TITLE 8 SOCIAL SERVICES

CHAPTER 100 GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

PART 390 GENERAL SUPPORT - INFORMATION SYSTEMS

8.100.390.1 ISSUING AGENCY: New Mexico Human Services Department.

[07/01/97; 8.100.390.1 NMAC - Rn, 8 NMAC 3.ISD.000.1, 04/13/2001]

8.100.390.2 SCOPE: The rule applies to the general public.

[07/01/97; 8.100.390.2 NMAC - Rn, 8 NMAC 3.ISD.000.2, 04/13/2001]

8.100.390.3 STATUTORY AUTHORITY:

A. Section 27 NMSA 1978 (1992 Repl.) provides for the department to "...adopt, amend and repeal bylaws, rules and regulations..." It also provides for administration of public assistance programs.

B. The income support division (ISD) of the human services department (HSD) was created by the HSD secretary under authority granted by Section 9-8-6-B-(3) NMSA 1978.

[07/01/97, 04/01/98; 8.100.390.3 NMAC - Rn, 8 NMAC 3.ISD.000.3 & 001, 04/13/2001]

8.100.390.4 DURATION: Permanent.

[07/01/97; 8.100.390.4 NMAC - Rn, 8 NMAC 3.ISD.000.4, 04/13/2001]

8.100.390.5 EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 1997.

[07/01/97; 8.100.390.5 NMAC - Rn, 8 NMAC 3.ISD.000.5, 04/13/2001]

8.100.390.6 OBJECTIVE: The objective of these regulations is to provide general policy and procedures for income support division (ISD) administered programs.

[07/01/97; 8.100.390.6 NMAC - Rn, 8 NMAC 3.ISD.000.6, 04/13/2001]

8.100.390.7 DEFINITIONS: [Reserved]

[07/01/97; 8.100.390.7 NMAC - Rn, 8 NMAC 3.ISD.000.7, 04/13/2001]

8.100.390.8 FORMS ANALYSIS, DESIGN, MANAGEMENT

A. Official form defined: An official form is any form with the department logo and a number assigned in central office. An official form must include a statement as to the purpose of the form and instructions for completion, distribution, and retention of the form.

(1) All statements regarding participant rights and responsibilities which appear on forms must be exactly as they are in the policy manual.

(2) Forms used in ISD field offices will be indexed in the forms manual.

B. Forms covered by these procedures and forms not covered by these procedures: All forms used in ISD county offices and intended for public use are to be developed in accordance with these procedures. Forms intended for internal office use only may be developed by an office without using these procedures. Internal use forms are forms not sent out of the office and not used, received, or reviewed by program participants.

C. Sources for new and revised forms and pamphlets: New forms and pamphlets, and revisions to existing forms and pamphlets, may be proposed and developed by each division, as well as other HSD staff. In addition, the public information officer may also initiate new pamphlets and revisions to existing pamphlets in coordination with the appropriate program staff.

D. Assigning form numbers: Each division is responsible for developing its own forms numbering system. Numbering systems should appear in some reasonable order. It is recommended that this be done in the order in which forms are used in case processing. Sufficient space should be left between form numbers to allow for expansion of the system.

E. Responsibilities

(1) Forms - program specific: The division, or program area responsible for the policy which is addressed by a form will have primary responsibility for the development and revision of the form. Each division will assign its own form numbers and maintain a log of its form numbers. A central log of all form numbers will also be kept by the graphics unit.

(2) ISD forms - program shared: Forms which are shared by more than one program and forms which do not involve any specific program will be assigned the suffix "ISD." The ISD form numbers log will be maintained by the ISD forms manager. The division or program area which proposes a new form or revision to an existing form will have primary responsibility for developing the new form or revising the existing form. The cost of producing the new or revised form will be prorated among the program areas which rely on the form. This proration will be based on caseload size.

(3) Forms - other sources: If the proposal for a new form or a revision comes from a field staff person or unit, the appropriate program, or division will review and approve the form prior to submission to the forms advisory team

(4) Pamphlets: Pamphlets should provide information and improve access to HSD programs. The most common purposes for the development of pamphlets are:

(a) HSD implements new programs;

(b) HSD makes significant policy changes; or

(c) auxiliary services are available.

(5) Responsibility for each pamphlet will reside with the which has primary responsibility for the policy issues addressed in the pamphlet. The unit which originates and develops the pamphlet will have responsibility for the distribution of the pamphlet within the department and elsewhere as required by the governing federal oversight agency. The public information officer will handle any other distribution of the pamphlet.

(6) All other situations: In the absence of clear responsibility, the forms advisory team will assign responsibility for the design and development of the new or revised form. The division forms manager is available for consultation on forms manual issues.

F. Forms review procedures: All proposed new forms will be typed or printed in draft for review. Drafts of revisions to existing forms will be submitted on copies of the existing forms with changes marked clearly in red. Once the draft of the form and its instructions are complete, it may be necessary for the draft and instructions to be submitted to various agencies for review. Not all forms will be reviewed. Some will be reviewed in all four areas below and some will receive no review in these areas.

(1) Literacy review: All applications and forms pertaining to the eligibility process must be reviewed for appropriate literacy level. This will be accomplished by the office which develops the new form or revises an existing form.

(2) Review by general counsel: Any form to be sent to or completed by HSD clients or applicants must be reviewed by the HSD Office of general counsel in order to assure compliance with current legal standards. All drafts of pamphlets and informational items for general distribution to the public must also be reviewed by the office of general counsel before being sent to the public information officer for final approval.

(3) Approval by the public information officer: Following review by the office of general counsel, all drafts of pamphlets and informational items for general distribution to the public will be sent to the public information officer for final approval (see PIO-033.1).

(4) Review by inspector general: Forms authorizing certain payment, e.g. client medical travel expense, may also require review by the office of the inspector general. This requirement may change periodically. Those developing or revising forms of this nature should first consult with the OIG. Forms requiring review in any of these areas must be returned for re-review if any changes are made.

G. Forms advisory team review: After the new or revised form has been given all necessary review, the form and its instructions will be forwarded to the ISD forms manager. The forms manager will acknowledge receipt of the form and notify the primary program of the date of the review by the forms advisory team. A member of the program staff should be present when the forms advisory team meets to review the new or revised form.

(1) For new and revised forms, the forms advisory team will consider:

(a) Does the form address a new policy or program change?

(b) Does the form address a significant policy change?

(c) Is a form necessary or would clear procedural instructions meet the needs of implementation?

(d) If the form is necessary, is it user friendly and time efficient, and will it enhance the accuracy rate of the department?

(2) For revised forms, the forms advisory team will also require that one of the following three conditions be met:

(a) the current form no longer addresses all policy issues;

(b) the revision will streamline the user's completion of the form; or

(c) the revision is necessary to comply with audit/accountability/program policy requirements.

(3) Once the form has been reviewed and approved by the forms advisory team, it will be returned to the originating staff for submission to the graphics unit for printing.

[07/01/97; 8.100.390.8 NMAC - Rn, 8 NMAC 3.ISD.398.1, 04/13/2001]

8.100.390.9 GRAPHICS UNIT PROCESS:

A. The originating staff will complete a request/format approval form HSD 053 (green copy), attach the approved draft, and submit to the graphics unit. All drafts of proposed new forms submitted to the graphics unit must be typed or printed. The request/format approval form must include:

(1) quantity;

(2) dimensions;

(3) weight and type of paper;

(4) color of paper and inks;

(5) multiple copies;

(6) padding;

(7) stapling;

(8) drilling;

(9) stitching;

(10) wrapping;

(11) and any other special instructions.

B. The graphics unit will prepare a camera ready copy and contact the GSD state printing facility to obtain a price quote for the preparation of the procurement document. The graphics unit will return the price quote with the specifications to the originating staff who will prepare the procurement document. A copy of the camera ready will be reviewed, approved, and signed for by the originating staff. After approval and signature by the originating staff, the graphics unit will submit the camera ready to the GSD's state printing facility for printing. In some instances, camera readies may be copied at the HSD copy center. This decision will be made by the originating staff.

[07/01/97; 8.100.390.9 NMAC - Rn, 8 NMAC 3.ISD.398.2, 04/13/2001]

8.100.390.10 AUTOMATED FORMS: Forms that are generated by automated systems are controlled by the information systems bureau general supporting policy section 8.100.390 NMAC.

[07/01/97; 8.100.390.10 NMAC - Rn, 8 NMAC 3.ISD.398, 04/13/2001]

8.100.390.11 HSD SUPPLY: For forms stored at the HSD central warehouse, originating staff should consult the warehouse manager to determine: inventory status of the form; status of outstanding orders; and estimated date the form supply will be exhausted. This information will be used to determine the quantity of revised forms to be ordered and the revision date to be indicated on the revised form. The warehouse will notify the originating staff within 24 hours of receipt of the revised form/pamphlet. The originating staff will not release the form or pamphlet to the field offices until the warehouse has stock from which the field can order.

[07/01/97; 8.100.390.11 NMAC - Rn, 8 NMAC 3.ISD.398.4, 04/13/2001]

8.100.390.12 RELEASE OF MANUAL REVISION: Once notified by the warehouse that a supply of the new or revised form is available, the originating staff will prepare the manual revision cover memo. A copy of the completed manual revision, form, and instructions will be submitted to the ISD forms manager. The forms manager will update the forms manual indexes and submit the manual revision to the director's office for signature and numbering. The signed and numbered manual revision will be returned by the director's office to the originating staff for distribution to the field.

[07/01/97; 8.100.390.12 NMAC - Rn, 8 NMAC 3.ISD.398.5, 04/13/2001]

8.100.390.13 REORDERING FORMS: To re-order forms, the originating staff member fills out a form order/re-order memo and submits it to the warehouse manager for processing. The warehouse manager will complete the purchase document and return it to the program staff for signature.

[07/01/97; 8.100.390.13 NMAC - Rn, 8 NMAC 3.ISD.398.6, 04/13/2001]

8.100.390.14 DISCONTINUATION OF FORMS: If an originating staff member determines a form is to be discontinued and destroyed, the originating staff will first consult with the forms advisory team. When the discontinuation or destruction of a form is agreed on, the originating staff will fill out a form discontinuation memo and submit it to the forms manager for processing along with a copy of the manual revision deleting the form from the forms manual. This will ensure the updating of the index. The forms manager will then submit the documents to the warehouse manager.

[07/01/97; 8.100.390.14 NMAC - Rn, 8 NMAC 3.ISD.398.7, 04/13/2001]

History of 8.100.390 NMAC:

Pre-NMAC History: [Reserved]

History of Repealed Material:

8 NMAC 3.ISD.390, General Support, Information Systems - Repealed, 7/1/97.