OHIO

HAMILTON COUNTY:

ARREARS MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

Goals:

• Educate and encourage obligors to start paying as soon as their order is put onto the state automated system (SETS) and, as a result, increase our incentives in the collections areas.
• Enhance customer service and establish rapport in order to make obligors feel comfortable with our agency so that they will report any changes in their status as the changes occur.

Strategic Plan: Supports strategies 1, 2, 10 of the National Child Support Strategic Plan.

Description:It has been found that obligors who do not pay at the beginning of their cases are less likely to pay throughout the life of their cases. A special caseload was created for all new child support cases. A dedicated technician with superb customer service skills and extensive child support knowledge was assigned to these cases. The technician reviews the cases as they are assigned to her and she attempts to contact the obligor, either by phone or by mail. The obligor is informed of the duty to pay, and of the fact that an income withholding takes 4-6 weeks to become active, and is given the payment options as well as told about the hours of operation of the CSEA county office and other contact information.

• If no payment after one month: The technician again attempts to contact the obligor with a contact letter to explain enforcement actions that can be taken and a license suspension warning letter.
• Once payments begin, the case is transferred to a regular enforcement district.
• If payments do not begin, the technician takes enforcement actions on the case (contempt, income withholdings, etc.). After three months, if there is still no payment, the case is transferred to a monitoring caseload so that we can continue to build rapport with the obligor and monitor the case through the first year.

Results:Some 90% of the cases started with arrears. At least 40% of the cases had arrears payments made within the first month.

Location:Hamilton County is an urban/metro county but this practice could benefit any county. Other counties in Ohio have instituted similar projects.

Funding: Regular IV-D funds were used. This practice was incorporated into the technician's daily duties, so no additional funding was needed.

Replication Advice:For informational purposes, develop a way to track success as the practice is implemented.

Contact:

LaShanna Smith

Child Support Team Leader

Phone: (513) 946-7317

Email: smithl25@jfs.hamilton-co.org