Source: Economic Services Division, May 28, 2010
“Beginning the evening of June 7th, Vermont 2-1-1 will begin providing after-hours coverage for all of Economic Services. Calls will be routed to them through the IVR beginning at 4:30 p.m. through 7:45 a.m. and on holidays and weekends.
Vermont 2-1-1 will be checking ACCESS to determine if someone is eligible for temporary housing. Benefits Programs Specialists will be responsible for immediately entering a CATN for anyone who is denied temporary housing during the day so that Vermont 2-1-1 does not house them if they call that evening. We will no longer keep a “Do Not House” list, it will all be done via CATN. A “warn” should be used for any clients that have maxed out on the number of days they are eligible for temp housing. Be sure to put in an expiration date.
Vermont 2-1-1 will be authorizing temp housing until the next business day for those that are eligible. They will be advised to go in to the district office to follow up. Vermont 2-1-1 will enter a “CATN” indicating where they were housed, how long and what they were told to do in terms of follow through. In addition, they will fax an authorization to the motel and to the district office to be processed for payment. Clients that are asked to come in to the district office for follow up services must follow through otherwise they will be denied by Vermont 2-1-1. They will be denied for not following through with this requirement. When the client does come in to the office as requested, the BPS must enter a CATN so that Vermont 2-1-1 knows that they met this requirement. Vermont 2-1-1 will be checking CATNs to make sure that the client followed through on this requirement prior to granting additional temporary housing. Vermont 2-1-1 will deny temp housing if there is no CATN.
If districts have updates on the motels in their area, they should email abair@unitedwaysvt.org or call 211 to let them know of the change.
Letters have been mailed to the frequently used motels, shelters and Town Service Officers letting them know of this change. In Burlington and Rutland, the arrangements with the Battered Women’s Shelters will continue as is. After June 7th, districts should no longer be receiving or paying authorizations from TSO.”
