Issue 75 | 16 October 2006
There are currently a large number of clients who are overdue to have a DMI reassessment completed. Reassessments are due on the two-year anniversary of when they were first completed. If the DMI reassessment is not completed, authorised payments will be suspended and the case will ultimately be exited. The following rules are automated in FOFMS:
It is your responsibility to monitor DMI assessment and DMI reassessment dates. If your clients have their payments suspended or their cases exited as a result of DMI assessment or DMI reassessment dates not being met, you will not be back-paid.
You can monitor when your service’s clients are due for a DMI assessment and DMI reassessment by simply using the predefined queries that are built into FOFMS. To access the predefined queries you will need to be in the ‘Cases’ view. Then, from the ‘Queries’ drop down menu you can select either:You should run these queries each month to help you monitor and plan your services DMI reassessment workload.
If your clients are exited because a DMI assessment or DMI reassessment was not completed and authorised within the due dates, you will need to contact the FOFMS Helpdesk to request that the case status be reset to 'Return from Suspension'. Once the case status is reset you will have one month to complete and authorise the required assessment. If the required assessment is not completed within that one-month period the case will be exited again and you will need to create a new case. You will also need to complete and authorise an Intake Assessment to receive payments for supporting this client.
To help you monitor DMI assessment and re-assessment dates, FOFMS also auto-generates an activity to notify case workers that a DMI reassessment is due. You need to ensure that you keep the case worker current in FOFMS, otherwise the notifying activity will be sent to the wrong person.[ top ]
The Client must sign a Client Consent form before you complete and authorise their Intake Assessment. The consent information package, including the Client Consent Form, is on the Literature site in FOFMS.
The $500 Intake Fee and monthly Employment Assistance payments for new cases are not payable until an Intake Assessment has been completed and authorised on FOFMS. Case Based Funding payments do not begin until the Intake Assessment has been authorised. FaCSIA will not backdate Intake Assessments, or make back-payments. If you do not authorise the Intake Assessment your service risks a reduced funding flow for that client.
If you create a client and case record in FOFMS and do not complete and authorise the Intake Assessment not only are your payments effected, but the total cases and vacancies of your service are also affected. When you create a case record in FOFMS it is considered an active case and included in the count of your total cases, which reduces your number of vacancies. If you do not complete and authorise an Intake Assessment you will not receive funding for the client but they are also occupying a place in your business service that could otherwise be filled and funded by another client.
Cases that have been created but do not have an Intake Assessment completed or authorised have a status of 'Draft' in FOFMS. You should review you case list for any cases with a Draft status and either complete and authorise an Intake Assessment or exit the record.[ top ]
FaCSIA is currently reviewing the DEA Program Procedures to provide clarity about when you should suspend a client’s case, additional information about CBF and FOFMS processing, and a general review now that the full transition to CBF has been finalised. Once the review of the Programme Procedures is completed we will notify you of the changes, what they mean for you and how to obtain an updated copy.
There have been some issues surrounding the referral processes involving Centrelink and Jobseeker Capacity Assessors. FaCSIA is working with Centrelink to clarify the referral process and it is expected that an agreed process will be available within a few weeks. Once the process is clarified we will notify you of how to obtain information about the referral process.
In the mean time it is very important that you make time to meet your local Job Capacity Assessor. This will provide the Job Capacity Assessor with a better understanding of your particular service. A list of Job Capacity Assessors can be found on the Job Capacity Assessment website.
For further information about Job Capacity Assessments and some useful fact sheets please go to the Job Capacity Assessment website.[ top ]
From 20 September 2006, parents and immediate family members can place up to $500,000 into a Special Disability Trust for the current and future care and accommodation of the person with severe disability, without being affected by social security means test and gifting rules. A model trust deed and companion booklet which explains the various clauses and application of the Special Disability Trust are available on the FaCSIA website.
Queries about the Special Disability Trust should be directed to Centrelink, as follows:
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Do not forget that written submissions are due to the consultation paper about the proposed changes to the National Disability Advocacy Program by 27 October 2006.
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Wodonga TAFE is seeking feedback on the next round of draft information and training products for disability employment and advocacy services. Please go to the Wodonga TAFE project website to review the drafts and to provide feedback.
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