Documentation

Maintain Case Comments

The following information must be recorded on the Maintain Case Comments window:

  • Content of the intake interview.
  • CF 285 or SAWS 1 and/or SAWS 2 Plus were reviewed QUESTION- BY-QUESTION WITH THE APPLICANT.
  • CalFresh rights and responsibilities explained and the APPLICANT'S UNDERSTANDING OF THEM.
  • CF 23 SAR given to the applicant.
  • SAR 7A given to the applicant as well as provided an explanation of semi-annual reporting to the household.
  • Contacts, either written or in person (phone, home visit, office visit) indicating a change or potential change in the case, i.e., household composition, income or property change. Explain all decisions based on anticipated circumstances where AN ALTERNATE ACTION COULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN.
  • Justification for unusual or special actions taken by the EW, INCLUDING VERIFICATION OF QUESTIONABLE INFORMATION.
  • Social Security information.
  • Scheduling of appointments.
  • Date forms were processed or actions were taken.
  • Eligibility for Medi-Cal or other programs explored and explained if potentially eligible.
  • Any additional or questionable information that would be helpful to the next EW assigned to the case.

Client Access

The client is entitled to review the Maintain Case Comments window as a part of the case record.  ONLY factual information and actions taken or proposed should be documented.

State Requirements [63-300.56]

“Case files must be documented to support eligibility, ineligibility, and benefit level determinations. Documentation must be in sufficient detail to permit a reviewer to determine the reasonableness and accuracy of the determination.”

  • For public assistance cases, public assistance verification rules and documentation must be acceptable for eligibility factors which must be verified to determine both public assistance and CalFresh eligibility.
  • The household must not be required to provide duplicate documentation to the County.
  • Where verification was required to resolve questionable information, the EW must document why the information was considered questionable, or at a minimum indicate where in the case file the inconsistency exists, and what documentation was used to resolve the questionable information.
  • The EW must document (except where a collateral contact is used to verify residency or household size) the reason why an alternate source of verification, such as a collateral contact or home visit, was needed, and the reason a collateral contact was rejected and an alternate requested.

Related Topics

Application Forms