Units

The Greene County Department of Social Services strives to meet the needs of the County’s population, as provided by Federal and State statutes, in a consistent, courteous, and efficient manner while promoting optimum independence of each individual. View Services

Accounting Unit

The Accounting Unit is responsible for all fiscal activities of the department including claiming, payments, accounts, and budgeting. Some of the major functions include:

  1. Maintains all fiscal accounts of the department.
  2. Receives and disburses agency funds.
  3. Assigns program costs throughout the agency (cost allocation). Prepares and submits claims to OTDA and OCFS for State reimbursement of program and administrative costs incurred by the agency.
  4. Reviews and approves all authorizations of payment.
  5. Manages petty cash fund and Commissioner’s Revolving Fund.
  6. Maintains employee payroll and time records.
  7. Prepares and monitors the agency budget.

Central Assessment Unit

The Central Assessment unit determines, through the referral and UASNY Community Health Assessment, the need for services for any program it offers and makes any necessary referrals.

Referral

  • NHTD – Nursing Home Transition Diversion waiver
  • TBI – Traumatic Brain Injury waiver
  • HCBS – Home and Community Based Service waiver (OPWDD)
  • Department of Human Services – formerly Department for Aging & Youth Bureau

Programs

  • PCA (Personal Care Aide) – MA
  • 1915C Children’s Waiver – MA
  • ALP (Assisted Living Program) – MA
  • CDPAP (Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program) – MA
  • PERS Units – Personal Emergency Response Systems

Services

  • Medicaid recipients – waivered fee

Child Support Unit

Title IV-D of the Social Security Act requires that each state operate a child support program. In New York State this program is divided into the Support Collection Unit (SCU) and the Child Support Enforcement Unit (CSEU).

All services are provided free of charge to all residents in Greene County who request our services.

Clients applying for temporary assistance, medical assistance and foster care services must be referred to the Child Support Unit.

The Child Support Online Enrollment Wizard allows individuals to enroll in child support services online – eliminating the need to visit a child support office or mail in a paper enrollment form.  This new feature reduces paperwork and processing time for enrollees. Online Enrollment Wizard

Child Support Enforcement Unit (CSEU)

  1. Interviews clients and obtains necessary information and documentation
  2. Established paternity through blood testing, written acknowledgment and court records.
  3. Files court petitions to establish support payments.
  4. Identifies and locates absent parents whenever possible.
  5. Enforces support collection and enforces the conditions of a court order.

Support Collection Unit (SCU)

  1. Oversees the process of child support payments sent to the state.
  2. Oversees the disbursement of child support funds sent monthly by the state to clients.
  3. Maintains accounting records and banking records.
  4. Prepares financial records for court hearings.

Children’s Services Unit

The Children’s Services Unit is divided into Child Welfare (CW) and Child Protective Services (CPS). All services are available regardless of income.

Child Protective Services

Child Protective Services (CPS) has the responsibility of receiving and investigating reports of suspected child abuse and/or maltreatment of any child under the age of 18 years old. Reports are received from the State Central Registry and must investigations be initiated within 24 hours by a caseworker. Caseworkers have 60 days to make a determination on the report.

During the investigation the caseworker must determine if there is credible evidence to substantiate the allegations. If so, the report is indicated as being true and protective services are continued. An indicated report is sealed and kept on file until 10 years after the youngest child’s 18th birthday.  If the report is not substantiated it is considered unfounded. The unfounded report is sealed and kept on file for 10 years.

Foster Care (FC)

Foster care is a service in which children are placed in certified foster homes, group homes or residential facilities approved by the state for the purpose of 24 hour care. All children in placement have the Commissioner as their custodian.

Children may be placed due to an emergency removal by CPS because of the risk of imminent danger. Other children are placed through the court system because they have been adjudicated a Person in Need of Supervision (PINS) or a Juvenile Delinquent (JD). In limited cases a child may be voluntarily placed in foster care by a parent who is temporarily unable to care for the child due to illness, incarceration or any other temporary inability to meet the child’s needs.

Casework counseling and referral to clinical and rehabilitative services are integral components of this service in order to meet the Permanency Plan to return the child to the natural parent. Finding qualified foster families who can provide the love and guidance that these children desperately require is a difficult task. The certification requirements are stringent to ensure the well being of the children placed in care. Thirty hours of classroom training are required and are provided by other voluntary agencies that social services works collaboratively with on shared cases.

Adoption Services (CW)

Adoption services are provided to all children under 18 years old who are legally free for adoption. Children become free for adoption when the natural parent’s rights have been terminated. Termination of parental rights can occur when the parent willingly signs legal documents, before a judge, surrendering the child for adoption. Termination of parental rights also occurs when a child is adjudicated by a Family Court Judge, as :permanently neglected or abused.” All “freed” children are under the guardianship of the Commissioner of Social Services.

“Freed” children 14 years of age and older may choose not to be adopted and remain in foster care under the Independent Living Program. With release to independence as their goal, children are taught basic life skills to enable them to be successful. They will remain in foster care until 18 years old, or with their consent until age 21.

Adoption homefinding is also a part of the adoption process. Adults who wish to adopt may apply free of charge. An intensive homestudy process and 30 hours of training are required. If the homestudy is approved, the applicants can then be matched with freed children across New York State who are photo listed in books which are referred to as the “Blue Books.”

Post-Adoption Help for Families

Preventive Services (CW)

Preventive Services are intensive casework intervention coupled with referral to clinical services provided to children & their families for the purpose of averting a disruption of a family which will or could result in placement of a child in foster care.  This service is also provided to families whose child is in placement to reduce the length of time in foster care, as well as, to prevent a return to foster care following discharge.

Caseworkers assist parents to gain access to services, encourage them to begin treatment for drug abuse, alcohol addiction and emotional problems. They are encouraged to attend parenting skills classes and referred to services such as day care, medical providers, schools and job training programs.

Referrals come through CPS reports, Family court, Probation, other agencies, as well as, client requests. Services are offered regardless of income.

Data Entry Unit & The Welfare Management System

The Data Entry Unit oversees the system and equipment, produces reports and trouble shoots system problems.

Welfare Management System (WMS) is a statewide automated network that supports the administration of human services programs that provide cash, medical, SNAP, energy assistance, services for adults, children and child support.

WMS has numerous subsystems that create business processes for agencies at the state and local level to deliver benefits to the state’s low income population. WMS connects the entire state to a central computer located in Albany, allowing a common database of stored information shared by the districts.

Some of the statewide systems are as follows:

  • “Connections” is a child welfare computer system providing documentation of information about families and children in the state.
  • E-Med New York through the Department of Health is a data collection system for Medicaid, handles, billing, Third Party Health Insurance, Medicare Buy-In, and the Managed Care Program.
  • WRTS – Welfare Reporting and Tracking System is a data base which tracks the client’s receipt of countable benefits and performance, supports the production of operational reports and notices.
  • Assets/CMS- Automated State Support Enforcement and Tracking System is a system that helps locate absent parents and oversees the financial contribution made to families.
  • CNS – Automated Client Notices – statewide uniform notification of local eligibility decisions to the clients. Automated vendor billing payment systems such as utility, electric and gas payments, foster care provider and child support collections payments.
  • BICS – Benefit Issuance Control System that uses the information entered through WMS on a nightly basis to produce case payments, management and financial reports, vendor payments and reimbursement for expenditures.
  • CAMS – The Cash Management Subsystem is cash collection and accounting system designed to accept and track money paid to local districts.
  • CenterPort – Is a central point of access through the internet and intranet providing access to personalized collection of information and computer application on one summary screen.
  • CCFS – Child Care Facility System is a comprehensive data base tracking 38,000 licensed and registered day care providers and added program support functions.
  • EBT – Electronic Benefit Transfer is an automated benefit delivery system that delivers both cash and food stamp benefits to recipients through the use of common benefit identification card (CBIC) and Personal Identification Number (PIN) and electronic transfer of funds. The system uses a debit card process to obtain food and cash assistance which reduces the opportunities for misuse and fraud.
  • FHDMS – Fair Hearing Decision Management System – Schedules hearings and posts the final determinations.
  • TTS – WEBSTAR – Delegated Administration is the security systems for sign-on and functions for all system users. It also creates updates and deletes worker’s security profiles.

Fraud and Resource Unit

The Fraud Unit is responsible for the investigation of all allegations of welfare fraud. These allegations are received from the general public, agency staff, employers, law enforcement agencies, etc. The Fraud Unit is also responsible for case preparation, including collection of supporting documentation and the preparation of overpayment budgets. The District Attorney then reviews the case to determine if the case should be prosecuted or disposed of administratively. These cases also carry disqualification from the assistance programs. There are several options for submitting fraud allegations.

ALL SUBMISSIONS OF FRAUD ALLEGATIONS ARE STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

You may report any type of fraud directly to the Greene County Department of Social Services, including Medicaid, SNAP, Temporary Assistance, HEAP, and vendor/provider fraud. Call (518)719-3648 or stop into the office to report the allegation.

You may also report Medicaid Fraud to NYS Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) by calling (877)87-FRAUD. Allegations will be forwarded to the local office.

You may report Temporary Assistance, SNAP and HEAP fraud allegations to the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) by filling out an online complaint on their website. These allegations will be forwarded to the local office.

Report Welfare Fraud

 

The Recovery Unit is responsible for the collection and monitoring of all fraud overpayment collections by maintaining an overpayment case file on all fraud cases with overpayments. This unit also interacts with clients with questions regarding fraud overpayments.

The Resource Unit is responsible for recovering funds from available resources such as property (liens) and the collection of funds from Personal Needs Accounts from nursing homes. The unit conducts property searches and is responsible for the preparation and filing of all pertinent legal documents. As of 2011, this agency contracted with Health Management Systems (HMS) who handle accident liens, claims against estates, Medicaid real property liens, and trust accounts. HMS is located at 2 Winner Circle, Suite 220, Albany, NY and can be reached by calling (877)331-1460

The agency has two full-time attorneys on staff.

The attorneys provide legal advice to the various divisions within the Department of Social Services and represents the Agency in Family Court cases and in related matters in other courts and legal forums. Among their chief duties are prosecuting abuse and neglect cases in Family Court as well as aiding in Adult Services cases. Other responsibilities also include representing the agency at fair hearings, some child support enforcement cases and fraud/resources proceedings, as needed.

Staff Development

The Staff Development Coordinator is responsible for conducting orientation for new Social Services staff as well as scheduling training or education programs which are deemed necessary for the completion of appropriate job duties. This includes registering employees at state and local sponsored training sessions, as well as arranging for in-house training sessions.

Other duties include:

  1. Conducts needs assessments.
  2. Prepares state and local reports.
  3. Maintains staff training records and library.
  4. Participates in the hiring and promotion of staff.
  5. Deals with some personnel issues while facilitating the resolution of personnel/management issues.
  6. Coordinates the development and distribution of department policy.
  7. Develops and conducts some in-service training programs or obtains training for identified needs.
  8. Helps in corrective action processes and quality control.
  9. Enrolls staff in state offered training through the STARS Computer System.
  10. Maintains the Office Automation System called OFIS-LINK.
  11. Schedules the use of the training room.
  12. Assists the Commissioner an designated projects.
  13. Writes policies and procedures for all staff.