Pennsylvania Code
Title 55 - HUMAN SERVICES
Part II - Public Assistance Manual
Subpart B - Intake and Redetermination
Chapter 121 - GENERAL INTAKE AND REDETERMINATION PROVISIONS
Section 121.3 - Requirements
Universal Citation: 55 PA Code ยง 121.3
Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 44, November 2, 2024
(a) Responsibilities of the county office. Responsibilities of the county office are as follows:
(1) The county
office will be responsible for giving to every person who asks for help, the
service appropriate to the function of the Department.
(2) To carry out this responsibility, the
county office will have responsibility for the following functions:
(i) Making fully available the opportunity to
apply for financial assistance and other services.
(ii) Providing a helping atmosphere,
evidencing respect for the dignity of each person and sensitive appreciation of
his capacities by taking into account his strengths and limits.
(iii) Providing information on the services
and benefits available from the Department and other agencies, public or
private.
(iv) Promptly deciding on
the eligibility of each person applying for assistance as set forth in §
125.24 (relating to
procedures).
(v) Promptly
authorizing and providing assistance and services desired to each eligible
applicant.
(vi) Providing each
client with the opportunity to carry his grievances to higher
authorities.
(b) Responsibilities in determining eligibility. Responsibilities in determining eligibility are as follows:
(1)
Staffing.
Personnel working with determining eligibility will be responsible for
obtaining facts related to eligibility for financial assistance, relating these
facts to the eligibility requirements, deciding whether eligibility conditions
are met, and taking the necessary action.
(2)
Organization. The
organization of eligibility works is as follows:
(i) Eligibility workers may have an assigned
caseload or they will be assigned on a pooled basis to the two specific tasks
in determining eligibility for financial assistance, those being applications,
or intake and continued eligibility or redeterminations.
(ii) If the volume and the nature of the
caseload permit, specialists will be developed for the various categories of
assistance, such as MA, BP and the like, or for types of situations, such as
NHC payments, employables, housing projects and so forth. CAO's will be
encouraged to experiment in this area, the objective being to use staff in the
most efficient and most expeditious way.
(3)
Overall
responsibilities. Eligibility workers will have responsibility for the
following functions:
(i) Assurance that the
application form is complete and completion of the other forms required in the
application process.
(ii)
Determination and redetermination of eligibility for financial
assistance.
(iii) Authorization of
case actions, such as grant authorizations, one-time grants, MA and Food Stamp
authorizations, changes and discontinuances, change of address and the
like.
(iv) Determination of the
date for redetermination of eligibility.
(v) Referral to social service, as
required.
(vi) Performing the
specific duties of the CAO in respect to restitution as set forth in §
255.4 (relating to procedures) and
reimbursement as set forth in §
257.24 (relating to
procedures).
(vii) Answering
complaints and inquiries relating to eligibility.
(c) Social service assistance. Social service assistance is as follows:
(1)
Staffing. Social service
assistance will be provided by workers and social workers, and technicians as
will be needed to provide specialized help to support and supplement the
activities of the social service staff. The working title for workers and
social workers is Social Service Specialist.
(2)
Organization. To
maximize the impact of services, the staff members will have the following
responsibilities:
(i) The basic
responsibility for providing social services will include identifying the
problems that limit, disrupt or deter the satisfactory functioning of the
client, developing with the client a social service plan to reduce or eliminate
the client's problems of functioning, and giving the services needed.
(ii) Social services will be provided for the
client in financial functioning such as employment and money management,
marital functioning, parental functioning, which will include protective
services for children and individual personal functioning of adults and
children.
(iii) Services will be
provided directly, by referral to other agencies and programs, including
necessary followup on referrals and by enabling services.
(iv) Direct services will include not only
those provided by social service staff but also complementary services provided
by staff technicians from fields other than social work. Examples of
complementary services include homemaker services, day care services for
children, volunteer services and specialized services related to employment and
in cooperation with other agencies.
(v) Creative and imaginative methods will be
developed for providing services most effectively, using to the fullest extent
all the services that are available.
(vi) Service will be provided at the request
of the client. If a request for service comes from a source other than the
client, service will be provided unless the client does not want service. In a
situation that appears to call for protective services, service will always be
provided.
This section cited in 55 Pa. Code § 125.24 (relating to procedures).
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