Purpose: To provide staff with basic information about Community Service Office responsibilities in the identification of individuals needing extra help (an accommodation) to access or maintain services resulting from a disability or learning or literacy issue. The WAC supporting Equal Access (formerly known as Necessary Supplemental Accommodation) are describe in the Necessary Supplemental Accommodation WAC below.
What if I don't accept or follow through with program requirements because I'm not able to or I don't understand them?
WAC 388-472-0010
WAC 388-472-0010
Effective June 1, 2001
WAC 388-472-0010 What are necessary supplemental accommodation services (NSA)?
Necessary supplemental accommodation (NSA) services are services provided to you if you have a mental, neurological, physical or sensory impairment or other problems that prevent you from getting program benefits in the same way that an unimpaired person would get them.
NSA services include but are not limited to:
Arranging for or providing help to complete and submit forms to us;
Helping you give or get the information we need to decide or continue eligibility;
Helping you request continuing benefits;
If you miss an appointment or deadline, contacting you about the reason before we reduce or end your benefits;
Explaining to you the reduction in or ending of your benefits (see WAC 388-418-0020);
If we know you have a person who helps you with your applications, notifying them when we need information or when we are about to reduce or end your benefits;
Assisting you with requests for fair hearings;
Providing protective payments if needed, according to WAC 388-265-1250; and
On request, reviewing our decision to terminate, suspend or reduce your benefits.
WAC 388-472-0020 How does the department decide if I am eligible for NSA services?
When you, as head of household, apply for benefits either in person or by phone, we screen you to decide if you meet NSA requirements. We explain NSA services to you during the screening.
We identify you as NSA if you:
Say you need NSA services in order to have equal access to our programs and services;
Have or claim to have a mental impairment;
Have a developmental disability;
Are disabled by alcohol or drug addiction;
Are unable to read or write in any language; or
Are a minor not residing with your parents.
We identify you as NSA if we observe you to have cognitive limitations, whether or not you have a disability, which may prevent you from understanding the nature of NSA services or affect your ability to access our programs. Cognitive limitations are limitations in your ability to communicate, understand, remember, process information, exercise judgement and make decisions, perform routine tasks or relate appropriately with others.
After we screen you for NSA eligibility and initially identify your case as NSA, we mark your case file with a uniform NSA identifier.
After you are initially identified as NSA, we complete an assessment to confirm your NSA designation.
If the assessment confirms your NSA designation, we develop an accommodation plan that specifies the services we will provide to you to improve your access to our programs and services.
If you are designated as NSA according to WAC 388-472-0020(1)&(2), we include all the NSA services listed in WAC 388-472-0010 in your accommodation plan.
Based on your request or a change in your needs, the NSA designation and the accommodation plan may be assessed and changed.
Even if you are eligible to receive NSA services you may refuse NSA services.
WAC 388-472-0040 What are the department's responsibilities in giving NSA services to me?
All of our staff are continually responsible to identify you as possibly NSA eligible and assist you with NSA services.
We provide a grace period to continue your financial, food or medical assistance when:
We stop a benefit because we are unable to tell if you continue to qualify; and
You provide proof you still qualify for the benefit within the twenty days right after the benefit stops. We restore lost benefits as follows:
We reopen your medical assistance from the first of the month; and
We recalculate your cash and food assistance and issue you the correct amount without taking away any benefits as long as you were eligible to receive them.
WAC 388-472-0050 What if I don't accept or follow through with program requirements because I'm not able to or I don't understand them?
We consider how your limitation or impairment affects your ability to accept and follow through on all program requirements. This can include, but is not limited to, your actions in failing to:
Follow through with medical treatment;
Follow through with referrals to other agencies;
Provide timely income reports;
Maintain employment;
Participate in food assistance employment and training; or
Participate in the WorkFirst program.
If we decide your limitation was the cause of your refusal to accept or failure to follow through on these requirements, we will find that you have good cause and we will not take any adverse action.
Following a finding of good cause not to have followed through with the requirement, we will review your accommodation plan to assure that all services necessary to enable you to meet the program requirements are being provided to you.
If we are unable to accommodate your condition so that you are able to participate in program requirements, we will waive program requirements.
If participation in program requirements is not waived, you must cooperate with program requirements.
A client has the right to self-identify as needing EA services at any time. Use the assessment to confirm or deny EA status.
All clients must be screened for the need of EA services at:
Application
Eligibility Review, and
At any time the client’s circumstances change that may impact the client’s ability to access or maintain services.
When a client identified as needing EA services works with an advocate, try to involve the advocate as much as possible.
Limit EA accommodation to what is reasonably necessary to equally access services.
All clients have the right to decline EA designation and services.
Currently HCS clients are presumed to be designated NSA (Necessary Supplemental Accommodation now known as Equal Access (EA)). EA accommodation plans are documented in HCS case files. HCS completes all ACES/NSA identification and accommodation plans processes prior to transfer to the CSO. For clients that require services not identified on the DSHS 14-415(X), document those services in ACES.
Clients sending in applications by mail will be notified of their right to EA services and may be screened over the phone or through mail.
When a client communicates a need for accommodation, indicate the client requires EA services. The EA Plan is automatically developed on ACES On-Line depending upon the client’s responses to the EA screening questions.
WORKER RESPONSIBILITIES
Follow the following procedures when delivering Equal Access (EA) services:
Explain EA services:
“We are required to take extra steps or do things differently to help people with disabilities, medical or mental conditions, or literacy or learning issues get or keep our services.”
Initiate Screen with a discussion covering the following or similar script: “Did you get the handout called, EQUAL ACCESS TO DSHS SERVICES?”[If the person does not have a copy, provide one.]
Complete the EA Screen using ACES On-Line,
If the client indicates “No” or “Declines to Answer” After being given the handout and a description of EA services, the EA screen is complete.
If the client indicates “Yes,” State the following or similar: when asked if they would like to hear more about EA services, Describe the following to the client:
“If you have a disability or other condition that makes it hard for you to get or keep our services, we can give you extra help. Please tell me if I ask a question you don’t want to answer.
üYou don’t have to answer these questions to get benefits.
üAnswering yes to any of these questions will not affect your eligibility for benefits.
üIf you don’t want extra help now, but decide you want it later, let us know.
üIf you want extra help, you and I will make a plan so you get the extra help you need to have equal access to our services.
üI will give you a copy of your Equal Access Plan. I may also give a copy to others who help you get our services.
üLet us know if someone outside DSHS helps you. We can make it easier for that person. Do any of the following people help you?
§Family
§Friends
§Counselor
§Others
üIf you do not have someone to help you, we can help.”
Use the ACES On-Line EA screening tool and screen all new clients for EA needs.
The EA plan is automatically developed depending upon the client’s responses to the screening questions.
The ACES On-Line system will identify all cases identified as EA based upon your entry. If a client declines EA designation or services, document that in the file. If you feel the client truly needs extra help but is not clearly understanding the purpose of these services you may refer the client to the Social Worker.
Notify social services if the EA Plan fails to give the client satisfactory access to programs or services or if it appears the client needs EA services but may not understand why or how the EA services may assist in accessing or maintaining services.
Social Workers have the ability to access and update EA Plans using the ACES On-Line system. For processing instructions see the ACES instructions for Social Workers below.
Reassess the EA needs of clients at eligibility review and anytime the client’s their circumstances change or the client requests it
WAC 388-472-0040 provides information on stopping and continuing benefits for clients identified as needing EA services.
Use the Barcode program to identify EA clients terminated during the month. If the client produces the needed factors of eligibility within 20 days following the month of adverse action, reinstate benefits without prorating.
For food assistance, reopen as "closed in error" rather than reinstating food assistance benefits.
Equal Access and Accomodation Resources
ACES letters in large print, Braille, other languages, etc. are located on the ACES ADDR screen
