County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide CalLearn Supportive Services Number Page 15000E 1 of 10 Revision Date 05142018 Background Per state regulations in Eligibility and Assistance Standards EAS 42765 child care transportation and ancillary supportive services payments must be available to every CalLearn CL participant Supportive services are limited to services needed by the CL participant to attend their school program or employment along with their school program If necessary supportive services are not available participants will have good cause for not participating as required Payment for supportive services must be made as soon as administratively possible to not impede the individuals participation in CL activities This revision updates CalWORKs Program Guide CPG CL Supportive Services policies to align with current format and adds assistance with diaper costs as a necessary supportive service effective 04012018 for qualifying CL participants per EAS and All County Letter ACL No 1838 Policy CL Program Supportive Services include transportation ancillary and child care expenses for school attendance and employment The CLCM and the CL participant will determine the supportive services needed based on the participants school attendance requirements fulltime or parttime andor employment To ensure that payments are advanced to CL participants the CLCM will authorize all eligible supportive services payments by the 25th of each month Payment requests received after this date must be evaluated and processed as soon as administratively possible 15000E1 Payment Issuances Supportive Services and Bonus payments will be issued via EBT whenever possible The CLCM will issue these payments as follows Household Type Payment Issuance Method CL Participant with Own CalWORKs Case All Supportive Services and Bonus payments will be issued via EBT CL Participant in AUs CalWORKs Case All Supportive Services and Bonus payments will be issued as warrants Supportive Services and Graduation Bonus payments will be issued to CL participant Quarterly Bonus payments will be issued to the AU 15000E2 Child Care Supportive Services Child Care policies for CL participants follow CPG 10010A Child Care Overview CPG 10010B Child Care Eligibility Processing Guide 10010A1 Child Care ReferralsAuthorization Worker Actions Processing Guide 10010A2 Form CCP7 Processing Guide 10010A3 Form 27128 County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide CalLearn Supportive Services Number Page 15000E 2 of 10 15000E3 Child Care Authorization Child Care authorized follows Processing Guides10010A1 to 10010A3 with the following exceptions Authorization Employment Child care must be authorized for employment upon verification Employment verification can be documented by either obtaining a copy of the most recent pay stub or by calling the employer directly Written consent to contact the employer is required prior to making a phone call CL participants must provide monthly verification of employment to the case manager to continue receiving child care supportive services Child care needed for employment must be authorized for an employed CL participant even when heshe is not enrolled or attending school Education Tutorial Child care must be authorized if needed for the time a CL participant is in approved education tutorial sessions In order for child care to be approved the case manager must be aware that the CL participant intends to participate in the session prior to attendance Tutorial verification can be verified by obtaining a copy of enrollment documentation 15000E4 Transportation Supportive Services Transportation policies for CL participants follow WTW policies in CPG 10011 B Supportive Services Transportation The following policies and criteria pertain to the CL program Policy Criteria Transportation Costs Reasonable transportation costs must be paid when needed to attend school including Travel to and from child care providers both parent and children and Parking fees at actual costs provide receipt unless meters were used Public Transportation Rate The least costly form of reasonable public transportation must be used to determine the basic rate of payment Public transportation is considered reasonable when the duration of the time used for transportation on one way travel is one hour or less Drivers License Policy A valid drivers license is required to claim mileage reimbursement for the CL participant or when the CL participant does not drive their nonCL driver Only public transportation payments may be authorized when there is no valid drivers license If reasonable public transportation is not available the CLCM must assist the participant to locate a more suitable educational program County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide Number Page CalLearn Supportive Services 15000E 3 of 10 Policy Criteria Mileage Mileage reimbursement must be authorized when Reimbursement Reasonable public transportation is not available and The CL participant possesses a valid California Drivers License verification is required and The CL participant chooses to use a privately owned vehicle Note CLCMs must obtain verification of total miles travelled in the month to evaluate mileage reimbursement payment Mileage reimbursement payment arrangements for a nonCL driver should be thoroughly justified and documented in Case Comments Daily Passes When participant needs immediate transportation assistance a Daily Pass for public transportation must be issued CalWIN Case The CLCM must narrate in CalWIN Case Comments all transportation Comments requests made by the CL participant and outcomes approval or denial 15000E5 Daily Bus Passes The following actions are required when issuing daily bus passes for public transportation for CL participants Responsible Staff Action CLCM 1 Documents in case comments the reason why the Daily Pass is needed as the least costly form of reasonable public transportation and 2 Submits the request to the office clerk Office clerk 1 Records the number of Daily Passes issued This information must be submitted with Monthly Progress Report If there is more than one transit Agency usage must be noted separately 15000E6 Reasonable Transportation Defined Refer to definition of Reasonable Transportation in CPG 10011B Supportive Services Payments Transportation 15000E7 Transportation Rate In order to determine the appropriate transportation payment amount the CLCM is required to evaluate the participants individual transportation needs by using the following Reasonable Transportation Chart If reasonable public transportation is And the student Then the appropriate payment type is Available Uses public Public transportation rate transportation Available Uses a privately owned Public transportation rate or mileage rate vehicle whichever is less County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide CalLearn Supportive Services Number 15000E Page 4 of 10 Not available Not available Not available Does not have or Public transportation rate or mileage rate chooses not to use a whichever is less vehicle Uses a privately owned The mileage rate vehicle Uses a privately owned vehicle and has parking expense The mileage rate plus reimbursement for parking cost When the public transportation rate is determined to be the appropriate payment the CLCM must issue the most costeffective rate available through San Diegos Transit System httptransit511sdcom that meets the participants individual needs Note Bustrolley passes are available for youth 618 years of age at a reduced rate 15000E8 Transportation Payment Procedures Transportation payments are processed as follows Responsible Action Staff CLCM Authorize transportation payments or reimbursements to the CL participant or provider on a monthly weekly or onetime only basis Authorize advance payments for transportation if it is necessary for school attendance after the CL participant has provided verification of initial enrollment and ongoing attendance Complete the Assign Transportation Supportive Services window in CalWIN which may include The authorized rate either mileage basic rate or trolleybus pass The duration including from and through dates The Provider information if applicable Reference How To 207 Establish Supportive Service Transportation Plans and Subsequent Monthly Payments Note The EBT payment option listed in How To 207 for Welfare to Work Transportation Payments will only apply to CL participants who have their own CalWORKs case CL Payment Receives notification from the CLCM that a payment needs to be issued Clerk or Authorizes the transportation payment in CalWIN Designated Staff Note CL Payment Clerk or designated staff is required to follow procedures listed in the following to issue transportation payments by warrant o How To 207 Establish Supportive Services Transportation Plans and Issue Subsequent Monthly Payments County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide CalLearn Supportive Services Number Page 15000E 5 of 10 15000E9 Transportation Notification Requirements CLCMs must provide appropriate transportation reductions denials or discontinuances NOAs to the CL participant within 5 days prior to the effective date of the adverse action The CLCM must issue the following Transportation Notices of Action NOAs from the CalWIN Client Correspondence Subsystem to inform the CL participant of the transportation request status Action Client Correspondence Approval NA820 Denial Discontinuance NA821 Change NA822 Extension NA824 Payment Adjustment NA825 Recoupment of Unused Advance Payment NA827 Transportation and Ancillary Expenses Overpayment NA828 Welfare to WorkCalLearn Supportive Services OverpaymentUnderpayment Notice WTW 11 Welfare to WorkCalLearn Supportive Service Repayment Agreement WTW 12 Welfare to WorkCalLearn Supportive Services Overpayment Final Notice WTW 13 Welfare to Work Family Reunification Plan WTW 34 15000E10 Ancillary Services Ancillary payments are for supportive services other than child care and transportation which a CL participant needs in order to attend school or work The following policies apply to ancillary payments Criteria Policy Ancillary payments require a supervisors approval A written estimate from the participant must be obtained whenever possible If a written estimate cannot be obtained the CLCM will obtain a sworn statement from the participant including the requested item and cost Types of Ancillary Payments Required course textbooks optional study guides and supplements are not covered School fees unless waived GED test fees The County will pay for a retest entire GED or sections only once and Diaper supportive services payments Note The County will not grant ancillary payment for elective courses that have a fee such as Drivers Education if other nonfee classes are available Ancillary expenses do not include car repair or maintenance costs County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide CalLearn Supportive Services Number 15000E Page 6 of 10 Criteria Vendor Except for diaper supportive services payments vendor payments for ancillary Payment services must be made whenever possible 15000E11 Ancillary Payment Issuance Ancillary payments are processed as follows Responsible Action Staff CLCM Narrate in CalWIN Case Comments all requests for ancillary payments including o The reason for ancillary request and o The status of the request approved or denied Generate the NA823 Notice of Action from the Client Correspondence subsystem in CalWIN listing items approved and not approved Provide the NA823 to the CL participant in person or mail o Note A copy is not to be sent to the head of the AU unless that individual is the CL participant Approve the ancillary payments by completing the Assign Ancillary Supportive Services window in CalWIN Notify the CL Payment Clerk or designated staff that a payment is ready to be issued to the CL participant CL Payment Clerk or Designated Staff Receive notification from the CLCM that a payment needs to be issued Authorize the ancillary payment in CalWIN 15000E12 Diaper Supportive Services Assistance with diaper costs is considered a necessary supportive service to ensure CL participation of eligible participants Eligible CL participants will receive Diaper Supportive Services each month as an advanced ancillary payment for each child who is under 36 months of age and meets qualifying criteria For twoparent cases where one parent is in WelfaretoWork WTW the CLCM will not issue Diaper Supportive Services to the parent participating in CL The Employment Case Manager ECM will issue the Diaper Supportive Service to the parent participating in WTW CL participants will have Good Cause for not participating if the Diaper Supportive Service is not provided in advance of an assigned CL activity To be eligible for Diaper Supportive Services CL participants must 1 Have a child who is under 36 months of age at the beginning of the month and is receiving CalWORKs aid or ineligible to receive aid but under the primary responsibility care and control of the CL participant The ineligible child must be linked to the Assistance Unit AU Examples Sibling or halfsibling ineligible due to undocumented status receipt of Social Security Income SSISSP no deprivation due to other parent in the home working sufficient hours per CalWORKs requirements children who are otherwise eligible but cannot be added to the AU until the next CalWORKs payment period 2 Be in good standing with program requirements actively participating or waiting to be engaged in CL program activities County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide CalLearn Supportive Services Number Page 15000E 7 of 10 Diaper Supportive Services may also be issued for participants who are 1 Noncompliant but not yet financially sanctioned or removed from aid 2 Determined to have Good Cause for not participating in the month as required regardless of the participation hours they complete Diaper Supportive Services may not be issued for participants who are 1 Financially sanctioned or removed from aid 2 Exempt from CL 3 Deferred from CL 4 Child only AU with an ineligible parent 5 Pregnant Woman Only AU with no other eligible children in the home 6 Child not aided due to CL Participant or AUs failure to report birth of the child within required reporting timeframe andor failure to provide verifications required to add the child to the CalWORKs case Diaper Supportive Services will continue to be advanced until the first of the month in which the child reaches 36 months of age Diaper Supportive Services will be discontinued if the participant opts out of the payment or is no longer eligible 15000E13 Ancillary Notification Requirements CLCMs must provide notification of the following for ancillary payments Approval o Within 5 working days from the date the payment was authorized or Denial o Within 5 working days from the date the payment is denied o NA 823 is used for approval or denial of ancillary notification 15000E14 Unusual Circumstances Staff may contact Eligibility Operations for assistance with any situation related to supportive service payments that are not covered by the procedures in this chapter 15000E15 Warrant Inquiry If a CL participant states that heshe has not received a warrant the CLCM is required to complete the following actions Review the CL participants payment history Verify if the warrant has been cashed Obtain a forgery packet if the payment was cashed but the CL participant states they were not the individual who cashed the warrant 15000E16 Lost Warrants County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide CalLearn Supportive Services Number Page 15000E 8 of 10 Warrants are considered lost if not received within ten days After the tenth working day the CLCM is required to notify the County CL Account Clerk about the warrant problem The following actions are required when a warrant is lost Responsible Staff Action CLCM 1 Verify if the check was cashed in the Search for Issuance window in CalWIN 2 Provide the CSF1 Form to the CL participant for completion Note The circumstances regarding the lost warrant must be documented on the CSF1 form and written in the first person by the payee or legal owner of the warrant and not by the CLCM Both the payee and the CLCM must sign the CSF1 3 Forward the completed CSF1 to HHSA Warrant Control at mail stop W403 4 Reauthorize the payment authorization if applicable after receiving notification of the stop payment andor cancellation from the HHSA Warrant Control County CL Account Clerk Serves as a liaison between HHSA Warrant Control and the CLCM as necessary 15000E17 Returned Warrants HHSA Fiscal Division receives all warrants returned by the US Postal System If a warrant is returned to HHSA the following actions must be completed Responsibility Action CLCM 1 Completes form 0840 indicating the type of action to be taken regarding the returned warrant 2 Sends the completed form 0840 to HHSA Warrant Control and a copy to the County CL Account Clerk County CL Account Clerk 1 Receives completed form 0840 from the CLCM for record retention 2 Serve as a liaison between HHSA Warrant Control and the CLCM as necessary 15000E18 Forgery A forged warrant is one that has been endorsed by someone other than the legal payee If the warrant has been cashed and the CL participant or parent claims not to have cashed it the providers payment clerk and the CLCM are required to follow Forgery procedures After a warrant inquiry confirms that the warrant has been cashed and the CL participant or parent claims not to have cashed it the County CL Account Clerk is contacted The County CL Account Clerk will request that Warrant Control send the Forgery Packet directly to the CLCM Upon receipt of the photocopy of the warrant and the Forgery Packet the CLCM will County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide Number Page CalLearn Supportive Services 15000E 9 of 10 1 Action Schedule an appointment with the CL participant or parent Note If the CL participant or parent fails to appear for the interview the Forgery Packet will be kept for 5 work days and a no show entered in the Comments 2 section of the cover sheet if the CL participant or parent does not contact the CLCM The CLCM will then copy the cover sheet for the case file and mail the entire Forgery Packet to HHSA Warrant Control at Mail Stop W403 Compare the endorsement photocopy of the warrant to the payees signature at time of appointment and If Then It appears that a obtain a writing sample of the payees handwriting using 3 4 5 6 7 forgery has occurred the sample form within the Forgery Packet The signature appears to be the same suggest that the CL participant or parent reconsider the claim of the forgery Obtain the CL participant or parent declaration that the signature is a forgery Assist the CL participant or parent to complete the Forgery Packet Return the Forgery Packet and the writing sample to HHSA Warrant Control at W403 Retain a copy of the Client Information Form with the payees signature in the case file and give a photocopy to the client Advise the CL participant or parent that 8 9 Hisher claim may be forwarded to the Crime Lab for further analysis Hisher claim may be forwarded for collection of overpayments and possible referral to the District Attorneys office for prosecution as penalties if it is later determined that the warrant was not forged Any future claims of forgery will be referred to the DA Public Assistance Fraud Division and Crime Lab before any replacement warrant is issued approximately a threemonth procedure Receive contact from HHSA Warrant Control with the investigation results Resubmit the warrant issuance process Step If the CL participant or parent has made any previous claims of forgery including claims which the CL participant or parent withdrew from or failed to attend an interview for a replacement warrant will not be issued until the Forgery Packet has been investigated and approved by the HHSA Warrant Control Unit Procedure 15000F1 References WIC Section 113232 Assembly Bill AB 480 Chapter 690 Statutes of 2017 Senate Bill SB 282 All County Letter ACL No 1838 MPP 42717 42750 4275011 16325313 a 4271164 a 42762 to 42764 and 42765 Sunset Date County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide CalLearn Supportive Services Number Page 15000E 10 of 10 This policy will be reviewed for continuance by 05312021