13 CSR 40-1.010 - Organization

PURPOSE: This amendment updates the descriptions for the functions and general organization of the Family Support Division to reflect current Department of Social Services' structure and operations.

(1) The public assistance and social service programs established by state and federal statutes are administered by the Division of Family Services through offices located in each county and the city of St. Louis. Application for services or benefits should be made at the office in the county where the applicant or recipient lives. Information about any of the programs administered by the division can be obtained from the county office or by writing to the state office in Jefferson City. The legal basis for establishing the division- listing its powers and duties, providing for a chief administrative officer, establishing county welfare commissions and authorizing an office in each county-is contained in sections 207.010-207.080, RSMo (1986).

(2) The income maintenance section in the state office supervises the work of the county offices in taking applications, making investigations and determining eligibility for the following programs: Aid to Dependent Children, General Relief, Blind Pensions, Supplemental Aid to the Blind, Medical Assistance, Nursing Care and Supplemental Payments to persons transferred from Old Age Assistance, Aid to the Blind and Permanent and Total Disability Assistance to the Supplementary Security Income program on January 1, 1974. The state statutes providing for these programs are primarily contained in sections 208.010- 208.210, RSMo (1986), the statutes for Blind Pension are contained in sections 209.010-209.160, RSMo (1986).

(3) An additional major program in the income maintenance section is food stamps for which the division certifies household eligibility and supervises coupon issuance under authority delegated to the agency by the United States Department of Agriculture. Since the federal government finances one hundred percent (100%) of the bonus coupons used for food stamps, the federal laws are the primary governing factor, state statutes are contained in sections 205.960-205.966, RSMo (1986).

(4) The social service section in the state office supervises the work of the county offices in taking applications, making social studies and providing treatment in protective services, day care, foster care, adoptions and other services for children, families and unmarried parents. The primary statute authorizing these services is section 207.020, RSMo (1986), subsections (8)-(17). A separate unit has been established to handle child abuse reports, as provided by section 210.110, RSMo (1986). A separate unit has also been established to negotiate, prepare and monitor contracts for purchase of various kinds of services from both public and private providers, in accordance with the provisions of Title XX of the federal Social Security Act.

(5) The medical services section in the state office handles the negotiations and agreements with the providers of medical services and reviews, processes and prepares for payment the bills received for such services. The federal basis for providing matching funds to the state is contained in Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act. State laws under which this program operates are contained in sections 208.151-208.158, RSMo (1986). Eligibility for these services is determined by the income maintenance staff of the county offices, recipients of any of the state public assistance programs are automatically eligible for Medicaid.

(6) The Bureau for the Blind has a separate staff in state and district offices, responsible for administering vocational rehabilitations for the blind, prevention of blindness, home teaching and other services to the blind, especially blind children. Federal funding is available for the rehabilitation program, the rest are state financed. The primary state statute authorizing these services is section 209.010, RSMo (1986).

(7) The day care licensing unit, operating under the provisions of sections 210.201-210.245, RSMo (1986), licenses or approves family day care homes, group day care homes and day care centers.

(8) The institutional and agency licensing units, also operating under the provisions of sections 210.201-210.245, RSMo (1986), licenses boarding homes for children and child placing agencies.

(9) The support services section is responsible for the supporting administrative services in the state office. There are separate units for personnel, general services, research and statistics and finance.

(10) The quality control unit provides an organized method of reviewing county office eligibility investigations and decisions on the ADC, food stamp and Medicaid programs. Randomly selected cases are reviewed in all areas of the state and the errors found are reported immediately to the county staff and state staff in order that corrective action can be taken.

(11) The legal section is responsible for administering the fair hearing process as provided for by state and federal statutes, provides legal consultation to the director and agency staff and represents the agency in all court proceedings.

(12) The efficiency and effectiveness unit is responsible for monitoring the agency's effective and efficient operation of the food stamp program. This is done by reviewing and auditing the complete certification and issuing process in a county office and reporting the errors and deficiencies so that corrective action can be taken.

(13) The data processing unit is responsible for processing with computer equipment, all financial, statistical and management reports for all sections of the division and for the preparation of all checks, Medicaid cards and Food Stamp Authorization-to-Purchase cards.

PURPOSE: In accordance with requirements in section 536.023, RSMo, this rule describes the functions and general organization of the Family Support Division of the Department of Social Services.

(1) General Function. The Family Support Division, hereinafter referred to as the division, was established by Executive Order 03-02 to administer the income maintenance (IM) programs, the child support (CS) program, and rehabilitation services for the blind (RSB) programs for the state, as established by federal and state laws. The legal basis for establishing the division is provided in sections 207.010 and 454.400, RSMo.

(2) Central Office. The division's central office is located at 615 Howerton Court, PO Box 2320, Jefferson City, MO 65102-2320; telephone: (573) 751-3221; TDD telephone: 1-800-735-2966; online: www.dss.mo.gov/fsd. The division director is located at the central office and is responsible for the division's overall organization, management, policy formulation, and delivery of services, as set forth in federal and state laws and regulations.

(3) IM Programs. The location of each IM office, descriptions of IM services, and access to on-line services is provided for the public at www.dss.mo.gov and www.dss.mo.gov/fsd. IM services include:

(A) Programs for food security-

1. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known in Missouri as the Food Stamp Program; and

2. Food Distribution programs;

(B) Programs for children and families-

1. Temporary Assistance;

2. MO HealthNet for Kids;

3. MO HealthNet for Pregnant Women and Newborns;

4. MO HealthNet for Families;

5. Uninsured Women's Health Service; and

6. Child Care Services;

(C) Programs for the aged, blind, and persons with disabilities-

1. MO HealthNet;

2. Nursing Care;

3. Home and Community-Based Services;

4. Prevention of Spousal Impoverishment;

5. Supplemental Aid to the Blind;

6. Blind Pension;

7. Adult Supplemental Payments; and

8. Medicare Cost Savings Programs; and

(D) Other income maintenance/self-sufficiency programs and services-

1. Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Programs;

2. Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP);

3. Emergency Solutions Grant/Homeless Services;

4. Refugee Resettlement;

5. Emergency management services; and

6. Voter registration.

(4) CS Program. The location of each CS office, descriptions of CS services, and access to online services is provided for the public at www.dss.mo.gov and www.dss.mo.gov/cse. CS services include:

(A) Locating parents;

(B) Paternity establishment for children born to unmarried parents;

(C) Child and medical support order establishment;

(D) Support order enforcement;

(E) Support order review and modification;

(F) Interstate and international child support services if a parent lives in another state or a reciprocating country; and

(G) Payment processing through operation of Missouri's state disbursement unit, the Family Support Payment Center.

(5) RSB Programs. The location of each RSB office, descriptions of RSB services, and information on accessing services is provided for the public at www.dss.mo.gov and www.dss.mo.gov/fsd/rsb. Services include:

(A) Vocational Rehabilitation;

(B) Independent Living Rehabilitation;

(C) Children's Services;

(D) Older Blind Services;

(E) Transition Services;

(F) Business Enterprise Program; and

(G) Prevention of Blindness.

Notes

13 CSR 40-1.010

AUTHORITY: section 207.020, RSMo 1986.* Original rule filed Sept. 2, 1976, effective Dec. 11, 1976. Amended by Missouri Register April 17, 2017/Volume 42, Number 08, effective 5/31/2017

*Original authority: 207.020, RSMo 1945, amended 1961, 1965, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1993.