AG 1994 10 03 - Laserfiche WebLink

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CABARRUS COUNTY SOCIAL SERVICES EMPLOYEES WIN STATE-WIDE PRODUCTIVITY AWARDS Members of the Cabarrus County Department of Social Services Income Maintenance Staff received a state productivity award for consolidating public assistance applications, which ted to increased productivity and better service to citizens. The staff received the 1994 Ralph W. Ketner Employee Productivity Award on Friday, August 26, at the Opening Session of the 87th Annual Conference of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. This conference was held on August 25-28 at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville. The Ketner Award honored 10 county staff members or teams of employees who develop innovative, cost-saving programs and procedures that enhance their county's productivity. Ralph W. Ketner, co-founder of Food Lion, gave the Association $10,000 to be divided into t0 awards. Team winners split the $1,000 award. The Cabarrus County income maintenance staff made several important changes in the department. First, the staff recognized that much of the same information is filled out on many public assistance forms, wasting county personnel time and money, and forcing the agency's clients to give the same information for different programs. To reduce the amount of repeated information, the county produced a single application workbook. This book combines ali the information needed to apply for Aid to Families with Dependent Children, Food Stamps, Family's and Children's Medicaid and Adult Medicaid. This single application saves the county $48,828 and 4,134 hours in employee time each year. A reference guide was created which consolidates information and directs employees to other resources available to clients. The reference guide creates consistency among employees and has saved the county $17,360 a year. The county has also started a mail-out application to people receiving public assistance. Selected recipients receive the mail-out application in the place of coming into the department for a redetermination interview. The client fills the form out and mails it back to the agency. This program saves approximately 45 hours each month which translates to savings of $6,377 each year. These and other simplification actions taken by the department have meant savings of over $81,000 a year. For the first time in nine years, the department did not ask for additional staff to admirfister public assistance.