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Screening - Aces.Online

Revised April 29, 2008

Purpose:

Key Points of aces.online Screening Screening Pages Navigation Guide Add a Person Add a Program Address Validation Case Screened in Error Case Screened with Wrong Application Date Re-Open Screening Tips and Hints Screening a client How do I screen an application for a client?   Authorized Representatives Add AREP Edit AREP Delete AREP Group Homes AREP Values Table Schedule Appointment During Screening Unit Schedule Inquiry Verify Name Clearance Data Withdraw After Signature Complete the Screening Process

Key Points of aces.online Screening Screening is the first step in processing a new application, adding a person, adding a program or reopening a closed or denied assistance unit. The processes for Screening, Add a Person, Add a Program and Reopen reside in aces.online and can be accessed from the Welcome Back and Assistance Unit >> Summary pages. The processes for Interview, Process Application Month and Finalize Application reside in the ACES mainframe and can be accessed from the AMEN, options [O], [P] and [Q]. When in the Screening program, click the Next button after entering client data on each page to access the next page in the normal flow. For more information, see the Navigation Guide. All required fields in Screening, Add a Person, Add a Program and Re-Open are identified by a *. Required fields must be completed before client data can be stored in the database and the Screening process is considered complete. Before screening a new case in aces.online, determine if the client has previous case history by searching for their name or SSN on the Welcome Back page. When a client has a previously closed or denied case and is again applying for benefits, the closed or denied AU should be reopened instead of screening a new case. For more information, see Reopen. The aces.online Screening process performs the following major tasks: Records the client's request for assistance including the application date. Begins timeliness tracking to ensure compliance with standard of promptness time frames. See EA-Z Manual: Applications D. - Time Limits for Processing Applications - WAC 388-406-0035. Starts checking the screening data against records from other agencies during the overnight batch process. Checks individuals requesting assistance against existing clients in the database to determine and assign the Client ID number. Based on client demographics, suggests possible programs for which the client may be eligible. Groups all screened clients into assistance units by program, and assigns the Assistance Unit ID (AUID) number. The information entered during Screening is printed on a Request for Benefits (RFB) for the client's signature. Indicates to the user when a household may be eligible for expedited service or emergent processing.

Screening Pages Applicant Address Validation Address Validation - Matches Programs Add Member - Search Criteria Add Member - Client Matches Add Member Edit Member Add AREP Add AREP - Matches Verify AREP - Matches Equal Access Finalize Program Details Program Details - Specify Program Commit Status Print Equal Access Plan Print RFB Narrative Schedule Appointment Schedule Inquiry

Navigation Guide Click here to view the aces.online Screening Navigation Guide.

Add a Person Key Points of Add a Person To add a person to an existing assistance unit the user must first add the person in aces.online and then process the case through options [O] Interview, [P] Process Application Month, and [Q] Finalize Application from the AMEN in the ACES mainframe. When processing a negative case action in addition to adding a person to an assistance unit, process the negative case action first. This ensures the benefit calculation for the added person will be correct. If the added person was in active status in another AU of the same benefit type (cash/medical/food) for the same time period that is being processed for add-a-person, that person must be closed in the other AU and an entry must be made in the Concurrent Receipt field(s) on the (DEM1) screen for the historical and/or current month. The new person being added to the assistance unit will be in a pending status until the eligibility process is completed. The assistance unit name and address data cannot be modified during the Add a Person screening process. The information is protected data. If Interview is done on a different day from Add a Person, the user should check the alerts prior to beginning the interview. ACES initiates standard of promptness tracking and starts checking the screening data against records from other agencies in batch. See WAC 388-406-0035. To add a person to an assistance unit, take these steps: On the Welcome Back page, use the Quick Navigation section to do the following: From the Select a Type of ID drop down box, click Assistance Unit. Enter the AU number you want to add the person to in the Enter an ID box. From the Select a Page drop down box, click Add a Person. Click the Go button. The Applicant page for head of household is displayed in a new window. OR From the Assistance Unit >> Summary page of the AU you want to add the person to, select the Case Maintenance link and then click Add a Person. The Applicant page for the head of household is displayed in a new window. The Applicant page for the head of household cannot be updated. In this situation, the Applicant page is used to verify the head of household. Once you have verified the head of household, click the Next button. The Add Member – Search Criteria page is displayed. On the Add Member – Search Criteria page, enter the Client ID, SSN and/or Member Information for the person that you are adding. Each time a client is entered into ACES, client demographics are compared to information on the client database in a process called Name Clearance to determine if that person has a client identification (CLID) number in ACES. Click the Next button. The Add Member – Client Matches page is displayed. ACES will compare the client data with existing information on the database and displays a list of possible matches. Review all possible matches carefully. Exact Match - If an exact match is found, the Exact Match section is displayed with the matched client’s demographic information. If this client is the same as your client, click the Next button to confirm. The Add Member page is displayed. Client Matches - If you find a client that looks like it may be the same as your client, you can review the ACES case information by clicking the Client ID next to that client. If you find a match for your client, click to select that client and then click the Next button. The Add Member page is displayed. No Match Found - If no match is found, click to select Assign new Client ID and click the Next button. The Add Member page is displayed. On the Add Member page select the clients Relationship to HOH and Race Primary codes from the drop-down lists. To add more members, enter a checkmark in the Add More checkbox at the bottom of the Add Member page and follow steps 3 through 5 for each additional member. When all household members have been added, click the Next button. The Finalize page will be displayed. On the Finalize page, click the Program name (i.e., TANF, Food Assistance) to view the Program Details page. From the Finalize page you can add more members or programs by clicking the Add Member or Programs links at the top of the page. On the Program Details page, you can view, add and subtract members from the assistance unit. To remove a member from the assistance unit, remove the checkmark from the checkbox next to that member’s name. When a member is removed from an assistance unit, a line will appear through their name. To add a member to the assistance unit, enter a checkmark in the checkbox next to the member’s name. To view the Client >> Summary page for a client, click their Client ID. To view the Member page for a client, click the client’s name. To view the Assistance Unit >> Summary page, click the AUID. After you have reviewed the Program Details, click the Next button to go back to the Finalize page. To add additional programs, click the Specify Program button or the Add Program link at the top of the page. To subtract programs, remove the checkmark from the checkbox next to the program’s name. On the Finalize page, select the program(s) the client is applying for by entering a checkmark in the checkbox next to the program(s) name. Enter the Application Date. The Application Date must not be greater than 36 months in the past. If appropriate, confirm that the Expedited Food Assistance indicator is set correctly. Confirm that the case is assigned to the correct CSO and User. Click the Commit button. The Commit Status page is displayed. The Commit Status page displays a confirmation that the Screening process has been committed to the database. It also displays the assistance units and client ID’s that have been created or updated as a result of the Screening process. From the Commit Status page you can take the following actions: Print Equal Access Plan Print RFB Schedule Appointment Update/View Case Narrative Take me to Le tters List – Click to view the Letters List for your client and/or assistance unit. Exit Screening – Click to close the Screening window. Because all Screening data has been written to the database, data will not be lost when the Exit Screening button is clicked. Screen New Application – Click to screen a new application. The Applicant page will be displayed, allowing you to enter a new application. Interview the case. For more information, see Interview. Process the case. For more information, see Process Application Month. Finalize the case. For more information, see Finalize Application.

Add a Program Key Points of Add a Program Use Add a Program when there is an active assistance unit and the client is requesting additional assistance for themselves and/or other members of the household. To add a program to an existing assistance unit the user must first add the program in aces.online and then process the case through options [O] Interview, [P] Process Application Month, and [Q] Finalize Application from the AMEN in the ACES mainframe. Do not process Add a Program when a closed or denied AU is to be reopened. The closed or denied AU must be reopened. For more information, see Reopen. When there are people in the household that are not a part of the active assistance unit that are also requesting assistance you can process Add a Person at the same time as Add a Program. For more information, see Add a Person. ACES initiates standard of promptness tracking and starts checking the screening data against records from other agencies in batch. To Add a Program to an existing assistance unit, take these steps: On the Welcome Back page, use the Quick Navigation section to do the following: From the Select a Type of ID drop down box, click Assistance Unit. Enter the AU number you want to add the person to in the Enter an ID box. From the Select a Page drop down box, click Add a Program. Click the Go button. The Applicant page for head of household is displayed in a new window. OR From the Assistance Unit >> Summary page of the AU you want to add the person to, select the Case Maintenance link and then click Add a Program. The Applicant page for the head of household is displayed in a new window. The Applicant page for the head of household cannot be updated. In this situation, the Applicant page is used to verify the head of household. Once you have verified the head of household, click the Next button. The Programs page is displayed. On the Programs page, enter a checkmark in the checkbox next to all the programs that the client is applying for. If Food Assistance is selected then the Expedited Food Assistance Determination Criteria questions will be displayed. If the question “Is anyone in household a seasonal or migrant farmworker?” is answered with a Yes, then four additional questions will be displayed. On the Programs page, enter a checkmark in the checkbox next to all applicable Program Determination Criteria. Program Determination Criteria will be used by ACES to determine the most logical program(s) for which the household is eligible. Click the Next button. The Finalize page is displayed or if an AREP/Payee was designated on the Applicant page, the Add AREP page will be displayed. For more information on adding an AREP, see Add AREP. On the Finalize page, click the Program name (i.e., TANF, Food Assistance) to view the Program Details page. From the Finalize page you can add more members or programs by clicking the Add Member or Programs links at the top of the page. On the Program Details page, you can view, add and subtract members from the assistance unit. To remove a member from the assistance unit, remove the checkmark from the checkbox next to that member’s name. When a member is removed from an assistance unit, a line will appear through their name. To add a member to the assistance unit, enter a checkmark in the checkbox next to the member’s name. To view the Client >> Summary page for a client, click their Client ID. To view the Member page for a client, click the client’s name. To view the Assistance Unit >> Summary page, click the AUID. After you have reviewed the Program Details, click the Next button to go back to the Finalize page. To add additional programs, click the Specify Program button or the Add Program link at the top of the page. To subtract programs, remove the checkmark from the checkbox next to the program’s name. On the Finalize page, select the program(s) the client is applying for by entering a checkmark in the checkbox next to the program(s) name. Enter the Application Date. The Application Date must not be greater than 36 months in the past. If appropriate, confirm that the Expedited Food Assistance indicator is set correctly. Confirm that the case is assigned to the correct CSO and User. Click the Commit button. The Commit Status page is displayed. The Commit Status page displays a confirmation that the Screening process has been committed to the database. It also displays the assistance units and client ID’s that have been created or updated as a result of the Screening process. From the Commit Status page you can take the following actions: Print Equal Access Plan Print RFB Schedule Appointment Update/View Case Narrative Take me to Letters List – Click to view the Letters List for your client and/or assistance unit. Exit Screening – Click to close the Screening window. Because all Screening data has been written to the database, data will not be lost when the Exit Screening button is clicked. Screen New Application – Click to screen a new application. The Applicant page will be displayed, allowing you to enter a new application. Interview the case. For more information, see Interview. Process the case. For more information, see Process Application Month. Finalize the case. For more information, see Finalize Application.

Address Validation When a Residential and/or Mailing address is entered on the Applicant page and the user clicks the Next button, an attempt will be made to verify the address, in real time, through the United States Postal Services – USPS software program called Finalist. The Address Validation page is used to validate the residential and mailing addresses with Finalist. For initial addresses, the zip will be pre-filled with 90000. If you do not change this, Finalist will return a list of valid address/zip code combinations for the address entered. The address/zip code combinations will be displayed on the Address Validation - Matches page and the user can select the appropriate address from the list. ACES looks at the Street Number, Dir Name, Type, City Dir, City and Zip fields to determine the validity of an address. If the address is found by Finalist, then the address is considered "standardized" and the USPS description will change from Not Standardized to Standardized on both the Applicant and Address Validation pages. If some part of the entered address conflicts with the Finalist database, a warning symbol () with an informational message about the error will display on the Address Validation page. Certain Finalist errors will return a list of suggested corrections. For example, if the street name was misspelled, a list of suggested street names will be returned. These suggestions can be displayed by clicking the error suggestion drop-down list . You can select an item from the list or change the field manually. If enough address information is entered, Finalist will automatically populate the following fields: +4 Zip code information Indian Country County If Finalist updates any field, you will receive a message “The address information has been changed due to verification by Finalist.”

NOTE: You will need to review the address to confirm it is the correct address.

For situations where the correct address cannot be validated, click the Skip Validation button on the Address Validation page. In these situations the USPS description, Not Standardized, will remain and the user will be taken to the next page in the Screening flow. The following addresses cannot be standardized because of the way ACES parses out the addresses: Street Numbers that exceed 5 digits, including those containing 1/2 PO BOX Numbers The following addresses cannot be standardized because they are not in the Finalist database. General Delivery Homeless C/O addresses (though this should never be put on the street name field)

Case Screened in Error Key Points of Screened in Error: When an assistance unit has been screened in error, it can be denied without going through options [O] Interview, [P] Process Application Month, and [Q] Finalize Application by using the Screened in Error function in aces.online. All assistance units processed using this option will be denied using reason code 561 - AU Screened in Error. The Screened in Error option is only available when an AU meets the following conditions: The AU Status is Pending (P) The case data has not been committed through option [O] - Interview The Financial Responsibility and Status Reason codes of all clients are blank; and All clients in the AU have the same application date. When an AU is screened and an appointment has been scheduled, the appointment letter is sent unless Screened in Error is used to deny the AU on the same day that it was screened. Currently, the system will not delete the appointment from the user's schedule in this situation. The Screened in Error function will not generate a denial letter. To deny an AU that has been screened in error, take these steps: On the Welcome Back page, use the Quick Navigation section to do the following: From the Select a Type of ID drop down box, click Assistance Unit. Enter the AU number you want to add the person to in the Enter an ID box. From the Select a Page drop down box, click Screened in Error. Click the Go button. The Applicant page for head of household is displayed in a new window. OR From the Assistance Unit >> Summary page of the AU you want to add the person to, select the Case Maintenance link and then click Add a Person. The Applicant page for the head of household is displayed in a new window. The Applicant page for the head of household cannot be updated. In this situation, the Applicant page is used to verify the head of household. Review the Applicant page to ensure the client displayed is the HOH of the AU you are denying. Once you have verified the HOH, click the Next button. The Finalize page is displayed. The Finalize page will list all pending AU's for the same HOH that are eligible to be denied as screened in error. Enter a checkmark in the checkbox next to all AU’s to be denied for reason 561 - Screened in Error. Click the Commit button. The Commit Status page is displayed. The Commit Status page will display a list of all AU’s denied as Screened in Error during the current session. From the Commit Status page you can take the following actions: Print Equal Access Plan Print RFB Schedule Appointment Update/View Case Narrative Take me to Letters List – Click to view the Letters List for your client and/or assistance unit. Exit Screening – Click to close the Screening window. Because all Screening data has been written to the database, data will not be lost when the Exit Screening button is clicked. Screen New Application – Click to screen a new application. The Applicant page will be displayed, allowing you to enter a new application.

Case Screened with Wrong Application Date If you have a pending AU that was screened with an incorrect application date and the correct date is later than the pending application date, then deny the AU and re-screen the same AU with the correct application date. For more information, see Re-Open. Because the application date on a Re-Opened/Re-screened AU cannot be prior to the original application date, you will need to screen a new AU if the correct application date is earlier than the pending application date. For more information, see Screen New Application. If the AU you are denying meets the criteria to be denied as Screened in Error, use this option to deny the AU. For more information, see Screened in Error. If you are not able to use the Screened in Error option, deny the AU with the incorrect application date using a 500-level reason code.

Re-open When should I reopen an AU? How do I reopen a previously closed or denied AU?     When should I reopen an AU?   ·         Re-open can be used on either a closed or denied AU.   ·         When a client has a previously closed or denied case and is again applying for the same type of benefits, reopen the closed or denied AU instead of screening a new AU.   ·         Re-open is generally used for cases that have been ineligible for one or more months, or are not eligible on the first day of the month in which the client reapplies.   ·         The application date for an AU being reopened must be after the AUs previous application date.   ·         An AU can only be re-opened in months which had no benefits issued for the AU.   How do I reopen a previously closed or denied AU?   To re-open an AU that has been previously closed or denied, take these steps:   1.      On the Welcome Back page, use the Quick Navigation section to do the following:   o        From the Select a Type of ID drop down box, click Assistance Unit.   o        Enter the AU number you want to reopen in the Enter an ID box.   o        From the Select a Page drop down box, click Re-open.   o        Click the Go button and the Applicant page for head of household displays in a new window.   OR   o        From the Assistance Unit >> Summary page of the AU you want to reopen, select the Case Maintenance link and then click Re-open. The Applicant page for the head of household displays in a new window.   o        The Applicant page for the head of household cannot be updated. In this situation, the Applicant page is used to verify the head of household.   2.      Review the Applicant page to ensure the client displayed is the HOH of the AU you are re-opening.   o        If the HOH is active or pending in another AU, data on this page will be protected and cannot be changed.   o        If the HOH is not active or pending on another AU, changes can be made to the client's primary language, residential address and mailing address data if necessary.      3.        Click the Next button and the Equal Access page displays. Click the button to indicate if the Head of Household (HOH) needs extra help in obtaining or keeping benefits.  ¨        If [Y] – yes  or [D] – Declined to answer is entered, the Equal Access plan must be completed.  ¨        If [N] – no or [P] – Client not present is entered, the Equal Access plan does not appear. Click the Next button and the Finalize page will be displayed. 4.        The Finalize page displays: o        The AU you selected to re-open will display as well as any related closed/denied AUs with the same HOH. o        The AUs that are eligible for reopening are identified with the    icon. o        To Add a Person during Re-open by click the Add Member link on the Finalize page. For more information, see Add a Person. o        To add an Authorized Representative (AREP) to the AU being re-opened, click the Add AREP link on the Finalize page. For more information, see Add AREP. o        The  icon indicates the Program Details must be reviewed before the selected AU can be re-opened.   5.   On the Finalize page, click the Program name (for example, TANF, Food Assistance, Medical Assistance) to view the Program Details page.   6.      On the Program Details page, you can view, add or remove members from the assistance unit.   o        To remove a member from the assistance unit, remove the checkmark from the checkbox next to that member’s name.   o        When a member is removed from an assistance unit, a line appears through their name.   o        To add a member to the assistance unit, enter a checkmark in the checkbox next to the member’s name.   o        To view the Client >> Summary page for a client, click their Client ID.   o        To view the Edit Member page for a client, click the client’s name.   o        To view the Assistance Unit >> Summary page, click the AU ID.   7.      After you have reviewed the Program Details, click the Next button to go back to the Finalize page.   o        The selection checkbox will appear in place of the  icon after the Program Details have been reviewed for each AU.   8.      On the Finalize page, select the program(s) to be reopened by entering a checkmark in the checkbox next to the program(s) name.   9.      Enter the Application Date.   o        The Application Date must not be greater than 36 months in the past.   o        The reopen application date must be after the original application date for the AU. To review the original application date for the AU:   ¨        On the Finalize page, click the AUID link and the Assistance Unit >> Summary page displays.   ¨        From the Assistance Unit >> Summary page, select Details then click Demographics and the Assistance Unit >> Demographics page displays.   ¨        View the original Application Date by scrolling down to the Details section.   ¨        Return to the Finalize page by clicking the Screening session window in your taskbar.   ¨        If appropriate, confirm that the Expedited Food Assistance indicator is set correctly.   ¨        Confirm that the case is assigned to the correct CSO and User.   10.      Complete the screening process. See Screening a Client.   11. Complete the interview following the instructions in the Interview chapter.   12.  After committing the interview data, follow the instructions in the Process Application Month chapter.   13. When all pending months have been processed, follow instructions in the Finalize Application chapter to complete the reopen process.

Screening Tips and Hints For cases fitting the criteria listed below it is important that client information is entered correctly during Screening so that the correct program, type code and medical coverage group displays on the Finalize page. When any household member is pregnant complete the Pregnancy Due Date field on the appropriate Member page. When any household member is SSI related, not receiving SSI benefits, and under age 65 enter, select Disabled on the Programs page under Program Determination Criteria. When any household member is blind, not receiving SSI benefits, and under age 65 enter, select Blind on the Programs page under Program Determination Criteria. When any household member is a refugee, select Refugee on the Programs page under Program Determination Criteria. When any household member is receiving Medicare Part A, select Medicare Part A Eligible on the Programs page under Program Determination Criteria. If a client is requesting LTC or Alternate Care in addition to medical assistance do not select medical assistance on the Programs page unless the client is requesting retroactive medical. If you forget to print the RFB form you cannot go back into Screening to print one. The client must complete and sign Part 1 of the Application for Benefit instead.

Screening a Client How do I screen an application for a client?   To screen an application, take the following steps:   1.      From the Welcome Back page in aces.online, click the Screen New Application link at the top of the page and Applicant page displays in a new window.   2.      On the Applicant page, enter the applicant’s (head of household) Name, Residential and Mailing Addresses.   If an AREP is associated with the client, enter a checkmark in the AREP/Payee checkbox.  Use Address Line 1 and Line 2 for entering apartment/building names or “in care of” information.    Address Line 2 should not used if Line 1 is blank.    Enter the Mailing Address only if different than the Residential Address. The following four special characters should not be entered in any the Residential or Mailing address fields: (*) Asterisk (:)Colon (‘) Accent (~) Tilde

NOTE: The application screening process allows the special characters described above to be entered, but during processing of the AU, workers will receive hard edits to correct the errors.

Click the Next button and the Address Validation page is displayed. 3.    On the Address Validation page   ACES determines the validity of an address (residential and mailing) by looking at the Street Number, Dir Name, Type, City Dir, City and ZIP fields.  If the address is found, the address is considered "standardized" and the USPS description changes from Not Standardized to Standardized. ¨      ACES verifies addresses in real time, through a United States Postal Services - USPS software program called Finalist.  For more information, see Address Validation.   Click the Next button and the Programs page is displayed.  4.    On the Programs page,   Enter a checkmark in the checkbox next to all programs the client is applying for. ¨      If Food Assistance is selected then the Expedited Food Assistance Determination Criteria questions display.   ¨      If the question “Is anyone in household a seasonal or migrant farmworker?” is answered with a Yes, then four additional questions display.    Enter a checkmark in the checkbox next to all applicable Program Determination Criteria. ¨      Program Determination Criteria is used by ACES to determine the most logical program(s) for which the household is eligible.   Click the Next button and the Add Member – Search Criteria page is displayed.  5.    On the Add Member – Search Criteria page, enter the Client ID (CLID), SSN   or Member Information for the head of household.   Each time a client is entered into ACES, client demographics are compared to information on the client database in a process called Name Clearance to determine if that person has a CLID number in ACES. The purpose of Name Clearance is to ensure that each client is assigned a unique CLID. Each client retains the same CLID for his/her lifetime on the system, no matter how many times the person becomes a DSHS client. Click the Next button and the Add Member – Client Matches page is displayed. 6.    On the Add Member – Client Matches page:   ACES compares the client data with existing information on the database and displays a list of possible matches. Review all possible matches carefully. ¨      If an exact match is found, the Exact Match section displays with the matched client’s demographic information. If this client is the same as your client, click the Next button to confirm.   ¨      If the system finds a client that looks like it may be the same as your client, a list of possible client matches appears.  Review the ACES case information by clicking the CLID next to that client to determine if this is the same client.  If so, click to select that client.    ¨      If no match is found, click to select Assign new Client ID.    Click the Next button and the Add Member page is displayed. 7.    On the Add Member page:   Enter a checkmark in the checkbox at the bottom of the page and follow steps 5 and 6 for each additional member. When all household members have been added, click the Next button and the Equal Access page will be displayed. 8.    On the Equal Access page:   Click the button to indicate if the Head of Household (HOH) needs extra help in obtaining or keeping benefits.  ¨      If [Y] – yes  or [D] – Declined to answer is entered, the Equal Access plan must be completed.    ¨      If [N] – no or [P] – Client not present is entered, click the the Next button and the Finalize page will be displayed.   When the Equal Access plan has been completed, click the Next button and the Finalize page will be displayed. 9.    On the Finalize page, click the Program name (i.e., TANF, Food Assistance) to view          the Program Details page. If you receive a ‘lock validation error’, select the AUID to         review household composition.    10.   On the Program Details page, you can view, add and subtract members from the