For general tips on helping your client access mainstream benefits programs, choose one of the following questions or scroll down.

	What are some things you can do when you first meet a client who is homeless?
	How can you help your clients successfully access mainstream benefit programs?
	What are some general tips for accessing mainstream benefit programs for your clients?
	How can you help your client establish documentation?
	How can you help your client if he/she is from a different state?
	How can you help a client with a criminal record?

What are some things you can do when you first meet a client who is homeless?

Tips for Case Managers

• Introduce yourself and give a brief explanation of why you are going to be asking some personal questions – to help them get the help they need/want.
  

• Use open-ended questions such as when, where, what, why, and who. For example, how do you usually pay for your food?
  
  
• Be honest with your client about how long it may take to get enrolled in the various programs for which he/she is applying and what local agencies can fill the gap while waiting for benefits.
  
  
• Empower your client to become self-sufficient.
  
  
• Begin to build trust with your client, but realize that trust building takes time.
  

• Do not judge your client or make him/her feel like you are judging them.
  
  
• Do not assume your client's level of functionality, for example, that he/she is able to leave a message on an answering machine or voice mail or use a telephone. You may need to teach your client basic life skills.
  
  
• Do not assume that your client wants Federal benefits.

> How can you help your clients successfully help themselves to access mainstream benefit programs?

The following is advice for both you and your clients about how to interact with a local government office that administers mainstream benefit programs:

Tips for Case Managers

• Address your client’s most immediate need first - to determine your client’s most immediate needs ask questions such as are you hungry or are you sick. This may help you to decide which benefit program to enroll your client into first.
  
  
• Help your client obtain documents - this may involve contacting an immigration lawyer if your client is undocumented, obtaining birth certificates, checking on and getting a Social Security number and card, getting an ID from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and bringing a letter from a case manager or shelter as proof of residency. You can also visit the National Center for Health Statistics Web site, http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/howto/w2w/w2welcom.htm for information about where to access vital records in your state.
  
  
• Allow your client to be a part of the process.
  
  
• Help your client meet short-term goals such as managing his/her time.
  
  
• Give your client a copy of the Client Benefit Worksheet, which is available in the Tools & Resources section of this CD-ROM. Show him/her how to use the worksheet and explain the importance of the worksheet to your client.
  
  
• Be sure to find out whether your state has a single application by calling your state or local Continuum of Care or local social service office.
  
  
• Some states have online eligibility tools that you and your client can access on the Internet. This can be very helpful in assessing what types of benefits your client may be eligible for. The Oregon Helps program is just one example, www.oregonhelps.org.

Tips to Share with Your Client

• Provide all relevant identification and documentation or else your application may not be complete and may not get processed.
  

• Be specific - answer questions honestly, clearly, and succinctly.
  
  
• Be assertive but respectful.
  
  
• Don’t leave confused - ask to meet with a supervisor if you are confused or unsatisfied. If you disagree with what someone is telling you, ask to see the policy on which the response is based. If you still don’t understand, ask for a copy of the policy and take it to someone you trust to help you, such as a local program case manager.
  
  
• Take notes - when you call or talk to the office, keep notes and list the time, the date, and the name of the person you spoke to.
  
  
• Read and respond quickly to mail. Be sure to answer all questions and to sign documents if requested. If you need assistance understanding the mail, ask someone you trust to help, such as a local program case manager.
  
  
• Make and keep copies – Make a photocopy of any paperwork you are dropping off before you return it. Local program offices will often make copies free of charge. If you are dropping off information in person, ask someone from the office to date it and make a copy for you. To avoid problems, try to keep copies of all papers received from, and given to the benefits office. If possible, keep all paperwork in one place.
  
  
• Ask for help - if you have difficulty managing the application process, find someone to act on your behalf. Also, you can get free legal help from your local community legal aid office. This help is particularly useful when seeking Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.

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>What are some general tips for accessing mainstream benefit programs?

• Find out about all the programs your client may be eligible to receive and apply for them at one time, if possible. For example, when assisting your client with the application process for a particular program, tell the benefit representative about your client and his/her needs. The benefit representative may be able to help access other programs or may be able to use eligibility for one program as a way to determine eligibility for other programs. For instance, if your client receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI) he/she may be automatically eligible for Medicaid.
  
  
• Keep in mind there is not one program that should be accessed first. There may be multiple programs your client is eligible for and you should try to access all of them for your client.
  
  
• Collaborating with local partners and organizations is key to helping your client access mainstream benefit programs.
  
  
• Forge relationships and network with local mainstream program offices and let them try to help you and your client.
  
  
• Accompany your client when he/she submits an application.
  
  
• Allow your client to use your phone to contact program offices.
  
  
• Help your client follow-up and stay in touch with program offices.
  
  
• Make copies of your clients’ applications and documentation for those applications.
  
  
• Provide your client with something to communicate with you, such as the Client Benefit Worksheet, which is available in the Tools & Resources section of this CD-ROM.
  
  
• Provide your contact information to your client.

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>How can you help your client establish documentation?

• To show proof of residency, give your client a letter with your name and your agency’s address.
  
  
• Most states will accept a variety of forms of identification as valid for accessing mainstream benefit programs. Do not assume your client will need an official state-issued identification card. Often times, local program offices will accept a public library card as positive identification.
  
  
• Use the agency/shelter address to obtain a photo ID from the DMV.
  
  
• If your client has a Medicaid card already, this can be used as proof of residency.
  
  
• To help your client obtain a Social Security number or a replacement Social Security card, visit the Social Security Administration (SSA) Web site at www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber.
  
  
• To help your client locate a copy of his/her birth certificate, visit the Social Security Administration (SSA) Web site at www.socialsecurity.gov/vitalstats.html.
  
  
• You can visit the National Center for Health Statistics Web site, http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/howto/w2w/w2welcom.htm for information about where to access vital records in your state.

>How can you help your client if he/she is from a different state?

• For your client who is from another state, it is important to get documents from him/her as soon as possible. To access documents such as a birth certificate, you should contact the state’s division of vital statistics and records or visit the Social Security Administration (SSA) Web site at www.socialsecurity.gov/vitalstats.html. This will help to expedite the process of accessing certain benefits, such as Medicaid and SSI.
  

>How can you help a client with a criminal record?

There are steps you can take to help your client with a criminal record as he/she moves towards self-sufficiency and back into the workplace.

• Tell your client it is important to get a copy of his/her criminal record.
  
  
• Obtain your client’s criminal records from any court he/she has been in.
  
  
• Review your client’s records with him/her and correct all mistakes by writing to either the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or local police station.
  
  
• Try to seal arrest records that did not lead to convictions.
  
  
• Contact the FBI or your local police station.
  
  
• Try to have a first-time drug conviction removed. You or your client can ask the court to erase a conviction for simple possession of drugs if your client has no prior drug conviction, was granted probation without judgment, and has successfully completed probation.

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