Hmmmmmm. Maybe CBMS is not doing so well.

Got an email today from a group that is planning to march on the State Capitol on Sunday, April 6th.  Here's what they say on their flyer:

 

 

JOIN US AS WE MARCH ON THE STATE CAPITOL

                                (from the Denver Human Services Offices)

 IN

                        DENVER SUNDAY, APRIL 6^TH, 2008

                                        AT 10:00 AM

 LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD
 

The Colorado Benefits Management System (CBMS) is the computer system used by the state and county human services agencies to determine an applicant’s eligibility for public assistance in the following programs:

• Food Stamps,
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families,
• Aid for the Needy and Disabled,     
• Old Age Pension,
• SCHIP,
• Medicaid.

The database is malfunctioning and there are many negative outcomes including poor customer service, long delays in processing, inaccurate notifications to clients regarding their status, high turnover amongst county staff and denial of access to basic goods such as food and health care. 

The primary focus of the CBMS Coalition is to remove barriers of access as we promote the timely processing of applications for households in need. Our secondary focus is to address the overall culture regarding the delivery of services to these same families.

 We believe that:

• All people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.  

• All people deserve working environments that are helpful, encouraging and non-blaming.

We support good customer service—for the internal customers who work within human services and the external customers who find themselves in need of support.

The flyer was signed "Organizer-CBMS Coalition and asked readers to email fixitorditchit@live.com for more information.  Coming up on four years since CBMS converted on September 1, 2004.  Hard to believe.

 

Comments

[showmethemoney]

Thank you for posting the flyer. I went to the march on Sunday. Some people said there didn't need to be a march because the state already had a solution for CBMS. Their solution is to have EDS audit its previous work and then have another company audit EDS's audit. That's about another $350,000. Then the state is going to figure out what it takes to fix the database, even if it means splitting it up or pulling pieces apart. Does this make sense to you? Is this going to feed families any time soon? How is Governor Ritter going to provide more Health Insurance to needy children when they (the children and their parents) have to go through the CBMS process to qualify? Why is the state still paying EDS when it is clear they have not a clue what to do?
I went to the march because I was frustrated. I heard women share their stories. I heard children talk about the pride they had for their mothers. How is it that our state, with its limited resources, can continue to pour good money down the drain while these families pay the price?

DON'T SHOW EDS the money. SHOW OUR FAMILIES the money.

[LaT]

Monthly, on my caseload, I have several clients a month who are not receiving their food stamps or tanf, it it isn't one, it is the other.

One trick this system plays on the client is the notice says paperwork has to be in by the 15th for example BUT if it is received anytime after the 5th it is booted out and considered late... and the client may have to wait an extra 45 days. And clients have to make repeated personal trips to the department to hand deliver paperwork as it will always be lost if it is mailed and no receipt is givent to prove when it was received!

I would be raising hell if I didn't get paid on time! How can the state justify this?

[CBMS Coalition]

April 6, 2009

No Economic Justice Day Rally.

Colorado Ranks 51st in Food Stamp (SNAP) Outreach by USDA.

$35 million dollars lost while 289,000 eligible Coloradoans go without food assistance.

State department official announces it will be another 18 months before new contractor (Deloitte) can produce viable solution.

Families continue to receive false notices, under and/or over payments in benefits.

Company (Efficient Forms, LLC) produces solution for counties and clients (Seamless Compassion).

Economic Stimulus Package promises $147 million in Food Stamp (SNAP) money for Colorado.

State Auditor releases report letter stating that while there are programmatic problems with CBMS (Colorado Benefits Management Systems), the real issues continue to be poor data entry and untimeliness in processing from the counties.

What a difference a year makes.