Frequently Asked Questions

1. Complete your paper invoice and obtain required signatures before you call.  Refer to it during your call to Invoice Express.  LISTEN CAREFULLY!  If you have trouble you can hang up at any time before pressing the star key and the invoice will not process so that you can try again later.
2. Use a touch tone phone to contact Invoice Express using the toll free number printed at the top of the invoice.
3. You will first be asked if you prefer English or Spanish.
4. You will then be asked if you want to: 1) complete an invoice; or 2) check on processing. Choose 1 to complete an invoice. 
5. The first question to answer when calling is whether your invoice is Regular or Supplemental (look in the upper left corner).
6. (1) for Regular
7. (2) for Supplemental
8. You will be asked to use the numbers on your telephone to enter the first 3 digits and then the 6 digits after the letter and dash of your invoice number.
9. To make sure no other person can get to your invoice by telephone, you will be asked to enter the payee number.
10. If your invoice has more than 1 page, you will be asked to enter the page number you wish to submit.
11. Invoice Express will read the last 4 digits of your reference number, so that you will know which line you are on.
12. Enter the number of units provided (Enter 0 when no services were rendered).
13. Invoice Express will read to you the type of service unit.  In the case of months (MON) you will be able to report either a full month, or a partial month, by reporting the number of days served (DA).
14. When you are asked to enter the units, use the numbers on your telephone number pad.
15. After entering all data, wait until the phone voice says "Press the star key now."  After you press the star key, you will hear the phone voice say, "You have successfully completed your page/invoice." This means your page/invoice has been successfully submitted and will be sent for processing .  If you hang up too soon, your invoice will not be paid!  You will then need to call Invoice Express and try again.
16. You will be asked if you'd like to enter another invoice, or, if your invoice has multiple pages, you will be asked if you wish to enter another page.

Pretest study materials, also known as study guides, are available on our website under the 'Study Materials' tab. You can access the pretest booklets and oral practice recordings by clicking on the appropriate links. Pretest study materials for DSHS employees and licensed agency personnel are available at the DSHS Intranet or SharePoint (internal) website.

DSHS will not be liable for any costs incurred by the Bidder in preparation of a proposal or in presenting a proposal for any procurement.

Eighteen (18) is the minimum age for being fingerprinted for all DSHS programs and services. IDEMIA (formerly MorphoTrust) Technicians will not print anyone under the age of 18. The Background Check Central Unit (BCCU) will conduct a Name and Date of Birth background check for a minor. Contact the office requesting your fingerprints for further information.

Children's Administration ONLY may request fingerprints for under age applicants without prior approval.  Student ID’s, such as ASB cards, with a photo will be an acceptable form of ID. 

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We only test people who are available to serve DSHS clients in Washington State.

When you follow the steps in how to schedule a test online, you will see open test dates and time slots. Then you can pick your test date and time.

1. According to the state constitution, the state cannot pay for a service until the service is complete.
2. Invoice vouchers are mailed for the provider to receive just before the end of the month.
3. On a high volume day, as many as 30,000 paper invoices are returned by mail.  Clerical delays may occur because of the large number of pages received.
4. Quicker payment processing occurs when providers use Invoice Express to validate their invoice by telephone.
5. Invoices are processed immediately after the end of the month of service.
6. Some payments are delayed because messages are attached to or written on the invoice.  Invoices with messages are set aside and read as soon as possible, delaying payment.

Payment to a provider is considered timely if made within 30 days of the receipt of a properly completed invoice, plus mail time, according to RCW 39.76.010.  SSPS makes it a top priority to not only pay faster than required, but to pay as fast as is technically and legally possible.

Direct deposit takes the guesswork out of address changes and other complications of postal delivery.  Direct deposit may or may not be quicker than postal delivery, depending on the provider's geographical location and the speed of mail delivery.

Example: For the year 2013, June 3rd is the first business day of the month, and the first business day when SSPS payment for May services will be issued.  Payment for services processed on June 3rd will not reach the U.S. mail for distribution for two business days (possibly three), because Consolidated Mail Service is used to achieve significant postal discounts.  This means the U.S. Postal Service will begin mailing payments on June 5th, the third business day of the month.

Since test dates and time slots are extremely limited, you would want to keep your test appointment if at all possible. To reschedule, you need to email (dshsct@dshs.wa.gov) or call (360-664-6111) our office within ten (10) calendar days from the date you created your test appointment. It is your responsibility to follow through with your request within the ten-day (10) time frame. Any oral or written request after the 10-day time frame will not be honored. If more than 10 days have passed since you created your test, then we will need documentation for the emergency situation that is preventing you from attending your test as scheduled. If more than 10 days have passed, and no documentation can be provided, then you will have to pay another test fee to reschedule your test.