Improve customer service and reduce customer complaints to legislature.

When child support customers are seriously unhappy they call their state legislator. Thus when the new Texas Attorney General went to the Texas Legislature in January 1999 he readily got funding for four new child support call centers to be located in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin. Previously, all calls had been directed to staff in Austin.

Part of the plan was for all child support customer service calls to be directed to local child support offices -- but new resources were provided only for the four new call centers. Unit Managers Cleve Halliburton and Terry Orick of the Beaumont and Nederland offices of the Texas Attorney General’s Child Support Division (CSD) found themselves with a new responsibility and no additional staff. They decided to join forces to establish an "Information Center" for their combined five-county area, based in Halliburton’s Beaumont office. Not considered large offices, their combined caseload is about 35,000 cases.

Within two months, seven staff (out of 61) were pulled from other duties in the two offices and assigned to answer customer calls -- from both custodial and noncustodial parents. Data lines were used to transfer telephone calls from Nederland to the new Information Center in Beaumont so that calls would be local for Nederland customers as well as Beaumont customers

The Information Center maintains a 93 percent answer rate -- with an average wait of a minute and 13 seconds. Half of the seven percent abandon rate are callers who stay on the line fewer than 30 seconds. This represents a dramatic improvement over the responsiveness of the prior centralized system.

Legislative complaints have gone down to an average of one per week instead of three to four per day. Local legislators’ liaison staff have nothing but compliments.

The office used to have 70 to 100 people in the lobby each day. The only way they could get or provide information was to come in. People would take off work to come in because they could not get through on the phone -- only to be told they had to make an appointment and come back in two weeks.

Now the telephones are being answered directly, so it often is not necessary for customers to come in. If customers do come in, they are seen -- in 15 minutes or less. Now they are down to 30 walk-ins on a very busy day.

Production is up. The overall use of staff is more efficient. When people call with update information, they can get through to the office speedily. Staff uses the improved information to get better results more quickly. In addition, it is helpful to staff to get direct information from callers rather than relying solely on computer interfaces. This often gives staff insight into better strategies for resolving cases. While all cases are worked on a steady basis, staff are able to give some extra attention to the cases of those who call.

A five county area including Beaumont and Nederland, Texas. The project was locally developed. Aspects of the Information Center are being copied by other local offices not served by one of the four Call Centers.

Regular IV-D funds and existing staff.

Cleve Halliburton, Unit Manager of the Beaumont office, offers several pieces of advice:

Provide case-specific information to inmates prior to release about pending child support matters.

Since late 1999, prisoners at a number of jails and prisons in the Houston, Texas area have beern able to leave prison knowing the status of their child support cases. Thanks to the Houston Volunteer Jail Project begun by the Regional Community Outreach Coordinator for the Division of Child Support in the Texas Office of the Attorney General, Vince Ivery, the CSE Regional Coordinator, has given talks about child support at many jails and prisons in recent years. His basic presentation covers child support, how it works and services provided to custodial and noncustodial parents. Over time, Ivery came to realize that prisoners had many specific questions about their own cases.

In two prisons, Kegans State and Lynchner State, a collaboration has been formed with a prisoners’ assistance group, Project RIO, which helps soon-to-be released inmates make the transition to the outside world. That project faxes the Houston Volunteer Jail Project the name, social security number, date of birth, and date of release of prisoners being released within the next six months. In other jails and prisons, prisoners fill out an information request form with this information when Ivery makes his initial presentation.

With identifying information in hand, Ivery or Project volunteers pull information on specific inmates from the office automated system. Inmates have child support cases throughout the state. The Project contacts the local office responsible for the case to make sure they know the prisoners' location and the date of release. They obtain the status of any pending child support cases, case numbers, and the name and address of the local child support office.

During his second visit to a prison, Ivery meets very briefly with each individual prisoner for whom he has case-specific information. In some cases, prisoners are surprised. For example, one prisoner was unaware there was an open case. His sister had custody of his child while he was in prison. She had applied for public assistance and thus a child support case was opened without his being aware of it.

The inmate can resolve a number of issues before release if he has information about the case status and a contact in the local office. Sometimes there are outstanding warrants for failure to appear in court during the time an inmate was in prison. Usually, these warrants can be set aside for a date after release. Pending paternity questions are common. Many inmates choose to voluntarily acknowledge paternity while in prison. DNA testing can frequently be done in prison which can expedite case resolution. Inmates can also contact the local child support office in writing to resolve the case prior to release. Some inmates just want to know the status without taking any immediate action.

In many cases, the Project refers soon-to-be released inmates to Houston Works, a recipient of a U.S. Department of Labor grant to help non-custodial parents gain employment. Many, if not most, just-released prisoners meet Houston Works' eligibility criteria which include sketchy employment history and children receiving public assistance. The Project also makes an effort to refer prisoners to legal counsel, upon release, for assistance with their domestic relations cases. A pro bono project in Houston is contacted which can often provide legal counsel.

Between February to August 2000 in these two facilities 711 volunteered to participate. Because these individuals were approached in a non-threatening manner the barrier to communication with child support has been lowered. Fathers are less apprehensive about contacting the child support office because they have a name, face and phone number to contact. At a minimum, local offices now have up-to-date locate and release information on those noncustodial parents. Many of these inmates have gone on to resolve outstanding child support issues, although the number is not certain. Many of these inmates should begin or resume active payment status more quickly when they are released as a result of the Project’s efforts.

This project operates in the Houston area. The project was started independently by the Regional Community Outreach Coordinator in Houston. Several other Texas child support offices began outreach to jails and prisons in their areas. However, provision of case specific information is unique to the Houston project.

This is a regular IV-D activity covered by IV-D funds. Costs of the program are modest. They include about 12 hours per month making presentations at the two prisons and meeting with inmates at the follow-up meeting plus computer time to look up the status of inmates’ cases. Volunteers look up the information to take back to prisoners at follow-up meetings.

Vincent Ivery, the Regional Outreach Coordinator in Houston who developed the program, offers several recommendations:

In 1988 Texas was struggling with both rising teen pregnancy rates and child support collections. In an effort to reach kids before they became parents, Texas Office of the Attorney General's Child Support Division began sending outreach staff into the public schools to talk to teenagers about parenthood and child support. It quickly became clear that both boys and girls were lacking a clear idea of a father's role in providing emotional and financial support to a child. Nor did they have a clear understanding of what paternity establishment was all about.

To fill this gap, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) developed the PAPA outreach program. PAPA stands for Paternity/Parenthood. Fourteen OAG staff members, scattered throughout the state, began presenting basic information on the rights and responsibilities of fatherhood to students in grades six through 12. In the space of a class period, they attempted to explain the legal, financial and emotional responsibilities of fatherhood - usually successfully connecting with the students in the process.

Their presentations were so popular and the demand so great that the outreach staff could not keep up easily. To solve the problem they developed a curriculum package - the PAPA program -- which can be presented by OAG staff or classroom teachers. Adapting a video from California - What Kind of Parent Would You Be? Think About It - Ann Costilow, manager of OAG's outreach and volunteer programs and a former teacher, and OAG staff, wrote a curriculum to go with it. The package includes teacher instructions and student exercises as well as the video.

Carefully gauging the community values, they decided to focus on the legal issues -- i.e., what happens after a baby is born in order to avoid additional approval processes that otherwise would be required for a sex education program. They also sought and obtained endorsements from the Texas PTA, teachers organizations, the statewide principals' and superintendents' association, and religious groups. They made presentations on the curriculum to many organizations, often providing a demonstration of the video and a short version of the curriculum.

In 1995 the OAG sent a curriculum package to 3,000 public schools (every junior and senior high school) in over 1,000 school districts in the state. The results have been so positive and the program so well used, the OAG is investing in an updated - and expanded - version of the program, now in development.

The new version will include a new video featuring teens talking about their experiences in dealing with paternity and parenthood issues. As a result of their work with the Texas Fragile Families Initiative, the OAG is increasingly aware of the need to make their program more father friendly. The new video, for example, will emphasize the importance of fathers. It will encourage both fathers and mothers to “consider your child first.”

This time, presentation of the new curriculum will go beyond sending the new curriculum package to each school. The OAG hopes to provide in-service training on how to present the curriculum through the state department of education's regional service centers. Teachers considering presenting the curriculum may attend workshops free of charge and receive copies of the material.

Teen pregnancy rates are down in Texas and the program's creators would like to think they made a contribution. Evaluations from both teachers and students are glowing. Evaluations from kids reflect their intention to do things differently as a result of the program. Staff in the Attorney General's office continue receiving repeat requests to speak. There are over 500 presentations of the PAPA curriculum each year by staff and teachers. No hard data are available on the efficacy of the program.

This program is provided statewide in Texas. The curriculum was developed in Texas by Child Support Division staff. It makes use of a video developed in California. It is not known whether it has been replicated elsewhere.

Regular IV-D funds.

Ann Costilow, Manager of the Outreach and Volunteer Program of the Child Support Division of the Attorney General's office, makes several recommendations to those considering similar programs for the schools:

Ann Costilow, Manager, Outreach and Volunteer Program, Child Support Division, Office of the Attorney General, P.O. Box 12017, Austin, TX 78711-2017, phone 512-460-6124, fax 460-6043, Ann.Costilow@oag.state.tx.us.

Not too long before Christmas in 1996, David Kabela was wracking his brain about how to get a lot of paternity cases done quickly “without sending a lot of folks to court.” He had a brainstorm. With planning by the establishment team and the blessings of the state office, the Victoria Office of the Attorney General, Child Support Division, scheduled a “Paternity Project Day.” The staff's goal: get a lot of work done fast while making it a pleasant experience for themselves and those coming in.

That first Paternity Project Day in December 1996, the office's big foyer was set up with toys and games for children plus refreshments for everyone. Over 600 people, involved in 200 cases, came through in an eight-hour period. The court Master came to the child support offices to be available to sign orders. Staff were available as required for blood and DNA testing.

Now, the “Paternity Project” process is used in most paternity cases. Cases are commenced with the preparation of a Petition to Establish the Parent Child Relationship. After the Petition is filed in court, a letter is sent to both the putative father and the mother with the petition - but no summons - attached. It informs them of the pending case and invites them to attend a meeting at the Child Support Unit Offices on the next Paternity Day. The tone of the letter is positive. The themes are “avoid court,” “save money,” and “help a child.”

The letter informs both parents that genetic testing can be commenced that day. The custodial parent is asked to bring in the child or children so that DNA samples can be taken. Parents who are minors are directed to bring their own legal guardian with them. Parents are also asked to bring photo id, W-2 forms, and current pay stubs.

Seventy-five to 100 cases are scheduled each time a paternity day is held. Fifteen are scheduled every hour and a half throughout the day. Cases involving parties living in outlying areas are scheduled later in the day to give them time to get to the child support office. Whether they live close by or far away, about 70 percent of those receiving the letter come to the meeting. (This process is not used in cases with domestic violence concerns. These are set directly for court.)

At the appointed time the mother and putative father meet with a staff member. They address child support, retroactive child support, health insurance and paternity. Paternity is the first topic addressed. Staff make sure parents understand they have a right to a blood test. If the parties wish to agree to paternity without genetic testing they are asked to sign a letter indicating their understanding of their right to such a test.

If the putative father wants genetic testing, all sign indicating their desire for the test. The parties are escorted to the laboratory staff who are on the premises for the day to have their samples taken. These tests are scheduled directly for court at a date after test results are expected (six to eight weeks).

When the parties agree to paternity, a support calculation is based on the parents' statements of income and information they have brought in. In addition, staff have access to Texas Employment Commission income information online during the meeting.

The staff member fills out the order and gives copies to the parents. The Court Master signs at a later time.

If neither party attends, the case is set for court and both parties are served. If only one parent appears, he or she is asked to sign a waiver of service and a setting notice which allows the Attorney General to proceed with service on the other parent only.

About 500 cases each year are scheduled for Paternity Project Day meetings in Victoria. Parties appear in about 350 cases per year. The state saves approximately $200 per case in service and processing costs when both parties appear and service is unnecessary; $125 when one party appears. Estimated annual savings in service and processing costs are $70,000 in the Victoria office. In addition, the state has savings in court costs and time and travel time for attorneys and other staff members.

Perhaps most importantly, this process gets paternity cases into paying status much more quickly than the full court process. This results in state savings in TANF costs and provides much needed support more speedily to non-TANF families.

The Victoria, Texas office of the Texas Attorney General, Child Support Division. Victoria is a town of 60,000. The office serves nine, primarily rural counties (e.g., county population of some counties is only 12,000).While the project has not been duplicated, some additional offices in Texas have adapted the concept to fit local needs.

Regular IV-D funds.

“Start small at first,” says David Kabela, the Project's originator. “We were too aggressive the first time. We had over 200 cases set one day. It took us three days to recover.” Kabela also advises trying the procedure at least three times before making a final decision about whether to make it a permanent part of an office's paternity process. “It takes three or four times for everyone to get comfortable with this.”

Because all their staff are trained in court procedures and how to complete court orders, special training on these topics was not an issue. It might be elsewhere. The Victoria staff did find that they are more involved in really talking things through with the parties in this process. They found that many folks seem to just want someone to listen to their concerns. Staff should be prepared for this and allow sufficient time for the process. (One and one half hours is allotted per case in Victoria.)

Finally, the office always has a security guard present on Paternity Day to avoid problems with large crowds present.

David Kabela, Team Leader, Child Support Enforcement Officers, Office of the Attorney General, P.O. Box 530, Victoria, Texas 77902, phone 361-582-2922, fax 361-578-8027, e-mail David.Kabela@oag.state.tx.us.

Texas created an internet service enabling customers, CSE staff from other states and the general public to ask CSE-related questions. The service site offers an email address for people to ask generic child support questions. For those with a child support case, there is a form that can be used via the internet site. A caseworker in another state wanting information on an existing case may make an internet email inquiry using another feature of the system.

The case-specific form asks for basic information and has a place for “free form” text. The inter-agency inquiry form requests more information to identify the case and also includes “free form” text. Because each form is sent to a different email recipient, the ability to respond quicker is enhanced.

Texas built this 3-part system on their original e-mail address for the public. This address was created under the previous and current Attorney Generals. At a Big 8 Interstate Workgroup session, Florida and Michigan suggested all Big 8 states have a generic email address to facilitate interstate communication especially with states that did not offer an email address for all CSE employees. The suggestion was to use xxcenreg@emailaddress where XX was the state abbreviation. Texas established a comparable address for agencies using txcsnreg@oag.state.tx.us While surfing other agency web sites, Texas discovered that California had a web form that allows inquiries about case status. Thus, the idea for the current TX system was formed.

Both the individual inquiry form and the inter-state state agency form are now available for use. Use of the case specific forms enable the inquirer to furnish the basic information needed to properly respond.

All the forms can be found at the Contacting the Texas AG - By e-mail page http://www.oag.state.tx.us/agency/contacts.htm

The e-mail for general questions is located at child.support@oag.state.tx.us

The form for individual case inquiries is located at http://www.oag.state.tx.us/forms/cs_case_status.html

The form for other agencies to submit case status inquiries is located at

http://www.oag.state.tx.us/forms/cs_agencies_case_status.html

Regular federal matching funds are used.

Use of e-mail is increasing. It has become a medium of communication that often gets quicker responses than letters or calling into a user “unfriendly” VIRS system. However, there are issues related to use of e-mail for case specific information. These include the confidentiality of information as well as the security of a reply. With proper safeguards in place, the ability to communicate with customers regardless of location enhances the ability to provide improved customer service.

Joel Schwartz, phone: 512-460-6178, email: Joel.Schwartz@cs.oag.state.tx.us