Solutions for Parents Not a Program, It’s an Approach to Service Delivery

Presenters Steven Eldred Director, Orange CSS Gloria Land Manager, Customer Service Teams Jeanette Miller Supervising Attorney

Outline ■Origin of “Solutions for Parents” ■Scope ■How it works ■Legal Considerations ■Examples

Origins of “Solutions” ■Leaving the District Attorney ✷ A legacy of heavy-handedness ■SLMS negotiations – ✷ Working with NCP’s can be profitable! ■Establishment Stipulations ✷ Customers prefer our office to court! ■Customer Service Training ✷ What does it mean?

Pre-Default Intervention ■An effort to decrease defaults, and maybe to avoid taking the easier court establishments off the calendar. ■Begun in 2005, over 7,000 stipulations signed in 5 years.

Pre-Default Intervention ■50% participation, 50-60% stipulation rate ■Decreased defaults, decreased court cases ■Essential Tools: ✷ ‘Invitation Card’ ✷ Phone reminders ✷ Face-to-face customer interaction

Pre-Default Intervention ■Benefits: ✷ Lower cost (less than ½ of a court case) ✷ Better customer buy-in, satisfaction with service ✷ Excellent order compliance (60-70%) ✷ Faster orders (up to 100 days faster!) ✷ Freed up court calendar slots ✷ Better customer satisfaction with orders (no set-aside requests) ■Costs: ✷ Training time ✷ Courts leery of the model

Customer Service ■Department Inquiry and exercises into customer service – what does the customer really want? “Customer Service - It’s More Than Just a Smile”

Customer Service ■Customer-centric focus of performance management ✷ Not # of cases, but speed of process ■Culture of excellence – what is the focus of your agency? ■Are you a: ✷ Law office ? ✷ Collection agency ? ✷ Social service agency ? ✷ Community resource for parents ?

Expanding on Success ■“Alternative Case Resolution” ✷ A plan to expand Establishment stipulation process to cover modifications ■As the Project grew, involving all aspects of the office, we realized it was more than a project...

“Solutions for Parents” ■Began as a ‘branding’ for the project – but quickly became a mantra for our culture. ■Logo Development ■Timelines ■Roles/Responsibilities

How it works in practice: ■Team structure ✷ Customer Education and Review Team ✷ Stipulation Team ■Training ■Environmental Change - facilities

Team structure ■Team structure Customer Education and Review TeamCustomer Education and Review Team Stipulation TeamStipulation Team

Customer Education and Review Team ■Educate the customer ■Initiate the Review and Adjustment process when appropriate ■Offer the option to modify an order by stipulation – by mail, in the office ■Get to know your customer/family

Stipulation Team ■Offer the option to establish or modify an order by stipulation ■Facilitate an appropriate solution using the Notice of Motion process

Training ■Mediation Training ■Classroom Training ■Workshops ■On-the-Job ■Ongoing training needs assessment

Environmental Changes ■Redesign of CSS Lobby ■Create an inviting family, friendly atmosphere ■ Collaborative workstations

Environmental Change

Legal considerations of “Solutions” ■Getting Court Buy-in ■Building stipulations the court will approve ■Benefits to the parents, the child/ren, CSS and the Courts ■Handling rejected stipulations

Getting Court Buy-in ■Court buy-in is critical to success ■Courts are on the defensive since April of 2010 ■Buy-in must be done up-front

Getting Court Buy-in (cont) ■Demonstrate Cost savings ■Demonstrate Value ■Emphasize Courts are still needed! ■Demonstrate due process safeguards Difference in time spent with customers Non-English customers/interpretation of documents Stipulations are reviewed and signed by an attorney

Building Solid Stipulations ■Guideline Orders Hardships? Allocated Child Care? Income: Hourly or YTD? Actual number of hours vs. 40 per week ■Below/Above Guideline Orders Visitation Documentation I&E’s; Paystubs

Stipulation Appointment Results It’s a win/win regardless! ■Benefits when Stipulation reached ■Benefits when Stipulation not reached ■Rejected Stipulations

Benefits of Stipulations ■Happy, satisfied customers are paying customers! ■Less expensive than court process ■Timeliness: payments received sooner! ■Less arrears due to less retroactivity ■We get to know our families! ■Better customer service ■Less adversarial ■Potential for improved parental relationship

Even non-Stips are Good! ■Better financial information gathered for the court hearing **Forms Workshop** ■Customers have a better understanding of the process ■Customers had an opportunity to be heard

Rejected Stipulations ■Quality Assurance check Was Rejection justified? ■If Rejection justified: Educate staff! Training issue identified. ■If Rejection NOT justified: Educate Courts!: File motion for the court to accept/file stipulation.

“Solutions” is a Win/Win Process! Regardless of the result, benefits include: ■Positive interaction with customers ■Improved Performance ■Better (more complete) financial information ■Excellent customer service ■Education for staff and courts ■Potential for improved parental relationships (huge benefit for the child/ren)

Concluding Thoughts ■Every action taken by anyone in the department has to clear three questions: ■Is this a Solution to a customer problem? ■Will this action foster our relationship with the customer? ■Will this action encourage trust?

Concluding Thoughts ■Customer Satisfaction is based on a Relationship with the business. ■Relationships are built on Trust. ■Trust is built on experience.

Concluding Thoughts ■Every action taken by anyone in the department has to clear three questions: ■Is this a Solution to a customer problem? ■Will this action foster our relationship with the customer? ■Will this action encourage trust?

Child Support Directors Association of California in partnership with California Department of Child Support Services Annual Child Support Training Conference & Expo October 5-7, 2010 | Orange County, California