Basic Food Outreach Forum

January 16, 2015

Notes

Panel Presentations –

  • Global to Local:
  • Partnership between HealthPoint, Public Health – Seattle & King County, Swedish Health Services, Washington Global Health Alliance and Cities of SeaTac and Tukwila. Focused on improving health of underserved communities.
  • Open to all clients
  • Offers support in a variety of languages and cultures including Burmese, Eritrean, Latino and Somali
  • Will assist clients in connecting to a variety of services including filling out employment or benefits applications
  • ICHS ( International Community Health Services):
  • Non-profit community health center that offers affordable health care services to Seattle and King County’s Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Communities – in addition to other underserved communities (Services largely available to low-income clients but open to everyone).
  • WithinReach:
  • Offer a variety of outreach models to connect with clients including In-person, over the phone, and online
  • Client centered services - we give the client as much time as they need, (not rushed to get them off the phone). Our hotlines offer reduced wait times and wrap around cervices – connecting clients not only to benefits but also other resources needed to keep families health
  • PH123 offers numerous resources both for clients and providers.
  • DSHS

Panel Questions:

  1. What types of mixed immigration families does your organization/staff serve?
  2. Answered in agency presentations above
  3. What challenges have you faced in assisting mixed immigration families?
  4. ICHS – Many clients express fear of safety (with immigration) as well as trouble due to language barriers.
  5. DSHS – Assuring clients have the right documentation when it comes time to conduct an interview can be a big challenge.
  6. What are your strategies when screening a mixed immigration family for Food Assistance?
  7. ICHS & G2L – offering native language services to clients to assure they understand the process and being able to explain clearly what it is they may qualify for and why. Cultural sensitivity also is a key.
  8. WR – Offering interpreter services to clients over the phone is key. Also, many clients feel more comfortable in making a phone call to us before speaking directly to DSHS; it can help to quell some of the anxieties about eligibility and offers opportunity to get answers before submitting an application.
  9. DSHS – Communicating well what is expected of clients when they attend an interview. In particular, many clients who are here with a sponsor will often have to supply additional verification. The sponsor’s participation is needed and the sponsor should be present at the interview.
  10. When applying, what are your best practices for the application process?
  11. WR – Offering visuals and next steps forms to clients as well as providing follow-up with clients once their application is submitted.
  12. ICHS – We find it particularly helpful to encourage clients to go directly into DSHS for their interview, this helps minimize confusion and assure that they understand what is happening in the eligibility determination process. With language barriers it can be hard to explain things solely over the phone, a lot can get lost. Clients have greater success completing their interviews in person; they are better able to communicate their circumstance to their caseworker.
  13. G2L – I like to give clients a hard copy of their application to look at, in case they are doing their interview over the phone it can be helpful to have a copy for reference.
  14. DSHS – We like going over EBT rules and terms of use with clients, letting them know they should expect to complete a renewal after 6 months, and letting them know they should expect an approval letter or a pending letter depending on the result of their interview.
  15. What type of messaging/next steps do you use to ensure the client has the information they need for their interview?
  16. Responses similar to answers give for question 4

Post Panel Questions/Discussion

  • Q: Are there any plans to connect data sharing between WACON and HPF for clients who may have certain immigration documentation that could be dually verified by the federal HUB?
  • A: There is no plan currently in the works. There are still some things that need to be worked out with the efficiency of the data sharing in HPF and the federal Hub. It is not yet sufficiently reliable to use it as a source of verification for families applying for benefits with DSHS. That said, it is understood that there are a lot of barriers that DSHS would like to minimize for this client populations. However given the limitations of the system it doesn’t appear this will happening very soon.
  • Q: In working with clients who are waiting to get asylee status, when should we encourage them to apply?
  • A: The client would likely be viewed as undocumented pending their approval for asylum; they should consider applying once they are officially approved for asylee status.
  • Q: Do clients need to report whether or not they have a vehicle for the purpose of enrolling in Basic Food?
  • A: The best practice is to have them complete the application and come in. DSHS will want them to report if they have a vehicle; it is relevant to some respect as to whether they will qualify for benefits. Resources should be reported.
  • Q: With respect to your use of the AT&T language line by WithinReach, is that language line available for free by anyone?
  • A: The language line service is available to clients/providers who are seeking our services, if you call in on one of our hotlines and are needing language support our staff will request an interpreter to facilitate the conversation. Clients or providers at minimum just have to say the name of the language that they prefer.
  • Q: What is being done to offer education to clients about buying nutritious food?
  • A: There is a lot of incentive around the Fresh Bucks Program, which offers clients the opportunity to double a certain amount of benefits when they visit a farmers market typically during the summer and early fall. Many farmers market (not just seasonal but also year round) are now accepting EBT and this is information we can offer to clients.
  • A: A good opportunity to broach the conversation is by going over the list of foods DSHS has published on what a client can purchase with their EBT Food Benefits.
  • A: Many clients use their EBT as a supplement to what they are getting from local food banks, talking about EBT as a supplement can give you a gateway to discuss what kinds of food they may not be able to get in their diet from the food bank and how they can use their EBT to round out their food choices with vegetable, fruits, protein, dairy etc.

DSHS Updates

  • Legislative session has just begun; the governor is going over the new budget, what are the implications for DSHS programs/Basic Food? -
  • The cuts propose an end to WorkFirst participation incentives that are being offered to clients
  • Cuts may lead to discontinuation of WTAP
  • Note: Lifeline store front is closing – if you have follow-up questions or are helping a client you can still contact Solid Ground (ConnectUp) directly
  • There is a new option for people filing taxes with Turbo Tax – anyone who appears to be eligible for Basic Food can opt to apply for benefits once they are finished filing.
  • DSHS recently launched their new website
  • Q: Are you planning on updating your automated call system anytime soon? Chinese speaking clients have reported a lot of difficulty with the automated system understanding their requests, when requesting “other language” it is very difficult to get the system to register when my clients need translation in Chinese. I have been encouraging my clients to go in person.
  • A: No know update in the near future, but it is appreciated that we are sharing these kinds of issues and concerns so that they can be noted and corrected.
  • Q: Is it still a known issue that porting info from HPF to WACON is problematic?
  • A: Kathy – There is an update scheduled at the end of the month that is supposed to resolve this problem. Let me know if you all do not see the update resolving the problem.
  • WASHCAP – Clarification Question about Clients on WASHCAP and their enrollment in Basic Food – If you would like more info on what WASHCAP is and what this means for a client you can get info here:

United Way Free Tax Preparation Campaign

  • An opportunity for clients to get free tax filling help, for more information or referrals please visit the United Way website (King County):
  • Clients can also call 2-1-1to find their nearest site or request info on language services