A Procedures for handling requests for information from specific groups General and individuals will be handled as is shown in this section B QuestionableUnreasonable Request When a request for information does not appear to be reasonably related to the responsibilities of the requesting office a written statement concerning the request and the circumstances must be forwarded to FRC Management for review and approvaldisapproval of the request If necessary FRC Management will forward the request to the EO Operations Chief for further review and approvaldisapproval C Inquiries from agencies and persons listed in GRPG 900502C on Closed Cases cases that have been closed and forwarded to Record Library are to be referred to ACCESS D Inquiries from agencies and persons not listed in GRPG 900502C Active Cases will be handled as shown in the sections below E Board of Supervisors and Other Political Entities All inquiries from the Board of Supervisors or other political entities are to be referred to the FRC Manager or Assistant Manager for resolution These inquiries may include General requests for information on program or office procedures Requests based on complaints by a client pertaining to HHSA handling of hisher case Requests based on any anonymous complaint pertaining to case handling or a particular client The FRC Manager will respond to the inquiry or attempt to resolve the issue without releasing information concerning a specific client Usually these inquiries can be handled by the FRC Manager by providing general program information or information about FRC procedures Continued on next page Board of Supervisors and Other Political Entities continued If the Then the individual making the inquiry requests information about a specific client or the results of followup action with a client clients consent oral or written is required prior to the release of information issue cannot be resolved FRC Manager or Assistant Manager will contact the ADD for additional clarification and direction needed to respond to the inquiry F Release of information to absent parents the clients family or friends Absent requires the written consent of the client In handling such requests Parents the worker must follow the steps in the table below Clients Family orFriends Step Action 1 Do not acknowledge to the requesting person that the client or the clients children have applied for or are receiving aid or services 2 Advise the requesting person that heshe must submit a written request for any information The request must include hisher address and phone number 3 Notify the client of the written request for information The client may then provide the information directly to the requesting person If the Then the client does not worker will provide the information to wish to provide the requesting person The written the information authorization must be received first directly but will and the requesting person must provide written provide proof of identity before the authorization to worker provides the information release the information Continued on next page Absent Parents Clients Family orFriends continued Step Action If the client refuses consent absent parent 3 continuedallege s that the aided parent has kidnapped abused or neglected the children Then the information will not be released The requesting person may then as appropriate contact the District Attorney or a private attorney and use legal recourse case must be referred to Child Protective Services for appropriate action The worker must report the allegation to the Child Abuse Hotline 858 5602191 The worker should also provide the absent parent with the hotline number for future use G Defense Attorneys The worker will refer requests from Defense Attorneys including Legal Aid Society and the Public Defender which do not include a client authorized release to ACCESS for an explanation of how to subpoena records H Release of information to businesses is only authorized when HHSA Businesses has a written and dated authorization from the client Valid business inquiries may include grant and address information to establish a clients credit but do not include inquiries to pursue collection on a delinquent account I Private OrganizationsPersons Private organizations and individuals not on the authorized disclosure list who request case information including whether or not a person is receiving or has received aid must be informed about the regulations regarding confidentiality of case records NO CASE INFORMATION IS TO BE RELEASED WITHOUT THE WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION OF THE CLIENT Continued on next page Private If the inquiry is not case specific often general statistical or specific Organizations program information can resolve the inquiry All media inquiries are to Personsbe referred directly to Regional Operation Management who when continued necessary will refer the media to the HHSA Public Information Officer J Client Request forInformation Information relating to eligibility that has been provided solely by the client or authorized by the client bank verification requests medical releases CSV verification requests etc and is contained in applications or other documents made or kept by HHSA may be released to the client or the clients authorized representative Information provided confidentially to the Agency by a third party and not provided solely by a client will not be disclosed to the client or hisher authorized representative Such information includes PAFD reports informant identity and other privileged communication see 90 0505B K Case information obtained through the Income Eligibility Verification IEVS System IEVS requires special handling to protect the confidentiality of IEVS information that may have been mismatched to the client as shown in the table below If the IEVS reports Then the reports will be treated as verify information previously reported by the client verifications authorized by the client and may be released to the client Continued on next page IEVS continued L Printing Case Information M Other Requests If the IEVS Then the reports will be treated as reports do not appear information provided confidentially by a third party to pertain to and they may not be released until the discrepancy the client or if has been clarified and the accuracy confirmed they contain previously Sufficient information from the reports may be unreported provided to the client to allow the client to obtain information additional verification andor clarification For example Employment Development Department EDD reports a match to a Unemployment Insurance Benefits UIB recipient The name does not match and the client claims no UIB income The EDD Field Office number from the report may be provided to the client to aid EDD in clarifying the discrepancy The name of the UIB recipient may not be released Eligibility staff on request may print specific items in the case record for the client andor hisher AR Printed documents in response to general requests the case file all CW 7s etc should not be provided As a result of litigation WRO v Bacon GR applicantsrecipients andor their ARs may not be denied copies of the Case Comments Confidentiality questions or requests for release of information not specifically addressed in this chapter should be referred to the FRC Manager for review Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information may render the County andor staff liable for criminal and civil suits