JFS and sheriff’s department team up to save taxpayer dollars
For those who need help during turbulent economic times the Wayne County Department of Job and Family Services provides a safety net to the most vulnerable people in the Wayne County community by providing financial, social and educational services to empower, encourage and assist in every opportunity for self-sufficiency, respect and independence.
From assisting qualified Wayne County citizens to obtain Medicaid coverage and food assistance to providing job training and placement services and protecting the elderly from abuse, director Richard Owens and his staff work hard each day to ensure that help is available when it is needed.
As Owens explained to the Wayne County commissioners during their Dec. 28 meeting, one integral member of his team is a deputy from of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.
During the meeting, Owens obtained the commissioners’ approval to continue the contract between his department and the sheriff’s office under which a deputy is assigned to the Department of Job and Family Services full time.
According to Owens, the on-site deputy provides security in the building and makes recommendations to improve security.
“One of the things that they helped us acquire was video cameras in the lobby so that we can have the area a little bit more secure,” noted Owens.
In addition, the on-site deputy assists the staff of the Department of Job and Family Services with fraud and adult protective services investigations.
“In adult protective services we protect those who are 60 and over from abuse, neglect and exploitation,” explained Owens, noting that in 2010 his department had more than 200 referrals for adult protective services.
“The services range from offering them referrals to social service agencies that provide them with counseling or help with whatever their needs are all the way to going to the courts asking for guardianship and a protective order through the prosecutor’s office and probate court to protect the individual if there is some great need there,” said Owens.
“A lot of times, when a referral comes in to us and the situation sounds like it may require law enforcement to be involved, the deputy goes out with our investigator,” noted Owens.
The deputy also plays an important role in fraud investigations.
“In a fraud case we might send out an investigator with the sheriff if we are trying to find out more information,” said Owens, noting that the information ranges from confirming that both parents live in a particular household to investigating whether a food stamp recipient is earning more than the threshold for eligibility.
The fraud investigations are paying big dividends to Wayne County taxpayers.
Last year the county collected nearly $200,000 in over-issued benefits.
In addition, Owens estimates that his department fraud detection efforts “saved the taxpayers about another $134,000 just by removing those people who committed fraud or intentional program violation off of the rolls.”
The deputy also plays an important role in the department’s early detection and prevention program.
“A caseworker may, in the course of an interview with someone applying for benefits, feel uncomfortable about something that they are hearing, so they send it over to our fraud investigators to look into the case a little more thoroughly before they authorize benefits,” said Owens.
“In 2010 we had 284 early detection and prevention cases referred to us from the caseworkers. When we investigated those, and kept some people from ever getting on the rolls in the first place, we estimate that saved the taxpayers approximately $1.3 million,” said Owens.
For more information about the services offered by the Wayne County Department of Job and Family Services, log on http://www.wayneohio.org/jobandfamily/.
From assisting qualified Wayne County citizens to obtain Medicaid coverage and food assistance to providing job training and placement services and protecting the elderly from abuse, director Richard Owens and his staff work hard each day to ensure that help is available when it is needed.
As Owens explained to the Wayne County commissioners during their Dec. 28 meeting, one integral member of his team is a deputy from of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.
During the meeting, Owens obtained the commissioners’ approval to continue the contract between his department and the sheriff’s office under which a deputy is assigned to the Department of Job and Family Services full time.
According to Owens, the on-site deputy provides security in the building and makes recommendations to improve security.
“One of the things that they helped us acquire was video cameras in the lobby so that we can have the area a little bit more secure,” noted Owens.
In addition, the on-site deputy assists the staff of the Department of Job and Family Services with fraud and adult protective services investigations.
“In adult protective services we protect those who are 60 and over from abuse, neglect and exploitation,” explained Owens, noting that in 2010 his department had more than 200 referrals for adult protective services.
“The services range from offering them referrals to social service agencies that provide them with counseling or help with whatever their needs are all the way to going to the courts asking for guardianship and a protective order through the prosecutor’s office and probate court to protect the individual if there is some great need there,” said Owens.
“A lot of times, when a referral comes in to us and the situation sounds like it may require law enforcement to be involved, the deputy goes out with our investigator,” noted Owens.
The deputy also plays an important role in fraud investigations.
“In a fraud case we might send out an investigator with the sheriff if we are trying to find out more information,” said Owens, noting that the information ranges from confirming that both parents live in a particular household to investigating whether a food stamp recipient is earning more than the threshold for eligibility.
The fraud investigations are paying big dividends to Wayne County taxpayers.
Last year the county collected nearly $200,000 in over-issued benefits.
In addition, Owens estimates that his department fraud detection efforts “saved the taxpayers about another $134,000 just by removing those people who committed fraud or intentional program violation off of the rolls.”
The deputy also plays an important role in the department’s early detection and prevention program.
“A caseworker may, in the course of an interview with someone applying for benefits, feel uncomfortable about something that they are hearing, so they send it over to our fraud investigators to look into the case a little more thoroughly before they authorize benefits,” said Owens.
“In 2010 we had 284 early detection and prevention cases referred to us from the caseworkers. When we investigated those, and kept some people from ever getting on the rolls in the first place, we estimate that saved the taxpayers approximately $1.3 million,” said Owens.
For more information about the services offered by the Wayne County Department of Job and Family Services, log on http://www.wayneohio.org/jobandfamily/.
Published: January 2, 2012
