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SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAM
Billie Foreman, Director
The Social
Services Program (SSP) is a Contract funded by the Bureau of
Indian Affairs (BIA) to provide services to tribal children,
elderly, and families. The services provide are General
Assistance (GA), Child Welfare Assistance (CWA), Supervised
IIM Accounts, Adult Protective Services (APS), and Trust
Property Income Reports (TPI’s) to eligible tribal members
and their families. Our contract service area only covers
the following counties: Caddo, Comanche, Cotton, Kiowa,
Tillman, and Grady only to Verden. The Programs fiscal year
begins January 1 and ends December 31, of each year.
General Assistance (GA) provides temporary financial
assistance to eligible tribal members who cannot meet their
essential needs. In order for a tribal member to receive GA
the applicant must meet and provide the following
eligibility criteria, which is completing the application,
providing all households’ CDIB’s, Proof of Residence, Work
Searches, Education Referral, TPI, ISP, Unemployment
Registration, and apply for TANF if single with children.
Our office must follow the BIA contract’s Code of Federal
Regulations 25 CFR in determining eligibility
The goal of GA is to increase self-sufficiency. Each
recipient must work with the SSP Staff to develop an
Individual Self-Sufficiency Plan (ISP). The ISP outlines
short-term and long-term goals that the individual will
utilize to increase independence by meeting the goal of
employment, training, and/or obtaining public assistance. In
order for the applicant to remain eligible for GA in the
future, they must meet the goals of the ISP. GA is not a
primary or continuous source of income it is a once a year
financial assistance.
Child Welfare Assistance (CWA) provides temporary financial
assistance to eligible tribal children who have been
displaced from their homes and who are residing with a
relative, have been placed in foster care or a shelter. This
assistance is to provide for the child’s essential needs.
Supervised IIM Accounts – The SSP staff works with the
families or Guardians of tribal Adults and Minors who have
Supervised IIM Accounts to establish an annual Case Plan and
Distribution Plans. Home visits and Site visit are conducted
annually and the Distribution Plans are submitted to the
OTFM-IIM for payments for the individual’s essential needs.
Adult Protective Services (APS)
The
APS provides protection and assistance to tribal adults who
are victims of an alleged incident of abuse, neglect or
exploitation, or who have or need a Supervised IIM Account.
The APS work is required to investigate and complete an
assessment for all reports made to the SSP Office, which are
kept confidential. If the investigation corroborates the
above allegations or the tribal adult is unable, to make
decision concerning their health and welfare the APS worker
will seek out a family member to become their guardian or
the tribe will file for temporary guardian, until the CFR
Court appoints a guardian. The APS worker can provide
homemaker services to prevent the
adult from been placed in a residential care facility.
Trust Property Income Reports (TPI) are provided to tribal
members to aid them in obtaining services and assistance
from the Social Security Administration, Department of Human
Services, Tribal Food Distribution Programs, and other
Public Assistance entities. Social Services does not provide
TPI’s for personal information, please contact the BIA
Reality.
The Social Services Program does not have any emergency
financial assistance programs, nor does it have a program
that can pay rent, monthly bills, purchase household or
personal items, or relocation funding.
LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP)
The Division of Energy Assistance, Office of Community
Services in Washington, DC, funds the LIHEAP Program. The
amount of funding received is based on the number of tribal
Head of Households, who complete the US Census, not total
individual membership. Our service area covers all tribal
enrolled Head of Households. The fiscal year begins on
October 1 and ends September 30 of each year.
There are two types of Tribal LIHEAP assistance, which are
the Energy Assistance and Crisis Assistance. Both types of
LIHEAP assistance are available once per year to tribal
members who are the head of their households and their
income falls with in the State Median Guidelines. An
applicant can receive assistance in the winter for heating
or in the summer for coolant assistance, up to $100.00,
toward electric, natural gas or propane services.
Applications are taken and approved on a first-come-first
serve basis. Tribal members and/or households who receive
LIHEAP assistance from DHS are not eligible to receive the
tribal LIHEAP assistance.
The LIHEAP Energy Assistance can only assist with the
current amount due. LIHEAP Energy Assistance does not assist
with past due or delinquent accounts, nor does it assist
with deposits, disconnection notices, or reconnections.
Based on the annual funding the number of applications
varies from (10) ten to (15) fifteen per year.
The Tribal LIHEAP Crisis Assistance is for a heating or
coolant emergency and can assist with a disconnection
notice. Based on the annual funding the number of
applications varies from (2) two to (5) five per year.
COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT
The
Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for
Children and Families in Washington, D.C. funds the
Community Services Block Grant (CSBG). The fiscal year
begins October 1 and ends September 30 of each year.
The two goals of the CSBG are to increase tribal elder and
youth participation in the affairs of the Indian Community
through cultural and recreational activities, and to assist
tribal members in locating resources within the tribal
structure and community organizations for their individual
needs.
DOMESTIC FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND SERVICES PROGRAM
The Family Violence Prevention and Services (DFV) Grant is
funded through the Department of Health and Human Services,
Administration for Children and Families in Washington, DC.
The fiscal year begins October 1 and ends September 30, of
each year.
The goals of the DFV Program are to provide Community
awareness and education on Domestic Violence and to assist
victims of Domestic Violence and their families.
The DFV Program assist families and individuals with
establishing a safe environment by providing assistance with
shelter, relocation, transportation, and essential needed
items. Clients are provided referrals for individual
counseling and/or legal counseling to obtain emotional and
mental support. Clients are also informed of resources
available to them on how to cope and/or how to get out of a
violent situation. Courtroom advocacy is also provided.
Due to the Tribal Assurances regarding Non- Discrimination,
this program cannot discriminate against non-tribal members.
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