FYI: September 2012 - Change to the DCF Placement View in BEACON

FYIs

Change to the DCF Placement View in BEACON
As part of the single state audit, it was found that some cases had Department of Children and Families
(DCF) matches that did not appear on Data Match Unit (DMU) mainframe match. These matches did appear
in the DCF Placement (Case Manager) view on BEACON. To ensure that DMU receives all DCF matches,
effective October 1st there will be an enhancement in how the DCF Match view looks in BEACON. The
DMU mainframe match view information will take the place of the DCF Placement (Case Manager) view.
Currently, DMU staff processes the DCF match (see Field Operations Memo 2010-1). However, case
managers still have access to the view to address the match on their own if a client comes in for a review
soon after the match is populated.

Effective October 1st, there will be two new tabs on the match view: “Match Information” and “Placement.”
The Match Information tab has information currently seen on the DCF Placement (Case Manager) view plus
additional information from DCF. Case managers will not have access to the Placement tab (a pop-up
message will display if case managers try to view it). The message says: “You do not have sufficient security
privileges to view Placement information.” Due to the confidential information on the Placement tab, access
to this information has been restricted to Central Office staff only.

On the “Match Information” tab, the Daily Rate field will be prepopulated when the Type field is either:
Adoption Subsidy or Guardianship Subsidy. This amount belongs to the person on the “Placement” tab. No
action should be taken by DTA field staff on this information.

Fuel Assistance 2012
The Fuel Assistance Program begins accepting applications for fuel assistance on November 1, 2012.
TAOs will receive a supply of fuel assistance brochures in October for clients who are interested in applying
for fuel assistance and request information about how the program works. The brochure will also be
available on our website at https://www.mass.gov/orgs/department-of-transitional-assistance.

The Department will no longer be mailing income verification letters and fuel assistance brochures to clients.
Clients can obtain income verification letters to submit with their fuel assistance application in the following
ways:

• Clients may also use their “My Account Page” (MAP) screen of case information. For more information on how clients can access MAP, see Field Operations Memo 2010-6 and Operations Memo 2012-41.
• Clients may use the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephone number to request an income verification letter. The IVR telephone number is 1-877-DTA-BENE or 1-877-382-2363, and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Clients will receive an income verification letter within five days at the mailing address identified in BEACON.
• Clients who come to the TAO requesting an income verification letter must receive a letter before leaving the TAO. Clients who telephone their case managers requesting an income verification letter should be directed to use the IVR telephone number or to access MAP to print out their case information.

Posters advertising the availability of income verification letters through the IVR telephone number and MAP
were sent to TAOs in 2010. Contact Schrafft’s if a new poster is needed in your office.

Globe Santa Fund for 2012
During the first week of September, active TAFDC, EAEDC and SNAP clients who reside in the Globe Santa
geographical area were sent the Boston Globe Santa Holiday Gift Verification notice. The notice lists the name,
date of birth and gender of all children age 12 and under. It includes specific instructions for drafting letters
to submit with the notice, and a checklist to ensure that all information is provided to accommodate the
client’s request. A second mailing will occur in early November for families who were approved for TAFDC,
EAEDC or SNAP after the first mailing.

The notices were printed on green paper with a red Santa Claus watermark to assist the Globe in verifying
the validity of the notices. TAO staff should encourage clients to use this notice, as it will help the Globe
staff process the request.

Clients who did not receive or misplaced the Boston Globe Santa Holiday Gift Verification notice may contact
their case manager to request another. For clients requesting a replacement, case managers should use the
Globe Santa letter option, which is available from the Letter Request page in BEACON. The case manager
should print the letter locally, date stamp it with the TAO date stamp, initial the letter and give it to the
client making the request.

To ensure that only clients who live in eligible zip codes can receive a Globe Santa replacement letter,
BEACON has been programmed to only allow the Globe Santa letter to be printed for a client living within
one of the Globe Santa zip codes.

National Voter Registration Act Reminder
The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) requires the Department to provide voter registration services
to all applicants and clients (hereafter referred to as clients). Clients may register to vote either at the TAO
or by using a mail-in form. Voter registration services provided to our clients include:

• informing clients of the ability to register to vote at a TAO or by use of a mail-in form, if the client prefers;
• asking clients if they would like to register to vote at application, reevaluation, recertification and when they report address changes to a case manager;
• assisting clients with voter registration;
• distributing the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Voter Registration Option Form entitled Declination Form at all in-office applications, reevaluations, recertifications and when a client reports a change in his or her address during an interview;
• providing a Massachusetts Official Voter Registration Form to the client who wants to register or, if the client prefers, providing a Mail-In Voter Registration Form that a client may mail or hand-deliver to his or her city or town hall;
• giving the client a Mail-in Voter Registration Form if the client does not want to register, but does not fill out the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Declination Form;
• transmitting completed Massachusetts Official Voter Registration forms to the appropriate local election office within five days of the client’s completion of the form;
• making voter registration forms available at TAO reception desks; and
• providing assistance in completing such forms.

Please refer to Operations Memo 2012-36 for more detailed instructions.

Reminder for Domestic Violence Protocols
Case managers may be informed of domestic violence (DV) issues at any point during the application process
and at any point thereafter. All clients at application, reevaluation and recertification must be told about the
availability of DV services, including good cause waivers from certain TAFDC program requirements,
regardless of whether they report to be a victim of DV. See 106 CMR 203.110 for more information.
When DV is acknowledged by a client or if a case manager feels that the safety of the client is in jeopardy,
make a referral to the Domestic Violence Specialist who is assigned to your TAO. Domestic Violence
Specialists assist in a variety of ways, including but not limited to:

• assisting any applicant or ongoing client who raises domestic violence issues and/or concerns and scheduling follow-up appointments;
• assessing the safety and trauma issues of the applicant or client; helping to develop a safety plan; and referring the family for services;
• assisting in completing the Request for a Waiver of TAFDC Program Requirement(s) Due to Domestic Violence form;
• explaining good cause for non-cooperation with child support enforcement and informing the case manager of any changes or new information; and
• assisting with a request for the Heightened Level of Security (HLS) Code H and with completion of the Heightened Level of Security Confirmation/Declination (HLS-1) form.

See Operations Memo 2010-35 for more information about the role of Domestic Violence Specialists.
DTA Online has a list available in the Field Operations tab/By Liaison section identifying the DV Specialists and
the TAOs they cover.

Voter Registration for Homeless Individuals
Questions have arisen about clients who wish to register to vote but who have no address (they state they
are living on the street or in a car). Clients who state they are homeless in these situations must be given a
Mail-In Voter Registration Form to complete. They must use the map on this form to show where they reside.
For other homeless clients living in a shelter or motel or with family or friends, DTA staff must follow the
procedures in Operations Memo 2012-36.