As discussed in Memorandum
(IM-159) dated November 7, 2000 the current case management contract will
end January 31, 2001, except for Jackson County.
CONTINUED STRUCTURED FAMILY ASSISTANCE PARTICIPANTS To ensure that families actively participating
in a Structured Family Assistance Program do not experience an interruption
of services, the SFAP contractor may elect to continue providing services
for families in their facility prior to December 8, 2000, until the maximum
payment has been made for the household, or the individual leaves the shelter
setting, whichever comes first. DFS Central office will contact the
appropriate local
CONTINUED JOB RETENTION SERVICES Contractors will continue case management with participants that have been placed in full time unsubsidized employment prior to February 1, 2001 who are eligible for job retention bonuses. DFS Central Office will provide local offices with a list identifying all individuals continuing job retention services. Local office should view the JOBS system to ensure the contractor's load number is listed as the case management provider. Central office will contact the local office when the final job retention bonus has been paid on behalf of the individual. At that point the local offices should request the case file be returned to DFS. If any individual on the job retention listing loses employment, contact the provider to request the individual be returned to DFS for case management and to obtain the individual's case file from the provider. Immediately update the JOBS system to reflect the appropriate DFS caseload number. TRANSITIONING CASE MANAGEMENT PARTICIPANTS AND FILES Effective immediately participants who are not placed in full time unsubsidized employment but who are actively engaged with a contractor will be transitioned to DFS for continuance of case management services. To achieve this transition successfully, joint case management by the provider and the designated DFS case manager is suggested. Joint case management should help familiarize the DFS case manager with the participant's self-sufficiency plan, and could include a meeting with the provider, the DFS case manager and the participant. Participants should not encounter an interruption of services during the transition. County liaisons should coordinate the return of participants to the local office. All case records except for participants continuing job retention or SFAP services must be returned to DFS by February 28, 2001. Effective immediately contractors are to return case files containing documentation pertaining to case management services provided by their agency. The physical return of the files is to be coordinated with the local DFS offices. All case records retained by the provider for job retention and SFAP must be returned to DFS at the end of the retention period or when the household is no longer residing in a SFAP facility. If you have any questions regarding the transition, please feel free to contact Debbie Bower, Central Office at (573) 751-9488. |
| NECESSARY ACTION: |
Distribution #6 |