HUD published the final HMIS notice July 30, 2004. The final notice is effective August 30, 2004. HMIS is a computerized data collection application (intake system) that all homeless providers receiving HUD funds must use. In response to comments from homeless advocates, homeless providers and poverty law/legal services organizations, raising privacy, consent and quality of service concerns, HUD made some changes. For example, the final notice eliminates the requirement that providers collect certain health data, e.g. information on physical disability, mental health and HIV/AIDS, except if already required by eligibility statute or regulation. Additionally, providers have been given more flexibility with respect to how they collect data. [Download]
Summaries of select CalWORKs, CalFresh, Health and Housing Regulations
HUD Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) Final Notice, Federal Register, Vol. 69, p. 45888 (July 30, 2004)
HUD published the final HMIS notice July 30, 2004. The final notice is effective August 30, 2004. HMIS is a computerized data collection application (intake system) that all homeless providers receiving HUD funds must use. In response to comments from homeless advocates, homeless providers and poverty law/legal services organizations, raising privacy, consent and quality of service concerns, HUD made some changes. For example, the final notice eliminates the requirement that providers collect certain health data, e.g. information on physical disability, mental health and HIV/AIDS, except if already required by eligibility statute or regulation. Additionally, providers have been given more flexibility with respect to how they collect data. [Download]
ACL 04-30 – Regulations to Implement Quarterly Reporting (July 26, 2004)
Effective July 1 (okay, so they weren’t issued until three weeks later), the QR regs are officially in place, with links in the ACL to the actual regs. What’s new since the ACL? A QR 7 report of a decrease of income shall be treated as a mid-quarter report (i.e. your bennies can go up), and any starting or increase in other income (like getting UI when you lose your job) doesn’t count till the next quarter; when seeing if adding a person to an AU/HH mid-quarter results in an increase in benefits, the county must use the AU/HH’s existing anticipated income, not recalculate it; when a change in exempt/non-exempt MAP status would occur under QR, and more! (Yes, Virginia, you DO need to read these.)
And while we’re at it: these regulations are open for public comment, due August 25th. [Download]
ACIN I-48-04 – CalWORKs 60-month Time Limit Notices of Action (NOA) Messages and Forms (July 14, 2004)
For better or worse, here are “new and improved” forms explaining time limit exception and extension rules to recipients, and the accompanying notices and forms. Not quite clear or complete, but an improvement. [Download]
ACIN I-49-04 – CalWORKs Family Reunification (FR) Program (July 14, 2004)
Although the Family Reunification (FR) regulations were effective in April, the notice is just going out now, the state having given up on writing Q & A’s to clarify the new policy for now. Counties must provide welfare-to-work (“WTW”) activities and supportive services to the parents of children in out-of-home care, via Child Welfare Services, if necessary for family reunification (“FR”). Of note:
• 18- or 24-month time limit does not apply to FR services.
• Sanctioned adults can still get FR WTW services.
• A CalWORKs assessment and WTW plan are required for any WTW activities and services separate and beyond those specified in the FR plan.
• CalWORKs WTW sanction provisions don’t apply to reunification parents if they are soley in an FR (vs. a WTW) plan.
• Time during which a sanctioned individual is a reunification parent counts toward meeting the CalWORKs minimum sanction period. [Download]
Receipt for Documents Form No. 04-185
Want to make your client’s life easier? The state has a revised optional “receipt for documents” form out on line. Keep some copies in your lobby, so when your clients arrive with their paperwork, they can just have this stamped. [Download]