IDHS to close remaining local office
lobbies as Covid-19 peaks in Illinois; all benefits remain available
Consumers still urged to stay home; all
benefits applications fully available by phone and online; local
staff responding by phone and will continue handling local emergency
assistance needs
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[August 03, 2020]
The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) is
taking another step to protect its staff and residents of Illinois
by temporarily closing 11 Family Community Resource Centers (FCRCs)
to the public, starting Thursday, April 16. In ordinary times, IDHS
operates 75 FCRCs, the public facing offices individuals and
families can use to secure essential nutrition, income and medical
supports.
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IDHS's principle goal is to ensure that all
eligible residents can receive life-sustaining benefits while
protecting the safety and health of all staff and customers.
"This is not a decision we make lightly. However, we have to balance
the urgent needs of residents facing hunger and poverty with
extremely serious public health directives. Even as many IDHS
offices close, our State's safety net remains available," said IDHS
Secretary Grace B. Hou. "Please know that every local office has an
urgent call team available to respond right away to emergency
cases." (The phone numbers of local urgent call teams are online and
posted on the front doors of all FCRC offices.)
Since last month, IDHS has been urging customers to stay home unless
absolutely necessary. Foot traffic into local offices has plummeted,
while online and telephone applications for food and medical
benefits are skyrocketing, with nearly 30,000 people seeking
first-time medical or food benefits each week compared to the usual
10,000 weekly applications.
"The coronavirus crisis calls upon IDHS and all of us to address
difficult and unprecedented questions. There are strong competing
priorities. It is essential to try to balance the safety of people
needing assistance, the workers who serve them, and the general
public in the effort to control the spread of the virus. It is also
essential to get vital services to people with heightened needs in
this difficult time. IDHS's plan for how to address all of these
factors appears to strike the right balance. We will, of course,
continue to monitor the situation closely and contribute to any
needed improvements. We commend IDHS for this decisive, but also
careful and balanced approach," said John Bouman, President of the
Shriver Center.
IDHS continues to encourage all customers to apply for and manage
their benefits online at
www.ABE.Illinois.Gov and to call the IDHS Help is Here
toll-free line at 1-833-2-FIND-HELP. IDHS will keep both its
customers and employees updated as to office re-openings in the
weeks ahead.
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Since March 29, 14 of Illinois’ 75 public facing
FCRCs remained open, with a reduced workforce and a variety of
safeguards in place to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. As of
today, 11 local offices remain open. Three (in Rockford, Chicago’s
Englewood neighborhood and in West Suburban Melrose Park) were
recently closed out of an abundance of caution following positive
COVID-19 tests of staff employed in those offices.
Staff who usually work in the public-facing FCRCs will work remotely
to process important benefits, and about 180 ABE (Access to Benefits
Electronically) call center agents will be taking calls from
customers across the state. IDHS is also exploring making non-public
“back offices” available to IDHS staff who find themselves unable to
work from home due to technology limitations – so casework and
telephone support can continue to the maximum possible extent.
The department has developed each of its significant local office
changes throughout the COVID-19 emergency in strong partnership with
AFSCME Council 31, hunger relief and disability rights advocacy
organizations across the state.
IDHS continues preparing to broaden and strengthen all of its remote
options for consumers - and will use every available resource to
ensure that residents of Illinois are not harmed by this temporary
reorganization.
More information about COVID-19 is available at
www.CoronaVirus.Illinois. Gov and through the COVID-19
Hotline, at 1-800-889-3931.
Public Service Announcement urging IDHS to use online and phone
resources:
https://www2.illinois.gov/cms/ agency/ media/radio/Pages/psa.aspx
and
http:// www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item= 123673
Map of the Family Community Resource Center Locations:
http://www.dhs.state. il.us/page.aspx?item=123570
[Illinois Office of Communication and
Information] |