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Building Foundations Facilitator’s Guide

Building Foundations Facilitator’s Guide Version 1

Release Date: February 2014

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Building

Foundations Facilitator’s Guide

Health Care and Economic Security

Staff Development Center 7800 East Orchard Road, Suite 280

Greenwood Village, CO 80111




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Acknowledgements The Health Care and Economic Security Staff Development Center (SDC) would like to acknowledge all

the individuals and agencies that provided assistance during the Building Foundations development

process. First, the SDC would like to extend its gratitude to Colorado’s Departments of Human/Social

Services for their support throughout the development of Building Foundations. Numerous county

departments have hosted the SDC for site visits, shared training content, reviewed training material, and

attended meetings in the support of training development. Without this support from county

departments, Building Foundations would not have been possible. The SDC would also like to thank staff

from the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS), the Colorado Department of Health Care

Policy and Financing (HCPF), and the Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT). Their

willingness to share their program and systems knowledge with the SDC has been invaluable. Finally, the

SDC would like to recognize the Integrated Project Team (IPT) Training sub-committee for providing

guidance, recommendations, and support throughout the development of Building Foundations.

Introduction The Health Care and Economic Security Staff Development Center (SDC) is excited to present you with

your guide to the framework for the precision delivery of Building Foundations curriculum. Building

Foundations is one of the first steps in knowledge development and training for staff working with

individuals and families who are applying for or receiving health care and public assistance benefits in

the state of Colorado.

In the spirit of the SDC’s vision, which is to provide an efficient, non-duplicative, and responsive training

array for staff that promotes an integrated and holistic service delivery system, we are offering this

guide to both standardize and formalize the way staff are trained in the counties and at Medical

Assistance (MA) sites across Colorado. Standardization of the Building Foundations and precision

delivery of the curriculum will assure that all of the right staff are receiving the same high standard of

competency attainment through training, which will provide quicker acclimation to the work culture in

this area of human services and positively impact job performance and outcomes.




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Curriculum Abstract

The Health Care and Economic Security Staff Development Center (SDC) is tasked with designing and

delivering a standardized, competency-based training for new eligibility workers stationed at County

Departments of Human Services and Medical Assistance (MA) sites throughout Colorado. In

collaboration with multiple stakeholders, the SDC has created a blueprint for this new training

paradigm—Building Foundations—which will equip new eligibility workers and others working with

individuals and families accessing benefits with the fundamental knowledge, skills, and awareness

required to begin their professional journeys. Building Foundations will be comprised of a three-day

course which covers topics from building relationships with clients to entering data into the Colorado

Benefits Management System (CBMS). Participants who successfully complete Building Foundations will

share a common set of core competencies, ensuring that all of Colorado’s citizens will experience high-

quality health care and economic security services. The Building Foundations learning plan will consist of

Web-Based Trainings (WBTs) as prerequisites in addition to the three-day in-class training.

Six points to remember when facilitating Building Foundations:

Resist the temptation to teach – facilitate

Resist the temptation to answer all of the questions – reflect back

Resist the temptation to convince – use questions

Make the conversation flow

Help participants see the bigger picture/vision

Find your own words and examples based on personal experiences to help learning stick

Revisit Content

Take time to revisit the main ideas from the training as frequently as time allows to ensure that the

participants comprehend the information presented during training. Revisiting content can occur after

finishing a module, upon return from breaks or lunch, or at the start of new days. Content revisits can

take the form of participants offering teach- backs, small group discussions, or independent note review.




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Table of Contents Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................... 2

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2

Curriculum Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... 3

Revisit Content .............................................................................................................................................. 3

Activity and Material Adaptations ................................................................................................................ 8

Planning and Set-Up ...................................................................................................................................... 9

Making Groups ............................................................................................................................................ 10

Common Terms and Phrases ...................................................................................................................... 10

Helpful Symbols .......................................................................................................................................... 11

Understanding Poverty and Engaging Individuals ...................................................................................... 12

Objectives: .............................................................................................................................................. 12

Course Modules: ..................................................................................................................................... 12

Who Are You? ..................................................................................................................................... 12

Inspired Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 13

Group Expectations and Housekeeping .............................................................................................. 13

What’s Your Mental Model of Poverty? ............................................................................................. 14

Videos & Discussion ............................................................................................................................ 14

Key Terms & Definitions ..................................................................................................................... 15

About Poverty ..................................................................................................................................... 16

Action Planning & Networking ............................................................................................................ 17

Three Strategies for Building Effective Relationships ......................................................................... 17

Break Recommended .......................................................................................................................... 19

Effective Relationship Strategies ........................................................................................................ 20

Why Do Effective Relationships Matter? ............................................................................................ 20

It Could Happen to You ....................................................................................................................... 21

The Big Three: Food, Medical and Cash Assistance .................................................................................... 22

Objectives: .............................................................................................................................................. 22

What Do You Know? ........................................................................................................................... 22

Food Assistance: What Can You Buy? ................................................................................................. 23

Food Assistance Facts ......................................................................................................................... 23

Food Assistance Overview .................................................................................................................. 24

Lunch Recommended ......................................................................................................................... 25




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Medical Assistance Introduction ........................................................................................................ 25

MAGI Medical Assistance ................................................................................................................... 25

Non-MAGI Medical Assistance Program ............................................................................................. 26

Paddle Game: MAGI vs. Non-MAGI .................................................................................................... 28

Alphabet Race ..................................................................................................................................... 29

Cash Assistance Introduction .............................................................................................................. 30

Cash Assistance: Colorado Works ....................................................................................................... 30

Acronym Call-Out ................................................................................................................................ 31

Cash Assistance: Adult Financial ......................................................................................................... 32

What Do You Know Now? ................................................................................................................... 33


Introduction to CO.Train ..................................................................................................................... 33

Knowledge Check ................................................................................................................................ 33

Applying for Public Assistance .................................................................................................................... 34

Objectives: .............................................................................................................................................. 34

Course Modules: ..................................................................................................................................... 34

Introduction to Public Assistance Applications .................................................................................. 34

Find and Submit .................................................................................................................................. 35

Application Components .................................................................................................................... 36

Application Exploration Workshop ..................................................................................................... 37


Public Assistance Applications: Rules and Policies ............................................................................. 37

Application Scenarios .......................................................................................................................... 42

Applications Are… ............................................................................................................................... 43

Interviewing for Public Assistance .............................................................................................................. 45

Objectives: .............................................................................................................................................. 45

Course Modules: ..................................................................................................................................... 45

Info Race – Informal Interviews .......................................................................................................... 45

What is an Interview? ......................................................................................................................... 46

Five Techniques for Conducting Effective Interviews ......................................................................... 47

Paddle Game: Interview Requirements for High-Level Program Groups (HLPGs) ............................. 48





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Interview Questions for High-Level Program Groups (HLPGs) ........................................................... 49

Phone Interviews ................................................................................................................................ 50

Practice Positivity ................................................................................................................................ 51

Practice Interviews .............................................................................................................................. 51

What Have I Learned? ......................................................................................................................... 52


Documentation: Creating Effective Case Comments .................................................................................. 53

Objectives: .............................................................................................................................................. 53

What is a Case Comment? .................................................................................................................. 53

The Purpose of Case Documentation ................................................................................................. 53

What is (or isn’t) in a Case Comment?................................................................................................ 54

Case Comment Case Studies ............................................................................................................... 55

What Did I Learn? ............................................................................................................................... 56

Application Initiation (AI) ............................................................................................................................ 57

Objectives: .............................................................................................................................................. 57

Course Modules: ..................................................................................................................................... 57

Matching Terms .................................................................................................................................. 57

Inquiry ................................................................................................................................................. 58

Application Initiation (AI) Overview .................................................................................................... 59

AI Review ............................................................................................................................................ 60

When to Complete an AI ..................................................................................................................... 61

Application Initiation (AI) Tour ........................................................................................................... 62

Questions ............................................................................................................................................ 62


Hands-On AI ........................................................................................................................................ 63

Finding a Case through Quick Search ................................................................................................. 78


Finding a Case through Inquiry ........................................................................................................... 78

Case Practice ....................................................................................................................................... 82

Debrief ................................................................................................................................................ 82

Closing ................................................................................................................................................. 82

Appendix ..................................................................................................................................................... 84




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Interviewing for Public Assistance .......................................................................................................... 84

Interview Requirements for High-Level Program Groups (HLPGs) ..................................................... 84

Interview Questions for High-Level Program Groups (HLPGs) ........................................................... 84

Fictional Client Profiles ....................................................................................................................... 88

Application Initiation (AI) ........................................................................................................................ 88

Practice Application Initiation (AI) Scenarios ...................................................................................... 88




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Activity and Material Adaptations

Within the Building Foundations Facilitator Guide, you will find that there are many activities that have

been incorporated into each module to promote active learning for participants and enhance the

transfer of learning. There may be occasions when an adaptation of an activity may be required due to

the number of participants, availability of materials, or other unforeseen circumstances. It is suggested

that the activity itself be modified to meet the needs of your learners, but the content itself must

remain intact and delivered within the same context. Examples of this are as follows:

If an activity calls for a Flip Chart or Flip Chart paper, it would be acceptable to utilize a

whiteboard or chalk board or whatever other similar material you have available

If an activity calls for paddles (hand-held whiteboards), you could use a piece of paper and write

on either side, or the activity could be modified to be a “call-out” type of answer as opposed to

having it written on an instrument

If an activity calls for 3x5 cards, any type of paper could be used in place of an index card

If needed, you can adapt your group sizes or your delivery of the activity itself, and most importantly use

your creativity to enhance the activities to maximize your participants’ learning!

Adaptations can make curriculum more suitable for a population and/or an organization’s business

process without compromising or deleting core components. There are three types of adaptations:

Green, Yellow, and Red light adaptations. Facilitators are able to make Green and some Yellow light

adaptations. Green light adaptations can be made without informing any stakeholder, although it is best

practice to inform the Staff Development Center; Yellow light adaptations require contacting the Staff

Development Center and must follow a 6-step adaptation process; Red light adaptations cannot be

made by facilitators, and if desired they must be requested of the Staff Development Center. More

guidance regarding adaptations is available through the Trainer Certification Process and on our

website, http://traincolorado.com.

Green: Safe to make changes:

Ordering modules to fit your business process

Tailor activities to audience

Make activities more interactive

Customize activities to be more relevant to trainees

Yellow: Investigate more and ask a SME:

Change sequence of modules

Add activities to reinforce learning

Add activities to address additional factors

Modify activities for timeliness

Replace or include supplemental resources

http://traincolorado.com/




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Red: Must be avoided because changes may weaken outcomes:

Altering policy

Changing the sequence within a module

Incorporating activities that contradict, compete with, or dilute the objectives

Not repeating/reinforcing key messages

Cutting key skill-building activities

Replacing interactive activities with lectures or individual work

Eliminating classroom management strategies

Planning and Set-Up

The first day of training, set up will likely take between 30 minutes and 1 hour.

Each day thereafter, if the tables, chairs, etc. can be left in the same position,

should take 15-30 minutes. A crescent round room set-up is recommended,

though other setups including classroom style can be used.

In general, training preparation should include getting ready for all activities,

ensuring all materials are prepared, sticking/taping anything appropriate to the

walls, making sure the room is clean and in order, and preparing any necessary

Technology. For this training, minimum recommended materials are:

Facilitator’s computer

Computer for each participant (for the AI module)

Projector

Projection screen or white wall

Writing utensils (pens/pencils, can be requested for participants to bring their own, and

markers)

Flip-chart paper with an easel, or a white board

Paper

Facilitator’s guide

Participant’s guide for each participant

Additional useful materials include:

Post-it notes

Paddles boards

Dry-erase markers

Dry erase erasers (tissues or paper towels can also be used)

Candy

Index cards

Sticky Flip-Chart Paper

Parking lot for questions that cannot be answered immediately

Note: most Desk Aids will be available on the SDC website (traincolorado.com) for download separate

from the Building Foundations Guides.

Crescent Rounds www.sinclair.edu

Room Set-up Guide

http://traincolorado.com/

http://www.sinclair.edu/




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Making Groups

A significant part of this training involves participation in groups of various sizes. While this participation

is important for learning, it is also important to recognize that participants will have varying degrees of

comfort with group activities. Encourage participants to interact and engage while allowing those who

are not comfortable doing so to participate as they chose.

There are numerous ways to divide participants into groups, and creativity is encouraged creativity

when coming up with methods. A few suggested methods are:

Number off (1,2,3,4,5…) and have matching numbers get together as a group

Number off with more than one set (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10; 1s and 6s, etc.)

Give each participant a piece of paper with a number (as many as there are people), then draw

from a bag with matching numbers (if 40 people, number 1-40 in bag and each participant picks

a number 1-40)

Playing cards (color, suit, number, odds/evens)

Gum balls/candy

Months of the year (may have to move some around/count to 5 and then change)

Same color shirt

Brand of toothpaste

Randomly assign a few people to each group, without accounting for strict size requirements

Put different things in film canisters, the same number of each item as you want in the group.

Give each participant one, ask them to shake it, then tell them to find others with the same

sound

Cut a picture up into as many pieces as you want in the group, then have participants fit the

pieces together like a puzzle

Common Terms and Phrases

There are several terms and phrases found throughout this Guide that have other common names

associated with them. We have chosen these terms and phrases based on accuracy, appropriateness,

and general understanding in order to provide consistency. The terms and phrases used in this Guide are

listed below with other associated common names.

Cash Assistance: Colorado Works (CW) and Adult Financial (AF)

Client: applicant, customer, recipient, household

Colorado Works: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF; this is the federal program)

Eligibility Worker or Public Assistance Professional: user, eligibility technician, program

specialist, eligibility professional, worker

Food Assistance: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP; this is the federal

program), food stamps

Medical Assistance: Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+); not Medicare

Public Assistance: Food, Medical, and Cash Assistance programs; human services, social services




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Helpful Symbols

To make note of important components of this Guide, the below icons will be used throughout.

Icon: Symbolizes:

Time Section or Activity Requires

Refer to Participant’s Guide

Use a Visual Aid

Activity

Additional Preparation Required

Additional Materials Required

# ## ###

Difficulty Level

Icons from the Noun Project: Traffic Light designed by Edward Boatman; Time designed by Richard de Vos; Notebook designed by Carlo Prina;

See designed by Takao Umehara; Group designed by Rohan Gupta; Detach designed by Nithin Davis Nanthikkara; Marker designed by Matt

Brooks.

http://www.thenounproject.com/

http://thenounproject.com/edward/

http://thenounproject.com/ristyled

http://thenounproject.com/Carlo

http://thenounproject.com/takaoumehara

http://thenounproject.com/rohangupta1

http://thenounproject.com/nithindavis

http://thenounproject.com/Mattebrooks

http://thenounproject.com/Mattebrooks




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Understanding Poverty and Engaging

Individuals

Objectives:

After this course, participants will:

Develop a mental model of poverty

Recognize at least five key terms associated with poverty

Use three proven strategies for building professional relationships

with clients

Discuss the connections between relationships and outcomes

Course Modules:

Who Are You?

Offer a motivational introduction about the important role public assistance professionals play in

society. Include these points:

Welcome

Thank everyone for attending

Introduce yourself and explain why you are excited about your job

Tell participants:

Their work is noble

Their jobs are important

They are not often recognized for their work

They are on the front lines saving lives, families, and

communities

Increasing self-sufficiency and independence

Providing necessary food, cash, and Medical Assistance

Assisting clients who are unable to care for themselves

They are helping families achieve stability

2.75 hours Pages

6-14

5 minutes PowerPoint Recall

Goal

Participants will possess the

awareness and skills

required to professionally

engage clients experiencing

some form of poverty.

#

Note

The understanding

participants have of

who they are and what

they do impacts the

way they do their job

as well as the way they

view themselves, their

co-workers, their

clients, etc.




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They are decreasing the negative impacts of poverty

Even when their job is hard, they should remember why they got into this line of work

and what value there is in it

Inspired Introduction

Ask participants to get into pairs and introduce themselves. Invite them to explain to their partner why

they are excited to do their job. Tell the participants that after 3 minutes, they will each introduce their

partner to the group. Allow for 10-12 minutes for introductions to the group after the pairs meet.

Group Expectations and Housekeeping

Welcome participants. Explain the goal and objectives of the course. Describe class expectations. The

following will be listed in the PowerPoint:

Stay present

Respect each individual's right to learn

Critique ideas, not individuals

Own your own learning

Challenge yourself

Suffering is optional

Address all housekeeping issues. We recommend addressing the following:

Location of bathrooms

Breaks and lunches: schedule, location of break rooms and/or lunch, use of refrigerator and/or

microwave, etc.

Safety: sign-in sheet, emergency exits and evacuation route/plan

Cell phone use: minimize distraction and maximize learning

Computer use: only use for the course, ask if they can wait and perform work functions on

breaks, etc.

Food and drink: use in the room, any rules (drinks must have lids, etc.)

Clean-up: your space, end of day, leaving personal items overnight, etc.

15

minutes

Pair Activity Recall

5 minutes PowerPoint Recall

#

#




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What’s Your Mental Model of Poverty?

Instruct participants to explore their perceptions and mental model of poverty

in writing through the following prompts. Define a mental model as: an

explanation of someone’s thought process about how something works in the

real world.

Poverty is . . .

Poverty is caused by . . .

People in poverty typically . . .

My thoughts about poverty are shaped by . . .

Public Assistance is . . .

Public Assistance should be for . . .

Videos & Discussion

Play the two videos in the PowerPoint. Each of the videos explores a unique example of poverty in

Colorado. Facilitate a discussion about the videos, using the following discussion prompts:

What are your initial reactions to each family’s situation?

What resources do these families lack?

What are the strengths of each family?

5 minutes Individual

Activity Page 7 PowerPoint

Recall

15

minutes Group Discussion

PowerPoint Video

Interpret

Page 8

##

# Note

Participants should

know that this is not

going to be shared,

and they can be

completely honest.




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Key Terms & Definitions

Direct participants to the matching activity in their Participant’s Guide and instruct them to complete it.

Encourage participants to ask questions regarding any words or definitions they do not understand.

Provide assistance, explanations and answers as needed.

Poverty: the extent to which an individual goes without resources

Examples of resources include: financial, emotional, mental, spiritual, physical, support

systems, relationships/role models, knowledge of hidden rules, coping strategies

Resources: a stock or supply of money, materials, support, and/or other assets that can be

drawn on by a person in order to function effectively

Strength-Based Model: approach refers to policies, practice methods, and strategies that

identify and draw upon clients’ strengths

Federal Poverty Level: minimum amount of gross income established by the Federal

Government that a family needs for food, clothing, transportation, shelter and other necessities

Generational Poverty: poverty experienced for at least two generations

Situational Poverty: lack of resources due to a particular event (i.e., death, illness, loss of job,

divorce, abuse)

Casual Register: verbal discourse characterized by general language with simple sentence

structure (recommended for casual or informal settings)

Formal Register: verbal discourse characterized by complete sentences and specific impersonal

word choice that avoids slang expressions (recommended for professional, technical or formal

settings)

Relationships: connections existing between people

Emotional Bank: a concept that refers to the deposits and withdrawals that are made by an

individual in the process of developing a relationship

5 minutes Individual Activity

PowerPoint Page 9

Recall #




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About Poverty

Instruct participants to follow along in their Participant’s Guide and fill in the blanks. Blanks are

numbered and highlighted below. Facilitate a discussion using the following generally accepted

statements about poverty as prompts:

Poverty is relative1

Poverty occurs in all races2 and countries

Research and conclusions about poverty are based on patterns3; all patterns have exceptions4

During the discussion, guide participants by injecting the Key Points from the PowerPoint (listed below):

The causes of poverty are complex5, but our society has a tendency to

over-simplify the issue. In our society, the discourse about poverty has

centered around two competing theories. Either poverty is caused by

individuals’ character (lazy, drug and or alcohol addicted, lacking

intelligence) or poverty is caused by economic and political influences

(globalization, racism, corporate greed) outside the control of the

individual. In reality, both of these theories have some level of merit,

and discussions about the causes of poverty should acknowledge the

complexity of the issue.

It is unproductive to support stereotypes6 about the poor, namely that they are undeserving of

help. Our society offers many forms of government assistance (i.e., Pell Grants, mortgage-

interest deductions, subsidies to corporations). It is unfair to label those in poverty as

undeserving of public assistance.

People experiencing poverty should neither be excused7 nor scolded8 for their situations.

Therefore, public assistance professionals should be supportive while simultaneously setting

realistic expectations for clients.

An accurate understanding of poverty will lessen the anger and frustration public assistance

professionals may experience when serving clients. Anger and frustration will likely cloud a

public assistance professional’s judgment, leading to decreased effectiveness. Hence, a better

understanding of poverty will increase9 public assistance professionals’ effectiveness.

15

minutes Group Discussion

PowerPoint Page 12

Interpret ##

Note

The objective of this

discussion should not

be to change minds,

but to open them and

provide information.




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Action Planning & Networking

Invite participants to set a goal of how they intend to serve clients

dealing with poverty (e.g. treat everyone the way you want to be treated,

treat everyone the way they want to be treated, etc.), and include this

goal in their Participant’s Guide as part of their action planning. Then ask

them to exchange goals with at least one other participant in the class.

Three Strategies for Building Effective Relationships

Describe each of the three strategies for relationship building with clients. After each description,

demonstrate the use of the strategy and/or ask the participants to divide into pairs and take turns

practicing each strategy. See below for more detailed instruction.

Use the Casual Register

Explain that professionals typically utilize a formal register, which is characterized by complete

sentences and specific word choice. But clients experiencing poverty may not have access to the

formal language register due to lack of exposure. This is especially true of clients who are

experiencing generational poverty. Thus, an eligibility worker will be more effective interacting

with clients by using the casual register because it is friendly and uses words the client

understands. When using the casual register, use an adult voice, not a parent voice. If workers

talk down to clients, it erodes their confidence and sense of self-worth. Use of the casual

register does not assume the client lacks intelligence, but honors their individual communication

style. Effective use of the casual register will build trust between workers and clients, ultimately

5 minutes Individual Activity

Small Group

Discussion

Page 12

Problem-solve

25

minutes Group

Activity PowerPoint

Problem-solve

Page 13

###

###

Note

This is the first reference to

“Action Planning,” the

process of focusing ideas and

creating concrete goals with

steps to take. Participants

should return to their action

plans regularly.




Page 18 of 89

leading to stronger relationships. Once a relationship has been established, a worker should

start to use the formal register, helping the client expand their ability to communicate.

Use the formal and casual registers, playing the role of the professional.

Register Example Questions for Participants

Formal Hello, my name is Mr. Jones, and I am the Case Management Coordinator assigned to complete the interview for your Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) application. I have 15 minutes to obtain the required information our agency will need to make an accurate eligibility determination. The interview will be conducted at my desk, so please follow me so we may begin.

What are your reactions to my use of formal register? How would you expect clients to respond to this communication style?

Casual Hi, how are you doing? (wait for reply) I’m John and I want to help you with your Food Assistance application. Is that ok with you? (wait for reply) Let’s talk about what you put on your application and see how we can help you.

What are your reactions to my use of casual register? How would you expect clients to respond to this communication style?

Ask participants to pair up and practice using the casual register

Use the Strength-Based Model

Explain that strength-based models involve a shift from a deficit

approach, which emphasizes clients’ deficits or problems. Simply put,

strength-based models center on a client’s strengths. In a strength-

based model, the relationship between eligibility worker and client is a

partnership, with an expectation that workers and clients will solve

problems together. Partnerships between workers and clients reduce

the client’s dependency on the worker. Strength-based models avoid

solely punitive measures while holding the client accountable for their

own actions. Like the casual register, use of the strength-based model will

build trust and lead to stronger relationships between workers and clients.

Demonstrate the strength-based model, playing the role of the eligibility worker. Request a

volunteer to play the client.

Scenario: Client is twenty minutes late for interview and did not call to let the eligibility

worker know. When the client arrives at the office, she informs the worker she was

stopped by her son’s teacher when she was dropping him off at school and that’s why

she’s late.

Worker response # 1: At our department, we are very busy. I cannot just see you

anytime you come in. If I operated that way, nothing would ever get done. You will have

to reschedule for another appointment.

Worker response # 2: Thank you for coming in today. I appreciate your effort to make it

here. Also, you are obviously very invested in your child, which I appreciate. In the

future, if you are running late, please call me and let me know so we can work out a

Note

The use of the

strength-based model

builds on the use of

casual register.




Page 19 of 89

plan together. At the moment, I have other scheduled interview appointments that I

must honor. I recommend you reschedule with our front-desk staff. You may also want

to wait here for an hour to see if there are any no-shows, and then we could slide you

in. If you choose to wait, you may want to check with the Workforce Center about the

services they offer. How do those ideas sound?

Questions for participants: Which response would you prefer to receive? Why?

Make Deposits in an Emotional Bank

Explain the concept of an Emotional Bank. Developed by Stephen Covey, the concept revolves

around the idea that all relationships involve deposits and withdrawals. Deposits come in many

forms and strengthen relationships. Some examples of deposits include active listening with the

goal of understanding, keeping promises, clarifying expectations, being open to feedback, and

using appropriate humor. Withdrawals, on the other hand, weaken relationships. Examples of

withdrawals include put-downs or sarcasm, using the parent voice, and making judgments.

Making deposits into an emotional bank is a great tool for building relationships.

Demonstrate an example of making both withdrawals and deposits into an emotional bank,

playing the role of an eligibility worker.

Scenario: Client comes to 3:00 PM interview in his pajamas. He also brings a bag of

french fries into the interview.

Example of withdrawals from emotional bank: Worker says to client, “Must be nice to

be in pajamas at 3 in the afternoon. I wouldn’t know, because I am always at work. Plus,

it’s rude to bring food into an interview. I think you should set some goals on being

more prepared.”

Example of deposits into emotional bank: Worker says to client, “Hi, how are you

today? I appreciate your effort to make it to your interview. Let’s see how we can help

you.”

Ask participants to pair up and practice making deposits in an emotional bank

Break Recommended

15

minutes




Page 20 of 89

Effective Relationship Strategies

Before this module, create three posters out of flip-chart

paper and title them “Use the Casual Register,” “Use the

Strength-Based Model,” and “Make Deposits in an

Emotional Bank.” Stick these posters up around the room.

Instruct the participants to get into 3 small groups. Assign each group one of

the posters, and ask them to generate a list of reasons why their strategy will

be effective; these reasons should be written on their poster. Tell the

participants that they will have 5 minutes to complete their list.

After 5 minutes, ask the participants to walk clockwise around the room and

view the flipchart lists of the other groups. Tell them that they can add other

reasons to the posters they view.

Why Do Effective Relationships Matter?

Explain to the participants that relationships with clients matter in public assistance because they lead

to better outcomes. Remind participants that people experiencing poverty place a lot of emphasis on

relationships (the more they trust you, the easier working with them will be and the more likely the

information you get from them is complete and accurate). Without trust, eligibility workers will collect

inaccurate information, leading to incorrect eligibility determinations. Workers rely on the information

clients provide. Ask the participants to use their Participant’s Guide to write down reasons they identify

for why effective relationships will lead to better outcomes for clients.

10

minutes

Small Group

Activity

Flip-chart Markers Posters

Interpret Prep

5

minutes Individual

Activity Page 13

Problem-solve

Note

This activity is called a

carousel walk.

###

## Note

See Activity and Material Adaptations for

recommendations for alternatives to the

paddle game with other supplies.




Page 21 of 89

It Could Happen to You

Before this activity, prepare a flip-chart with the events and assigned birth months

This exercise is a thought experiment that will allow the participants

to experience how unexpected life events can lead to poverty. Explain

to the participants that you want them to imagine themselves in a

particular situation. Randomly assign a life event to each participant

using their birth month:

Loss of job (January, June and November)

Hospitalization (February, July and December)

Addition of family member (March and August)

Natural disaster (April and September)

Car repair (May and October)

Instruct participants to go to page 14 in the Participant’s Guide. Provide these instructions to the

participants: assume that you have income of $2,000/month, which just covers your expenses of $1,900.

Now, assume that the unexpected life event you were assigned leads to a loss of income and/or

increases your expenses. Brainstorm your strategies for dealing with this event. What are the resources

that are available to you to make it through this period of instability? If participants are unable to

provide ideas or examples of their strategies, suggest the following:

Emergency savings

Family/friends

Faith-based/charitable organizations

Non-profit assistance organizations

Explain that if participants do not believe that they could access one of those resources, or do not

believe that they could receive enough help to sustain themselves from those resources, public

assistance may be the only viable option. Ask the following questions:

If you were applying for assistance, how would you want to be treated?

What standards of service would you recommend?

Facilitate a discussion to debrief the activity and conclude this module.

5-10

minutes

Individual Activity & Discussion

Flip-chart Markers

Problem-solve

Page 14 Prep ###

Note

Personal experiences will

enhance this activity. Sharing

should be encouraged; support

anyone (including yourself)

who is willing to bring their

own story to the table.




Page 22 of 89

The Big Three: Food, Medical and Cash Assistance

Objectives:


Identify Public Assistance programs available to Colorado citizens

Differentiate between High-Level Program Groups (HLPGs)

High-Level Program Groups are defined as programs within the

Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) and the

Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing

(HCPF) that provide financial, medical, and/or Food Assistance

to eligible Coloradans

Explain basic benefits associated with each HLPG

What Do You Know?

Participants will participate in a structured sharing activity to determine the knowledge they are

bringing into the learning environment regarding Public Assistance programs, benefits associated with

those programs and other potential information they already possess.

Ask each participant to work for 1-2 minutes independently; instruct them to recall as much information

as they can regarding Public Assistance programs and note this information in their Participant’s Guide.

Instruct the participants to get into small groups and, for 3 minutes, share all of the information they

have compiled individually. Instruct each group to select the 2-3 most important things they have

gathered. Ask them to write them on flip-chart paper to present to the group. Then instruct them to

select a spokesperson for their group.

2.75 hours Pages

15-22

10

minutes Group

Activity

Flip-chart paper

Markers Page 15

Recall

Goal

Participants will

explain the primary

benefits available to

clients through Food,

Medical and Cash

Assistance programs.

#




Page 23 of 89

Ask the spokesperson from each group to stand up and present the information they have determined

to be the most informative. Comment briefly on the information. Share any additional pertinent

information that may be applicable at that time.

Food Assistance: What Can You Buy?

Using the images in the PowerPoint, introduce participants to different items and ask one of the

following question (answers are included in the speaker notes within the PowerPoint):

Can you use Food Assistance benefits (money) to purchase this item?

Food Assistance Facts

Before this module, print each Food Assistance fact listed below on a slip of paper. Cut them out and

hand at least one out to each participant. Include the following facts:

78% of all Food Assistance participants are families with children

22% of Food Assistance participants are families with elderly or disabled individuals

More than 44% of Food Assistance participants are in working families

69% of eligible individuals in Colorado participate in the Food Assistance program, which means

31% of eligible individuals don’t receive benefits

In Colorado, 46% of households are in deep poverty, with income below 50% of the Federal

Poverty Level

52% of individuals receiving Food Assistance benefits in Colorado are children

The average Food Assistance benefit per person per meal is $1.52

In January 2013, 512,000 residents in Colorado or 10% of the state’s population participated in

the Food Assistance program (1 in 10 people)

More than 25% of working families in Colorado do not have enough food to meet their basic

needs

Food Assistance recipients spend over 85% of benefits on fruits and vegetables, grains, dairy,

meat, and meat alternatives

10

minutes

PowerPoint

Recall

5

minutes Group

Activity FA Fact

Slips Prep

Recall

#

#




Page 24 of 89

Using the PowerPoint to present questions about the facts to participants who will have to determine

the correct answer using the information they have been provided on the printed slips. Once the answer

has been located, the participant will call out the answer to the group (a minimum of 2-3 of the same

answer should be provided in order to allow individuals who wish to call out the answer to do so while

allowing those who do not wish to participate to refrain).

Food Assistance Overview

Use the PowerPoint to provide an interactive lecture that introduces the programs under the general

umbrella of Food Assistance. Follow up with a synopsis of each program category.

The Participant’s Guide will contain several “fill-in-the-blank” opportunities as well as matching activities

which will provide an opportunity for participants to revisit program areas and benefits/categories

multiple times.

Include the following points (please note, each bullet is a slide within the PowerPoint):

The Food Assistance provides food benefits to low-income households, ensuring that they have

access to a healthy diet

Regular Food Assistance

The Food Assistance Program provides food benefits to low income households.

Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards are issued and are used like debit cards at most

grocery stores to buy food; this ensures that clients have access to a healthy diet. EBT

cards can only be used for food purchases.

Expedited Food Assistance

Households that meet the following criteria are required to have their application

processed within 7 calendar days:

Liquid resources are less than $100 and gross monthly income does not exceed

$150

Combined monthly gross income and liquid resources are less than the

household’s monthly rent/mortgage and utilities

An individual in the household is a migrant or seasonal farm worker

Disaster Food Assistance

Food Assistance Program applicable only if approved by the federal government based

on a disaster or emergency. If this occurs instruct participants to ensure an appropriate

response by working with their county

10

minutes Page 16 PowerPoint Recall #




Page 25 of 89

Lunch Recommended

Medical Assistance Introduction

Introduce this video by the Executive Director of Medical Assistance. It will provide introductory

information regarding the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing and Medical Assistance

programs and services.

MAGI Medical Assistance


umbrella of Medical Assistance. Follow up with a synopsis of each program category.


which will provide an opportunity for participants to revisit program areas and benefits/categories

multiple times.

Include the following points (please note, each bullet is a slide within the PowerPoint):

Medical Assistance provides a variety of health care programs to individuals who qualify.

Individuals do not apply for specific Medical Assistance programs. They just apply for Medical

Assistance and the system evaluates them for eligibility for all sub-categories

MAGI Medical Assistance

Adults

Adult MAGI Medical Assistance is for qualified individuals age 19 through the

end of the month they turn 65, who do not have a dependent child and are not

eligible for Medicare

Children

Children MAGI Medical Assistance is for qualified individuals under age 19; all

children under the age of 19 will receive 12 months of continuous coverage

from the date they are determined eligible

75

minutes

5

minutes

PowerPoint

Video Recall

15

minutes Page 16 PowerPoint Recall

#

#




Page 26 of 89

Parent/Caretaker Relatives

Parent/Caretaker Relative Medical Assistance is for qualified individuals who

have a dependent child

Pregnant

Pregnant MAGI Medical Assistance is for pregnant women age 19 and over,

with eligibility continued through the end of the month 60 days postpartum

Note: if a woman gives birth while receiving any category of Medical Assistance,

her child will be considered a Needy Newborn and will receive 12 months of

guaranteed Medical Assistance coverage

Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+)

Children

CHP+ Medical Assistance is for qualified individuals under age 19 who exceed

the Federal Poverty Level for the MAGI Children category; all children under the

age of 19 will receive 12 months of continuous coverage from the date they are

determined eligible

Note: if a woman gives birth while receiving CHP+, her child will be considered a

CHP+ Needy Newborn and will receive 12 months of guaranteed CHP+ coverage

Pregnant

CHP+ Pregnant Medical Assistance is for pregnant women age 19 and over, who

exceed the Federal Poverty Level for the MAGI Pregnant category; eligibility is

continued through the end of month 60 days postpartum

Non-MAGI Medical Assistance Program

Finish the overview of Medical Assistance referring to the following points:

Non-MAGI Medical Assistance

Many Non-MAGI programs look at resources and disability status in addition to income and

other factors when determining eligibility

Long Term Care (LTC)

Long-Term Care includes nursing facility care and Home and Community Based

Services (HCBS) where medical providers come into the home to render the

necessary services to keep a disabled individual from being institutionalized in a

nursing facility or hospital

Aged, Blind and Disabled (ABD)

Medical Assistance that serves low-income individuals who are: Aged 65+,

Blind, or Disabled by Social Security standards

20

minutes Pages

17-19 PowerPoint Recall #




Page 27 of 89

SSI Mandatory

Mandatory category of Adult Medical Assistance which provide

individuals who are eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

payment with medical coverage

Pickle

Category of Adult Medical Assistance which may restore Medical

Assistance to former SSI or OAP Medical Assistance recipients who lost

SSI or OAP under certain circumstances

Disabled Adult Child (DAC)


Assistance to former SSI recipients who receive a DAC benefit

Qualified Disabled Widower (QDW)


Assistance to former SSI recipients who receive a QDW benefit

Old Age Pension Medicaid (OAP-A, OAP-B, OAP HCP-A, and OAP HCP-B)

Category of Medical Assistance provided to OAP Financial recipients

OAP HCP-1 and OAP HCP-B are provided by the State, and are not part

of a federal program

Adult Buy-In program: Working Adults with Disabilities (WAwD)

Enables the State to offer Medical Assistance benefits to individuals:

o Aged 16 through 64 with a disability

o Who are working and earn below the income limit

o Who would be SSI-eligible, except for earnings and resources

A monthly premium is required and is based on income

Children’s Buy-In: Children’s Buy-in with Disabilities (CBwD)

The Medicaid Buy-In Program for Children with Disabilities (Children's

Buy-In) provides Medical Assistance benefits for children who are under

age 19, have a qualifying disability, and whose adjusted family income is

at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level

A monthly premium may be required based on income

Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (BCCP)

Category of Adult Medical Assistance for women who are diagnosed

with breast or cervical cancer (or a precancerous condition) at Women’s

Wellness Connection (WWC) screening clinics (not determined at a

County)

Coordinated between the Department of Health Care Policy and

Financing and the Department of Public Health and Environment

Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA)

Category of Medical Assistance available to refugees, asylees,

Cuban/Haitian entrants, Victims of Trafficking, and Special Immigrant

Visa recipients who are not eligible for other Medical Assistance




Page 28 of 89

Medicare Savings Program (MSP)

Medical Assistance program for Medicare recipients that assists in payment of

some of their health care costs

Low Income Subsidy (LIS)

Financial assistance provided to individuals who have limited financial means to

pay for copayments, deductibles or premiums as a supplement to Medicare Part

D

Administered through the Social Security Administration (SSA)

Paddle Game: MAGI vs. Non-MAGI

Before this module, place paddles, markers

and erasers on the tables for each participant.

Ask participants to write “MAGI” on one side of

their paddle and “Non-MAGI” on the other side. Tell them that you will read a statement, and they

should hold up the correct side in response to the statement. Offer clarification throughout the activity

and encourage discussion and questions as necessary. Use the following statements:

Medical Assistance for pregnant women age 19 and over (Pregnant) (MAGI)

Medical Assistance for qualified individuals age 19 through the end of the month they turn 65

(MAGI Adult) (MAGI)

Medical Assistance program that assists in the payment of some health care costs (MSP) (Non-

MAGI)

Medical Assistance program that provides Medicaid benefits for children who are under age 19,

have a qualifying disability, and whose adjusted family income is below the income limit

(Children’s Buy-In) (Non-MAGI)

Medical Assistance program that assists Aged 65+, Blind, or Disabled individuals (Aged, Blind and

Disabled) (Non-MAGI)

Medical Assistance for qualified individuals who have a dependent child

(Parent/Caretaker Relative) (MAGI)

Supplement to Medicare Part D administered through the Social Security Administration (LIS)

(Non-MAGI)

5 minutes Group

Activity

Interpret

Paddles Markers Erasers

Page 19 Prep

## Note


recommendations for alternatives to the paddle game

with other supplies.




Page 29 of 89

Most information can be declared by an individual; self-attestation or client statement is an

acceptable source of verification (All categories) (MAGI)

Medical Assistance is for qualified individuals who exceed the Federal Poverty Level for a MAGI

category (CHP+) (MAGI)

Home and Community Based Services where medical services are provided to keep a disabled

individual from being institutionalized in a nursing facility or hospital (LTC) (Non-MAGI)

Alphabet Race

Before this module, write the alphabet in 2 columns on several pieces of flip-chart paper (this number

should depend on the size of the group of participants). Each one should resemble the example

below:

Break participants into groups to “compete” by performing a relay with a single marker and taking turns

filling out words or phrases that begin with each letter of the alphabet (words should relate to content

presented up to this point). Whichever team fills in a word or phrase for each letter fastest “wins.” If a

letter cannot be completed, the teams can complete that letter during the remainder of the day.

A N

B O

C P

D Q

E R

F S

G T

H U

I V

J W

K X

L Y

M Z

5

minutes Group

Activity

Flip-chart paper

Markers Recall

Prep

#




Page 30 of 89

Cash Assistance Introduction

Before this module prepare a Flip-Chart with the words Cash Assistance

Introduce this program with a call-out of words that participants associate with Cash Assistance, for

example:

TANF AFDC Welfare EBT or Quest Card Welfare-to-Work

Cash Assistance: Colorado Works


umbrella of Cash Assistance. Follow up with a synopsis of each program category.


which will provide an opportunity for participants to re-visit program areas and benefits/categories

multiple times.

Include the following points:

Cash Assistance provides financial assistance to families, elderly and disabled individuals

Colorado Works (CW)

Basic Cash Assistance (BCA)

The Colorado Works (CW) Basic Cash Assistance (BCA) program provides time-

limited ongoing cash benefits to low-income families while encouraging them

towards future self-sufficiency

Two parent families

One parent families

Minor/Teen applicants

5 minutes Flip-Chart Recall

Prep

Page 20

15


#




Page 31 of 89

Type of CW for minors or teens who must be in a county approved

setting (typically in-line with Child Welfare requirements; some counties

require a home visit to determine)

Kinship/Specified Caretaker

Type of CW for clients who are caring for a child that is not their own

Child Only Categories

Type of CW available to children in certain circumstances where the

adult members of the household can be excluded

County Diversion

A county diversion is a needs-based, cash or cash-equivalent payment made to a

participant who is eligible for short-term, non-recurrent benefits according to

the county’s diversion plan and eligibility standards

Meant to offer benefits and services to those who are over-income for BCA

Not all counties offer County Diversion

State Diversion

A state diversion is a needs-based, cash or cash-equivalent payment made to a

participant who is eligible for Basic Cash Assistance

Meant to assist those who do not require ongoing benefit payment

Acronym Call-Out

Explain to participants that you will say either a name or an acronym, and

they need to respond with either the matching name or acronym as

appropriate. Use the following acronyms, and include more if desired:

LTC Long-Term Care

ABD Aged, Blind and Disabled

MSP Medicare Savings Program

LIS Low-Income Subsidy

SSA Social Security Administration

WAwD Working Adults with Disabilities

CBwD Children’s Buy-In with Disabilities

MAGI Modified Adjusted Gross Income

CW Colorado Works

BCA Basic Cash Assistance

TANF Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

CHP+ Child Health Plan Plus

EBT Electronic Benefits Transfer

FA Food Assistance

5

minutes Group

Activity Recall

Note

There are several important

acronyms that are not

included here. This is a

revisit as opposed to an

exhaustive list.

#




Page 32 of 89

Cash Assistance: Adult Financial

Finish the overview of Cash Assistance referring to the following points:

Adult Financial (AF)

Adult Financial programs look at resources and disability status in addition to income and other

factors when determining eligibility

Old Age Pension (OAP)

The Old Age Pension (OAP) program provides financial assistance for low-

income adults age 60 or older who meet basic eligibility requirements. The

maximum grant is $748 minus any existing earned/unearned income received

by the client, including any Social Security income. The spouse’s income may not

count or only partially count depending on circumstances

Aid to the Needy Disabled State Only (AND-SO)

The AND-SO program provides interim assistance to clients age 18 through 59

(unless diagnosed with blindness, then age 0 through 59); who are disabled or

blind but have not been approved for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

The total AND-SO grant standard is $175

The AND-Colorado Supplement (AND-CS)

The AND-CS program provides a supplemental payment for

clients age 0 to 59 who are receiving SSI due to a disability or

blindness, but are not receiving the full SSI grant standard

The total AND-CS grant standard is $721

Adult Foster Care

The Adult Foster Care program provides 24-hour care and supervision for frail,

elderly, or physically or emotionally disabled adults, age 18 or older, who do not

require 24-hour medical care but who cannot return to their home and need 24-

hour non-medical supervision

Home Care Allowance (HCA)

HCA is a special cash payment made to a client for the purpose of securing in-

home, personal care services. It is designed to serve clients with the lowest

functional abilities and the greatest need for paid care. The HCA payment must

be utilized to pay the provider

Burial Assistance Program

Burial benefits are available for eligible clients to cover reasonable and

necessary costs for burial services (funeral, burial or cremation)

20





Page 33 of 89

United States Repatriation Program

The Repatriation Program provides temporary assistance to U.S. citizens and

their dependents who become destitute in a foreign country due to unexpected

and unavoidable problems. The program assists them upon their return to the

U.S. to resume their lives as quickly as possible

What Do You Know Now?

Re-Visit the “What Do You Know” activity. Divide participants into groups of four. Ask them to evaluate

the information that was shared in the opening activity regarding Public Assistance programs, benefits

associated with those programs and other potential information. They should assess if the information

they have is accurate or inaccurate and if it can be enhanced or omitted. Request that each group

“report back” their findings. Facilitate a debrief discussion of things that were visited throughout the

session with an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback, etc. Encourage participants to

return to their Participant’s Guide to action plan and reflect on this session through writing.

Break Recommended

Introduction to CO.Train

https://www.co.train.org

Walk participants through the log-in process and location of the Building Foundations Knowledge Check

assessment in CO.Train. Use the CO-train documents on traincolorado.com to guide participants through

the process.

Knowledge Check

Instruct the participants to complete the Knowledge Check in CO.Train. Remind participants to stop the

assessment at the end of Section 1.

10

minutes Group

Activity Page 22 Recall

15

minutes

15

minutes Document

#

https://www.co.train.org/

http://traincolorado.com/?page_id=151




Page 34 of 89

Applying for Public Assistance

Objectives:


Recall where applications can be found

Describe how clients can submit applications

List the types of applications available to clients

Identify the sections on common applications

Explain the rules and policies for applications

Course Modules:

Introduction to Public Assistance Applications

2.5 hours Pages

23-30

10

minutes PowerPoint Recall

Page

23

Goal

Participants will be

familiar with

applications for Public

Assistance programs.

#




Page 35 of 89

Explain the purposes of an application for public assistance:

To collect information about the clients’ situation for the purposes of determining eligibility

To inform clients of their rights and responsibilities To inform clients of the department’s responsibilities to the client

Describe the types of public assistance applications available in Colorado

and identify which programs can be applied for with each of the

applications:

Single Purpose Application (SPA)

All programs (not Connect for Health Colorado)

Single Streamlined Application (SSAp)

Medical Assistance

Connect for Health Colorado, Colorado’s health insurance marketplace

Program Eligibility Application Kit (PEAK) All programs

Phone Application

Medical Assistance (Medicaid Customer Service Call Center: 1 (800) 221-3943)

Find and Submit

Instruct participants to identify one place where individuals can find an

application, one place they can submit an application, and one way they can

submit an application. Ask the participants to write each of these down in

their Participant’s Guide. Once they have one of each, instruct the

participants to share their responses with another participant. If they have

the same responses, ask them to work together to come up with one more of

each category. If they have different responses, ask them to add each other’s

to their respective lists and each find another participant. This should

continue for approximately 7 minutes.

15

minutes

Group Activity

PowerPoint Page 24

Recall # Note

CASS, MA, and PE sites

must accept

applications for non-

medical programs and

forward appropriately.

Note

There are several older

versions of applications

that are still accepted.

Additionally,

redetermination and

change forms can also be

accepted. These will be

discussed in more depth

later.

If an individual is applying

for Medical Assistance

with an older application,

he or she must include a

Supplemental Page.




Page 36 of 89

Ask the group to report back their lists. If any possible answers are missing, provide those to the group.

Where can individuals find applications?

Where can individuals submit applications?

How can individuals submit applications?

CDHS Website

HCPF Website

PEAK

County Human/Social

Services Office

Certified Application

Assistance Site (CAAS)

Medical Assistance (MA) Site

Presumptive Eligibility (PE)

Site

Connect for Health Colorado

(Medical Only)

Other Community Based

Organizations

PEAK

County Human/Social

Services Office

Certified Application

Assistance Site (CAAS)

Medical Assistance (MA)

Site

Presumptive Eligibility

(PE) Site

Medicaid Customer

Service Call Center

(Medical Only)

Connect for Health

Colorado (Medical Only)

Online (PEAK)

By Phone

(Medical

Assistance only)

In Person

By Mail

By other

commonly

supported

electronic means

(Fax, etc. – call

ahead)

Application Components

Explain that the two primary applications, the SSAp and the SPA, are comprised of most of the same

components. Briefly describe the following components:

Applicant/Demographic Information

Household Composition

Income and Employment

Resources

Expenses

Rights and Responsibilities

Note that the SSAp is organized differently from the SPA, especially because it also determines eligibility

for Connect for Health Colorado, and so it includes some other components: a Privacy Statement,

several Worksheets, and an Appendix.

Open the PEAK website and explain that this is where clients apply online for Food, Cash, and Medical

Assistance. On PEAK, clients can fill out and submit an application, report changes to their case,

determine if they might be eligible for a particular program, print their Medical Assistance card, and pay

their premiums(for CHP+ and Buy-In programs).

5 minutes PowerPoint Recall Page 25 #

http://coloradopeak.force.com/




Page 37 of 89

Application Exploration Workshop

Tell the participants that the next hour will be a workshop for them to get to know the SPA and the

SSAp. The first half hour will focus on the SPA, and the second half on the SSAp. Hand each group at

least two copies of the SPA. Divide the participants into 6 small groups. Instruct them to discuss and

explore the SPA for approximately 7 minutes. Assign each group one of the components of the SPA. Tell

them that they will be expected to teach the rest of the class about that section. Ask them to focus on

answering the following questions:

What section did you explore and discuss? Summarize the content of your section.

Are there any important or confusing parts of your section that you would like to point out

and/or discuss?

Allow for 20-25 minutes for all of the groups to summarize their section (they should take 2-3 minutes

each). If they have questions, provide clarification.

Hand each group at least two copies of the SSAp. Divide the participants into 9 small groups. Instruct

them to discuss and explore the SSAp for approximately 7 minutes. Assign each group one of the

components of the SSAp. Tell them that they will be expected to teach the rest of the class about that

section. Ask them to focus on answering the following questions:

What section did you explore and discuss? Summarize the content of your section.

Do the questions in the section assigned to your group pertain to a specific program?

Are there any important or confusing parts of your section that you would like to point out

and/or discuss?

Allow for 20-25 minutes for all of the groups to summarize their section (they should take 1-2 minutes

each). If they have questions, provide clarification.

Break Recommended

Public Assistance Applications: Rules and Policies

70

minutes

Group Activity

SPA SSAp

PowerPoint

Interpret Pages

25-26

15

minutes

##




Page 38 of 89

Before this module, create a window pane. Choose 9 key words or concepts based on the below

information. Draw the window pane on a flip-chart poster or dry-erase board. The window pane

should consist of a rectangle with 9 squares in 3 rows of 3 (example below).

In each square, draw a symbol or small picture representing the 9 key words or concepts you chose.

Put this window pane at the front of the training room. It will be used after the lecture described

below.

Example:

1) Food Assistance Application

2) Verification Checklist

3) PEAK Application Date

4) Expedited Food Assistance Processing (7 days)

5) Cash Assistance Application is good for 60 days

6) Tax Filers are not required

7) Authorized Representative

8) 90 days for a Medical Assistance application requiring a disability determination

25

minutes

Group Activity

Window Pane

PowerPoint

Interpret Prep Pages 27-29 ##




Page 39 of 89

9) Real-Time Eligibility (RTE)

Provide a 10-15 minute lecture on the basic rules and policies for public assistance applications.

Include the information below, as well as any County- or MA site-specific information for your

site.

What is required for an application to be accepted?

All programs:

Missing information necessary for an eligibility

determination will be requested by an eligibility

worker and/or through a Verification Checklist

(VCL – a notice generated and sent to the client by

CBMS when additional information is required). Depending on the program and

information provided, some information can be verified electronically through

an interface (A computerized information system that perform data matches

with several 3rd party sources)

To complete an application, a signature is required.

In addition, each program requires:

Food Assistance:

A client only needs to state his or her desire to apply for Food Assistance and

include his or her name, address, and signature for an application to be

accepted. All other information can be collected at the interview

Information does not need to be provided on a public assistance application to

be accepted (e.g. it can be submitted on notebook paper)

Note

These topics will be

covered in more detail in

Expanding Foundations and

other trainings.




Page 40 of 89

An interactive interview can be accepted as an

application as long as the Rights and

Responsibilities page is signed

Medical Assistance:

Clients must apply using an accepted application,

must provide contact information, and must note

who is applying

Colorado Works:

The application must include a signature and date;

all other information can be obtained through the interview process

Adult Financial:

The application must be written and include a signature and a date. All other

information must be obtained through the interview process

When is an application considered received?

All programs:

If a paper application is submitted in-person during business hours, it is

considered received that day; if it is submitted after business hours (for

example, at a drop-box location), the application is considered received the next

business day

If the application is submitted by mail, it is considered received when it arrives

in the office (mail must be checked daily)

Applications are also accepted at CAAS and PE sites, which may date stamp the

applications before sending them to a County or MA Site.

For Medical and Cash Assistance, the application would be considered

received as of the earliest date stamp date on the application (the date

it was received by the CAAS, PE or MA site)

For Food Assistance, the application would be considered received as of

the date the County receives the application; CAAS, PE and MA sites are

encouraged to send all applications within 5 business days

Medical Assistance:

If the application is submitted on PEAK, it is considered received the date it is

submitted

Food and Cash Assistance:

If the application is submitted on PEAK by 5:00pm, the application is considered

submitted on that date

If the application is submitted on PEAK after 5:00pm, or on weekends or state

holidays, the application is considered submitted on the next business day

Who needs to sign the application?

Food Assistance:

Responsible household member

Note

PEAK application date rules

can lead to two different

Application Numbers for

combination applications.




Page 41 of 89

Household’s authorized representative

Medical Assistance:

Applicant or anyone in the household

Someone acting responsibly on behalf of the applicant

Parent, or other specified relative, or legally appointed

guardian or conservator

For a person in a medical institution for whom none of

the above are available, an authorized official of the

institution may sign the application

Colorado Works

Client

Adult Financial:

Client

Parent or Guardian

Authorized Representative

Application processing guidelines

This section describes the maximum amount of time an application can be processed in.

However, all cases should be processed as soon as all information is provided by the

client

Food Assistance:

Applications must be processed within 30 calendar days (regular). If the 30th day

falls on a weekend or state holiday, the deadline will be the next business day

Certain households (expedited eligible) must be processed within 7 calendar

days

Medical Assistance:

45 calendar days for cases that do not require a disability determination

90 calendar days if a disability determination is required

Pregnant women or children can apply for Presumptive Eligibility (temporary

Medical Assistance for at least 45 calendar days)

All cases should be processed as soon as all information is provided by the client

(real-time eligibility)

Cash Assistance

45 calendar days for Colorado Works, Old Age Pension, and Colorado

Supplement

60 days for Aid to the Needy Disabled-State Only

How long are the applications valid?

Food Assistance:

60 days

Medical Assistance:

45 or 90 days (depending on if a disability determination is required)

Note

Although the SSAp

says so, an application

will not be held up if

all tax filers in the

household do not sign.

This is for Connect for

Health Colorado.




Page 42 of 89

If eligibility is denied, best practice is to allow the applicant 30 days to provide

the requested missing information (verification or documentation) in order for

the case to be rescinded; after the 30-day window, a new application would be

required or an appeal would have to be made

Colorado Works

30 days from the date of eligibility determination (denial)

If a client applies for another program, that application is valid for 30 days for

Colorado Works (if requested)

Adult Financial

60 days

Use the window pane activity to revisit and review this content. The window pane will need to be

created before you begin; instructions above.

First, explain that this is the window pane activity and it will help them

associate important words or concepts with an image so that it is easier for

them to remember and/or understand. Instruct them to guess the word or

concept when you point to it, and then try to remember each of them. Point to

the 1st square, and ask if anyone can guess what it represents. If they cannot

guess, provide the answer. Then, point to the 1st square again and ask them to

repeat the word or concept. Next, point to the 2nd square and ask if anyone can

guess what it represents. If they cannot guess, provide the answer. Then, point

to the 2nd square again and ask them to repeat to the word or concept. Then

point to the 1st square, and ask them to repeat the word or concept. Then point to the 2nd square so that

they repeat the word or concept. Continue this for all 9 squares, so that at the end of the activity they

can repeat the words or concepts in all 9 squares in order.

Application Scenarios

Present the following scenarios and questions to the participants, and ask them to provide the answers

in their Participant’s Guide:

Application submitted for Food Assistance on 01/02/2014. Applicant lives alone. The only

information the applicant put on the application is their name and address. The applicant did

provide a signature on the application.

1) Is there enough information on the application to schedule an interview?

Yes, there is enough information to schedule an interview. The applicant

provided their name, address, and signed the application

2) How long is the application valid?

10

minutes

Group Activity

Problem-solve

Pages

29-30

Note

Words or concepts can

be condensed or

abbreviated during the

repetitions.

###




Page 43 of 89

60 days

3) What are the processing guidelines?

As soon as possible; up to 7 days for expedited and 30 days for regular

Application for Medical Assistance (MA) submitted using the Single Purpose Application (SPA) on

01/02/2014. Applicant is applying for himself, his wife, and their child. Application is completed,

except the section that requests tax information?

1) Is tax information required in order to accept the application?

No, MA applications cannot be held up because of missing tax information.

Eligibility workers should attempt to get this information; if they cannot, they

should enter a case comment and proceed without it

2) Can the applicant use the SPA to submit an application for Medical Assistance (MA)?

Yes, applications for MA can be completed using the SPA or the Single

Streamlined Application (SSAp)

3) Who is required to sign the application?

Applicant or anyone in the household acting responsible on behalf of the

applicant

A complete application for Colorado Works was submitted on 01/02/2014. The application was

denied on 01/15/2014.

1) Who needs to sign the application?

Applicant or head of household

2) How long is the application valid for the applicant to reapply?

30 days from 01/15/2014

3) What are the application processing guidelines for this case?

As soon as possible, up to 45 days

Applications Are…

Go around the room and have each participant complete one of the following sentences:

“Applications are important because . . .”

“Applications are available . . .”

“Applications are submitted at . . .”

5 minutes PowerPoint Problem-

solve Page

30 ###




Page 44 of 89




Page 45 of 89

Interviewing for Public Assistance

Objectives:


Define an interview

Discuss five techniques for conducting interviews

Recall interview requirements for High-Level Program Groups (HLPGs)

Identify strategies for conducting phone interviews

Course Modules:

Info Race – Informal Interviews

Before this module, type or write slips of paper that are matching pairs (e.g. salt; pepper). You will

need one per participant (a matching set for every two). While setting up the room, place a slip on the

table in front of each participant’s place. You will need to remove any incomplete pairs if there are

empty places and ensure that each participant has a slip with a match.

Begin by explaining the goals and objectives of the course.

Invite participants to find their matching slip of paper, and sit down next to the person who is their

match. Once everyone has found their match, ask them to obtain as much information about their

partner as possible. Tell them that they will each have 2 minutes to accomplish this goal. Set a timer for

each 2 minute period.

Once they have completed this task, explain to the participants that they have just completed an

informal interview. Give them three minutes to reflect in their Participant’s Guide on the following

questions:

2.5 hours Pages

31-40

15

minutes

Pair Activity

Paper

slips PowerPoint

Page 31 Recall Prep #

Goal

Participants will

identify the techniques

and processes of

effective and efficient

Public Assistance

interviews.

.




Page 46 of 89

Was the dialogue comfortable or uncomfortable and why? What does that reveal about your

own biases?

What was your first impression of your partner? How did that influence your interactions and

what questions you asked?

To conclude the activity, facilitate a brief discussion using the following prompts:

Is it difficult to obtain information from someone when you don’t know them?

What methods did you use to make the situation more comfortable?

What is an Interview?

Ask the participants to share their working definitions of an interview. Depending on the size of your

class, decide if they should call out answers or raise their hand to be called on, and instruct them

accordingly.

Offer this working definition of an interview: “a two-way exchange, a conversation, in which both parties

have some goals” (Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Human Resources)

Describe the interviewing goals for public assistance programs:

Clarify the information the client provides on the application

Gather additional information, if missing

Answer questions by explaining program benefits, rules, rights and

responsibilities, verifications, etc.

Remind participants: the public assistance world is complex

and difficult to understand, especially for those who do not

work in the system

Review application for potential eligibility for other programs

Explain and describe the 5 phases of an interview (preparation, introduction, information gathering,

conclusion, review). Note that the process of each phase could vary by County, MA Site, etc.

Professional Standards

Review with participants the list of professional standards that must be met when interviewing clients.

Be sure to include:

Describe terms fully (do not use acronyms, and if you have to make sure to explain them)

Address people by their name (avoid using terms like “honey,” “dude,” or “sweetheart”)

Establish and maintain appropriate boundaries (be careful about crossing the line from a

professional (worker-client) relationship and a personal (friend-friend) relationship)

10

minutes PowerPoint Recall #

Note

Successful interviews

will be achieved by

using the same

techniques used to

develop effective

relationships.




Page 47 of 89

Recognize and respect generational and cultural differences (age, language, life experience, etc.

can impact how people want to be treated during professional interactions)

Five Techniques for Conducting Effective Interviews

Ask the class to generate a list of techniques for effective interviewing. Write these techniques on a flip-

chart at the front of the room.

Describe and provide an example for each of the following five techniques for conducting effective

interviews:

1) Create a welcoming environment: achieved by making eye-contact, shaking hands, asking how

the client’s day is going, making it clear that you are there to help. Make sure to display both

kindness and confidence so that clients trust your ability to help them.

2) Set goals: this technique seems obvious, but is often over-looked; setting a goal/clear

expectation ensures that both parties agree on what the interview is meant to accomplish.

Example: explain to the client that the interview is intended to gather the necessary information

to determine Food Assistance eligibility.

3) Break down problems into manageable pieces: clients often come to public assistance with

many problems; help clients break down their problems and be clear about what you can help

with; offer referrals/suggestions when possible. Example: a client is very upset during his

interview and lists several different problems he is dealing with in his life. Explain that while you

cannot help with all of the things he is struggling with, you can help determine if he can receive

food, cash, and/or Medical Assistance and potentially provide referrals for housing or other

assistance.

4) Use open-ended and closed-ended questions appropriately: If you are looking for more of the

client’s thoughts or ideas, or you require a more thorough answer, use an open-ended question.

Example: “Where do you get money from?” For short, concise or numerical answers use closed-

ended questions. Example: if you need to know what a client’s income was last month, ask her

directly what her income from employment was last month.

5) Check for shared understanding: paraphrase what the interviewee has stated to ensure that

there is accurate understanding. Example: If a client explains that he wants to apply for Food

Assistance, repeat that request and clarify by asking, “You said you want to apply for Food

Assistance. Based on the information you provided, you might be eligible for other programs.

Would you like to apply for any other types of assistance today?”

15

minutes Flip-chart

easel PowerPoint

Interpret ##




Page 48 of 89

Paddle Game: Interview Requirements for High-Level Program Groups (HLPGs)

Before this module, place paddles, markers

and erasers on the tables for each participant.

Refer participants to the interviewing rules for all

HLPGs in their Participant’s Guide. Give them 5 minutes to review the information. The rules are listed in

the Appendix.

Emphasize to participants that they should consider the special accommodations required for clients

who speak another primary language (English as a Second Language – ESL), who are covered under the

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), or others who will need additional consideration. Make sure to

check with your County or MA Site to determine the processes

related to special accommodations.

Ask participants to write “true” on one side of their paddle and

“false” on the other side. Tell them that you will read a

statement, and they should hold up the correct side in response

to the statement. Offer clarification throughout the activity as

necessary. Use the following statements:

An interview is required within 21 days of applying in

order for an applicant to receive expedited Food

Assistance (false)

An interview must be completed for Adult Financial before

an eligibility determination can be made (true)

A Colorado Works interview must occur within 10 days of application submission (false)

An interview is required for Colorado Works (true)

Medical Assistance requires a face-to-face interview (false)

An Adult Financial AND application requires an interview within 35 days of application

submission (false)

Food Assistance interviews can be completed by phone per client request (true)

If a client applies for Food and Cash Assistance at the same time, two separate interviews can be

required (false)

Regular Food Assistance requires an interview within 30 days of application submission (true)

10

minutes

Group Activity


Page 33

Recall Prep # Note


recommendations for alternatives to the paddle game

with other supplies.

Note

Everything a client says in an

interview is confidential. However

the departments can share

information between programs for

the purposes of eligibility

determination.




Page 49 of 89

Lunch Recommended

Interview Questions for High-Level Program Groups (HLPGs)

Before this module, create posters and 3” x 5” index cards. The posters should be made with flip-chart

paper and be labeled: Food Assistance, Colorado Works, Adult Financial, Medical Assistance, and All

Programs. The cards should each have one of the interview questions listed in the Appendix written

on them. Make sure to include some questions from each program area. Each participant should have

approximately 1-2 cards.

Refer participants to the interviewing questions for all HLPGs in

their Participant’s Guide. Give them 5 minutes to review the

information.

Give each participant 1-2 cards with interview questions on

them. Instruct them to tape the cards to the appropriate poster.

Assist with questions if necessary. Once all of the cards are

placed, have the participants circle the room and look at all of

the posters. While they do, ensure that all of the questions are in

the correct place and discuss any that are not.

75

minutes

15

minutes

Group Activity

Flip-chart

easel

Posters Cards Tape

Page 34 Recall Prep #

Note

See Activity and Material Adaptations

for recommendations for alternatives

to the posters and cards with other

supplies.




Page 50 of 89

Phone Interviews

Divide the class into two groups. Ask one group to write down

opportunities presented with phone interviews on a piece of

flip-chart paper. Ask the other group to write down challenges

presented with phone interviews. After 3 minutes, have each

group select a group leader to share.

Helpful Hints for Phone Interviews

Provide the participants with helpful hints

for phone interviews. Include the following:

Follow the same structure as you

would an in-person interview

Use written questions and take lots

of notes

Be friendly (smile, they can hear

it!)

Listen actively (pay attention,

concentrate on listening) and restate what the client says (provide feedback, respond

appropriately)

Use the casual register (refer back to the Understanding and Engaging Poverty module)

Provide detailed explanations and answers

Be enthusiastic and use positive phrases (See Participant’s Guide)

Take responsibility and ownership

Be polite

Do not judge; show empathy

10

minutes

Group Activity

Flip-chart

easel Markers

Page 38

Interpret

Note

During face-to-face communication 55% of believability

(trust) comes from body language, while 38% comes

from tone of voice and only 7% from words. Consider

what that means for a phone conversation without any

body language, and how important tone of voice is.

Silent Messages, Mehrabian

Note



to the posters and cards with other

supplies.

##




Page 51 of 89

Practice Positivity

Explain to participants that they should focus on reframing their communication with clients in a more

positive light. For example, instead of saying “you did not bring in the required documents so I cannot

determine your eligibility,” say “I would like to provide you with an answer today but I will require some

additional documentation. Could we create a plan together to get that documentation to me so that I

can determine your eligibility?” Have participants rewrite the statements in their Participant’s Guide

based on this idea, and then create an example on their own. The examples in the Participant’s Guide

are:

“It’s not my fault that you did not send in the verifications we requested. You waited too long

now and you’ll have to start everything over again.”

“I won’t process your application until it is complete, and right now I don’t know if you are a

citizen.”

“I don’t know the answer to your question. Try looking it up on our website or in the rules.”

“You aren’t going to be eligible.”

Practice Interviews

Divide the participants into pairs. Have the

participants each role play as interviewer

and interviewee. Interviewees will use the

fictional client profiles provided in the

Appendix to answer interview questions.

One of the interviews should be for Food

Assistance, and the other should be for

another HLPG that requires an interview.

Each interview will be 18 minutes long.

Remind participants to follow program rules

and utilize at least two of the techniques

described earlier in class.

10

minutes

Individual Activity

Page 39 Problem-

solve

40

minutes

Pair Activity

Fictional client

profiles

Problem-solve ###

###

Note

The fictional client profiles may be intentionally missing

information to imitate a real interview experience. The

questions provided will likely include some terms/topics

that participants do not understand at this point. If they

ask questions, instruct them to get as much information

as possible and let them know that more detail will be

provided later by their Counties and MA Sites and in

Expanding Foundations.




Page 52 of 89

What Have I Learned?

Ask participants to work independently and journal in their Participant’s Guide. Instruct them to identify

at least three program rules and two techniques they learned for interviewing, and discuss how they

hope to improve their own interviewing skills with what they learned during the course.

Break Recommended


Activity Page 40

Problem-solve

15

minutes

###




Page 53 of 89

Documentation: Creating Effective Case Comments

Objectives:


Describe the basic theory of case documentation

Recognize the components of effective CBMS case comments

Write detailed case comments

What is a Case Comment?

Summarize the goal and objectives of the course.

Define a Case Comment as:

A comprehensive summary of action taken, data entered and/or changes made to a

case in CBMS based on factual information; case comments are required anytime there

is an interaction with a client, household member, and/or outside agency

The Purpose of Case Documentation

Include the below explanation regarding the purpose of case comments; expand on ideas as

appropriate.

Assist in valid determination of eligibility and payment amounts

Provide for continuity and understanding by eligibility workers other than the original intake

worker (if a case is reopened, transferred to another county, a new worker is assigned, etc.)

Provide accountability for the actions taken or decisions made regarding a case

Tell the story of the case

30

minutes

Pages

41-44

3 minutes Power-Point Recall

5 minutes Power-Point Recall

Goal

Participants will

compose appropriate

case comments in

CBMS.

#

#




Page 54 of 89

Denote information a client has provided to an agency

Communicate what happened and what was said (if there is not a case comment, it could be

perceived that information was not provided by the client)

Eligibility workers review case comments to avoid rework on cases

Has an agency requested verification from a client?

Has the client provided verification to the agency?

Does the client have a scheduled interview/appointment?

What programs is the client applying or receiving benefits for?

What information has been shared with the client?

Case comments can be used in administrative hearings when a client is appealing a decision

made by a County or MA site

Case comments are used during State audits and Quality Assurance reviews

What is (or isn’t) in a Case Comment?

Ask the participants to brainstorm all of the information that should be provided in case comments.

Note that case comments will vary based on which program(s) an individual applies for, and not every

case comment requires everything listed below. Capture the participants’ suggestions (unless they are

incorrect) on the flip-chart. If they are incorrect, explain why. Interject occasionally and add all of the

following to the list that were not provided by participants:

First and last name of eligibility worker

Application/RRR/Change Report form received date

Interview scheduled date or last date interviewed

Programs applied or approved for

Documents provided

Household members’ information and relationships (including marital status)

Residency information (client or household)

Citizenship and Identity information

How it was verified

Lawful presence information

Household expenses (e.g. rent, mortgage, utilities, medical expenses)

How they were calculated (this is usually for Medical Assistance)

Household income (TANF, SSI, OAP, child support, employment, etc.)

How it was calculated

Dates and amounts of checks, etc.

Verifications requested (Verification Check List)

Due date

5 minutes Group

Activity

Flip-chart easel

Markers

Interpret ##




Page 55 of 89

Employment First/Colorado Workforce Development registered; discuss sanctions

Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) issued

Information from 3rd-party interfaces

Case status (pending, approved, and denied)

Medical verifications/documentation received

Referrals made

Food Assistance eligibility status (Expanded Categorically Eligible, ECE; Basic Categorically

Eligible, BCE; or Standard)

Simplified Reporting documents

Authorized Representative

Claims

Restorations or Supplements

Prenatal information

Worker protection concerns (use carefully)

Case status (supervisor authorization required)

Service Desk Tickets

Tax information (dependency, joint filing, etc.)

Discussion of rights and responsibilities with clients

What should not be included?

Protected Health Information (PHI). Case comments are subject to Health Insurance Portability

and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Personal information regarding health, illnesses, etc. should not

be included in case comments

Case comments should not include the author’s opinions or inferences about the client

Acronyms (spell these out the first time if they are necessary)

Case Comment Case Studies

Divide participants into small groups. Direct them to the case comment examples in their Participant’s

Guide, and instruct the groups to:

Identify information provided in the case comment that is not needed

Describe information that is missing from the case comment

13

minutes

Small Group

Activity

Power-Point

Page 42

Problem-Solve ###




Page 56 of 89

Change the order of the sentences in the case comment to increase reader comprehension

What Did I Learn?

Ask the participants to pair up and describe the most important information they learned about case

comments. Tell them that they can journal in their Participant’s Guide if they would like to.

4 minutes Pair

Activity Page 44

Interpret ##




Page 57 of 89

Application Initiation (AI)

Objectives:


Recall key terms associated with AI

Discuss the purpose of AI

Decide when AI must be completed

Summarize the steps for completing Client and Case Inquiry

Identify the pages associated with AI

List all of the steps for completing the Individual Clearance process

Recall basic policy knowledge when completing data entry in AI

Course Modules:

Matching Terms

Instruct participants to open their Participant’s Guide to the matching terms activity. Ask them to match

each term with the correct definition; they should draw a line between each pair. Provide answers to

any questions as needed. The terms with their correct definitions are below:

Companion Case

When an individual is included as a household member on a case but is also on another

case

Existing Case

Client has a case in CBMS. The case can be Pending, Open, or Closed

New Case

A new Case Number should be requested in CBMS based on case-by-case circumstances

Existing Client ID

5 hours Pages

45-56


Activity Power-Point

Page 45

Recall

Goal

Participants will

complete the

Application Initiation

(AI) phase of case

processing for all

programs.

#




Page 58 of 89

Unique identifier assigned to an Individual who is known to CBMS

Existing State ID

Unique identifier assigned to an individual who is or has requested services or benefits

through the state which require a State ID (it is best practice to request a State ID for all

programs, but it is not required for FA)

New Client ID

Must be requested for individuals who do not have an existing Client ID

New State ID

Must be requested for individuals who do not have an existing State ID

Research/Inquiry

Process used to determine whether or not the individual is known to CBMS. Also used to

research case information

Inquiry

Prior to entering any information in the Application Initiation (AI) track, eligibility workers should always

conduct research on the applicant(s). For the purposes of CBMS, case research is known as Inquiry.

Inquiry provides information about applicant(s) that are known to CBMS and cases they are associated

with, if any.

The Importance of Inquiry

Always complete a thorough inquiry before starting an application or creating a case to

see if a person is known to CBMS

The best practice is to check each person on the application according to the process

discussed in the Client ID and State ID Research Web-Based Training (WBT)

Check on each case that is associated with any of the individuals, such as Companion

Cases

If you do not perform a thorough inquiry before starting a new Application, you may

create duplicate IDs

You could also have trouble attaching an Application to an existing case if any of the

programs on the application are pending or open on the existing case

Clearance will only bring up active (non-merged) clients, while Inquiry will bring up both

active and inactive clients

Inquiry Tips

Search all possible name combinations

Search by the client’s maiden name (if available)

If the client or family has two last names, search under each last name individually,

reversed, and together

5 minutes Power-Point Recall #




Page 59 of 89

Search for nicknames (e.g., Kate and Katherine, John and Jonathan, Maggy and

Margaret, etc.)

Use a variety of combinations when searching for the client

Search by First Name, Last Name, DOB, Gender, and SSN

Search by just First Name, Last Name, and DOB

Search by just the SSN

Do not stop after completing one search

Do not begin with the Gender or County field selected, as these parameters will limit

the search

If duplicate IDs are found, instruct participants to consult their County or MA site

regarding the merge process to merge IDs. Tell participants that this is required any time

duplicate clients are found in CBMS

Application Initiation (AI) Overview

Provide an overview of the purpose of AI by introducing AI data entry. Include the following lecture

points:

Inquiry is used to research all members on an application to see if they are known to CBMS and

have an existing Client/State ID

AI is where data entry in CBMS begins for new applications.

The process for starting an Application is the same for all programs, whether the applicant is

applying for Medical, Cash or Food Assistance

The date when the application was received is entered into AI (see Public Assistance

Applications: Rules and Policies for clarification). Depending on the program, the application

date, the retroactive date, or the date when all eligibility criteria are met (which is determined

by CBMS) will be the date when eligibility begins

AI should be completed even if information is missing

AI is where to select the source of the application (how the application is submitted)

AI is where to enter the applicant’s name, gender, and address into CBMS

AI is where to determine whether an applicant is known or new to CBMS. This is known as

Individual Clearance

Everyone that is on the application is assigned a Client ID in AI

AI is where to identify in CBMS which High-Level Program Groups (HLPGs) the client is applying

for

AI is where to enter the demographic information about the household members living with the

applicant, whether they are applying for assistance or not

AI is where to enter information regarding Expedited Food Assistance

10

minutes

Power-Point Recall #




Page 60 of 89

CBMS will determine whether or not to add the Expedited Food Assistance program

based on the information that is entered

AI is where to make a manual case assignment

AI is where to enter the signature status (signed, unsigned, or no signature required)

AI is where a new case number for the applicant(s) can be generated or the new application can

be attached to an existing case

AI is where to enter the household relationships for each individual on the application

Once information is saved at the end of AI, it cannot be edited or deleted However, the application can be cancelled or changes can be made during Interactive

Interview (II) – mistakes will happen, but some can also be fixed

AI Review

Before this module, place paddles, markers and erasers on the tables for each participant.

Ask participants to write “true” on one side of their paddle and

“false” on the other side. Tell them that you will read a

statement, and they should hold up the correct side in response

to the statement. Offer clarification throughout the activity as

necessary. Use the following statements:

The date when the application was received is entered in AI (true)

Information about the household members living with the applicant and whether they are applying for assistance or not is entered into AI (true)

The source of the application is entered in AI (true) During AI is when to enter if the applicant is pregnant (false; this happens during Interactive

Interview) Expedited Food Assistance may be added to an application automatically by CBMS (true) You can enter the applicant’s name, gender, and address into AI (true) The applicants’ citizenship status can be entered into AI (False; this happens during Interactive

Interview) Determining whether an applicant is known to CBMS or new to CBMS can be done with Inquiry

(true) AI can be used to identify the programs the applicant is applying for (true)

5 minutes Group

Activity


Interpret

Prep

##

Note



to the paddle game with other

supplies.




Page 61 of 89

You can enter information about the applicant’s employment into AI (false, this happens during Interactive Interview)

During AI is when to assign the case to an intake eligibility worker (true) During AI is when to enter whether the application is signed, unsigned, or no is signature

required (true) During AI is when to generate a case number for the applicant(s) (true) During AI is when to enter the household relationships for all individuals on the application

(true) During AI is when you enter information about the client’s tax payer status (false, this happens

during Interactive Interview)

When to Complete an AI

Explain the rules regarding when to complete an AI. Cover the following lecture points:

When to complete an AI:

An AI should be completed when a client is applying for a program

Example: Jon Doe just lost his job and applies for Medical Assistance

An AI should be completed when a client is receiving benefits from one High Level

Program Group (HLPG) and wants to apply for another HLPG

Example: Jon Doe is receiving Food Assistance and then decides he wants to

apply for Medical Assistance

A new AI should be completed for a Food Assistance application that was initially denied

if a client provided information or completed his or her interview 31-60 days after the

application was originally submitted

Example: Jon Doe applies for Food Assistance on January 15. The eligibility

worker denies the case on February 3 for failure to provide verification. On

February 20, the client submits the requested verification

An AI should be completed when a recertification packet is provided late because the

case will have closed

Example: Jon Doe’s Food Assistance recertification packet is due to be returned

to the county on 12/31. However, Jon Doe does not provide his recertification

packet until 1/15. A new AI will be should be completed using 1/15

An AI should be completed when a married couple receiving benefits together separates

or divorces and the person who was not the case payee on the initial case applies for

benefits on their own

10

minutes

Power-Point Recall #




Page 62 of 89

Example: Jon Doe and his wife, Jane Doe, are receiving Food Assistance

together. Jon is the case payee. They get a divorce, and Jane applies for Food

Assistance on her own case

AI was completed using the incorrect information

Example: Eligibility worker entered an incorrect Application Date, and Case

Clearance has been completed. Application should be cancelled using the

Program Action page

An AI should be completed for a new Adult Financial application for a client who was

active with MA only in order to issue Burial Assistance

When NOT to complete an AI:

An AI should not be completed when adding a person to an existing case

Example: Jon Doe is receiving Food Assistance and Medical Assistance; he wants

to add his son to his case

An AI should not be completed when a client is receiving benefits in another county and

then applies for the same benefits in your county. Instead, an inter-county transfer

should be completed following the policies outlined in the guide on the portal and the

processes of your County or MA site

Example: Jon Doe is receiving Medical Assistance in Denver County and then

applies for Medical Assistance in Arapahoe County

A previous AI is completed with incorrect information that does not affect eligibility

Example: Client’s first name is spelled incorrectly when entering AI. This can be

fixed in Interactive Interview

Application Initiation (AI) Tour

Describe each of the pages in AI using the PowerPoint AI Tour. Have participants use their Participant’s

Guide to take notes. Provide support and explanations as necessary and appropriate.

Questions

10

minutes

Individual Activity

Power-Point CBMS

Page 48

Recall

15

minutes

Group Activity Interpret

#

##




Page 63 of 89

Facilitate a Question & Answer session. Ask questions about content to encourage informal teach-backs.

Break Recommended

Hands-On AI

Follow your organization’s process to sign in all of the participants

into the CDHS Portal and the CBMS_TRN environment. At this point

all participants should have received basic CBMS training through the

CBMS access Web-Based Trainings.

Instruct participants to create a fictional applicant with at least one

child (under 18) in their household.

Suggest to the participants to name the applicant(s), they should

brainstorm words for inanimate objects or simple phrases (e.g.

Beautiful Sunset or Old Stapler). Remind them that they should not use

the names of real people. Ask them to also create a Social Security Number (SSN), Date of Birth (DOB),

and Gender for each applicant. SSNs must begin with 800-899, or 900-999. They cannot begin with 000

or end in 0000, and they should not be real.

Guide participants through AI in CBMS using the below information. It is suggested that participants

follow along in CBMS, and in their Participant’s Guides, though it is not expected that they are

necessarily at the exact same place as the facilitator at any given time. Provide additional direction, in

particular related to your County or MA Site process, as appropriate. If more information is required,

direct participants to F1 Online Help.

CBMS: Left Navigation Panel > Search Category > Clear/Inquire Individual Page

Name:

Last Name

First Name

15

minutes

80

minutes

Individual Activity

Power-Point Interpret

Page 50

Note

The rest of this course will

explore AI in CBMS. Only the

rules and data entry

requirements for AI will be

covered.

##




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DOB

Gender

SSN

No data found for the entered search criteria is the message that

will be displayed.

If participants have search results for the fictional applicant,

instruct them to change their applicant’s information. Later in the

course, we will search for an applicant who is known to CBMS.

Tell participants that they will receive slightly different search results through Inquiry than when

they search for a client during AI. Inquiry will display active and inactive client IDs, while

clearance will only display active clients IDs in the search results.

Applicant Information

CBMS: Application Category > Application Initiation > New Application > Applicant Information Page

Prior to starting data entry, instruct clients to visit on-line help and

review the field definitions. Provide additional explanation if

necessary. Some mandatory fields are not marked with a red

asterisk.

Detail - Application:

Date

The date stamp on the application

The application date cannot be back or future dated

Type

Initial/New is the standard

Input Date

A system-generated field that populates automatically based on the date the

application is being entered

Source

Select the appropriate source

Location

Populates automatically based on the county and office the eligibility worker

that is completing the AI is associated with

Applicant Details

Last Name

Never use symbols (‘ - *) in names (it negatively affects SIDMOD)

Never enter names in all lowercase or all caps

First Name

Never use symbols (‘ - *) in names (it negatively affects SIDMOD)

Never enter names in all lowercase or all caps

Gender

Note

See direction at the beginning

of this section regarding

Name, DOB and SSN.

Note

Applications should be

mirrored in CBMS (everything

that is on the application must

be included).




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Select a value

This information is not required for Food Assistance

If this is not declared, select Unknown

DOB

This field is not required at this time in case the applicant did not have the

information. If the date of birth is declared, enter it

SSN

This field is not required at this time in case the applicant did not have the

information. If the Social Security Number is declared, enter it because it makes

clearance easier and you must mirror the application

Language

Primary

Enter the language that the applicant declares as their primary spoken language

Written

Enter the language that the applicant is able to read. CBMS Client

Correspondence is only printed in English and Spanish (this is why there are only

two options)

If client needs an interpreter, follow your county process

Ethnicity

This is a required field for Food Assistance

While it is not required for Medical Assistance, ethnicity may impact the CHP+ Premium

so it is important to enter it (especially if the individual is Native American/Alaska

Native)

If an ethnicity is not declared, select Other/Unknown

You can enter multiple ethnicities

Home Address

Is the Applicant Homeless?

A homeless person is defined as an individual who lacks a fixed and regular night

time residence or an individual whose primary night time residence is:

A supervised shelter which provides temporary accommodations, or

A temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized,

or

A temporary accommodation in the residence of another individual

lasting less than 90 days, or

A place not designed for, or ordinarily used, as a regular sleeping

accommodation for human beings

Homeless households are entitled to a homeless shelter disregard for Food

Assistance if all members of the household are homeless and responsible for

shelter expenses.

When Yes is selected, the Address fields are collapsed. However, a Mailing

Address is still required




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Mailing Address

There are four radio buttons at the top of the Mailing

Address data group. Fields below are enabled or

disabled based on which of the radio buttons is selected.

The default is Delivery Address

Once an address is entered, the page should be saved

using the Save Page icon

Address clearance is used to ensure that client’s address

is valid

If a message appears at the top of the page that states there is no

primary street found or that an apartment or unit number is needed,

this is a flag to the eligibility worker to ask the client for more information about their address or

to double check data entry (if this occurs during this session, have participants save again and

the message should disappear).

Warn participants that occasionally a physical address that is accurate will still create an

error due to CBMS not recognizing it. If they are sure that the address is correct, they

can move forward in the case by saving it a second time.

Search Case Address

At the bottom of the Applicant Information page there is an Address Clearance page.

This button takes you to the Search Case Address page. This page is optional, but you

can use it to search for cases associated with the Home Address entered on the

Applicant Information page. That address will appear in the address box. When you click

the Search button, the result will display the Case #, Case Name, and Case Status for any

households that have applied for or received benefits

using that same address

Once this page is saved, an Application Number will be assigned

by CBMS and displayed in the page header. This number

identifies the record created. It cannot be changed

The Applicant’s Name, DOB, SSN, and Application Number

should be written down in the Participant’s Guide

Select the Next Page icon

Household Members

The Summary section is auto-populated with the applicant’s information

that was entered on the Application Information page

Name

Select the applicant

Requesting Aid

This will default to Yes for the applicant

Note

Show participants how to

enter a street number with a

fraction (in the Street Name

field, in front of the street

name; e.g. 123 1/2Main

Street).

Note

Once participants are on the

next page, a green

checkmark should display in

the Page Queue next to the

previous page in the Left

Navigation Panel indicating

that page has been visited.




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An Ancillary Member is defined as a person who is not applying for assistance but whose

details must be collected and may need to be verified. An Ancillary Member to one High

Level Program Group (HLPG) may not be an Ancillary Member for another. They may be

related or unrelated. They may be in or out of the home

Every person residing at the applicant’s address must be entered into CBMS. Entering

every person residing at the applicant’s address allows the Decision Tables to use

program policy to determine which members are required members

If an individual is an Ancillary Member, select “No” for Requesting Aid

In the Home

This will default to Yes for the applicant

Worker Protection Issue

This field allows an eligibility worker to indicate whether a client has a tendency to get

violent with the staff. If so and the client does, then an eligibility worker can select Yes,

and the case name and number will be red after Case Clearance is completed

This field should be used sparingly, and only when there is a serious danger for

an eligibility worker when dealing with the client

While the Special Indicator for this field can be end-dated, the name and

number on the case will always remain red

This is not a required field. Follow your county process when encountering a

violent individual

Client Clearance through Clear/Inquire on Individual

Client Clearance is used to associate a Client ID with a client; this also allows CBMS to

associate any information entered into CBMS to the client with that unique Client ID

During the Client Clearance process, CBMS checks to see if the client is known to CBMS;

if the individual is unknown to CBMS, then the eligibility worker can request a new

Client ID

When there are similarities or matches determined by Client Clearance, the

Clear/Inquire on Individual page displays those individuals that match the client

information which the eligibility worker entered

If an existing client is selected, CBMS retrieves the existing client’s information, including

the Client ID, State ID, and all other information currently in CBMS

Be extremely cautious and very thorough when performing Client Clearance to avoid

creating a duplicate Client ID

If the client is known to CBMS, but has a slightly different name, one of the names can

be overridden. Ensure that you only override if the other name is the complete name of

the client; never override with a nickname or abbreviation

Client Clearance Tips

Remind participants to perform an extensive search in Inquiry prior to entering any

information

Encourage participants to take their time to ensure that the correct action is taken

Clearance button




Page 68 of 89

After selecting the Clearance button, a Search Results section will be displayed

If there are no search results, a message will appear displaying that no data was found

for the search criteria entered. If anything displays in the Search Results, assist

participants in reviewing them appropriately to determine if one of them may be their

applicant

Instruct participants to select the New button to create a new Client ID if they have

determined there were not matches. They will receive a message that asks if they are

sure they want to generate a new Client ID. Ask them to select the Yes button. A

message will appear with the Client ID. They should click OK. The Household Members

page will display with the Client ID displaying in the Client ID field

If you are uncertain about creating a new client ID, you

can choose the cancel button.

A State ID is required for all individuals requesting

assistance with the exception of Food Assistance. Select

the State ID button.

The State ID will be created in SIDMOD, the

State Identification Module that scores client

demographic data to determine if the client

exists in the system or needs a new State ID

assigned

The client’s State ID now appears on the Household

Members page in the State ID field. If you receive a red message that says Error in

Retrieving State ID, you will need to wait 24 hours to request the State ID. This

information will be covered later in a post requisite WBT. Select the Next Page icon to

move forward in the queue.

State ID tips:

If the client's first and last names combined and there are two first or two last

names that total more than 20 characters, enter only one first name and one

last name. Then add the second name after assigning the State ID and rerun

Client Clearance

For clients with two last names or two first names, do not request the State ID

with a space between the two names. Enter the names together without space

between them.

Do not add the space back once the State ID is assigned. Adding the

space will cause problems with future scoring and data change requests

Also, do not hyphenate the name. This will cause errors in SIDMOD.

Enter the two names together (e.g. MaidenMarried)

Capitalize each name appropriately

If the client's first and last names combined total more than 20 characters, and

the client does not have two last names, the whole name should be entered.

The middle name is not included in the character count

Note

Instruct the participants to

make the second household

member either a spouse or

child of the first household

member to keep the scenario

fairly simple.




Page 69 of 89

When a State ID is requested from SIDMOD and it finds that the client data

provided is too similar to an existing client, a SIDMOD Override record is

created, and a message displays indicating that a SIDMOD Override record has

been created. Service desk staff has been assigned to process these overrides.

SIDMOD Overrides are processed within 24 hours of the time created. Changes

cannot be made after the State ID request is made if an override is desired.

Once the override is processed, re-request the State ID

Do not change a client’s Demographics to erroneous data or initials for purposes

of forcing the State ID through

If a particular individual cannot receive a State ID, you can still move forward in

the case and determine eligibility for other individuals on the case

The Household Members page is automatically populated for the applicant only. Ask

participants to add all household members at this point by entering a new record for each one.

To add additional household members, they should select the add button. The Household

Members page will be blank, and the fields must be completed for each individual

Programs Requested

The Programs Requested page is used to indicate what the applicant is applying for. Ask

participants to select Colorado Works, Food Stamps, and Medical Assistance. Then select the

Save Page icon

When a cash program is selected, the Food Stamps check box is automatically selected

because the client is considered categorically eligible (based on eligibility standards, the

client should be eligible for both programs). If a client is eligible for Colorado Works, he

or she could also be eligible for Medical Assistance. CBMS does not automatically select

Medical Assistance, but applying for Medical Assistance should be discussed with the

client at application. If the client is applying for Colorado Works only, the eligibility

worker must deselect Food Stamps

Only one cash program can be requested on each case

Note to participants that the Emergency Details page will be added to the page queue once the

Programs Requested page is saved. This will only occur if Food Stamps are requested. The

information on the Emergency Details page is used to determine whether the household meets

Expedited Food Assistance (EFA) criteria


Emergency Details

If the Food Assistance HLPG is selected on the Programs Requested page, it is mandatory that

the Emergency Details page be completed. It will be added to the queue. Keep in mind, this

information applies to the household as a whole. Using client statement (self-attestation) is

acceptable for this page and will not carry forward into other pages of the CBMS Interactive

Interview. The information on the Emergency Details page is used to determine whether the

household meets the following Expedited Food Assistance (EFA) criteria:




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Household’s Gross Income is $150 or less, and Liquid Resources are less than $100

Household Monthly Expenses Exceed Monthly Gross Income

The household includes a migrant seasonal farm worker

Resource Detail

Enter any liquid resources available to the client in the Resource Detail Data group (for

example, checking or savings accounts, cash on hand, etc.)

This is not recommended for participants at this point

If there are resources, enter:

Does the household have any Resources?

Type

Value

Amount Owed

Income Detail

If the household has received or will receive income in the month of application, it

would be entered in this data group

There can only be one record for each type of income (earned, unearned, child support);

the eligibility worker must click the Add button to create a separate record for each

type of income

This is not recommended for participants at this point

If there is income, enter:

Does the household have any Income?

Date Received

Type

Monthly Amount

Expense

If there are expenses, enter:

Does the household have any Expenses?

Monthly rent or mortgage

Utility Allowance

It is recommended for participants to include the expense of rent for $750 and the

Heating Cooling Utility Allowance

Heating Cooling Utility Allowance (HCUA)

HCUA is mandated for households that incur heating and/or cooling

costs separate from the rent or mortgage and for households that

receive assistance from the Low-Income Energy Program (LEAP)

When a residence is shared, each household that incurs at least a

portion of the heating or cooling costs is entitled to the full HCUA. In

addition, households in public housing units that have excess costs for

heating and cooling are allowed the full HCUA

Basic Utility Allowance (BUA)




Page 71 of 89

BUA is mandated for households that are not entitled to HCUA and that

have at least two non-heating or cooling utility costs, such as electric,

water, sewer, trash, cooking fuel, or telephone

One Utility Allowance (OUA)

OUA is mandated for households that are not entitled to HCUA or BUA

and have at least one non-heating or cooling utility cost, such as

electric, water, sewer, or trash

Telephone Allowance

This allowance is mandated for households that only incur a telephone

expense

Mandatory Standard Utility Allowances Effective October 1, 2013

The appropriate utility allowance will be added to the Total monthly

expenses field

HCUA: $453

BUA: $286

OUA: $54

Telephone Allowance: $73

Special Indicators

Explain to participants that if their County or MA site uses Special Indicators for Automatic Case

Assignment, they will need to complete the Special Indicators page. Recommend that they

research their organization’s process

This page does not need to be completed during this session


Application Status

Use the Application Status page to enter a signature status for

the Application for Public Assistance

In the Application Signature Status field, instruct participants to

select the Signed radio button to indicate the Application has

been signed. Today’s date will default in the Signed Date field.

Indicate the actual date the client signed the Application, which

may or may not be the Application Date. The date entered in

the Signed Date field, does not affect eligibility

Application Comments

Say the following to participants: “When you return to your agency, you will receive

instructions on whether to complete Application Comments. In order to practice

documenting information in an application, we will complete this section. We will enter

information that is applicable to the Application Information (AI) portion of the case.

This should include:

Date of application

Note

Remind participants that they

can use F1 Online Help to find

more information, including

the importance of the other

Signature Statuses.




Page 72 of 89

Applicant/household member’s information

Programs Requested

Special Indicators (if applicable)

Application Status

Date of Application Comment

Any other pertinent details, and

Your name”

Application Comments do not carry over to Case

Comments

Save the page

Explain to participants that once the Application is saved, it is

locked down and cannot be modified. They should ensure that

all of the information they have entered, including the Signature

Status, is correct before saving

Print Application button

Prints the information entered in Application Initiation and lists generic verifications the

applicant should bring to the interview

Case Clearance button

After the page is saved this button is activated. It will only activate if the Application

Signature Status is Signed or Signature not Required, at least one HLPG with a Pending

status has been selected or CBMS has not yet assigned a case to the application

Instruct participants to select the Case Clearance button to perform Case Clearance and

assign a Case #

Case Clearance is where the eligibility worker determines whether to use an existing

case or a new case in CBMS and then associates the application to a case number in

CBMS

The Get Case Number page is used to create a new Case # or to add an

Application to an existing Case. If the client is associated to any cases in CBMS,

they will display on this page. If there are no cases showing, participants should

select the New Case # button to assign a New Case #. Also, note to participants

that there can only be one of each open HLPG program on a case, so if they are

trying to add another duplicate HLPG to an existing open case with that HLPG

already active they will need to go to that case and make any updates needed

If the client has other cases listed, explore each case. The correct Head of

Household must be listed in order for the case to be attached. Do research to

verify that the client is either the Head of h Household, or still a part of the

family group listed under the existing Case #. If not, create a New Case #. Make

sure to research every case that your client is listed on. Do so by

selecting/highlighting the case and clicking the Case Info button

A message will appear asking “Are sure you want you to generate a new Case

#?” Participants should select the Yes button

Note

Emphasize to participants

how important it is to not

create duplicate cases. If

another case comes up, they

must research it to

determine if they should

attach the new AI to that

case or create a new case.




Page 73 of 89

A message will appear showing that the new Case # has been created. Case

numbers will not have the letters I or O in them. Select OK

The Case # will populate on the Application Status page. Ask participants to write down

the Case # in their Participant’s Guide

Select the Next button

Note: See the Task-Level Help (TLH) topic, Case Addition and Case Creation document available

on the portal to better understand whether CBMS should assign a new case or add the new

application to an existing case

The Print Application button is used to print the questions and answers entered in AI and to

create a list of verifications that the client must bring to the interview

Household Relationships Details

This page must be completed if there is more than one individual on the case. Program areas

use this information to relate the individuals in the case for eligibility purposes

Relationships Completion Status for this case

This progress bar lets the eligibility worker know how complete the data entry is for the

relationships in the case

Relationships of drop-down menu

This is the person to whom the eligibility worker is relating the other individuals in the

case

Instruct participants to choose a name from the drop-down list

Is the drop-down menu

This menu defines the relationship

Effective Begin Date

Note to participants that if Medical Assistance is one of the programs requested, this

date will go back three months to account for retroactive coverage. Follow online help

to see what date to enter.

Verification

NOT RECEIVED

Should only be used if there is truly no verification provided

If the eligibility worker gets information from another source, the information should be entered with the Verification of Not Received if the client did not report the information

If the client did report the information but has not provided verification, use Received (see below).

QUESTIONABLE

There must be proof that there is contradictory information.

RECEIVED

The eligibility worker received verification of the information being entered.




Page 74 of 89

The verification could be in any form, such as client written (even if just on the application) or verbal statement, employer or landlord statement, or collateral contact.

If no verification is received but the client reported the information, use Client Statement as the Source if applicable.

The Rules Engine for each HLPG will determine whether the Source is acceptable

REFUSED

Client verbally states or puts in writing that he/she will not provide the information that is being requested.

VERIFY AT RECERT

Do not use this value at this time.

Note: Explain to participants to use Received or Not Received for the Verification. Not Received will

allow FA to continue paying, but may cause all other HLPGs to go into a pending or Failed Status,

depending on how the Rules Engine is written.

Example: Proof of shelter.

Select Received.

Source

What source of verification was provided?

As defined in Volume 4.4011.32, “Collateral Contact is a verbal confirmation of a

household's circumstances by a person outside the household, made either in person or

by telephone. Acceptable collateral contacts are employers, landlords, social/migrant

service agencies, and neighbors of the household who can be expected to provide

accurate third party verification.”

Date Reported

What was the date that this information was reported to your agency

Date Verified

What was the date that this information was verified

Parental Care and Control

For Food Assistance

This box should be checked for all children for whom the parent exerts care and

control, regardless of their ages

If more than one person is shown as having parental control over the same

child, the Food Assistance HLPG will be Pended (rules only allow for one adult to

be exempted for the care of a child)

To exempt an adult for Employment First due to the care of a child under age six, the

eligibility worker must identify which adult exerts Parental Care and Control of the child.

If this box is not selected, the adult may need to be Employment First registered even if

they are exempt due to the child’s age

Sponsor




Page 75 of 89

This box should be checked if the individual is the Alien Sponsor of the person listed

Tax Dependent

This box should be checked if the individual is a tax dependent of the person listed

Responsible Relative

For Medical Assistance

This box should be checked if the individual is taking care of the child listed and

is the responsible relative within the fifth degree of kinship

Community Spouse

For LTC Medical Assistance

This box should be checked if the individual lives in the community and is a

spouse of the institutionalized Long-Term Care client listed on the

application/case

Exercises the Responsibility for

For Colorado Works

This box should be checked if the individual is an adult who is a specified

caretaker for the dependent child listed and their relationship is outside of the

fifth degree of kinship

Summary button

The Household Relationships Summary page provides a read-only table showing the

relationships of the individuals on the case

Purchase and Prepare

If Food Assistance is one of the programs requested, the Purchase and Prepare page will be

added to the queue if there is more than one person on the case

What is a Purchase and Prepare (P & P) Group?

A group of individuals living together who buy and make food together

CBMS determines allowable separate household status by use of the household

relationships, ages of the individuals, and the Purchase and Prepare Group

Children under the age of 22 living with parents cannot be a separate P & P group.

Persons representing themselves as husband and wife cannot be separate P & P groups

If an individual is in the home, but purchases and prepares food separately, a separate

group should be created for that person

Information related to household composition can be found by reviewing the following

Agency Letters:

FA-99-49-I Questions/Answers from Statewide Training regarding Household

Composition

FA-01-49-I Application Processing — Separate Household Determination

FA-03-04-I Household Composition




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Effective Begin Date

For a new group that is applying, this should be the Application Date in AI

Name

The first name selected should be the adult applicant

Group

Select “New Group” for a new group; use the Application Date

To include others in the initial group, select the same group number; base this

determination on what it is indicated on the application in terms of purchasing and

preparing together

If a client is in a Purchase & Prepare group, and that client leaves the group, enter the

Effective End Date equal to the last day of the month in which the client left the group

Verification

Select Received

Source

Client Statement is an acceptable source

Date Reported

Date Verified

Once data entry is complete for each individual, select the Add button

Once all individuals have been added, select the Save Page icon.

All individuals in the P & P group should have matching Group Numbers


Application Wrap Up

At this point Application Initiation should be completed. The Application Wrap Up page will

show and include a summary of the Application Initiation, including the Application Number,

program(s) applied for, program status and the processing due date

Program Status defaults to pending

The page queue should be 100%

Ask the participants why the Expedited FA program was added to the case

Answer: Household Monthly Expenses Exceed Monthly Gross Income

Due Date

Indicates when action must be taken on the HLPG according to timely processing rules

Timely Processing

From the date the agency receives the completed application, it must act within:

7 calendar days for Expedited Food Assistance; 30 calendar days for Food

Assistance

45 or 90 calendar days for Medical Assistance depending on whether a disability

determination is required; an expectation exists that if all information is

provided that the application will be processed as close to Real Time Eligibility

(RTE) as possible




Page 77 of 89

45 calendar days for Colorado Works/TANF, AND-Colorado Supplement, and Old

Age Pension (OAP)

60 calendar days for State Aid to the Needy Disabled (AND)-State Only

Adult Protective Services button

If Adult Protective Services (APS) is a program requested, this will be enabled so that the

APS workers can access APS-related pages

APS is a stand-alone program (can’t have any other programs on the case)

Authorized Representative button

An Authorized Representative or Protective Payee can be added here

An Authorized Representative takes legal responsibility for the information provided in

the application; this trusted person would be given permission to talk about the

application with the eligibility worker, see the client’s information, and act for the client

on matters related to the application, including getting information about the

application and signing the application on the client’s behalf

An authorized Representative must be entered as an Ancillary Member, thus you may

need additional information to enter this individual in CBMS

A Protective Payee is an individual assigned by the program area to manage Cash

Assistance funds and make payments to the appropriate person or business; such

individuals are only assigned when other measures to correct financial issues have been

unsuccessful

Only assign an authorized representative for Food Assistance if the client wants the

authorized representative to receive the Food Assistance benefits

Case Assignment button

Tell participants that they can manually assign the case to an individual from the

Application Wrap Up page by selecting the Case Assignment button. Follow the process

in your county for case assignment. In CBMS_TRN we have Automatic Case Assignment

set up.

Case Assignment

Cases are assigned based on information entered by the County or MA site’s

Security Administrator

Automatic Case Assignment is completed automatically by CBMS and assigns

cases to a caseload for processing

The process completed by CBMS to assign a case, by HLPG, to an

appropriate caseload or caseloads

Runs at two different intervals during a case life cycle

Application Initiation (Case Clearance) – Intake caseload(s)

Authorization – Ongoing caseload(s)

Manual Case Assignment allows workers to override the automated case

assignment and manually assign a case to a desired case load

When to complete manual case assignment:

The client has moved to another county (inter-county transfer)




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The client applied at one office, but the case needs to be at

another office (intra-county transfer)

The case needs to be assigned to a different worker (suggest

worker/override)

Interactive Interview button

This button will open the next phase of the data entry process, Interactive Interview.

This will not be discussed during this session

Finding a Case through Quick Search

Instruct participants to select the Home link to return to the CBMS Home Page. Ask them to follow along

in CBMS as you demonstrate the Quick Search feature to find the case that was just created.

Drop-down menu

Application ID—brings eligibility worker to Application Summary page

Case ID—brings worker to Case Summary page

Client ID—brings worker to Individual Summary page

SSN—brings worker to Individual Summary page

State ID—brings worker to Individual Summary page

Lunch Recommended

Finding a Case through Inquiry

Explain to participants that there are several computer applications used by organizations across

Colorado to ensure that demographic information for a specific person remains consistent, and services

are not provided or prevented in error. State IDs and Client IDs should not be duplicated so that these

systems can function correctly.

CBMS: Left Navigation Panel > Search Category > Clear/Inquire on Individual Page


Activity Recall

75

minutes

30

minutes

Individual Activity

Power-Point

Interpret ##

#




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Direct the participants to find the case they just created using Clear/Inquire on Individual with First and

Last Name and SSN. If they cannot find their case, ask them to raise their hand and assist them. Tell

participants that if multiple rows display, they will need to review them to ensure the information

matches the individual they are inquiring about. Ask them to select/highlight the row displaying their

client. There will be information listed in the row regarding their client. Guide the participants through

the pages explained below.

CBMS: Left Navigation Panel > Search Category > Clear/Inquire in

Individual Page

Select the Search button (If they cannot find their case, ask

them to raise their hand and assist them)

Client ID

This is important to pay attention to in order to

avoid multiple Client IDs for one client

State ID

This is important to pay attention to in order to

avoid multiple State IDs for one client

PF

Displays the percentage of the Probability Factor that the result displayed is the

individual you are inquiring on. If it is only 60%, that is because minimal search

criteria was used

Active

Displays whether the individual is on an active case

Last Name

First Name

Middle Name

Suffix

Gender

DOB

Alias Indicator

Displays whether the individual has an Alias name in CBMS. If the individual has

an alias, then the Alias Names button will enable

Spec. Ind.

Displays whether the individual has a Special Indicator in CBMS. If the individual

has a Special Indicator used, the Special Ind button will be enabled

SSN

Non-Citizen #

If the client is not a United States citizen and they have a Non-Citizen number, it

will display here if it was entered into CBMS

Instruct the participants to enter the DOB, and select the Search button

PF

Note

The information at the top of

the page is the search criteria

entered. Information

displayed below is for similar

individuals who are known to

SIDMOD.




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The PF may be higher due to more search criteria being used

The higher the PF percentage, the more likely the individual is a match

Enter the gender, and select the Search button

PF should be 100%

Any participants that do not show 100% must compare the search criteria

entered to the results and find the difference in the data. They may have

entered different search criteria than what is recorded in CBMS

Case List button

The Inquire on Case Listing page will list all cases that are associated to the individual

being inquired. There could be multiple cases listed

Once the correct case is located and selected/highlighted, ask participants to select the

Case Details button.

Inquire on Case Information

Programs tab

Displays the HLPGs on the case, as well as the Benefit Begin Date. The eligibility Status

shows if the program is approved, denied, pending, or discontinued. The Status Date is

the date that the eligibility Status occurred. The RRR begin and end dates and whether

Verification is due also displays. The eligibility worker the program is assigned to will

display

Eligibility Results button

Opens the Eligibility Result page in Wrap Up for the highlighted program

Closure Reasons button

Opens the Inquire on Closure Reasons page for the highlighted program that

was denied or discontinued

BI/BR button

Opens the Inquire on Benefit Issuance/Benefit Recovery page to view if there is

a claim on the case

Program Members button

Lists the members that are associated to the highlighted program and their

Participation Status

Application List tab

Displays the applications associated to the case, the Application Date, the date

that the application was entered, and the eligibility worker who entered the

application

Program Application List button

Displays what Programs were requested on the Application

Case Members tab




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Displays all members on the case, as well as some

demographic information. The buttons along the bottom

of the tab will display any applicable information for that

individual

Individual Details button

Lists the highlighted individual’s issuance details

Sanctions button

Lists any sanctions the highlighted individual may

have

Companion Cases button

Lists any cases the highlighted individual is

associated to

List Cases button

Lists any cases the highlighted individual is associated to

Comp/User Link Cases button

Not used

Case Payee tab

Displays all Payees for the case and the dates the Payees were effective

PR Dates tab

Displays information pertaining to Periodic Reporting (PR) for the case

Monthly Status Report (MSR) was a PR form used by Colorado Works for monthly

reporting for the household until June 2013. Colorado ReWorks has eliminated the need

for this form going forward

PRFS-6 is a Periodic Reporting form used by Food Assistance for households that are

certified for 24 months and who have a 12 month reporting requirements

Transitional Benefits Reporting (TBR) is a PR form used by Family Medical Assistance for

the Transitional Medical program

Member Dates

Displays any applicable Interim Assistance Reimbursement (IAR), Re-exam, Transitional

Medical Assistance Start Date and End Dates and Individual Responsibility Contract (IRC)

expiration dates for each member on the case

Contact Summary

Displays contact information for the client, including address, language and phone

number

Case Information

Instruct participants to find their case through the Case Information Page

CBMS: Left Navigation Panel > Search on Case Information Page

Once participants enter their case # and select the Search button, their page should appear in

the Search Results. Assist any participants who do not see their case

Note

Both the Client Search and

Case Search will take

participants to the same

page, but the way in which

the eligibility professional

searches will depend on the

information available when

completing the inquiry.




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Case Practice

Instruct participants to enter an AI (or multiple, if they are able) in 45 minutes. Ask them to raise their

hands if they need individual assistance, and repeat any relevant questions with your answer to the full

group. Work your way around the room to ensure that everyone is on track.

Debrief

Ask participants to go around the room and discuss their experience. Encourage them to ask any

questions they still have, and provide answers. If needed, encourage discussion using the following

prompts:

What was easiest about AI?

What was the most difficult?

What are the most important things to remember about AI?

What is the function of AI in CBMS?

Provide the following reminders to participants:

Complete inquiry on all individuals on the application before starting to enter information in AI

track

Complete individual clearance and case clearance

Document in Application Comments if applicable

Closing

Divide participants into small groups. Ask them to generate a list of key points regarding what they have

learned during Building Foundations, and write those key points on flip-chart paper. Encourage them to

go back through their Participant’s Guides to recall these points.

45

minutes

Individual Activity

Problem-solve

AI Scenarios

25

minutes

Group Activity

Problem-solve

20

minutes

Group Activity

Flip-chart easel

Markers

Problem-solve

###

###

###




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After 7 minutes of writing, ask the participants to walk around the room and look at all of the posters.

Encourage them to make a check mark next to things they think are especially important.

Direct participants back to their Participant’s Guides one last time to do some action planning regarding

what they have learned and how they intend to implement it.

Thank all of the participants for attending, and if appropriate provide your contact information for

future assistance.




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Appendix

Interviewing for Public Assistance

Interview Requirements for High-Level Program Groups (HLPGs)

High-Level Program Groups (HLPGs) face-to-face interview requirements for eligibility determination:

Food Assistance

Within 7 days of application for expedited

Within 30 days of application for regular

Required once/year, except for households with elderly and disabled adults with no

earned income

Can be completed via phone interview if client requests

Financial Assistance

Adult Financial

Must be completed before eligibility determination can be made, which is no

later than 45 days after application was submitted (60 days for AND)

Colorado Works

Interview required within 45 days of application submission

Assessment within 30 days of application submission

The assessment is an evaluation conducted to determine a client’s skills,

education, work history, and potential barriers to employment

Medical Assistance (MA)

No interview required (eligibility must be determined in 45 or 90 days depending on if a

disability determination is necessary)

Interview Questions for High-Level Program Groups (HLPGs)

Questions that are mandatory are bold and have an *. Please ask questions appropriately

based on who the client is and what programs he or she are applying for. The abbreviation HH =

Household.

ALL PROGRAMS

Application date

Interview date

CBMS Case Number and Case Name: (Last name, First name, MI)

List programs requested

DEMOGRAPHICS

*Is anyone in the HH a non-U.S. citizen? If yes, provide name(s) and sponsor’s name, date of birth, and address. Sponsor’s income, resources and HH comp requested?




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CASE INDIVIDUAL

*List the name and age of each HH member

*Is anyone in the HH disabled? If yes, who?

*Is anyone in the HH pregnant? If yes, provide due date and number of babies expected

Are there others that live in the home that are not included on this application?

RESIDENCY

*Are you a Colorado Resident?

*What is your living situation?

*Do you have an address where you can receive mail?

*Do you have a phone number we can reach you at? If so, is it OK to leave a message at this number?

*Are you or any member of your HH hiding or running from the law? Note: this agency will not report you if this is the case. It may impact your eligibility, but should not prevent others in your home from receiving benefits.

*Are you currently receiving Food, Cash, or Medical Assistance benefits or have you received them in the last 90 days? If yes: who, where and when (need a phone number for the agency where benefits were received and/or a letter of termination of benefits)? Were you receiving benefits in another state?

INCOME

*How do you and your family get money? If anyone is receiving income, ask all Earned Income or Unearned income questions below.

EARNED INCOME

Earned Income for (name)?

Current employer name?

Hours worked per week?

Pay frequency (e.g. weekly, every 2 weeks, twice a month, monthly)?

Hourly rate?

Date and gross amount of most recent check?

Is this check representative?

Gross income received in the month of application?

If Collateral Contact, provide contact name, title and phone number?

Is this income from self-employment? If yes, gross monthly amount?

Amount of tips received from this employment? UNEARNED INCOME

Recipient and type?

Gross amount?

Date of last check received?

Amount of last check received?

EXPENSES




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Does anyone in the home pay day care expenses? Receive Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)? If yes, how often and how much?

Does anyone in the home have medical expenses? If yes, amount paid?

SHELTER/UTILITIES

*How much do you pay (or are you supposed to pay) in rent or mortgage? If you pay mortgage, how much do you pay for home-owner’s insurance, property taxes, and/or Homeowner’s Association (HOA) fees?

Do you pay any other expenses related to your shelter?

If Collateral Contact, provide contact name, title and phone number?

*How do you meet your basic living needs?

REMINDERS

Referrals? If yes, name, date/time?

*Review of Rights and Responsibilities – Read “What I Should Know.” If you require assistance reading or understanding this part of the application, please let us know. After the interview, provide this part of the application to the client.

*Offer voter registration (to U.S. citizens only).

EXPEDITED FOOD ASSISTANCE

*What is the total amount of money the HH expects to get this month (before deductions)?

*Are you responsible to pay rent or mortgage? If yes, amount?

*How much cash do you have on-hand or in checking/savings accounts?

*Is anyone in the home a migrant or seasonal farm worker?

FOOD ASSISTANCE

*Who lives in the home?

*Who is applying for Food Assistance?

Are you homeless? If yes, where do you sleep? Who else lives there? Are you responsible to pay anything?

*Did you receive LEAP at this address this year or last year? If no, do you pay for heating or cooling costs? Is yes, are those costs included in rent? If no, do you pay any other utilities (electric, trash, sewer, water, phone, etc.)?

*Who buys and cooks food together?

*What is your race/ethnicity?

*Has anyone in the HH applied for SSI or other Social Security benefits? If yes, who?

Has anyone applied for Unemployment Insurance Benefits (UIB)? If yes, who?

*Does anyone in your HH pay or receive child or adult day care or child support? If so, who, how often and how much?

*Is anyone in the HH currently in Foster Care? If yes, who and for how long?

*Is anyone in the HH currently on strike? If yes, who?

*Is anyone in the HH attending: High school, College, Vocational or Trade School? If yes, who? Is Financial Aid received? Is that individual participating in Work Study or the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) program?




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*If you are under age 22, please tell me who else is living in the home (e.g. parents, spouses, children, etc.)

*Is anyone applying for Food Assistance currently living in a battered women’s shelter? If yes, is that individual already receiving benefits?

ADULT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

*Are you paying at least $260.00 in shelter expenses (rent/utilities)? Note: exclude this question if the applicant owns their own home, lives in subsidized (Low-income/Section 8) housing, or is homeless.

*Are you now or have you ever been married?

*Are you or your spouse currently or have either of you ever been in the military?

*Do you have a disability? If yes, do you need assistance with Self-Care activities? Has your medical or developmental condition lasted or is it expected to last 12 months or longer?

*Has anyone in the HH applied for SSI or other Social Security benefits? If yes, who?

*Has anyone in the HH received SSI or SSDI and it has been terminated? If yes, when did it stop (date)?

*Has anyone in the HH received a Lump Sum payment?

*Resources are considered for Adult Financial Assistance. Do you have resources? If yes: Resource Name, Type and Value?

*Have you given away or sold anything of value in the last 3 years? If yes: Resource Name, Type and Value?

*Is anyone in the HH temporarily out of the home in a medical facility?

*If you need help to pay for Burial/Funeral costs in the future, would you prefer: Cremation, Burial or No Preference?

COLORADO WORKS

*Are you or have you ever received cash benefits? If yes: who, where and when (need a phone number for the agency where benefits were received and/or a letter of termination of benefits)?

*Have you or any member of your HH been convicted of a Felony under Federal or State Law for possession, use or distribution of a Controlled Drug Substance (Felony Drug Conviction) or for a crime while under the influence of a Controlled Drug Substance after August 22, 1996?

*Do you live with any children under the age of 19? If yes, are you the main person taking care of them?

*Is anyone in the HH temporarily out of the home in a medical facility?

*How is everyone in your HH related?

*Is anyone in the HH pregnant? If yes, provide due date, number of babies expected and father’s name.

*If anyone in the HH is employed, is the employment temporary and expected to last less than 3 months?

*List the highest grade in school completed for each HH member:




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*Is anyone in the HH attending: High school, College, Vocational or Trade School? If yes, who?

*Are there any children in the HH with absent parents? If yes, is there good cause or non-disclosure? What are the names of the child(ren) and absent parent(s)?

*Does anyone in the HH pay child support? If yes, what is the amount paid and frequency? Is it paid directly or court ordered?

*Is anyone in the HH currently in Foster Care? If yes, who and for how long?

*If you may need help to pay for Burial/Funeral costs in the future, would you prefer: Cremation, Burial or No Preference

Fictional Client Profiles

Jon Doe:

You are a 38 year-old male applying for Food Assistance. You live alone in a one-bedroom apartment.

Your rent is $700/month. You are responsible for your Excel bill, which covers heating and cooling. Your

last Excel bill was $88. You work 30 hours/week at Home Depot and earn $9.00/hour. Your pay from

Home Depot is your only source of income. You do have a checking account with $79. Your only mode of

transportation is public transportation. This is your first time applying for Food Assistance.

Jane Doe

You are a 31 year-old female. You have two children, Billy Doe (9 years old) and Melissa Doe (7 years

old). You are applying for Colorado Works (CW), Food Assistance (FA), and Medical Assistance (MA). You

receive a Section 8 voucher for your home that you rent. You receive Low-income Energy Assistance

Program (LEAP). Your rent is $78/month. You are currently unemployed, but you receive $180/month in

child support for Billy Doe. You have a car.

Raymond Doe

You are a 43 year-old male applying for Aid to the Needy Disabled (AND). You are homeless. You are

disabled. You have no income and no expenses.

Application Initiation (AI)

Practice Application Initiation (AI) Scenarios

Male applicant (ethnicity unknown), age 42, is applying for Food Assistance (FA) and Medical

Assistance. Application date-stamped on 02/21/2014. Client is homeless. Client has $250 in

resources (checking account). Client has no income. Client has $750 in shelter expenses (rent)

and pays for heating and cooling costs separate from his rent. Client signed application on

02/21/2014.

Female (choose ethnicity), age 26, is applying for Colorado Works (CW), Food Assistance (FA),

and Medical Assistance (MA). Application date-stamped on 02/21/2014. Client is not homeless.

The application also includes female’s son, age 12, who is also in the home and requesting




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assistance. The 26 year-old female has parental care and control over her 12 year-old son. The

son is a tax dependent of his mother. Client has no resources or income. Client has $1,000 in

shelter expenses (rent) and pays for heating and cooling costs separate from rent. Client signed

application on 02/21/2014.

Male applicant (ethnicity unknown), age 63, is applying for Adult Financial (AF) and Food

Assistance (FA). Application date-stamped on 02/21/2014. Client is not homeless. Client has

$750 in resources (checking account). Client has no income. Client has no income. Client has

shelter expenses of $1,000 and pays heating and cooling costs that are separate from shelter

costs. Client signed application on 02/21/2014.

Female applicant (choose ethnicity), age 31, is applying for Medical Assistance (MA). Also on the

application is applicant’s husband, age 33, who is also in the home and requesting assistance.

The application was date-stamped on 02/21/2014. Client has a home. The married couple files

taxes jointly. Client signed application on 02/21/2014.

Male applicant (ethnicity unknown), age 25, applies for Food Assistance. Application date-

stamped on 02/21/2014. Client has a home. Client has $1,500 in resources (checking account).

Client has $1,000 income anticipated in the month of application. Client’s shelter expenses

(rent) are $500 and he pays for heating and cooling costs separate from rent. Client signed

application on 02/21/2014.

Female applicant (choose ethnicity), age 42, applies for Colorado Works (CW) and Medical

Assistance (MA). Also in the home and requesting assistance is the applicant’s husband, age 40.

Furthermore, the applicant’ 15 year-old son is in the home and requesting assistance. Family is

not homeless. Application submitted on 02/21/2014. Parents file taxes jointly and claim son as

tax dependent. Client signed application on 02/21/2014.