LIHEAP Outreach Activities

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Minority media publications.

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Interpreter services through Language Line. Toll free statewide phone line for information and referrals. Website, vendor customer service referrals, representatives of culturally diverse organizations trained to accept applications for their customers.

Send letters statewide to agencies that specifically deal with the aged and handicapped. Request that utilities through customer service, collection and billing departments, and field staff target households with high energy burdens. Make available 24-hour, toll-free telephone referral service through Hawaii's Ask-2000 statewide telephone network system.

Prior to start of the program, program information is included in the Department of Health and Welfare Food Stamp mailing.

Public speaking appearances by staff. Provide direct mailing, translations/interpretations, counseling, referrals, energy-related mediation and advocacy. Two month priority period for senior and disabled applicants.

Provide information about EAP and other energy-related programs, budget counseling, energy efficiency education, negotiation of deferred or budget payments between the utility and the client, and seek other sources of energy cost assistance. Special outreach to households with seniors, disabled or young children.

Toll-free phone number and Public Service Commission staff provide LIEAP information and applications to public. List of recipients and their energy consumption is sent to weatherization program.

Mass mailings to food stamp and medical assistance recipients immediately prior to the program opening.

Each subgrantee develops and provides additional services and benefits for LIHEAP clients from various private agencies. Many of these agencies are unique to a particular area and benefits range from transportation to an appointment for intake or providing blankets or fuel.

24-hour toll free hotline, TTY for hearing impaired, applications taken at senior centers, mailed application package

Bilingual assistance for applicants, and use of existing networks to reach target households. Subgrantees are instructed to target high-risk groups within their service areas, including non-English speaking minorities. Early application for elderly and disabled. The use of mail recertification reduces the need and demand for home visits to elderly and disabled households. High energy users are identified by vendors, utilities and agencies.

Mail applications to low-income and seniors who appear to be eligible but did not apply last year and to FIA cash assistance recipients. Target groups include seniors, disabled, Native American, migrants and households with young children. Toll-free home heating hotline. Informs low-income applicants of the availability of LIHEAP via notices to clients, State web-sites, letters, posters, weatherization referrals, etc.

Send letter to recipients of related programs administered by DHS, send application through Dept. of Revenue to potentially eligible households. Bulk mailing of applicants by September 1.

Energy vendors are informed to advise their customers/clients about the availability of the LIHEAP assistance and they make referrals to DCS and local Subgrantees. Recertification forms are mailed to elderly and disabled. Local subgrantees conduct community meetings to inform clients of the program. Orientation sessions for vendors to explain program guidelines and orientation sessions for potential clients to explain program.

Households who received assistance in previous year receive applications in mail. Applications are mailed and accepted for the Elderly and disabled during month of October, one month before official program begins. Applicant is responsible for updates, signing and attaching required documentation. Community Action Agencies provide articles for faithbased organizations' media, local school outreach/education programs sponsored by Public Service Commission and Department of Natural Resources, Poverty Simulation provided by the Community Action Agencies that involve local merchants, social service agencies, Chamber of Commerce, local and state government staff.

Mass mailing to recipients of other human services who are not participating in LIHEAP

Provide transportation. Provide phone number of local social services offices to utility companies for customer use. NEAN - 21 forums around the state.

Accept applications from seniors and disabled by mail. Communication assistance to persons with limited English, impaired hearing, vision or speech impairments and illiterate. Contact each energy supplier within the county to encourage them to inform customers of HEA. Special mailing to seniors using a data file from Lifeline program; plan to contact those who didn’t respond to find out why.

LIHEAP application is available for download on the HSD website in English and Spanish. LIHEAP applications are available at TEFAP distributions.

Toll free information hotlines operated by the Department and the NYS office for the Aging. Identify households potentially eligible for LIHEAP-funded weatherization services and assess the scope of need for identified households. State/local resources dedicated to implementing mandated outreach plans and program information dissemination. Target efforts to provide program information and access to "vulnerable households". Application on website.

Current Work First, Food Stamp and SSI recipients will be informed that they can apply for heating and crisis assistance at the local county department of social services. All food stamp households active in the Food Stamp Information System as of September 30 will be targeted to receive an automatic energy payment if they meet all LIEAP guidelines. Other households that include the disabled, families with young children, and the elderly may apply for LIEAP assistance at the county department of social services.

Brochure available to utilities upon request for inserts. Information brochure may be mailed to recipients of other cash assistance and service programs. Schedule appointments for the convenience of applicants, extend office hours when necessary. Arrange communication assistance for non-English speaking or those with communication disability.

Toll- free information line, toll-free TDD service, process elderly and disabled applications first. The state maintains an Interactive Voice Response System (IVR) on its toll-free telephone line, available on a 24-hour basis. The caller is first prompted to enter his or her Social Security number. The system can then advise callers if their application has been received, and later, whether the application was approved, the amount of the benefit, and when it will be issued. The system is also able to direct callers to the Local Delegate Agency providing crisis assistance and weatherization services. The state has contracted with a service called Language Line. If a caller does not speak English or Spanish (there is a Spanish speaker on staff), the operator puts the caller on hold and contacts the service. Language Line connects an interpreter to the call. The state has a website to track application status. By logging on and simply entering his or her social security number the user is able to ascertain what point their application has reached. In order in insure that Ohio's elderly are aware of LIHEAP, funds are used by the Ohio
Department of Aging (ODA) to conduct program outreach and public education activities in all counties. OCS will also contract with Second Harvest- a statewide network of food banks and food pantries. A HEAP application will be inserted in every box or bag of groceries distributed through that assistance network.

Preauthorize households with elderly, disabled, blind, children or food stamp recipients, and mail application forms to other households that receive OKDHS benefits.

Emphasis is placed on providing LIEAP program information to seniors, persons with disabilities and families with young children (under six years old). CAAs also provide a plan on how they will serve those eligible households that are least likely to apply for assistance because of communication, access or other service barriers. Pre-screening of the elderly and disabled starts the first week of October with the regular assistance program starting at various times based on the receipt of funds from the federal government and on the needs of local service areas and their client population. OHCS allows for targeting households that have not accessed available energy assistance for the current program year.