FCM Eligibility Handbook

FCMs play an important role in completing eligibility applications in Casebook MaGIK. They enter a lot of the information CEU uses to make a determination. FCMs have 30 days to enter the information described below; 30 days after the application is created, CEU will start processing it.

The assigned case worker (an FCM) will receive a notification when an eligibility application is generated for a child when the worker’s county is the same county assigned to the case. This notification will contain a link to a document that will help you populate the appropriate and needed information for eligibility to pass. To read more about when an eligibility application is triggered, click here.

To download the document, click the link in the notification. Depending on your version of web browser, the document may open in a new window or the same window. If the document opens in the same window, use the back button on the browser to navigate back to Casebook. 

CEU workers are the only ones who can edit and process eligibility applications. FCMs can view eligibility applications by using the link located in the quick information menu on a case, but any edits they attempt to make will not be saved because they do not have the ability to save or submit edits on an eligibility application. If you have questions about an eligibility application, please email the CEU mailbox to request information. 

FCM’s Eligibility File

It is good practice to keep a paper file with eligibility related documents in it that will eventually be uploaded as one PDF file and tagged “Eligibility File” in the document’s description. This file should contain all of the verifications collected by the FCM except court outcomes and preliminary inquiries; all court outcomes and preliminary inquiries should be scanned and/or uploaded on the related court hearing screen.

CEU workers have been trained to look for this file in the File Uploads Card. The eligibility file will commonly include:

• • Proof of citizenship

  • Proof of date of birth

  • Proof of a parent’s mental/physical disability for deprivation, if applicable

  • Paystubs, EA/IV-E forms, a signed case note or other proof of income/resources for the entire eligibility month

  • Any other documentation that supports the IV-E determination (e.g., IV-E Intake Forms, ICES screens, pay stubs, signed parent statements, etc.)

Notifications related to Eligibility

FCMs receive a handful of notifications related to eligibility. The chart below lists the notification and resulting action that should be taken by the FCM.

Emergency Assistance Eligibility Applications

Triggering Events

EA eligibility applications are created for children in Casebook in two circumstances:

• 1. Supervisor approval of an IA Plan

  2. Creation of Petition for CHINS court hearing

For each triggering event, the “eligibility month” is the month in which the event occurred.

Necessary Information to enter into Casebook

After an EA Eligibility Application has been created, an FCM should make sure the following information is entered and attached to the related case.

• 1. Date of Birth and verification for all people related to or in a household with the focus child

  2. Citizenship and verification for all people related to or in a household with the focus child

  3. Establish the correct household, with start dates (and end dates if applicable), for the focus child. You should be sure that everyone residing in the household is correctly displaying in the same household on the Family Network card.

  4. Establish the correct relationships, with start dates (and end dates if applicable), for the focus child

  5. Enter and verify eligibility month income for all household members (where the month is the month the eligibility application was created in, and the amount entered covers the entire month). Need:

     1. Earned income 

     2. Unearned income 

  6. Enter court hearing and outcome information. Documents/orders/motions should be attached and uploaded to the related court hearings not just copy and pasted. CEU needs to see the date and Judge’s signature. 

• • 1. Petition for In-Home CHINS 

    2. The approved and signed IA Plan

IV-E FC Eligibility Application

Triggering Event

IV-E eligibility applications are created for children in Casebook in one circumstance:

• 1. Initial placement in a new removal episode

The “eligibility month” is the month the child’s first out of home placement for the episode occurred. In Casebook, a child’s physical removal will trigger the eligibility application.

Necessary Information to enter into Casebook

After a IV-E FC Eligibility Application has been created, an FCM should make sure the following pieces of information are entered and attached to the related case.

• 1. Date of Birth and verification for all people related to or in a household with the focus child

  2. Citizenship and verification for all people related to or in a household with the focus child

  3. Establish the correct household, with start dates (and end dates if applicable), for the focus child. You should be sure that everyone residing in the household is correctly displaying in the same household on the Family Network card.

  4. Establish the correct relationships, with start dates (and end dates if applicable), for the focus child

  5. Enter and verify eligibility month income for all household members (where the month is the month the eligibility application was created in and the amount entered covers the entire month) Need:

     1. Earned income 

     2. Unearned income 

     3. Assets 

     4. Expenses (only childcare, child support, and alimony expenses paid by household members) 

  6. Create court hearings Documents/orders/motions should be attached and uploaded to the related court hearings, not just copy and pasted. CEU needs to see the date and Judge’s signature and will use this information to verify the language. It is possible CEU will request additional orders to be uploaded. At a minimum, create and upload: 

• • 1. Preliminary Inquiry 

    2. The first court outcome that sanctioned the removal of the child, including the court outcome to enter the specified relative the child was removed from and the date the child last lived with that person 

       1. This could be an emergency custody order; if so, enter it even if there was no hearing associated with it 

    3. Hearing for CHINS Petition  

    4. Additional court outcomes from the first 60 days after removal, if Reasonable Efforts not ordered in the removal order 

    5. BI/CTW 

    6. P&C 

• 7. Verification of either parent’s mentally or physically disability, if applicable Document this on the person profile page and upload related files to the Eligibility File. 

  8. Documentation of deprivation Ensuring that if a child’s parent does not reside in the same household as the child that the absent parent’s address is entered as a Household in the Family Network card on that parent’s profile page. Supplemental documentation can include the PI form or a note to describe the deprivation. These files should be uploaded with the Eligibility File explained above.

Collaborative Care Eligibility Applications

More information about the Collaborative Care Eligibility program from the 3CM perspective can be found here.

Triggering Event

Collaborative Care eligibility applications are created for children in Casebook in one circumstance:

• 1. Initial placement in a new removal episode for a child 18 and older.

The “eligibility month” is the month the child’s first out of home placement for the episode occurred. In Casebook, a child’s physical removal will trigger the eligibility application.

Necessary Information to enter into Casebook 

After a CC Eligibility Application has been created, the 3CM should make sure the following pieces of information are entered and attached to the related case. 

• 1. Date of Birth and verification for all people related to or in a household with the focus child

  2. Citizenship and verification for all people related to or in a household with the focus child

  3. Establish the correct household, with start dates (and end dates if applicable), for the focus child. You should be sure that everyone residing in the household is correctly displaying in the same household on the Family Network card.

  4. Establish the correct relationships, with start dates (and end dates if applicable), for the focus child

  5. Enter and verify eligibility month income for all household members (where the month is the month the eligibility application was created in and the amount entered covers the entire month) Need:

     1. Earned income 

     2. Unearned income 

     3. Assets 

     4. Expenses (only childcare, child support, and alimony expenses paid by household members) 

  6. Create court hearings Documents/orders/motions should be attached and uploaded to the related court hearings, not just copy and pasted. CEU needs to see the date and Judge’s signature and will use this information to verify the language. It is possible CEU will request additional orders to be uploaded. At a minimum, create and upload: 

• • 1. Preliminary Inquiry 

    2. The first court outcome that sanctioned the removal of the child, including the court outcome to enter the specified relative the child was removed from and the date the child last lived with that person 

       1. This could be an emergency custody order; if so, enter it even if there was no hearing associated with it 

    3. Hearing for CHINS Petition  

    4. Additional court outcomes from the first 60 days after removal, if Reasonable Efforts not ordered in the removal order 

    5. BI/CTW 

    6. P&C 

• 7. Verification of either parent’s mentally or physically disability, if applicable Document this on the person profile page and upload related files to the Eligibility File. 

  8. Documentation of deprivation Ensuring that if a child’s parent does not reside in the same household as the child that the absent parent’s address is entered as a Household in the Family Network card on that parent’s profile page. Supplemental documentation can include the PI form or a note to describe the deprivation. These files should be uploaded with the Eligibility File explained above.