![](media/image1.wmf){width="1.875in"
height="1.375in"}UP[date]{.smallcaps}**: #1**

***Employing Early Intervention***

**State: Tennessee -- Knox County**

**Practice:** Case Stratification

The Tennessee Department of Human Services, Division of Child Support
Services, developed an innovative project modeled after early
intervention and case assessment techniques that had been used
successfully in Australia. The early intervention techniques for project
cases commenced prior to order establishment. Once the order was
established, Tennessee based case stratification on an assessment that
identified the financial circumstances and parental characteristics that
might predict the likelihood of compliance*.* The case stratification
was also used to identify which interventions might be appropriate for
the case, such as more frequent personal contact with NCPs, prompt
modification of orders if necessary, and additional reminders to NCPs
(including monthly reminders by mail or telephone).

Case stratification allowed the child support agency to better align
enforcement techniques to individual case circumstances, enabling the
County to use staff resources more effectively and efficiently in
addition to identifying NCPs who were in need of services. NCPs that
were unemployed or underemployed were referred to the Child Support
Employment and Parenting Partnership, an existing program designed to
address barriers to child support payment.

**Time Frame:**

The grant period was September 30, 2004 through August 2006, which
included a six month no cost extension.

**Results:**

The early intervention strategies used in the project cases, such as
joint meetings with the parties prior to order establishment and
appointment reminders, were generally successful in producing positive
child support enforcement outcomes as compared to the control group.
Project cases were significantly more likely to have an order
established than control cases. After a year, 56 percent of project
cases had an order established compared to 41 percent of control cases.

The project had the greatest impact on public assistance cases. **Fifty
percent of public assistance project cases had orders established as
compared to only 22 percent of the public assistance control cases.**

Project cases also paid more than control cases on average. Payments,
which are measured as a percent of current support due, averaged 86
percent among all project cases and 73 percent among all control
cases**.**

Again, the difference was greatest for public assistance cases. **The
percent paid among project cases receiving public assistance averaged 81
percent compared to 44 percent for control cases.**

In total, after a year, there were fewer arrears among project cases
than control cases. The median amount of arrears was \$942 among project
cases and \$2,442 among control cases. There was a larger gap between
the mean of arrears: \$1,365 among project cases and \$4,002 among
control cases.

**Costs:**

Total project expenditures were \$214, 828, which included the Federal
grant, the state share and other Federal matching funds. Of this amount,
the majority of the funds were spent on the contractors for technical
assistance and evaluation (\$195,828) while some funds (\$18,000) went
to pay the State grant manager and travel expenses (\$1,000).

**Contact:**

Charles Bryson

<Charles.bryson@state.tn.us>

615.313.4880

For further information on the Project to Avoid Increasing Delinquencies
(PAID), please contact your Regional Program Specialist.

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height="1.375in"}UP[date]{.smallcaps}**: #2**

***Managing Existing Arrears***

**State: Massachusetts**

**Practice:** Focus on the Cases with the Highest Arrears

After an analysis showed 10% of obligors owed more than 50% of the total
debt, Massachusetts initiated a Top Ten Arrears project, where
caseworkers regularly review the ten cases in their caseloads owing the
highest amount of arrears to see what actions could be taken.
Caseworkers were asked to track whether these cases were eligible for
case closure, increased enforcement or some other action. Continuous
updating of the Top Ten lists allows a systematic way to address this
small group of obligors who owe more than half the total arrears.

**Time Frame:**

The results reflect the period June 1, 2005 through August 31, 2006.

**Results:**

The first Top Ten list distributed to the team leaders included a total
of 260 obligors. The **arrears balances for these obligors were reduced
by \$9.2 million, which was 14% of the total \$67.7 million owed by this
group.** When the project was expanded to every caseworker, the arrears
balances for almost 1600 Top Ten cases were **reduced by \$48 million**
either through collections, updated case data or case closure.
Furthermore, **282 of these obligors are making monthly payments on time
and in full**; another 115 have made some payments after the caseworker
contacted them; 859 have been referred for specific enforcement actions
such as license suspension and contempt actions; case closing letters
have been sent in 242 cases; and 174 cases have been closed. In one
case, the caseworker secured payment of more than \$92,000.

**Costs:** No additional costs. This project is incorporated into
standard casework.

**Contact:**

Dolores O'Neill

Director, Special Litigation

Massachusetts Dept. of Revenue

oneilld@dor.state.ma.us

\(617\) 626-4208

For further information on the Project to Avoid Increasing Delinquencies
(PAID), please contact your Regional Program Specialist.

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UP[date]{.smallcaps}**: #3**

***Improving Locate and Enforcement***

**State: Oklahoma**

**Practice:** Automating Workers' Compensation Intercept

The Oklahoma Child Support Enforcement Division (CSED) Center for
Coordinated Programs has automated its Workers' Compensation (WC) match
and intercept process. Data exchanges are conducted with three State
entities and a vendor and then liens are automatically printed in local
offices throughout the State.

Oklahoma formed a WC Process Improvement Team, which included experts
from child support, data services, Oklahoma University's Center for
Professional Management, CSED Center for Coordinated Programs, and CSED
Center for System Technology. Representatives met, coordinated, and
corresponded with State officials at Compsource (a State WC fund for
small and middle-sized businesses), WC Court, and the State Insurance
Commission. Compsource sends data to CSED on a weekly basis. The WC
Court sends data monthly. Then, every day CSED sends data to its vendor
to intercept WC personal injury claims for obligors with child support
debts of \$50 or more.

**Time Frame:**

The Improvement Team met twice a month over a two year period, from
January 2004 until January 2006. Two months prior to statewide rollout
in January 2006, the team chose two pilot child support offices to test
the lien automation process. Prior to implementation, the team members
conducted training for all child support offices.

**Results:**

By using multiple data sources and consolidating them into one
comprehensive collection process, CSED has saved money, time, and effort
in working what had been a troublesome part of the Division's
enforcement caseload. ***In 2006, WC collections increased to more than
\$3.1 million compared to \$1 million each year prior to the
automation.***

**Costs:**

Start-up costs for the project were approximately \$300,000 which
covered the cost of programming so the different systems could share
data. The continuing costs of the program are \$55 per match, which ends
up costing the State approximately \$6,000-\$7,000 per month. Given that
the match is bringing an additional \$150,000-\$200,000 per month in
collections, the State feels that the cost is well worth it.

**Contact**:

Ronald D. Smith, Program Manager, Special Collections

Oklahoma Department of Human Services/Child Support Enforcement Division

2409 N. Kelley Ave.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111

\(405\) 522-2576 Phone

\(405\) 522-4570 Fax

<Ronald.Smith@OKDHS.org>

For further information on the Project to Avoid Increasing Delinquencies
(PAID), please contact your Regional Program Specialist.

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UPdate #4

***Order Review and Modification***

**State: Michigan**

**Practice:** Audio and Video Teleconferencing for Incarcerated Parents

The Michigan Supreme Court\'s Prisoner Support Adjustment Project
studied prisoners\' use of review and modification processes and tested
the effectiveness of using audio and video technology to allow prisoners
access to Michigan child support proceedings. The Michigan Office of
Child Support (OCS) provided monthly data-match reports on child support
cases and prisoner records. The Department of Corrections (DOC)
coordinated prisoner appearances by electronic means. Local circuit
courts supplied facilities, equipment, and staff to fulfill support
modification and judicial duties.

In addition to quickly identifying prisoner cases, modifying orders
during imprisonment and implementing prospective support orders that are
effective upon the prisoners' release, the project also sought to
overcome procedural barriers. Using administrative processes to review
cases and holding electronic-appearance hearings only when a party
objects to a proposed outcome (which happened in fewer than 3 percent of
the cases) permits faster modifications and reduces the number of
support modification hearings. Upon request, prisoners in the project
were able to receive free legal representation to modify support
obligations with assistance from two Michigan law schools. Prisoners
requested free legal representation in 838 cases. Supervised by a
licensed attorney, law students gained valuable experience preparing
cases and representing clients. The project also developed user-friendly
materials for inmates to request modification of their support
obligations without hiring an attorney.

**Time Frame:**

The project ran 17 months from start to finish. For the first six
months, work focused on planning; creating a database, reports, and
forms; negotiating with courts; and, working with law school legal
clinics. The time spent working the cases and collecting data lasted
about 10-11 months.

**Results:**

Statewide, support orders were modified in 3,370 prisoner-related cases
and **support amounts were reduced, on average, from \$220 per month to
\$19 per month.** For one year, these modifications should **prevent the
accumulation of over \$8 million in uncollectible past-due support and
surcharges.**

In pilot counties 367 hearings were conducted with the prisoner
appearing via telephone conferencing or interactive video technology.
The DOC estimates that it saves at least \$170 per hearing when
prisoners "attend" without the need for transport and escorts.

Electronic appearances saved the State over \$60,000 in transportation
and prisoner escort costs during the project.

**Costs:**

The Michigan Supreme Court received a SIP grant of \$100,000 which
helped pay for start-up and the costs of coordinating the
project.  Additional costs were absorbed by the Court and by using
existing local resources.  If a State were to undertake a similar
project, costs would include the coordination of the project, increased
staff time and administrative costs for reprioritizing review and
modification work as well as telephone or video conference equipment and
connections for those sites that don't already have such equipment.  For
example, a video teleconference unit that was purchased for one county,
along with a year's connection service, cost about \$20,000.  Some
counties were able to do telephone conferences using existing equipment.

**Contact:**

Bill Bartels

\(517\) 373-2468

<bartelsb@courts.mi.gov>

For further information on the Project to Avoid Increasing Delinquencies
(PAID), please contact your Regional Program Specialist.

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Update: #5

***Setting Appropriate Orders***

**State: California -- San Francisco**

**Practice:** Enhanced Parental Involvement Collaboration (EPIC)

EPIC was designed to reduce the large number of cases in which imputed
or presumed income was used to establish child support orders. The City
and County of San Francisco did a special project testing the impact
that enhanced customer service through proactive, intensive, and early
engagement with noncustodial parents would have on both increasing the
amount of child support payments collected on behalf of children and
avoiding the accumulation of unpaid debt. The project also sought to
increase the efficiency of the order establishment procedure.

The EPIC project emphasized personal contact with NCPs when possible,
using easy-to-understand written communication followed by telephone
contact if no response was received. These were supplemented by enhanced
education and follow-up activities such as customized service-of-process
and status conferences. These activities were aimed at increasing the
level of involvement of NCPs in the order establishment process, thereby
reducing the need to rely on default judgments and/or presumed levels of
NCP income. With NCP involvement, orders could be set at an appropriate
amount and on-going compliance with child support obligations over the
long term could be promoted.

**Time Frame:**

The SIP grant period was from July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2006. Case
information was tracked over three consecutive quarters from January 1,
2006 through September 30, 2006.

**Results:**

The project produced dramatic results in the approximately 850 cases in
which support orders were obtained. Telephone contact with NCPs was
particularly effective. Among the nearly 400 experimental group cases
with orders, the project saw an **increase in collections of \$53,000**
over the 439 control group cases during the 9-month period in 2006 as
well as a **slowing in the growth rate of arrears by \$129,432**. As of
June 2007, the gap between unpaid current support in non-EPIC and EPIC
cases grew to \$139,423. The unpaid current support in the EPIC cases
represents about 1/3 of the total unpaid current support. Further, since
the project ended, between June 2006 and June 2007, **65 percent of the
original test cases have been paying current support and have no
arrearages** so they require no enforcement.

The cumulative total of FFY2004 Collections on Current Support at the
end of June 2004, before the project started, was 59 percent. By June
2006, when the project ended, that figure increased to 61 percent. In
June 2007, it had increased again to

62 percent.

Additional positive results included a dramatic reduction in default
orders (11 percent in the experimental group versus 65 percent in the
control group) and virtual elimination of reliance on presumed income to
calculate order amounts (compared to a reliance rate of approximately 20
percent in control group cases) and an overall improvement in the
department's performance in collection on current support. Personal
assessments with NCPs have driven down the cost of outsourcing process
service and reduced the number of staff assigned to case establishment
for an **overall cost savings in salaries and consultant services of
\$120,145.**

**Costs:**

The costs of this initiative exceeded the \$200,000 SIP grant with one
time design and implementation costs. However, the performance
improvement was considered to be well worth the investment. Currently,
the number of staff needed to manage all new cases for the department
has been cut in half. There are also fewer support staff needed to
follow-up on locate tasks.

**Contact:**

Karen M. Roye

Director, San Francisco Department of Child Support Services

<karen.roye@sfgov.org> 

415.356.2919  

For further information on the Project to Avoid Increasing Delinquencies
(PAID), please contact your Regional Program Specialist or
<PAID@acf.hhs.gov>.

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Update: #6

***Employing Early Intervention***

**State: Pennsylvania -- Crawford County**

**Practice:** Employment Training Services for Noncustodial Parents

Many noncustodial parents (NCPs) do not have the ability to meet their
financial responsibilities to their children because of job dislocation,
literacy issues, and other barriers to employment. Pennsylvania's State
Department of Labor and Industry office (Career Link) in Crawford County
has the resources to help NCPs overcome these barriers. The Crawford
County Domestic Relations Section (DRS) has developed an effective
collaboration with Career Link to help NCPs meet their child support
obligations.

The partnership provides the resources and monitoring necessary to meet
the goals of the program:

-   Provide NCPs with the tools to become employable and better provide
    for their families.

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-   Increase collections for the children and provide a non-punitive
    enforcement tool that is productive for the parent and the
    community.

The program has several distinct components:

1.  The NCP receives a court order to search for work at Career Link.

2.  Career Link provides the NCP with tools to assist in his or her job
    search (e.g., attendance at job search workshops, job placement
    assistance).

3.  There is a weekly communication process between DRS and Career Link
    staff.

Career Link staff is assisting DRS staff to understand how their
employment website and job referral process work, enabling DRS staff to
better manage client job search efforts. Also, DRS now obtains copies of
sign in sheets from Career Link for chronically unemployed clients to
better assess both how much time the client actually spends in job
search and what services the client may need in order to become
employed.

**Time Frame:**

The program started in September 2006 and continues to the present.

**Results:**

Crawford County is a rural county with approximately 4,000 cases.
Similar to other rural counties, Crawford faces many economic challenges
(e.g. job dislocation).

The result of the collaboration between DRS and Career Link are
impressive. From October 2006 through June 2007:

:

-   144 NCPs have been ordered to participate in the program

-   87 NCPs have been employed or removed from the program -- 77 are
    employed and 10 were removed

-   57 NCPs are active participants

-   80 NCPs would have been scheduled for contempt if not for their
    participation in the program while only 3 NCPs were actually
    scheduled for contempt after failure to participate in the program

As a direct result of the collaboration, collections between October
2006 and June 2007 totaled \$86,536 for the county. **Projected over the
Federal Fiscal Year, this one initiative will increase collections by
almost 2%.**

**Costs:**

There are no specific costs associated with this project. The monitoring
and job training costs are paid from existing budgets.

**Contact:**

Carla Smith

<CarlaSmith@PACSES.com>

For further information on the Project to Avoid Increasing Delinquencies
(PAID), please contact your Regional Program Specialist or
<PAID@acf.hhs.gov>.

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Update: #7

***Improving Locate and Enforcement***

**State: Illinois**

**Practice: Working with the Address Change Service**

In 2002, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services,
Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE), initiated an investigation
to determine the feasibility of interfacing with the United States
Postal Service's (USPS) Address Change Service (ACS) in an effort to
reduce the amount of undeliverable mail returned from the USPS. Illinois
estimated that of the 3,000,000 mail pieces sent annually by DCSE,
300,000 pieces (10 percent) were returned as undeliverable.

Recognizing the need to improve mail processing, Illinois implemented an
automated interface with ACS in January 2003. Although the initial focus
was to reduce the manual effort of processing undeliverable mail,
Illinois also programmed its child support database, Key Information
Delivery System (KIDS), to update addresses automatically from the
electronic notices received from ACS.

**Time Frame:**

The testing of the interface with ACS started in September 2002 and went
into full production January 2003.

**Results:**

The **total annual savings** for Fiscal Year 2007**, which include
postal discount savings of \$292,030 and mail processing savings of
\$225,053, are \$517,083.** These savings are based on the elimination
of forwarding fees and the reduction of staff and work hours to process
undeliverable mail and update participant addresses manually.

Additional savings realized but not included in this analysis are the
reduction in postage gained by not sending mail to an undeliverable
address, reduction in mailroom staff time required to sort undeliverable
mail and mail forwarded notices, elimination of mailing Address
Information Requests to post offices to validate addresses, and
elimination of manually validating addresses.

Also not included in the annual savings are the efficiencies and
benefits from the KIDS interface with ACS, which has allowed Illinois to
accomplish the following:

-   **Reduce staff in the mail processing unit from 17 workers to 2
    workers.**

-   Electronically enter an end date to old addresses based on the
    undeliverable reason codes provided by USPS. If a new change of
    address is provided, the address where the mail was originally sent
    is electronically end dated and the new address is activated.

-   Electronically enter new mail addresses provided by USPS.

-   Mail an address verification letter directly to the new mail
    > address.

-   Eliminate backlog of undeliverable mail.

-   Assist with the reduction of undistributed receipts.

Illinois is planning to expand the interface with ACS to update employer
addresses.

**Costs:**

The programming required to develop the interface with ACS was 350
hours. There were approximately another 200 hours involved in getting
the more than 250 documents generated by the automated system to be ACS
compliant.

**Contact:**

Mike Troesch

Mike.Troesch@illinois.gov

217-782-1380

For further information on the Project to Avoid Increasing Delinquencies
(PAID), please contact your Regional Program Specialist or
<PAID@acf.hhs.gov>.

*NOTE :*

*Given Illinois' success with ACS, the Federal Office of Child Support
Enforcement (OCSE) conducted an analysis to determine if ACS could be
implemented at a national level. Based on this analysis, ACS was not
considered a viable option for OCSE since it required the user to send a
piece of mail to match against the ACS system. With the exception of
Federal Offset notices, OCSE does not send mail. However, the analysis
offered insight into another product offered by the USPS, called the
National Change of Address (NCOA). OCSE initiated analysis of the NCOA
since it offered similar benefits to ACS. Whereas the ACS system was
developed to assist the mail process in the forwarding of mail pieces,
NCOA was developed to help private sector and Federal/State agencies
manage their mailing lists. The NCOA offers States an opportunity to
receive change of address information prior to sending mailings thus
reducing costs associated with sending mail to incorrect addresses. OCSE
is expecting to implement the NCOA interface in the Fall of 2008.*

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UPdate #8

***Employing Early Intervention***

**State: Missouri**

**Practice:** Sorting Cases to Improve Collections

Missouri's Family Support Division implemented a new approach to the
enforcement of child support and medical support obligations.
Previously, cases were divided into individual caseloads by alphabetic
split. Under the new structure, the Missouri Automated Child Support
System (MACSS) automatically assigns cases to a particular category
based on the noncustodial parent's circumstance and specific criteria.
Rather than individual caseloads, the cases in each category are worked
by a team of individuals. Work activities for each category are
generated to the appropriate team via system alerts, auto-generated
forms, and category reports. If there is a change in circumstances, such
that the case meets the criteria for a different category, MACSS
automatically moves the case to the new category without worker
intervention. The four categories are as follows.

1.  NCP not paying, no enforcement remedies exist (e.g., NCP is
    receiving SSI or TANF benefits, s/he is incarcerated with no
    resources, cannot be located). These cases are monitored for changes
    in circumstances and/or location of NCP or NCP resources. Once
    enforcement action can be taken, the case moves to Category Two.

2.  NCP not paying, enforcement remedies exist (i.e., the agency has
    taken enforcement action, however the case has not paid for three
    consecutive months so it does not yet meet the criteria for Category
    Four; or the case has an enforcement remedy available that has not
    yet been completed).

3.  NCP resides in another State and interstate referral is or should be
    completed.

4.  NCP paying for a minimum of three consecutive months.

Because staff teams are now assigned to a specific category of cases,
they can develop specialized expertise related to that type of case. For
example, a person assigned to

Category Three can become an expert on interstate case processing while
Category One staff focus on locate processes. The specialization leads
to more efficient handling of work as well as improved performance.

**Time Frame:**

This new approach was piloted in four of Missouri's child support
offices for six months between January and June 2006. Statewide
implementation began in October 2006 and was completed in December 2006.

**Results:**

Pilot results showed an average 10 percent increase overall in
enforcement actions taken and a 7 percent increase in cases meeting the
criteria for, and moving to, Category Four.

In the first six months of statewide implementation, as compared to the
previous six months, **enforcement actions increased by approximately 14
percent.** Category Four cases increased by 2 percent between January
and May 2007 while **cases paying towards arrears increased by 9
percent.**

**Costs:**

Missouri estimates that about 2000 hours of programming were required to
make the required system changes. These changes included identifying
triggers from known information in the system (such as employment,
address, interstate referral) to "move" the case to the appropriate
category. Also, on certain screens in their automated system, there is a
category field which displays the category that the case is in.

** **

**Contact:**

Alyson Campbell

<Alyson.F.Campbell@dss.mo.gov>

573-522-2106

For further information on the Project to Avoid Increasing Delinquencies
(PAID), please contact your Regional Program Specialist or
<PAID@acf.hhs.gov>.