Diversifying Customer Service: NYC Child Support Program Overview

1. Diversifying Customer Service Date Presenter: Frances Pardus-abbadessa Executive Deputy Commissioner Office of Child Support Enforcement NYC Human Resources Administration ERICSA 50th Annual Training Conference & Exposition ▪ May 19 – 23 ▪ Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, Florida ERICSA 50 CELEBRATES YEARS OF SERVING FAMILIES: THE MAGIC IS STILL ALIVE ERICSA ERICSA ERICSA ERICSA ERICSA

2. Overview of the NYC Child Support Program NYC Customer Services Walk-in Center Services Available for NCPs and CPs Questions

3. Overview of NYC Child Support Program • NYC Child Support is state supervised and locally administered. • New York is a judicial state. • As a judicial state, orders are established, modified and enforced by the NYC Family Court. • The operation is a specialized model rather than case management model. • NYC Child Support sites are located throughout the 5 boroughs: • Staff are located in each of the five Family Courts to serve Non-Cash Assistance families • Families receiving Cash Assistance meet with a child support worker in the borough they reside. All CA cases are processed in one Family Court. • One Customer Service Office in Manhattan • One Administrative Office in Manhattan

4. Overview of NYC Child Support Program

5. Overview of NYC Child Support Program

6. Overview of NYC Child Support Program

7. Overview of the NYC Child Support Program NYC Customer Services Walk-in Center Services Available for NCPs and CPs Questions

8. Customer Services • Customer Services Walk-in Center • Customer Service Results for the FY 2012: • Customers Served (CPs and NCPs) 49,984 • Debt Reduction Customers 2,673 • CPs 8,403 • NCPs 34,756 • Average Customer Transaction Time: 37 mins (19% improvement from 2011) • Average Customer Wait Time: 15 mins (21% improvement from 2011) • Number of customers served after 5pm: 4,735 • Top Five Customer Service Issues: • Account Issues: 24,752 • DMV Suspensions: 7,154 • Enforcement Actions: 5,098 • Debt Reduction Services 2,482 • Administrative Changes 2,986

9. Customer Services • Making Good Customer Service Better • Reduce Customer Wait Time • Understand who your customers are and offer services for both parents • Understand the customer’s journey and need of service • Standardize processes across all interaction channels and programs • Deliver consistent information across all communications (flyers, websites, etc.) • Empower your Customer Service Representatives with information and resources • Provide a good customer service experience through patience, consideration, and expertise

10. Focus on Service, Technology, and Process

11. Challenges Engaging Customers • NCPs are usually irate after an enforcement action and may walk-in for services • NCPs are both emotionally charged and feeling anxiety after an enforcement action takes place • Sometimes both the CP and NCP are walking in together to resolve issues • NCPs sometimes threaten to harm themselves or staff. • Customers don’t often have proper documentation to complete the transaction • Customers have to make repeat visits to the Center • Customers are only focused on the immediate issue and don’t consider all of their options • Customers lack the resources to pay their entire debt or meet their support obligations • Customers often have high arrears or high CS obligations because they failed to respond or show-up for court • Customers don’t seek services immediately when their financial situation changes • Customers believe thechild support program only cares about the mom. • The child support program cares about the child and ensuring the process works fairly for both parents.

12. Strategic Partnerships • Strategic Partnerships with other Government Agencies and CBOs • NYC Department of Education • NYC Department of Corrections • NYC Department of Homeless Services • NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene • NYC Housing Authority • New York City Office to Combat Domestic Violence • New York City Department of Youth & Community Development • NYS Division of Parole • NYS Office of Court Administration • NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance • NYC Borough Presidents Office • US Department of Health and Human Services • New York City Comptroller’s Office • New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, Office of Financial Empowerment • Greater New York Hospital Association • City University of New York • HRA Back to Work Vendors • NYC Administration for Children’s Services, Division of Youth and Family Justice • NYC Department of Probation • NYC Office of the Mayor, Citywide Fatherhood Initiative

13. Linked to the Community • Our program is linked to the community. The goal is to promote services and educate the public about the child support program and the array of services we offer. • Community-Based Services • Outreach staff • Establish and maintain relationships with community and government partners. • Educate the partner staff and clients on the child support program using presentations, flyers, & brochures. • Conduct on-site case reviews & bring debt reduction programs on-site to community organizations • Provide partners with financial status of NCPs who give their permission’ Information transmitted electronically • Play web-based videos targeted to CPs and NCPs in all waiting areas. • http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL96029D7C0A2CF332&feature=plcp • Customer Services Office • Received nearly 600 referrals from community-based organizations • Customer Service liaisons offer immediate services to community-based referrals • Offer employment service referrals to connect low-income NCPs with employment programs . • Reviews all cases that seek services for • referral to employment programs • eligibility for applicable debt-reduction programs

14. Overview of the NYC Child Support Program NYC Customer Services Walk-in Center Services Available for NCPs and CPs Questions

15. Services for Custodial Parents • Offer cash assistance families the option to establish paternity, support and medical support orders outside of court via an agreement • Offer an electronic child support application to families in homeless shelters • Educate organizations that serve custodial parents on the benefits of the child support program to strengthen families and increase household income. • Ensuring all clients applying for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program receive information on the benefits of the child support program and how to apply for services • Ensuring caseworkers serving cash assistance clients explain the benefits of the child support program and dispel myths at the start of each interview.

16. Services Available For NCPs Modified DSS Order (MDO) • Provides an opportunity for very low-income NCPs whose children are receiving cash assistance to have their child support order lowered, to reflect their actual income (those earning at or below the State Self-Support Reserve, $15,080), without going to court. • Operates under the theory that NCPs are more likely to pay an order that they can actually afford. • Results: • Reduced orders for 125 NCPs by an average of $325/month • Average order adjusted down to $63/month • 64% of participants paid child support after enrolling, compared to the 57% who did before they enrolled.

17. Services Available For NCPs Arrears Cap • NCPs with arrears owed to DSS, that accrued while they earned at or below the federal poverty level ($11,170), may have their arrears adjusted down to $500 without going to court. NCPs must provide documentation of their income for each such year. • Results: • Reduced arrears for 1,095 NCPs by $10 million, since the program began in 2008. • Nine months after the adjustment, 65% (320) of participants paid their current child support, compared to only 58% who did before. 47.5% (448) have now paid their outstanding debt in full, allowing us to collect over $840,000. •  Data as of September 28, 2012

18. Services Available For NCPs Arrears Credit Program • Reduces arrears payable to DSS up to $5,000 per year for 3 years if the NCP pays their current support order consistently for a full year. • Results: • 42 NCPs have signed an agreement since the start of the modified program in March of 2010.

19. Services Available For NCPs Employment Services Referrals for Low-income NCPs • Families WORK (Work Opportunities and Resources Kit) • Began in 2011 • Connects NCPs with a child support order to employment • Assess NCPs for other support services • 143 NCPs connected to jobs and $72,000 collected • Support Through Employment Program (STEP) • Partnership with 7 HRA Back to Work Program vendors (providing job skills & placement) • 5,000 NCPs are referred annually • 52% have a positive outcome • 48% fail to comply • $36 million was collected in CY12 from all NCPs ever referred to the program • Results: Connects NCPS to work or compels NCP who work ‘off the books’ to begin making payments.

20. Re-entry Services Available For NCPs Services to the Incarcerated • Our goal is to reduce recidivism and promote compliance with child support • Connect them to employment; • Educate them on the child support rules; • Assist them with their child support debt or high orders; and • Connect them to community based mediation services. • We have a strong partnership with serving thousands of individuals • NYC Dept of Correction at Rikers Island • NYC Dept of Probation • Queensboro Correctional Facility

21. Re-entry Services Available • Department of Probation • web-based application project that gives DOP officers (in the Bronx) access to child support data • Between April 2012 and March 2013, 65 DOP officers have accessed the DOP application 754 times. • Riker’s Island • Visit once a week • Provide presentations and a video on child support. • Meet individually with clients and discuss the expectations of the child support program, • review the current status of the inmate’s cases, • prescreen the case for debt reduction program • provide information on employment, mediation and our customer services office. • As of July 2012, provided presentations to 1,543 inmates and individual consultations to 691 inmates. • 756 open cases, • 79% have child support orders • average monthly order is $326 and the average arrears owed is $12,124.

22. Services Available • Queensboro Correctional Facility • Present & meet individually with inmates • Since February 2011 presented to 1,675 inmates. • Problem Solving Court (Jan 2011) • NCPs before the court for nonpayment are referred to this program in Brooklyn • Provide intensive case management • NCPs referred to employment programs and other service providers as needed • Intensive court oversight to ensure compliance with program plan • After six months of paying child support, participants graduate from the program. • 77 NCPs are currently enrolled and 43 have graduated. • 38% of previously unemployed NCPs have since found employment. • 77% of nonpayers have made child support payments • Total collections $231,008 • Avg. Order Amount: $297 • Avg. Arrears: $16,575 • 88% of NCPs Owe Arrears to CP not DSS

23. Services Available Settlement Agreement • Targeted to NCPs age 55 plus with large debt to gvt • Unlikely to ever make payments due to their age, health or financial circumstances. • Negotiate a lump sum payment • Results: • 3,200 letters sent • 900 calls/letters received in response to the initial mailing • 67 offers made as of April: (28 accepted, 32 under review,7 withdrawn) • $117,000 collected from those accepted; $590,000 gvt debt reduced

24. Overview of the NYC Child Support Program NYC Customer Services Walk-in Center Services Available for NCPs and CPs Questions

25. Questions & Answers Frances Pardus-abbadessa Executive Deputy Commissioner ad9132@dfa.state.ny.us