SR 11-10 Dated 04/11

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

INTER-DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION

SUMMARY

This SR releases the merging of the Salem Division of Family Assistance District Office with Southern District Office (#11) effective April 25, 2011. The following forms required changes due to this merger:

·   DFA Form 125, Transfer of Client Records; and

·   DFA Form 470, Food Stamp Program Change Report Form.

Additionally, this SR obsoletes Form NHEP125, Transfer of NHEP Case Records, and its associated instructions, effective July 1, 2011.

POLICY

Effective April 25, 2011, all DFA staff and all DFA cases remaining in the Salem District Office (16) will be transferred to the Southern (Nashua) District Office (11), and the Salem District Office will close.

NEW HEIGHTS SYSTEMS PROCEDURES AND IMPLEMENTATION

At the beginning of March, New HEIGHTS started adding the following special text to any notice generated to a Salem DO catchment area client:

The Salem District Office (DO) is merging with the Southern DO on April 25, 2011. On that date, Salem DO will be closing, and all the Salem workers will begin to work out of the Southern District Office located in Nashua. Your benefits will not change because of this new location of your DO. After April 25, 2011, however, you will contact your worker at the Southern DO in Nashua. You will get a letter from us with all the new contact information. You can also visit the following website to get contact information for and directions to the Southern DO: www.dhhs.nh.gov/directions/nashua.htm

The evening of April 20, 2011, New HEIGHTS will transfer all DFA cases in the Salem District Office to the Southern District Office. On Thursday April 21, 2011, New HEIGHTS will begin to use the Southern DO address, office name, and phone numbers on all correspondence (NODS, letters, etc.) generated by New HEIGHTS for any cases formerly a part of the Salem DO.

Additionally, all April and May face-to-face redetermination appointments will be switched to mail-in to assist clients through the transition.

DESCRIPTION OF REVISIONS MADE TO DFA FORMS 125 AND FORM 470

DFA Form 125, Transfer of Client Records, was primarily revised to remove the Salem District Office as an option from the menu list of available District Offices in the "From" and "To" fields on this electronic form. Nashua District Office was also updated to reflect its new name of Southern District Office.

This form is still used to transfer paper case files as certain cases, such as long-term cases, can not utilize the Document Imaging process and must remain in paper format. Because the manner in which this form is used remains unchanged, no changes were made to the instructions for this form at this time. Offices can detach this electronic form from the email releasing the SR and save it into the District Office templates folder on the shared drive. The new version can be used immediately upon receipt.

DFA Form 470, Food Stamp Program Change Report Form, was revised only to remove the reference to the Salem District Office, although the office name changes for the Seacoast and Southern Offices were also updated. Additionally, the TDD access phone number was expanded to also include the option of dialing 7-1-1. The manner in which this paper form is used remains unchanged so the instructions for this form were not updated. Offices are to use up the current supply of this form. When the current supply is exhausted, the new version will be printed.

All other forms referencing the Salem DO will be updated at the form’s next print order, but can be used in the meantime until the current supply is exhausted.

OBSOLETION OF FORM NHEP125

Form NHEP125, Transfer of NHEP Case Records, and its associated instructions are obsolete effective July 1, 2011. Although most NHEP case records can be electronically transferred between offices due to Document Imaging, the Manchester DO has not yet been brought into the Scanning process, so the Form NHEP125 must still be used for any cases transferred into or out of Manchester DO. It is anticipated that the Document Imaging rollout to Manchester will occur in July. Continue to use Form NHEP125 as needed until the Manchester DO’s Document Imaging rollout is a success.

IMPLEMENTATION

Salem District Office’s merge with Southern District Office is effective April 25, 2011. The DHHS website will be updated effective for that date. DFA Form 125 may be used upon release of this SR as it is an electronic form and will be provided with the electronic release of this SR. Offices are to exhaust the current paper supply of DFA Form 470; when the current supply of DFA Form 470 is exhausted, the new version will be printed. All other forms containing references to the Salem District Office will be revised at the form’s next print order.

Continue to use Form NHEP125 as needed until the Manchester DO’s Document Imaging rollout is a success.

Mail sent to the Salem District Office will be forwarded to Southern District Office until April 25, 2012.

CLIENT NOTIFICATION

At the beginning of March, the following special text was added to any notice generated to a Salem DO catchment area client:

The Salem District Office (DO) is merging with the Southern DO on April 25, 2011. On that date, Salem DO will be closing, and all the Salem workers will begin to work out of the Southern District Office located in Nashua. Your benefits will not change because of this new location of your DO. After April 25, 2011, however, you will contact your worker at the Southern DO in Nashua. You will get a letter from us with all the new contact information. You can also visit the following website to get contact information for and directions to the Southern DO: www.dhhs.nh.gov/directions/nashua.htm

Additionally, a letter notifying all open and pending cases in the Salem District Office catchment area of the impending merge with Southern District Office will be mailed to all clients the week of April 18, 2011. The letter has been attached to this SR for reference.

TRAINING

No special training is planned or needed.

FORMS MANUAL POSTING INSTRUCTIONS

DISPOSITION

This SR may be destroyed or deleted after its contents have been noted and this SR has been posted to the On-line manual.

DISTRIBUTION

This SR will be distributed according to the electronic distribution list for Division of Family Assistance policy releases. This SR, and revised On-Line Manuals, will be available for agency staff in the On-Line Manual Library, and for public access on the Internet at www.dhhs.nh.gov/DFA/publications.htm, effective May 2, 2011. Additionally this SR will be distributed under separate cover to all internal hard copy holders of the Forms Manual.

DFA/JBV:s