Council Member Wilson questions DSS on 15-day application response hurdle

Thank you, Chair.

Just one question regarding Introduction 101, which would require the response in 15 days.

I noticed in your testimony you said that you've gotten it down to just under 25.

So I'm just curious what the hurdles are.

To meeting the 15 day.

I'll start and certainly anyone wants to jump in after that.

So there's just a couple of innovations to mention there as we answer.

I think we are providing information back to the partners involved in a very regular basis, but I think the important thing that we will be rolling out at the end of October

is the client accessibility in the Access HRA app for them to be able to see the current status.

And so, you know, as soon as we receive the application, that will get posted, and we'll be able to provide additional details via the app.

And I think just having that kind of availability will really change both the feeling about the process as well as might actually improve the process because if we need updates, if there are things

that need to be corrected, people will be able to see them more quickly.

I think also just further, as the Executive Deputy Commissioner said, right, we've just started seeing the impacts of the more integrated streamlined approval process.

So we expect that to further, right, hopefully reduce those numbers of days.

I would say the average day that was also very much predicated on how many times an application package needs to go back and forth with the provider.

I would say in instances where there is no back and forth, we are.

Pretty close to that 15 days, but I think while we've seen reduction, we are still seeing a good percentage of packages do need to go back and forth

between us and the providers to make sure at least the information we really must have to be able to approve a package to go forward is actually correct in the package.

So we're sort of focusing on many different efforts to bring that down as much as we can.

Thank you.