PREVNEXTSUBMITMenuResourcesGlossaryNotesClear and return to MenuSearch ResultsFilterSlide TextNotesSearch in:Check to includeSearch...TermsDefinitiondefinitionresourcessearchpauseplayreplaysubmitnextpreviousvolumewelcome to confidentiality welcome to "a day in the life of an eligibility worker" as he/she progresses through a day implementing the dhhs confidentiality policy. let's start by entering your first name below: what's your first name? good morning good morning %name%. it's a busy morning already. there are people waiting for you to help them. you better get started. interview a client go to your cubicle take a call from doctor's office lookup a client select a task below to begin. take a call from another agency review a case file good afternoon nice job, %name%. you made it through the morning. this afternoon looks pretty busy, too. interview a client go home for the day take a call from another state help a co-worker select a task below to begin. take a call from a client discuss a case you're finished congratulations, %name%. you made it through the entire day. you handled 12 different situations. %name% select the unsafe physical environment confidentiality problems. i just interviewed martha james. she was asking for.... james, martha okay, you found them all do you see a problem here? this is a problem. i don't see a problem. this is just a phone. although a telephone can be used as a tool to breach confidentiality, there is not problem in this instance. okay, find more do you see a problem here? this is a problem. i don't see a problem. this is just a cup of coffee. there is no potential confidentiality breach here. okay, find more do you see a problem here? this is a problem. i don't see a problem. i just interviewed martha james. she was asking for.... this is definitely a problem. aces was left unattended with an active login and the case opened was not your case. it's just the case your neighbor is discussing. okay, find more i just interviewed martha james. she was asking for.... select the unsafe physical environment confidentiality problems. i just interviewed martha james. she was asking for.... do you see a problem here? this is a problem. i don't see a problem. okay, find more this is definitely a problem! passwords should never be shared. writing them down and leaving them accessible are grounds for dismissal. do you see a problem here? this is a problem. i don't see a problem. i just interviewed martha james. she was asking for.... select the unsafe physical environment confidentiality problems. i just interviewed martha james. she was asking for.... james, martha confidential okay, find more confidential this is definitely a problem! case files should not be left on your desk. they need to be kept in cabinets unless work on the case is imminent. your cubicle neighbors are discussing a case. select the unsafe physical environment confidentiality problems. i just interviewed martha james. she was asking for.... do you see a problem here? this is a problem. i don't see a problem. okay, find more your cubicle neighbors are discussing a case. i just interviewed martha james. she was asking for.... this is a problem. your cubicle, interview rooms, break rooms and waiting rooms are open and shared spaces. do not discuss client information here. select the unsafe physical environment confidentiality problems. i just interviewed martha james. she was asking for.... james, martha okay, you found them all you found all the possible confidentiality breaches in the cubicle. nice job. remember, it is important to maintain confidentiality at all times, even in your own cubicle or office. looks like your ready for another task. okay do you see a problem here? this is a problem. i don't see a problem. this is just a phone. although a telephone can be used as a tool to breach confidentiality, there is not problem in this instance. okay, find more do you see a problem here? this is a problem. i don't see a problem. this is just a cup of coffee. there is no potential confidentiality breach here. okay, find more do you see a problem here? this is a problem. i don't see a problem. i just interviewed martha james. she was asking for.... this is definitely a problem. aces was left unattended with an active login and the case opened was not your case. it's just the case your neighbor is discussing. okay, find more i just interviewed martha james. she was asking for.... select the unsafe physical environment confidentiality problems. i just interviewed martha james. she was asking for.... do you see a problem here? this is a problem. i don't see a problem. okay, find more this is definitely a problem! passwords should never be shared. writing them down and leaving them accessible are grounds for dismissal. do you see a problem here? this is a problem. i don't see a problem. i just interviewed martha james. she was asking for.... select the unsafe physical environment confidentiality problems. i just interviewed martha james. she was asking for.... james, martha confidential okay, find more confidential this is definitely a problem! case files should not be left on your desk. they need to be kept in cabinets unless work on the case is imminent. your cubicle neighbors are discussing a case. select the unsafe physical environment confidentiality problems. i just interviewed martha james. she was asking for.... do you see a problem here? this is a problem. i don't see a problem. okay, find more your cubicle neighbors are discussing a case. i just interviewed martha james. she was asking for.... this is a problem. your cubicle, interview rooms, break rooms and waiting rooms are open and shared spaces. do not discuss client information here. hi %name%, i need you to review michael smith's file folder. when the paper appears decide if the item should be filed or shredded. just drag and drop the paper in the correct spot. review a case file copy of the client's driver's license copy of a newspaper article of arrest copy of his social security card copy of the client's case summary with signature copy of the temporary coverage copy of the release of information with signature copy of the client's rights and responsibilities signed copy of application - client and worker's signatures michael is worried because he is waiting for results from an hiv test. worker's note about michael continue continue next this newspaper article about michael's arrest for burglary is not pertinent to this case. it should be shredded. next a copy of the case summary should be kept in the case file. next a copy of the a driver's license or state id should remain in the case file. next a copy of the of the social security card is not always in the case file, but sometimes there is a conflict in aces in which the social security number is already know to aces. incases like this, we take a copy for proof that the number belongs to the client. this should stay in the file. next a copy of the temporary coverage should remain in the case file. next a copy of the release of information needs to stay in the case file. this is what allows you to verify the information michael provides. next a copy of michael's rights should stay in the case file. next this is the signed copy of michael's application. it states that he has given accurate information and that the eligibility specialist has provided explanations, answered questions and given appropriate written materials. this stays in the case file. next this should be shredded and should never have been placed in the case file. unless you work in a designated office handling applications for disability or specialized insurance option, client medical records and copies of applications and/or disability claims should not be kept in their file. the one exception to this would be verification of medical expense deductions or presumptive disability forms. before you file any medical information check with your supervisor to be sure we need to keep that information. nice job sorting through the case file. now on to the next task. okay although as eligibility specialists, we do not deal with coverage details. you should provide jessica with the number to mainecare member services rather than telling her you don't know. okay right. as eligibility specialists you can't answer that question, so it's good customer service to give jessica the number to mainecare member services. okay your supervisor tells you that eligibility specialist do not deal in coverage and you should give jessica the number to mainecare member services for best customer service. okay %name%, it's your turn to interview a client. there's someone in the lobby waiting. interview a client okay, i'm going. continue continue next a note about next a copy of the application next a copy of the a driver's license or state id next a copy of the of the social security card is not always in the case file, but sometimes there is a conflict in aces in which the social security number is already know to aces. incases like this, we take a copy for proof that the number belongs to the client. this should stay in the file. oh no! it's your brother's new girlfriend! continue continue next a note about next a copy of the application next a copy of the a driver's license or state id next a copy of the of the social security card is not always in the case file, but sometimes there is a conflict in aces in which the social security number is already know to aces. incases like this, we take a copy for proof that the number belongs to the client. this should stay in the file. oh no! it's my brother's new girlfriend! you pretend you don't know her and conduct the interview. you are a professional and appreciate the importance of confidentiality. you say hello, take her to the interview room, and begin the intake. you're don't think you should conduct the interview. not only are you uncomfortable, you realize that she's probably not comfortable either. you consult your supervisor. what do you do? if someone you know or are related to comes in to apply for assistance, you should report this to your supervisor. together, you and your supervisor can determine if the case should be assigned to another worker. these are often called "in-house" cases. in-house case files are locked in the supervisor's office and you should never try to look them up in aces. okay this case gets assigned to another worker and you return to your desk. now on to the next task. okay although as eligibility specialists, we do not deal with coverage details. you should provide jessica with the number to mainecare member services rather than telling her you don't know. okay right. as eligibility specialists you can't answer that question, so it's good customer service to give jessica the number to mainecare member services. okay your supervisor tells you that eligibility specialist do not deal in coverage and you should give jessica the number to mainecare member services for best customer service. okay hi %name%, this is jessica from dr. smith's office. i'm calling because i'm trying to submit a claim for jack doe, jane doe's newborn, and i need his mainecare information in order to submit the claim. i'm hoping you can help me. pull jack's case up in aces and give jessica the information. ask jessica to fax over a release of information form and call her back. you're not sure what to do so you ask your supervisor. you want to provide good customer service. what do you do? actually, it depends on what information jessica is asking for. you can provide a few key pieces of information that she needs to submit a claim without a release. okay right. of course, it depends on what information jessica is asking for. you can provide a few key pieces of information that she needs to submit a claim without a release. okay whenever you're not sure of something, it's a good idea to ask. in this case, your supervisor tells you that it's okay to give jessica a few key pieces of information that she needs to submit a claim without a release. okay i'm going to need jack's a#, dob, gender, and phone number because jane didn't give us her new phone number. thank you %name%. give jessica all the information she's requesting. give jessica only the a#, the dob and gender of the child. you're not sure what to do so you ask your supervisor. what information do you provide? you're right. that's all the information jessica needs to file a claim. any additional information requires a signed release form. okay you may release the a#, dob and gender without a release form. that is all the information that is necessary to submit a claim. you may not release any other information, including the phone number, without a signed release form. okay your supervisor tells you that may release the a#, dob and gender without a release form. that is all the information that is necessary to submit a claim. you may not release any other information, including the phone number, without a signed release form. okay okay %name%. jack had a series of vaccinations and i want to make sure they will all be covered. give jessica the phone number to mainecare member services for coverage details. tell jessica you do not know the answer to her question. you only deal with eligibility. you're not sure what to do so you ask your supervisor. what do you say now? although as eligibility specialists, we do not deal with coverage details. you should provide jessica with the number to mainecare member services rather than telling her you don't know. okay right. as eligibility specialists you can't answer that question, so it's good customer service to give jessica the number to mainecare member services. okay your supervisor tells you that eligibility specialist do not deal in coverage and you should give jessica the number to mainecare member services for best customer service. okay you thank jessica for calling and hang up the phone. phew, you made it through that task, now onto another. okay although as eligibility specialists, we do not deal with coverage details. you should provide jessica with the number to mainecare member services rather than telling her you don't know. okay right. as eligibility specialists you can't answer that question, so it's good customer service to give jessica the number to mainecare member services. okay your supervisor tells you that eligibility specialist do not deal in coverage and you should give jessica the number to mainecare member services for best customer service. okay good morning %name%, this is tom from the local housing agency. i'm trying to verify sally smith's income. she said she receives tanf payments monthly. could you please confirm? pull up sally's case in aces and confirm tanf payments. ask tom to fax over a release of information form and call him back. you're not sure what to do so you ask your supervisor. you want to provide good customer service. what do you do? when sally applied for tanf and for housing assistance she signed release forms allowing you to confirm that tanf payments are a source of income for her. once you confirm tom is with the housing agency, you can provide this information. okay right. when sally applied for tanf and for housing assistance she signed release forms allowing you to confirm that tanf payments are a source of income for her. okay whenever you're not sure of something, it's a good idea to ask. in this case, your supervisor tells you that it's okay to confirm tanf payments as income for sally. okay great. thanks, %name%, now can you tell me how many people are in the household? i want to make sure i have a place that is adequate for the family's needs. you confirm household size using the food supp information. you tell tom that you can not share this information with him. you're not sure what to do so you ask your supervisor. now, what do you do? you're right. you can not share this information. it would be a breach of confidentiality to share it. okay this is a breach of confidentiality. you can not share this information. refer to the confidentiality guide. okay your supervisor refers you to the confidentiality guide and shows you where it says you can not share this information. okay you thank tom for calling and hang up the phone. now on to the next task. okay although as eligibility specialists, we do not deal with coverage details. you should provide jessica with the number to mainecare member services rather than telling her you don't know. okay right. as eligibility specialists you can't answer that question, so it's good customer service to give jessica the number to mainecare member services. okay your supervisor tells you that eligibility specialist do not deal in coverage and you should give jessica the number to mainecare member services for best customer service. okay you're worried about your neighbor, alice. you know she was recently in the hospital and she still seems very weak. you worry that she doesn't have enough to eat and wonder if she receives food stamps. you're pretty sure she would qualify based on her fixed income. you're already logged into aces. it would only take a second to search for alice in the system. do you search for alice in the system? yes no do you search for alice in the system? yes no a safe environment begins with you following a professional code of responsibility and conduct. under no circumstances are you allowed to access client information for personal reasons, even if you are concerned about your neighbor. misuse of your professional authority is a breach of confidentiality and is a leading cause for dismissal from your job. do you search for alice in the system? yes no right! a safe environment begins with you following a professional code of responsibility and conduct. under no circumstances are you allowed to access client information for personal reasons, even if you are concerned about your neighbor. misuse of your professional authority is a breach of confidentiality and is a leading cause for dismissal from your job. remember, too, that your supervisor can see where you have been in aces and what information you have viewed. if you accidentally come upon information in aces that you should not have accessed, immediately tell your supervisor. as long as you report it, you have done nothing wrong. okay hi %name%! hey, i have some new information you need on my ex. she just got a new job that's doubled her salary... hi. listen, i can't talk about this right now because of confidentiality. wow, rob, that's great. that will really affect your case. what do you say? this response does not abide by confidentiality rules. okay nice response. let's see what rob says now. okay no, no. i don't mind. i don't care who hears. i need to talk to you. it's important! okay, let's talk. i understand, but i'm not permitted to conduct business outside of the office. what do you say? no. you should explain to rob that to protect him and his privacy rights, you are not permitted to conduct business outside of the office. okay right. you should explain to rob that to protect him and his privacy rights, you are not permitted to conduct business outside of the office. okay you tell rob that he can call and leave you a voicemail message with all the details and that you will get back to him when you are at the office. phew....you finally made it through the day. okay although as eligibility specialists, we do not deal with coverage details. you should provide jessica with the number to mainecare member services rather than telling her you don't know. okay right. as eligibility specialists you can't answer that question, so it's good customer service to give jessica the number to mainecare member services. okay your supervisor tells you that eligibility specialist do not deal in coverage and you should give jessica the number to mainecare member services for best customer service. okay local grocer hi paula! wow, this is great to see you... i have a question about my food supplements and using my card. good... so... the limit on my card - i don't want to go over. oh hi, how are you...? how would you handle this situation? i'm sorry but i'm not allowed to talk to you outside the office. please call me at the office - i'd be glad to help you. but don't forget you can also call the number on the back of the card. well.. let me see your card.... submit you are not allowed to conduct work outside of the office even if the client is comfortable having a conversation. do not take information or engage in the conversation any more than necessary. you could suggest she call the number on the back of her card to gain the information she is looking for. encourage the client to call you at the office where you would be more than happy to answer additional question in a confidential setting. continue continue hi jeannette! hey, i have some new information you need on my ex. she's just gotten a new job that's doubled her salary... hi listen, i can't talk about this right now because of confidentiality. no, no... i don't mind - i don't care who hears... i need to talk to you - it's important. how would you handle this situation? well... where is she working now? well... i understand this is really important to you - so is your privacy. please call me at the office. submit continue continue explain that you understand the urgency of his situation but you are not permitted to conduct business outside of the office. thi is to protect him and his privacy rights. let him directly as a concerned family member. hi %name%, you wouldn't believe what i just did. i changed my password earlier today and now i can't remember what it is. i've got a call into the helpdesk, but i really just need to look something up in aces real quick. can you help me out? you really like christy and you understand her predicament and want to help. what do you tell her? "sure, christy. here's my password, but don't tell anyone. you owe me one." "gee, christy. i'd like to help you out. how about if i do the lookup for you?" "sorry, christy. i wish i could help you, but you know i can't share my password. why don't you talk to our supervisor? maybe she can do something. regardless of how much you like christy, you should never allow another person to use your password for any reason - not even your supervisor. mis will never ask for it, and no else ever should. you will be held responsible for any confidentiality breach that occurs as a result of access through your password. so, be sure to logout of aces whenever you are not actively performing case management and never leave your login active when you leave the work station. although this is less dangerous than sharing your password with christy, you shouldn't do the client search for her. what if the case is someone you know personally? you were right not to share your password. you should never allow another person to use your password for any reason - not even your supervisor. mis will never ask for it, and no else ever should. you will be held responsible for any confidentiality breach that occurs as a result of access through your password. so, be sure to logout of aces whenever you are not actively performing case management and never leave your login active when you leave the work station. this is the best response to this problem. you were right not to share your password. you should never allow another person to use your password for any reason - not even your supervisor. mis will never ask for it, and no else ever should. you will be held responsible for any confidentiality breach that occurs as a result of access through your password. so, be sure to logout of aces whenever you are not actively performing case management and never leave your login active when you leave the work station. you finish up your conversation with christy and move on to the next task. okay although as eligibility specialists, we do not deal with coverage details. you should provide jessica with the number to mainecare member services rather than telling her you don't know. okay right. as eligibility specialists you can't answer that question, so it's good customer service to give jessica the number to mainecare member services. okay your supervisor tells you that eligibility specialist do not deal in coverage and you should give jessica the number to mainecare member services for best customer service. okay oh %name%, there you are! listen, i have a question about jane doe's case. evidently, she just had a baby - not sure which loser is the father is but.... oh %name%, there you are! listen, i have a question about jane doe's case. evidently, she just had a baby - not sure which loser is the father is but.... what is the issue here? (click all that apply.) bill is discussing the case in a public place (near the lobby) where eavesdropping or accidental disclosure can take place and there's a guy sitting right there, reading the paper. bill is another eligibility specialist and i'm bound by confidentiality rules not to discuss cases with him. bill should keep the discussion case related only. calling the potential father a loser is not professional. correct answers: bill is discussing the case in a public place (near the lobby) where eavesdropping or accidental disclosure can take place and there's a guy sitting right there, reading the paper. bill should keep the discussion case related only. calling the potential father a dead beat is not professional. you start walking bill into a private space and when you get there, tell him that you couldn't discuss the case in a public space. furthermore, the discussion will have to remain professional without editorials. now on to the next task. okay good morning %name%, this is chantal from albany county dhs in new york. i have a holly smith here in our office, applying for benefits. i understand she received some tanf benefits in maine already this month? pull up holly's case in aces and confirm tanf payments. ask chantal to fax over a release of information form and call her back. you're not sure what to do so you ask your supervisor. what do you do? you're right. chantal will need to provide a release of information statement that holly smith has signed. chantal will need to provide a release of information statement that holly smith has signed. your supervisor tells you that chantal will need to provide a release of information statement that holly smith has signed. now that chantal has provided the release form, you need to document the release in a case note. be sure to include: the name of requestor the information released the reason for the release and type of consent used to justify the release of information (roi) you finish up with chantal and hang up the phone. now on to the next task. okay you are conducting an interview with samantha, a new applicant. you are in the process of setting up her case file in aces and ask for her mailing address. she digs through her purse and shows you a laminated acp card with an address. do you know what apc is? yes no acp stands for address confidentiality program. it is administered by the secretary of state and provides participants with a free first-class confidential mail forwarding service. participants are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. acp offers a layer of protection in a victim's overall safety plan by providing a designated address to use whenever their home, work, or school address is required. participants will provide a laminated acp card when obtaining state or local government services. what do you do with the address on the card? use it in her case file. ignore it. you tells you the address where she is staying. no, you can't ignore it! the law requires you to accept and use the address on the acp card. you can not require the participant to disclose their actual address. record only the acp address in aces. do not record actual residence or other blatant disclosures on the address records. right. the law requires you to accept and use the address on the acp card. you can not require the participant to disclose their actual address. record only the acp address in aces. do not record actual residence or other blatant disclosures on the address records. for more information about acp, visit maine.gov/sos/acp.html. you use the acp address and finish the interview. now on to the next task. okay before you help michael you need to confirm his identity. you pull up michael's case in aces and see if benefits were loaded this month. you're not sure what to do so you ask your supervisor. michael lives in a group home and has passed the phone to his direct service worker. what do you do? %name%, this is michael smith. i have a problem with my food stamp card. it's not working. here, can you talk to my worker? how do you know this is really michael? how do you know if you can release this information? you first need to verify his identity. you're right. you first need to verify his identity. your supervisor tells you that you first need to verify michael's identity. tell elizabeth you can't speak to her. ask elizabeth for michael's case number. look up michael's case to see if elizabeth is a authorized third party. what do you do? hello. this is elizabeth jones, michael's worker at the group home. right. you should always ask the person for a piece of information, especially one that is unique and not easily accessible to someone unrelated to the case. (a nosy neighbor wouldn't have michael's case number.) if elizabeth is able to provide a piece of unique information to you, it reduces the likelihood that she is just a nosy neighbor. you should ask elizabeth to provide michael's case number. by pulling up michael's case, you have confirmed to elizabeth that he is in the system, even though she did not provide the case number. you should ask elizabeth to provide michael's case number. tell elizabeth you can't speak to her. look up michael's case and tell elizabeth why no benefits were loaded this month. look up michael's case to see if elizabeth is a authorized third party. elizabeth has provided the correct number. now what do you do? okay, here is the case number, 12345678a. actually, you shouldn't do this. you first need to check that michael has given written authorization and named elizabeth as an third-party first, look to see if elizabeth is listed as an authorized third-party. if so, it means that michael has provided written authorization to discuss the case with her. right. if elizabeth is listed as an authorized third-party, this means that michael has provided written authorization to discuss the case with her. you see that elizabeth is, indeed, listed as an authorized third-party, so you tell her why michael's benefits were not loaded this month. if elizabeth were not listed, you could not provide this information to her. now on to the next task. okay <html><p align='left'><textformat leading='1' tabstops='[48, 96]' leftmargin='0' indent='0'><font face='Articulate' size='11.64pt' color='#444444'>This layout features an illustrated clipboard and editable character.<br><br>Great layout to highlight processes or check off items on a list. Swap characters with a single click and add your text to the clipboard display. </font><font face='Articulate' size='11.64pt' color='#000000'></font></textformat></p></html><html><p align='left'><textformat leading='1' tabstops='[48, 96]' leftmargin='0' indent='0'><font face='Articulate' size='11.64pt' color='#444444'>This legal document-themed layout features illustrated folder and paper placeholders.<br><br>Use the layout to set up a scenario or case study or combine with the freeform quizzing tools to create a legal brief-inspired interaction.</font><font face='Articulate' size='11.64pt' color='#000000'></font></textformat></p></html><html><p align='left'><textformat leading='1' tabstops='[48, 96]' leftmargin='0' indent='0'><font face='Articulate' size='11.64pt' color='#444444'>This legal document-themed layout features illustrated folder and paper placeholders.<br><br>Use the layout to set up a scenario or case study or combine with the freeform quizzing tools to create a legal brief-inspired interaction.</font><font face='Articulate' size='11.64pt' color='#000000'></font></textformat></p></html><html><p align='left'><textformat leading='1' tabstops='[48, 96]' leftmargin='0' indent='0'><font face='Articulate' size='11.64pt' color='#444444'>This legal document-themed layout features illustrated folder and paper placeholders.<br><br>Use the layout to set up a scenario or case study or combine with the freeform quizzing tools to create a legal brief-inspired interaction.</font><font face='Articulate' size='11.64pt' color='#000000'></font></textformat></p></html><html><p align='left'><textformat leading='1' tabstops='[48, 96]' leftmargin='0' indent='0'><font face='Articulate' size='11.64pt' color='#444444'>This legal document-themed layout features illustrated folder and paper placeholders.<br><br>Use the layout to set up a scenario or case study or combine with the freeform quizzing tools to create a legal brief-inspired interaction.</font><font face='Articulate' size='11.64pt' color='#000000'></font></textformat></p></html><html><p align='left'><textformat leading='1' tabstops='[48, 96]' leftmargin='0' indent='0'><font face='Articulate' size='11.64pt' color='#444444'>This legal document-themed layout features illustrated folder and paper placeholders.<br><br>Use the layout to set up a scenario or case study or combine with the freeform quizzing tools to create a legal brief-inspired interaction.</font><font face='Articulate' size='11.64pt' color='#000000'></font></textformat></p></html>