Policy Transmittal Oregon Department of Human Services Originating Cluster: Children, Adults and Families SS-PT-05-027 Authorized by: Sue Abrams Date: 09/09/2005 Signature Transmitting (check the box that best applies): New Policy Policy Change Policy Clarification Executive Letter Administrative Rule Manual Update Other Hurricane Katrina Evacuees Applies to (check all that apply): Area Agencies on Aging Children Adults and Families Health Services Community Human Services Seniors and People with Disabilities All DHS employees Local Government (please specify): Other (please specify): Policy Title: Hurricane Katrina Evacuees Topic Area: Policy Number(s): Release No: Effective Date: Immediately Expiration: References: Web Address: Discussion/Interpretation: As a result of Hurricane Katrina, individuals from the Gulf Coast regions of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi are relocating to Oregon. This transmittal is being issued to assist workers in providing Food Stamp, medical, TANF and ERDC benefits. Our intent is to make application as easy as possible. Although eligibility rules must be followed, we don t want the process to get in the way for people who are already dealing with serious trauma and loss. A toll free hotline for people in crisis in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is
available. By dialing 1-800-273-8255, callers will be connected to a network of local crisis centers across the country that are committed to crisis counseling. Callers to the hotline will receive counseling from trained staff at the closest certified crisis center in the network. Please note that, even though these individuals are sometimes referred to as refugees, they are not eligible for Refugee assistance. All evacuees who have unofficially come to Oregon due to friends and family in the area need to register with FEMA by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or by logging on to www.fema.gov in order to receive FEMA assistance. They are also encouraged to call their local Red Cross Chapter. Red Cross Chapters statewide are prepared to deal with immediate needs for evacuees. Use the following procedure for all programs except for Food Stamps, when certifying benefits for Hurricane Katrina evacuees: 1. Have the individual complete the application, selecting which programs they are applying for. All evacuees will be considered to meet Oregon residency requirements. 2. Verification of eligibility will be based on whatever is available (e.g, drivers license, bank statement, airline ticket with individual's name, Red Cross manifest). In the absence of any type of documentary verification, accept collateral statements or self declaration. Do NOT pend for verification. 3. Determine if the evacuee was living in the devastated area when the hurricane struck. Narrate the state and county or parish (for Louisiana) they come from. To be eligible, individuals must come from one of the affected areas as listed in the attachment. 4. Ask the evacuee if they are receiving benefits in any other state. If yes, which benefits? You may be able to get information on the case, including SSNs, from Alabama, Louisiana or Mississippi. If not, use whatever information is available from the client. The phone numbers to call for verification of FS, medical or TANF assistance are listed below. Alabama: Food Stamps 1-334-242-1700, 1-866-465-2285 TANF 1-334-242-1773 Medicaid 1-800-362-1504, 1-334-242-5000 Louisiana: Food Stamps 1-866-334-8304 TANF 1-866-334-8304 Medicaid 1-888-342-6207 Mississippi: Food Stamps 1-800-948-4060 TANF 1-800-948-4060 Medicaid 1-800-421-2408, 1-601-359-6050
5. Use the standard narrative template, adding information specific to Hurricane Katrina, including the state, county or parish they fled and their current living situation (e.g., shelter, family home, etc.). 6. Exclude all funds from FEMA when determining eligibility. 7. Determine eligibility for individual programs based on the following criteria. Food Stamps 1. The application (DHS 7799) is attached and can be located on the forms server at: http://www.dhs.state.or.us/admin/forms/ for workers to establish eligibility for all evacuees for the month of September. Request only the minimum information required to set up a FS case on FSMIS. 2. Regardless if the evacuees are currently receiving Food Stamp benefits from one of the devastated states, use September 1 as the filing date. The intent is to issue a full months benefit. 3. Certify the households for one full month of benefits based on the information obtained from the attached application. 4. Code evacuee cases with an HH Type of KRA (Katrina Relief Alabama), KRL (Louisiana) or KRM (Mississippi). Once this has been entered, the computer will automatically enter an income type of KRA, KRL or KRM for each individual in the household. The dollar amount will show as zero. This coding will allow the state to track these individuals if/when they move to other households. 5. Evacuees are OFSET exempt. Code with Wrk Reg L. Note: The process for helping evacuees is not tied to standard FS procedures for disaster food replacement. If you certified a FS case for evacuees before receiving this PT, please add the HH Type. Medical Oregon program rules apply, including no OHP Standard program eligibility for new applicants. The Date of Request for benefits is August 24, 2005 for Hurricane Katrina displaced individuals. No eligibility prior to August 24, 2005 (no retro eligibility). Any long-term care services for elderly and disabled will be subject to our current eligibility criteria. The case descriptors are important for tracking these clients and should be coded on each person: KRM Mississippi KRL Louisiana
KRA Alabama Hurricane Katrina evacuees who are eligible for medical assistance will be fee-for-service only. Do not enroll these clients in managed care plans. If you certified a medical case for evacuees before receiving this PT, please add the case descriptor for each person. The application (DHS 7798) is attached and can be located on the forms server at: http://www.dhs.state.or.us/admin/forms/ TANF The Assessment Program is not an eligibility factor for TANF and can be waived or limited in duration at the discretion of the local office. Evacuees who are otherwise mandatory to participate in the JOBS program are not exempt from JOBS program disqualification solely due to their status as evacuees. However, JOBS case plans can be crafted to meet the individual or family s needs and extreme situation. The case descriptors are important for tracking these clients and should be coded on each person: KRM Mississippi KRL Louisiana KRA Alabama If you certified a TANF case for evacuees before receiving this PT, please add the case descriptor for each person. ERDC There are no changes to ERDC requirements except that, where applicable, the relaxation of verification guidelines for evacuees also applies to the ERDC program. Use the same case descriptors as those being used for TANF and Medical program. Evacuees may need more help finding child care, so a referral to the local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency should be offered. Implementation/Transition Instructions: Effective immediately accept an application for any evacuee applying for FS, TANF, medical or child care and determine if they qualify. It is important that all coding be correctly added as it will be necessary for the state to submit reports to the federal agencies. These reports will be compiled from the coding attached to these cases. Training/Communication plan: Local/Branch Action Required: Share this information with all staff and provide the training. Central Office Action Required: Provide follow-up information on October through December FS benefits for evacuees and technical support through questions
and answers. Field/Stakeholder review: Yes, reviewed by: No Filing Instructions: If you have any questions about this policy, call: For FS Questions: Sandy Ambrose 503-945-6092 Eliza Devlin 503-947-5105 Anne Hilgers 503-945-6105 Rosanne Richard 503-945-5826 For TANF: Jeff Stell 503-945-6542 Xochitl Esparza 503-945-7016 For Medical: Michael Avery 503-945-6072 Joyce Clarkson 503-945-6106 Michelle Mack 503-947-5129 Jeff Miller 503-945-6410 For ERDC: Shiela Carter 503-945-6110 Rhonda Prodzinski 503-945-6087 Contact(s): SPD/AAA Gene Sundet Phone: SPD (503) 945-5990 E-mail: gsundet@dhs.state.or.us Fax:
Cities and Towns in Louisiana s Disaster Areas This is an alphabetical listing of the cities, towns, and communities in the 25 parishes whose residents are eligible for the Disaster Food Stamp Program. City, Town or Community Parish Abita Spring Addis Albany Amite Angie Arabi Baker Baldwin Baton Rouge Belle Chasse Bertrandville Berwick Bogalusa Bohemia Boothville Braithwaite Breaux Bridge Brushy Buras Caernarvon Carlisle Chalmette Clinton West Baton Rouge Washington East Baton Rouge St. Mary East Baton Rouge St. Mary Washington St. Martin West Baton Rouge East Feliciana
Covington Cut Off Dalcour Davant Delacroix Denham Springs Destrehan Diamond Donaldsonville Empire Folsom Fordoche Franklin Franklinton French Springs Galiano Garyville Golden Meadow Gonzales Gramercy Grand Isle Greensburg Gretna Grosse Tete Hahnville Hammond Harahan Henderson Houma Ascension Pointe Coupee St. Mary Washington St. John Laforche Ascension St. James St. Helena St. Martin Terrebonne
Independence Jackson Jean Lafitte Jeanerette Jesuit Ben Kenner Kentwood Killian Lacombe LaPlace Larose Livonia Lockport Loreauville Luling Lutcher Madisonville Mandeville Maringouin Meraux Monticello Morgan City Morganza Myrtle Grove Nairn Naomi Napoleonville New Iberia East Feliciana Iberia St. John Pointe Coupee Iberia St. James St. Helena St. Mary Pointe Coupee Assumption Iberia
New Orleans New Roads New Sarpy Norco Norwood Parks Patterson Phoeni Plaquemine Pointe a la Hache Ponchatoula Port Allen Port Nickel Port Sulphur Port Vincent Poydras Raceland Reggio Reserve Rosedale Roseland St. Francisville St. Gabriel St. Martinville St. Rose Sebastopol Slaughter Slidell Orleans Pointe Coupee East Feliciana St. Martin St. Mary West Baton Rouge St. John West Feliciana St. Martin East Feliciana
Sorrento Springfield Sun Thibodaux Tidewater Triumph Vamado Venice Verret Violet Walker West Pointe a la Hache Westwego White Castle Wilson Yscloskey Zachary Ascension Washington Washington East Feliciana East Baton Rouge
Louisiana s Parishes with Disaster Food Stamp Programs Ascension Assumption East Baton Rouge East Feliciana Iberia Orleans Pointe Coupee St. Helena St. James St. John St. Martin St. Mary Terrebonne Washington
West Baton Rouge West Feliciana
Area Devastated by Hurricane Katrina Alabama counties: Mississippi counties: Baldwin Clarke Choctaw Mobile Sumter Washington Amite Forrest George Greene Hancock Harrison Jackson Lamar Marion Pearl River Perry Pike Stone Walthall Wilkinson
Louisiana parishes: Acadia Orleans Washington Ascension Pointe Coupee West Baton Rogue Assumption West Feliciana Calcasieu Cameron East Baton Rouge East Feliciana Iberia Davis Lafayette St. Helena St. James St. John St. Mary St. Martin Terrebonne Vermillion