Arkansas Administrative Code
Agency 016 - DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
Division 14 - Department of Finance (Administrative Services)
Rule 016.14.08-005 - Social Services Block Grant Comprehensive Services Program Plan

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 9, September, 2024

INTRODUCTION

Block Grant Funding, Public Participation, Service Delivery and Program Period

Social Services Block Grant (SSBG)

Social Services Block Grant legislation enables states to claim limited federal funds to provide social services for individuals and families. The services are designed to assist individuals or families to become less dependent on others for financial support or personal care; to protect children and adults from neglect, abuse, or exploitation and to provide family maintenance; to avoid unnecessary or premature institutionalization; and to gain appropriate placement if institutionalization is necessary.

Each state is responsible for determining the social services most appropriate for its citizens. In

Arkansas, citizens are involved in the planning process and have an opportunity to respond to planning decisions. Arkansas uses the Comprehensive Services Program Plan to inform the State's citizens and to meet pre-expenditure report requirements of Social Services Block Grant legislation. Arkansas will publish the Comprehensive Services Program Plan and prepare updates as necessary to reflect substantial changes in the activities which affect the overall intent of the Plan. Any substantive revisions will be made available for public review and comment. The Arkansas Social Services Block Grant Program operates on the State Fiscal Year which runs from July 1 through June 30. This document will be effective July 1, 2008.

Public Review Process

A public review period w as initiated in October, 2008 by a notice in a statewide newspaper and concluded 30 days later. The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) will accept comments from service recipients, service providers, and other interested citizens throughout the program year. Questions and comments should be sent to the Office of Finance and Administration at the address listed below.

Arkansas Department of Human Services

Office of Finance and Administration

General Operations Section, Slot W405

P.O. Box 1437

Little Rock, AR 72203

Comments pertaining to aspects of the program for which a division or office has responsibility will be forwarded to that agency for response. Changes made as a result of public comment will be included in an update to the document.

Social Services Delivery in Arkansas

Federal Social Services Block Grant legislation enables DHS to provide social services to eligible individuals and families throughout the State.

These services are provided directly by agencies within DHS and through public or private community-based service providers. The following services are offered through the Social Services Block Grant.

Non-Discrimination Policy

DHS is in compliance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act and is operated, managed, and delivers services without regard to age, religion, disability, political affiliation, veteran status, sex, race, creed, color or national origin. DHS, in consideration of and for the purpose of obtaining the federal financial assistance requested through this document, gives assurance that it will comply with the applicable nondiscrimination provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the provisions of 45 CFR, Part 92.

ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

DHS is a cabinet agency within the executive branch. The Director reports to the Governor and is responsible for the administration of this unified human service delivery agency.

Act 348 of 1985 allowed the Department of Human Services (DHS) to create a unified, comprehensive service delivery system in Arkansas to improve the accessibility, availability, quality, and accountability of services delivered or purchased by DHS and to improve the administration and management of resources available to DHS. Act 574 of 1993 transferred the Division of Rehabilitation Services to the Department of Education and Act 890 of 1993 transferred the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention to the Department of Health. Act 957 of 1993 transferred the Child Support Enforcement Unit to the Department of Finance and Administration. Act 1296 of 1993 created the Division of Youth Services. Act 1132 of 1997 created the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education. Act 1717 of 2003 created the Division of Behavioral Health Services within the Department of Human Services to include community mental health centers, the Arkansas State Hospital and the Arkansas Health Center and to transfer the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention from the Department of Health to the Department of Human Services, Division of Behavioral Health Services. Act 1954 of 2005 merged the Department of Human Services and the Department of Health into the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Act 384 of 2007 separated the Division of Health from DHHS. DHHS is known again as the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS).

The Department is organized into the following divisions and offices:

Office of Finance and Administration Division of Aging and Adult Services

Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education Division of Children and Family Services Division of County Operations

Division of Developmental Disabilities Services Division of Medical Services Division of Behavioral Health Services Division of Services for the Blind Division of Volunteerism Division of Youth Services Office of Chief Counsel

The functions of each division and office involved in the delivery of services funded through the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) are described below.

Office of Finance and Administration (OFA): The Office of Finance and Administration manages SSBG funding for the Department of Human Services (DHS) and is responsible for preparation of the SSBG Comprehensive Services Program Plan. All DHS contracts for social services funded by SSBG are developed, reviewed and monitored by OFA for administrative compliance and compatibility with the five national goals of SSBG.

Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS): The Division is charged with representing older citizens by advocating, planning, and developing programs to meet their specific needs. Priority services include transportation, nutrition, and socialization. The Division is also involved with chore services, adult day care, in-home, and preventive care services.

Division of Children and Family Services: (DCFS): The Division is responsible for the delivery and coordination of services for children and families, including foster care, protective services and other child welfare services. The division also purchases treatment programs for youth with emotional/behavioral problems. The division has the responsibility to inspect, monitor, investigate and make licensing recommendations to the Child Welfare Agency Review Board. The Board licenses all non-exempt child w elfare agencies (residential, foster care and adoption). The Division of Children and Family Services is a member of the Child Welfare League of America.

Division of County Operations (DCO): The Division has responsibility for the administration of the

Department of Human Services' county offices. The Division determines eligibility for the Medicaid, Transitional Employment Assistance, and Food Stamp programs. Other services provided are

Commodity Distribution, Community Services (which includes Community Services Block Grants, Homeless, Weatherization and Low Income Energy Assistance), and Emergency Food.

Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDS): The Division is charged with development,

funding, and licensing of program services for persons of all ages with a developmental disability. This includes the coordination of a continuum of services ranging from case management to residential placement. Technical assistance and program support functions are made available to all service providers. The Board of Developmental Disabilities Services operates human development centers which offer residential care to persons with developmental disabilities at six locations in the state.

Division of Behavioral Health Services (DBHS): The Division is responsible for: developing comprehensive mental health programs at the community and state levels; searching for new prevention and treatment programs; providing leadership in mental health research and training; detoxification services, Drug and Alcohol Safety Educational Programs; planning, establishing, maintaining, coordinating and evaluating projects for the development of more effective prevention, intervention and treatment programs/activities to deal with alcohol and other drug abuse; administers the Governor's Office portion of the Department of Education Drug-Free Schools and Communities; development and implementation of broadly-based programs of alcohol and drug abuse education and prevention, including programs for high-risk youth; drug abuse resistance education and replication of successful drug education programs. The Division assists several facilities to provide varying types of mental health and substance abuse services, including the Arkansas State Hospital at Little Rock (for intensive care), the Arkansas Health Center at Benton (for comprehensive care), local private nonprofit organizations (which provide in-patient and out-patient mental health services, and drug and alcohol abuse and treatment services).

Division of Services for the Blind (DSB): The Division provides services which aid blind and visually impaired persons in attaining self-sufficiency and self-support through training, counseling, and other supportive activities. The Division operates programs focusing on independent living and vocational counseling. In addition, the Division operates the State's blind vending facility program.

Division of Youth Services (DYS): The Division provides overall management and administration of juvenile services for adjudicated delinquents and families in need of services (FINS) and certain categories of non-adjudicated youth. The Division is responsible for funding, oversight, monitoring and providing technical assistance to the Youth Services facility at Alexander which includes the serious offender program Juvenile Upward Mobility Program (JUMP, for males), to five contracted serious offender programs and to a statewide network of community-based programs. The Division also administers the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act formula grant funds for the development and implementation of juvenile justice education, prevention, diversion, treatment and rehabilitative programs. The Arkansas Coalition on Juvenile Justice, appointed by the Governor, provides policy direction and subgrant approval.

Office of Chief Counsel (OCC): The Office through its five sections of Legal Operations, County

Operations, Fraud/Internal Affairs, Audit and Appeals and Hearings provides legal review and representation, fraud and internal investigations, audit functions, and administrative hearings for all of DHS.

OPERATION OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM IN ARKANSAS

PLANNING PROCESS

Planning for the Arkansas Social Services Block Grant program has been modified and revised on an on-going basis to meet changing program conditions. Service planning is based on client and expenditure information, the individually developed methodology of each division and office for gaining additional community information for the design of its Social Services Block Grant program, and suggestions and comments from the public.

Information gathered in the process, together with a variety of other planning and decision-making tools available to the Department, has been used in determining and setting priorities and in continuing efforts to improve effectiveness. The Office of Finance and Administration maintains files on the public participation process which are available for review by interested citizens.

PROGRAM MONITORING AND EVALUATION

Each division and office is responsible for monitoring and evaluating (either directly or through contract) all services provided with its allocation of Social Services Block Grant funds. Evaluations include on-site monitoring visits on a sampling basis.

The reviews are based on federal and state regulations, the contract agreement, licensing and certification standards, program criteria and guidelines, and social work practice. In addition to the monitoring and evaluation performed by the appropriate division or office, each contract provider is to utilize an internal monitoring and evaluation process. The monitoring component should insure that the services billed are delivered to eligible clients in accordance with the terms of the contract. The evaluation should indicate the degree of achievement attributable to the program in relation to stated program goals and objectives.

REPORTING

Effective October 1988, Social Services Block Grant legislation instituted new reporting requirements utilizing uniform service definitions. Arkansas has developed an eligibility and reimbursement system incorporating the new reporting requirements while maintaining complete demographic and service delivery data to provide an accurate picture of service delivery patterns for the Arkansas Social Services Block Grant program.

The Office of Finance and Administration prepares and compiles reports containing information about services delivered to clients, client demographic information, and service expenditures. Reports produced include: Expenditures by Service, Age Range and Services Goals.

Many federal and private agencies, states, and individuals send research questionnaires or letters of inquiry regarding Arkansas' experience with the Social Services Block Grant. Information regarding the services program (including purchase of service contracts) is open to the public. (Individual client names and information about the clients is protected by law.)

PROGRAM COORDINATION AND UTILIZATION

The provision of social services under the Social Services Block Grant is coordinated with other programs providing related human services within the State. It is vital to continually coordinate these programs in order to appropriately utilize social service dollars and service programs to meet the needs of the low income population.

Coordination with Economic Assistance Programs

Transitional Employment Assistance (TEA) (Title IV-A): The provision of financial assistance to low income persons is mandated under Title IV-A of the Social Security Act. Social Services are provided for TEA recipients through the Social Services Block Grant (Title XX) program. The TEA program includes a work and training program for TEA recipients and has an integral part in the provision of supportive services and requires coordination with Social Services Block Grant programs.

Supplemental Security Income (Title XVI): The Social Security Administration determines eligibility and issues payments for the Supplemental Security Income Program for the needy, blind, disabled and aged citizens of Arkansas.

Coordination with Medical Assistance Programs

Medicaid (Title XIX): Title XIX of the Social Security Act, the federal statutory basis for the Medical Assistance Program, allows the state to provide financial assistance for low income persons to assist them in securing certain necessary medical services. The cost of the medical services provided to social service clients is covered primarily through the Medical Assistance Program and in accordance with the Arkansas Title XIX Medical Assistance Plan which defines those medical services reimbursable under Title XIX. Services which are inherent responsibilities of a Title XIX facility and intrinsic to its purpose must be provided by the facility under its Title XIX program, not from Social Services Block Grant funds. Any costs of services not reimbursable through other provisions of the Medical program must be paid from the Title XIX vendor payment. Activities or services which meet, duplicate, or substitute for a facility's service requirements under Title XIX may not be paid for under the Social Services Block Grant. The state may receive reimbursement on a case-by-case basis for some medical or remedial services under the Social Services Block Grant if the client is eligible, if the service is not covered in the Title XIX State Plan or by Medicare, and if the service provided is clearly an integral and subordinate part of a discrete social service specifically defined as such in this plan.

Coordination with Child Welfare Programs

Child Welfare Programs: Both federal and state law mandate a child welfare service delivery system directed at safety and child protection, preserving and strengthening family life, providing permanency for children w ho cannot remain or be reunited with their families, and support services for other youth until they reach the age of majority. Title IV-E and Title IV-B parts I and II fund 67% of the Division of Children and Family Services program budget for social services and foster care, adoptions, and child welfare training. Social Service Block Grant funds .02% of the program budget for purchased services costs.

Coordination With Other Human Services Programs

Department divisions and offices utilize a variety of funding along with Social Services Block Grant funding in the programs for which they are responsible.

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Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS): The Division utilizes the following resources: State of Arkansas General Revenue Funds (for operation of the Division and funding programs); State Older Worker funds; Special Cigarette Tax revenues; Administration of Aging's Older Americans Act funds through Title III Part B (Supportive Services and Senior Centers), Part C (Nutrition Services), Part D (Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Services), and Part E (National Family Caregiver Support Program); Title V (Community Service Employment for Older Americans); Title VII (Allotments for Vulnerable Elder Rights Protection Activities); Nutrition Services Incentive Program; USDA Farmers Market; and Medicaid Waiver Services.

Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS): The Division utilizes the following resources: State of Arkansas General Revenue Funds (for operation of the Division and its programs); Federal Child Welfare Services funds, IV-B Subpart 1--Child Welfare Services and Subpart 2--Promoting Safe and Stable Families; Title IV-E Federal Payments for Foster Care & Adoption Assistance; Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) funding; and John H. Chafee Foster Care - Independence Program.

Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDS): The Division utilizes the following resources: State of Arkansas General Revenue Funds (used to fund the Division and to operate programs); State of Arkansas General Revenue Community Program Funds (funds services in community programs) and Comprehensive Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP); VI B (used for supplemental services to education related services); Special Education funds (used in Human Development Centers); locally appropriated or donated funds to match State and Social Services Block Grant funding; Title XIX of the Social Security Act (funds services in community programs); Foster Grandparent Grant; Dog Track (Special revenue for community programs); and Part C Federal Early Intervention (funds services to persons - birth to 3 years of age). To meet the needs of persons with developmental disabilities and to maintain flexibility in managing these funding sources, the relative use of the various funding sources may change throughout the program year.

Division of Behavioral Health Services (DBHS): The Division utilizes the following resources: State of Arkansas General Revenue Funds (to fund the Division and operate programs including community support programs); per capita funds (monies appropriated to mental health centers on the basis of population in the catchment area served and used for program operations); National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) grants (community support programs); Community Mental Health Block Grant (to fund mental health programs; Title XIX; State of Arkansas General Revenue Funds and Special Revenue Funds (for detoxification services, Drug and Alcohol Safety Educational Programs, etc.); Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Performance Partnership Block Grant Funds (for planning, establishing, maintaining, coordinating and evaluating projects for the development of fore effective prevention, intervention and treatment programs/activities to deal with alcohol and other drug abuse); the Governor's Office portion of the Department of Education Drug-Free Schools and Communities (used for development and implementation of broadly-based programs of alcohol and drug abuse education and prevention, including programs for high-risk youth, drug abuse resistance education and replication of successful drug education programs).

Division of Services for the Blind (DSB): The Division utilizes the following resources: State of Arkansas General Revenue Funds and Federal Rehabilitation Act funds.

Division of Youth Services (DYS): The Division utilizes the following resources: State of Arkansas General Revenue Funds (for operation of the Division and its programs); National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program; Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Funding; Title VI-B Special Education, Chapter I funds and Medicaid.

The following agencies which are not within the Department of Human Services also utilize Social Services Block Grant funding: Arkansas Department of Workforce Education (Arkansas

Rehabilitation Services), and Arkansas Spinal Cord Commission.

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Arkansas Department of Workforce Education, Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS): The agency utilizes the following resources: State of Arkansas General Revenue Funds (for agency operations and for matching of Federal Rehabilitation Act funds); Federal Rehabilitation Act funds; Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Trust Fund monies (funds appropriated by the Federal government to aid SSDI recipients attempting to become self-sufficient); Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Trust Fund monies (funds appropriated by the Federal government to aid SSI recipients attempting to become self-sufficient); Veterans Administration funding for clients who are veterans; and Title XIX funds (to serve physically and mentally handicapped persons).

Arkansas Spinal Cord Commission (SCC): The Arkansas Spinal Cord Commission utilizes Social Services Block Grant funds along with State General Revenue Funds to provide services to individuals w ith spinal cord disabilities.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Most Social Services Block Grant funded services are provided free of cost to those who are eligible. Unless specified in this document, no fees or payments may be requested in Arkansas at this time. (See Fees for Services, page 14.) In order to receive a service paid through Social Services Block Grant funds, an individual must meet three basic requirements:

The eligibility categories for financial criteria are defined as follow s:

TEA: This category refers to recipients of Transitional Employment Assistance, essential persons, and adult relatives whose needs were taken into account in determining the TEA grant.

SSI: This category refers to any aged, blind, or disabled individual receiving Supplemental Security Income benefits.

Income Eligible Recipients: This category refers to individuals whose income does not exceed the income levels shown in Table 1. Eligibility under this category is based on percentages of median income adjusted by family size. The income scale is based on the Estimated State Median Income for 4-Person Families for Federal Fiscal Year 1998 issued by the Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services. Complete income eligibility information is shown in Table 1 on page 14.

Without Regard to Income: This category refers to individuals for whom financial status is not considered, but is limited to individuals receiving Protective Services for Adults and Children. When required by a protective service case plan, any service funded by the Social Services Block Grant and described in this Plan may be provided without regard to income when eligibility cannot be established under another category. Services to Division of Children and Family Services clients needed as a result of a case plan for family support/reunification, prevention or remedy abuse, neglect or exploitation of children, crisis intervention with children and families, and designed to help adoptive and extended families at risk or in crisis may be provided without regard to income.

Services to the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDS) needed as a result of a case plan for DDS may be provided without regard to income. The required documentation would be an Individual Program Plan (IPP) and DDS eligibility determination.

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Status Eligible: This category will be used to establish eligibility for clients of the Division of Youth Services (DYS) w ho fall into the priority target population of DYS. Youth in this category are eligible regardless of financial status; however, documentation must exist in the provider's case record that the youth is either a delinquent or family in need of services, or at risk when referred by parent or guardian, law enforcement, or school..

Additional or substitute requirements to satisfy eligibility standards may only be established on an individual contract basis upon written approval by the DHS Chief Fiscal Officer or designee.

National Goals

Each service provided to an individual must be directed at one of the following national goals:

Application Process

Application for services may be made either by the applicant or the applicant's authorized representative in the office of a contract provider or in the Department of Human Services' county office in the county in which the applicant resides.

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TABLE 1

MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE INCOME FOR SSBG ELIGIBILITY

FOR PROGRAM YEAR SFY 2009, SHOWN BY FAMILY SIZE

GROSS MEDIAN INCOME SCALE

Sixty Percent Scale

For over ten family members, add $693 to the annual income for a family size of ten for each additional member.

A family is one or more adults and children, if any, related by blood or law and residing together in the same household. Spouses are legally responsible for each other and shall be considered as a part of the same family unit unless they reside in separate households (e.g., one spouse in a supervised living facility). If either spouse has legal responsibility for a child, then both spouses and the child are considered as a family unit. Where adults other than spouses reside together, each is considered a separate family by the State. Emancipated minors and children living under the care of individuals not legally responsible for their care are considered one-person families by the State.

Under the direction of the Office of Finance and Administration, contract provider agencies generally assume responsibility for completion of application documents, determination of the client's eligibility, residency, and authorization for purchased services as appropriate.

Financial eligibility will be determined on the basis of the applicants' statements (referred to as the Declaration Method). The staff informs the applicant that he or she has a right to a hearing if dissatisfied either with the handling of the application or the length of time between a favorable decision of eligibility and receipt of the service.

Fees for Services

Arkansas has adopted a fee system with fee assessment based on client income adjusted by family size. Three types of fees are allowable:

Service Delivery Areas

For purposes of Social Services Block Grant planning and service delivery, Arkansas is divided into five Service Delivery Areas. Each Service Delivery Area (SDA) is comprised of a number of counties.

Table 2 on page 15 lists SDAs, the counties included in each area, and the locations of the Department of Human Services' county offices. The map following the table shows the Service Delivery Areas and counties. The Division of County Operations (DCO), which manages the county offices, utilizes six Service Delivery Areas with Pulaski County designated as Area VI. Also, DCO places Crittenden and Cross Counties in Area II instead of Area V.

TABLE 2 SSBG SERVICE DELIVERY AREAS AND LOCATIONS OF DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES COUNTY OFFICES

Service Area I

Service Area II

Service Area III

Service Area IV

Service Area V

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DEPARTMENT OF HUlVlAiM SERVrCES

Map of Service Defivery Areas

Click here to view image

SERVICES

SOCIAL SERVICE BLOCK GRANT SERVICE SUMMARY OF PARTICIPATION

Listed below are the services provided with Social Services Block Grant Funding, the program agency which provides the service and whether the program agency provides the service directly or purchases the service.

INTRODUCTION TO SERVICE DEFINITIONS

Service definitions provide a general, overall picture of service activities and objectives. A particular service may be provided by one or more program agencies; but, regardless of which agency provides the service, the definition always remains the same. Services are tailored specifically to the client population served by a division or office through choices of goals, eligibility categories, geographic availability, and allowable activities. Detailed service pages for each program agency are located in the Social Services Block Grant Program M anual.

SERVICE DEFINITIONS

Case Management Services: Services provided by a certified case manager chosen by the consumer whose role is to locate, coordinate and monitor a group of services. Services may include:

Chore Services: The performance of household chores such as running errands, preparing food, simple household tasks, heavy cleaning, and yard and walk maintenance w hich a client is unable to do alone and which do not require the services of a trained homemaker or other specialist. Chore services do not include medically-oriented Personal Care tasks or any household management tasks such as menu planning, bill paying, checking account management, etc.

Community Integration Services: Services to children and their families and adults based upon a Multi -Agency Plan of Services (MAPS). The services are designed to allow persons the supports needed for them to function in a community setting.

Congregate Meals: Services to provide hot meals (or other as appropriate) that contain at least one-third (1/3) of the nutritional value of the Recommended Daily Allowance (R.D.A.). Meals are served in a group setting such as a senior center or elderly housing facility.

Coordinated Court Services: Services delivered at the request of a court which may include gathering information about a family or families and presentation of the information to the court in a written report. Testimony in court about the report may be required. Supervision of visitation and development of a written report resulting from the visitation may also be included.

Day Care for Adults: A group program designed to provide care and supervision to meet the needs of four or more functionally impaired adults for periods of less than twenty-four hours but more than two hours per day in a place other than the adult's home.

Day Services for DD Children: Services to children and families of children based on an individual family services plan. These services allow children and families to receive training to strengthen the child/family functioning in their home and community.

Developmentally Disabled Services: Services necessary to maintain a person with a developmental disability in their community. Services are based on an individual service plan and include such services as adult development, vocational maintenance and personal care.

Home Delivered Meals: Services to provide a hot meal (or other as appropriate) that contains at least one-third (1/3) of the nutritional value of the Recommended Daily Allowance (R.D.A.). Meals are delivered to the client's home.

Mental Health Services: Organized efforts performed by trained personnel in certified mental health facilities to help individuals to overcome mental, emotional, social, and psychological dysfunction.

Non-Residential Services for Youth: Services are non-residential support services directed toward amelioration of behavioral and/or emotional problems in order to allow the juvenile to transition back into his or her home or community, and to prevent or reduce the need for re-institutionalization.

Protective Services for Adults: Services to or on behalf of adults (age eighteen and over) who are threatened by harm through the action or inaction of another individual or through other hazardous circumstances.

Protective Services for Children: Services on behalf of neglected, abused, or exploited children (including runaways), which are designed to prevent or remedy that situation and include strengthening parental child care capacity, preserving family life, and providing a safe environment for the child.

Socialization/Recreation Services: Services to facilitate client's involvement (as spectator or participant) in activities, sports, arts, crafts, games, and for social interaction to promote personal enrichment, satisfying use of leisure time, or development of new skills or knowledge, and/or to reduce social isolation.

Special Services for the Disabled: Services are designed to assist persons to function at their highest level of independence despite any limiting physical or mental conditions which may include drug and alcohol dependence.

Substitute Care for Children: Service provides selective placement in an alternate living situation, such as a foster home, group home, or residential treatment facility for a planned period of time for a child who has to be separated from his natural or legal parents. This service includes casework and intervention services with the child, his parents/guardians, caregivers and community resources.

Substitute Care for Youth: Services provide selective placement in a foster home, group home, or residential treatment facility for a planned period of time for delinquent youth committed to the Division of Youth Services by a Juvenile Chancery Court. This service includes casework and intervention services with the youth, parents/guardians, caregivers and community resources.

Supervised Living Services: The service is a provision of care in a group living facility for all or any part of a calendar day for individuals with socially diagnosed problems of functional dependency, alcoholism, drug abuse, medically and/or psychologically diagnosed problems of emotional illness, or mental retardation/developmental disabilities and youth in need.

Supported Living Services: A community residential service to provide supervision when necessary and coordinate support services to allow the individual to maintain an independent life style.

Supportive Services for the Blind: Services are supportive services uniquely required by blind and visually impaired persons. These services are designed to provide the client with personal training to overcome barriers to effective participation in community life skills activities.

Supportive Services for Children and Families: Supportive Services for Children and Families is a coordinated set of services designed to address a wide range of problems. This service is intended to help parents in their child-rearing role, promote healthy development and social functioning of children, prevent unnecessary removal of children from their homes, strengthen family functioning, and meet the needs of families in crisis.

Training and Education Services: Those activities which, when not otherw ise available, are planned with individuals in order that they may fulfill their intellectual potential for employment through education or training denied to them without positive intervention.

Transportation Services: Transporting a client from one location to another by public or private vehicle so that client has access to needed service, care or assistance. SSBG funding may be used for this service only when the service is not available through Title XVIII or XIX of the Social Security Act.

FUNDING

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FINANCIAL DATA SECTION

Introduction

Federal funding is made available to states through the Social Services Block Grant established in October, 1981. Enactment of block grant legislation continued the service program funding initially made available through Title XX of the Social Security Act, which w as established in 1975. At the outset, the federal funding level w as set at $2.5 billion, available to states at a 75 percent rate with 25 percent matching required; an additional $200 million w as appropriated for day care programs, but without the matching requirement. In the Social Services Block Grant, the funding w as combined into one allotment. The total of this federal funding has varied over the years of the program's operation. The total funding for federal fiscal year 2001 w as $1.725 billion; $50 million less than the federal fiscal year 2000 appropriation. Funding for federal fiscal year 2009 is estimated at $1.2 billion.

Federal funding allotments to states are based on the federal fiscal year which is in effect from October 1 through September 30. The Arkansas Social Services Block Grant program operates on the state fiscal year which runs from July 1 through June 30. This is done so that the program can be coordinated as closely as possible with the state biennial budget cycle. Because of this coordination, expenditure estimates in this plan should correspond to those in the budget. However, since the state budget is planned for the biennium and since the program is dependent on federal funding which may vary from one year to the next, an exact match between the biennial budget and this program plan is not possible.

Planning Financial Data

Total funding for the Arkansas Social Services Block Grant program is made up of funds from the Social Services Block Grant and state and local matching (donated and appropriated). The table below shows funding from each source and total estimated funding for state fiscal year 2008.

TABLE 3

SOCIAL SERVICES BLOCK GRANT FUNDING FOR STATE FISCAL YEAR 2009

The Director of the Department of Human Services allocates funds to each program area within the Department and to the Arkansas Rehabilitation Services and the Arkansas Spinal Cord Commission. In turn, these agencies set funding levels for services. Table 4 shows program area funding estimates and other related allocation information. Administrative costs are defined and described on the following pages.

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Direct program costs are costs specifically identified with the delivery of a particular service or activity to achieve one of the five statutory goals of the SSBG program. Direct program costs include technical assistance and management expenditures related directly to the provision of any of those services. Direct program costs include activities with administrative qualities that support the provision of a particular SSBG service, not general administration of the grant. Direct program support for SSBG goals and service categories is provided by seven divisions and two offices of DHS, as well as by the Arkansas Department of Workforce Education and the Arkansas Spinal Cord Commission.

TABLE 4

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES ALLOCATIONS

OF SOCIAL SERVICES BLOCK GRANT FUNDING

STATE FISCAL YEAR 2009

Funding Percentages

Approximately 84.1837% of funding for tine Social Services Block Grant program in Arkansas is federal funds. The 15.8162% match is made up of 61.8012% state funds, 11.1918% local government funds and 27.0069% local donated funds.

Indirect Administrative Costs

Indirect administrative costs are those associated with central executive functions that do not directly support the provision of a specific project or service within the scope of coverage of SSBG Administrative costs cannot be attributed to service recipients and are incurred for common objectives that benefit multiple programs. Indirect administrative costs will be held to a maximum of 9% in aggregate.

Activities considered administrative costs for the Office of Finance and Administration include: cost of overall program planning, policy development, budgeting, funds management and Federal reporting.

Activities considered indirect administrative costs for the Office of Chief Counsel (OCC) include: legal library costs, training and equipment expenses for child welfare attorneys, and central office administrative costs associated with adult and child protective services. Direct program expenses for OCC include client-specific expenditures for attorneys and administrative law judges in adult and child protective service cases.

Some divisions and offices have elected to fund part or all of their Social Services Block Grant administrative expenditures from other sources in order to have more Social Services Block Grant funds available for the purchase or direct delivery of services. In such cases, only the costs funded under the Social Services Block Grant have been shown.

A portion of the funding allocated to the Office of Finance and Administration's cost center may be utilized for specialized projects as determined by the DHS Director such as a one-time funded project. An example of such, would be the emergency funding for specific SSBG services.

Riot Projects

Certain aspects of purchased services may be initiated as pilot projects and may continue until sufficient data has been gathered and verified to determine the feasibility of incorporating the project into general use.

FINANCIAL SUM MARIES AND ESTIMATES OF CUENTS AND EXPENDITURES

Financial information lias been placed on summary sheets for each division and office (and the Arkansas Rehabilitation Services and Arkansas Spinal Cord Commission) which provides direct or purchased services with Social Services Block Grant funding. The funding for services is arranged in sections by Department division or office. Each section devoted to a division or office (or agency) program includes:

Estimates of clients to be served and expenditures are totaled for all program agencies and shown in the Appendix.

DIVISION OF AGING AND ADULT SERVICES FINANCIAL INFORMATION SUMMARY

The Division of Aging and Adult Services has elected to match federal funds above the allocated amount. The amount reflected under total funding does not correspond to the funding on page twenty-six (26) due to the additional match.

DIVISION OF AGING AND ADULT SERVICES

ESTIMATES OF CLIENTS AND EXPENDITURES

FOR SERVICES BY SERVICE DELIVERY

AREA

The Division of Aging and Adult Services has elected to match federal funds above the allocated amount. The amount reflected under total funding does not correspond to the funding on page twenty-six (26) due to the additional match.

DIVISION OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES FINANCIAL INFORMATION SUMMARY

DIVISION OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES FINANCIAL INFORMATION SUMMARY

DIVISION OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES

ESTIMATES OF CLIENTS AND EXPENDITURES FOR SERVICES BY SERVICE DELIVERY AREA

DIVISION OF COUNTY OPERATIONS FINANCIAL INFORMATION SUMMARY

DIVISION OF COUNTY OPERATIONS

ESTIMATES OF CLIENTS AND EXPENDITURES

FOR SERVICES BY SERVICE DELIVERY

AREA

DIVISION OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES SERVICES FINANCIAL INFORMATION SUMMARY

DIVISION OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES SERVICES

ESTIMATES OF CLIENTS AND EXPENDITURES

FOR SERVICES BY SERVICE DELIVERY

AREA

*Services provided under the Together We Can Program are provided based upon a family-focused philosophy that is essential to the success of the program. The program plan approved by the Director of the Arkansas Department of Human Services specifies that the family is a participating member of the local inter-agency multi-disciplinary team who develops and approves the multi-agency plan of service (MAPS). The family shall have authority over the final selection of any service providers approved by the local team for services delivered in accordance with the MAPS.

DIVISION OF SERVICES FOR THE BLIND FINANCIAL INFORMATION SUMMARY

DIVISION OF SERVICES FOR THE BLIND

ESTIMATES OF CLIENTS AND EXPENDITURES

FOR SERVICES BY SERVICE DELIVERY

AREA

DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICES FINANCIAL INFORMATION SUMMARY

DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICES

ESTIMATES OF CLIENTS AND EXPENDITURES

FOR SERVICES BY SERVICE DELIVERY

AREA

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE EDUCATION

ARKANSAS REHABILITATION SERVICES

FINANCIAL INFORMATION SUMMARY

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE EDUCATION ARKANSAS REHABILITATION SERVICES

ESTIMATES OF CLIENTS AND EXPENDITURES

FOR SERVICES BY SERVICE DELIVERY

AREA

ARKANSAS SPINAL CORD COMMISSION FINANCIAL INFORMATION SUMMARY

ARKANSAS SPINAL CORD COMMISSION

ESTIMATES OF CLIENTS AND EXPENDITURES

FOR SERVICES BY SERVICE DELIVERY

AREA

APPENDIX

TOTALS BY SERVICE BY SERVICE DELIVERY AREA

ESTIMATES OF CLIENTS AND EXPENDITURES

FOR SERVICES BY SERVICE DELIVERY

AREA

TOTALS BY SERVICE BY SERVICE DELIVERY AREA

ESTIMATES OF CLIENTS AND EXPENDITURES

FOR SERVICES BY SERVICE DELIVERY

AREA

TOTALS BY SERVICE BY SERVICE DELIVERY AREA

ESTIMATES OF CLIENTS AND EXPENDITURES

FOR SERVICES BY SERVICE DELIVERY

AREA

NOTE: The Division of Aging and Adult Services has elected to match federal funds above the allocated amount. The amount reflected under total funding does not correspond to the funding on pages twenty-five (25) and twenty-six (26) due to the additional match.