IDHS: MR #16.19: Revised Quality Control Process

11/01/16

Summary:

• A recent Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Quality Control Integrity Review audit produced a finding which requires a change in Illinois’s DHS SNAP Quality Control process.
• The Bureau of SNAP Integrity’s (BSNAPI) past practices of allowing a Family Community Resource Center (FCRC) additional opportunities to provide new, previously undiscovered or missing case record materials and or documentation on error cases will no longer be permitted.
• Beginning with October 2016 reviews, the BSNAPI process of sending Form 263, BSNAPI Findings/FCRC Action, to the FCRC on error cases prior to the case being transmitted to FNS will stop. The FCRC will now be notified when the case review is final and will no longer have the option to indicate whether they agree or disagree with the review findings.
• The new expectation is that the FCRC will have provided ALL relevant case record materials and/or documentation to BSNAPI prior to any decision being made on the review findings.
• BSNAPI staff will continue to obtain all relevant case materials and/or documentation that are accessible to them via IES, Mobius, Content Manager, Caseworker Tools and any other available sources.
• BSNAPI will continue to require the FCRC to reply to Form 263 on Quality Control review cases that are found to be in error.
• Form 263, BSNAPI Findings/FCRC Action, and Form 263N, BSNAPI Findings/FCRC Action-Negative Case Action, are revised.

Revised Quality Control Process

A recent Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Quality Control Integrity Review audit produced a finding which requires a change in Illinois’s DHS SNAP Quality Control process. The Bureau of SNAP Integrity’s (BSNAPI) past practices of allowing a Family Community Resource Center (FCRC) additional opportunities to provide new, previously undiscovered, missing case record materials and/or documentation on error cases will no longer be permitted.

Beginning with October 2016 reviews, the BSNAPI process of sending Form 263 to the FCRC on error cases prior to the case being transmitted to FNS will stop. The FCRC will now be notified when the case review is final and will no longer have the option to indicate whether they agree or disagree with the review findings.

Quality Control Actions

When an FCRC is advised on cases being selected for QC review, BSNAPI will inform them to provide all case materials and/or documentation to the QC reviewer. BSNAPI staff will continue to obtain all relevant case materials and/or documentation that are accessible to them via IES, Mobius, Content Manager, Caseworker Tools and any other available sources. Any case documentation or materials provided after notification of the review findings will not be considered. BSNAPI will emphasize that the lack of case record materials, information, or documentation can result in the case being found in error.

BSNAPI will transmit the case to FNS before Forms 263 and 263N are sent to the FCRC with the QC review findings. At that point, no changes will be made regarding the review findings, eliminating any perception of bias from the QC review process. 

FCRC Responses to Quality Control

The expectation of FNS and QC is that the FCRC will have provided ALL relevant case record materials and/or documentation to BSNAPI prior to any decision being made on the review findings.

BSNAPI will continue to require the FCRC to reply to Form 263 on Quality Control review cases that are found to be in error.

Manual Revisions

[signed copy on file]

James T. Dimas

Secretary-designate, Illinois Department of Human Services

Forms referenced:

Form 263

Form 263N