06/27/07 SUBJECT: TO: Fd Stamp Prgram Pandemic Flu Planning All Reginal Administratrs Fd and Nutritin Service The Fd and Nutritin Service (FNS) recently devised guidelines fr the peratin f key nutritin prgrams, including the Fd Stamp Prgram (FSP), the Special Supplemental Nutritin Prgram fr Wmen, Infants, and Children (WIC), Child Nutritin Prgrams (CN), Fd Distributin Prgram (FD), during a pandemic flu. We have attached the FSP Guidelines. These new guidelines will be psted n the FNS Disaster Assistance website at www.fns.usda.gv/disasters/disaster.htm. The Fd Stamp Prgram Pandemic Flu Planning Guidelines are intended t help State agencies cntinue t deliver the FSP under the unique cnditins that may be experienced during a flu pandemic. During peak perids f a pandemic flu, up t 40 percent f the wrkfrce is expected t be absent and may need fd assistance. Adding t the cmplexity f benefit delivery, the key public health interventin t slw the spread f the disease will be scial distancing, which will prevent State agencies frm using many standard prcedures, like face-t-face interviews. The Disaster Fd Stamp Prgram is likely t be the primary nutritin assistance respnse during a human pandemic, as it enables a flexible respnse t a pandemic, it allws recipients t cnsume fd at hme rather than in cngregate settings, and it can prvide maximum benefits t families with children t help cmpensate fr the lss f free and reduced price schl and child care meals. The guidelines explain flexibilities State agencies can request frm FNS as part f a DFSP t aid persns affected by the pandemic flu. Sme flexibilities listed are nes that are already available fr use in DFSP peratins fllwing cmmn types f disasters. New flexibilities, namely waiving the face-t-face interview altgether and filing DFSP applicatins by telephne, internet, r mail, are being made available exclusively fr respnse t the pandemic flu and are nt available fr use after ther kinds f disasters.
Page 2 If yu have questins abut the Fd Stamp Prgram Pandemic Flu Planning Guidelines, please cntact Melissa Daigle Katz at 703-305-2501. /s/ Clarence H. Carter Deputy Administratr Fd Stamp Prgram Attachment
Fd Stamp Prgram Pandemic Flu Planning Guidelines Disaster Fd Stamp Prgram as the Primary Nutritin Interventin During a pandemic flu, the key public health interventin t slw the spread f the disease will be scial distancing. As schls and day care centers may be clsed fr up t three mnths, a large number f parents will be absent frm wrk t care fr their children. Added t the numbers f individuals wh are sick r caring fr thse wh are sick, up t 40 percent f the wrkfrce is expected t be absent during peak perids f the pandemic and may need fd assistance. A human pandemic is likely t receive a Presidential disaster declaratin which prvides the authrity needed t apprve State requests fr a Disaster Fd Stamp Prgram (DFSP). The DFSP is likely t be the primary nutritin assistance respnse during a human pandemic fr the fllwing reasns: It enables a flexible respnse t a pandemic. It strengthens the nutritin assistance safety net thrugh prvisin f fd that can be cnsumed at hme rather than in cngregate settings. It can prvide maximum benefits fr lw incme families with children t help cmpensate fr the lss f free and reduced price schl and child care meals. Operatin f the DFSP during Pandemic Cnditins State agencies will need t deliver the DFSP under a cmbinatin f cnditins unlike thse f any ther disaster. State agencies will nt be able t certify applicants at mass applicatin/issuance sites r at lcal ffices due t restrictins n scial gathering and will need t accmmdate a greatly increased wrklad with up t 40 percent f their staff absent frm wrk. T streamline certificatin and issuance during a pandemic flu, the Fd and Nutritin Service can make the fllwing plicy flexibilities available t State agencies that request a DFSP. Interviews Current flexibilities with regular FSP: Substitute telephne interviews fr face-t-face interviews. New flexibility with a disaster waiver: Waive interviews altgether fr all applicant husehlds.
Applicatins Current flexibilities with regular FSP: Allw clients t submit applicatins by internet r mail. Flexibility with a disaster waiver: Use the standard DFSP applicatin, edited t suit the nature f the disaster. New flexibilities with a disaster waiver: Allw clients t submit DFSP applicatins by internet r mail. Allw clients t initiate and secure a filing date fr their DFSP applicatin with a telephne interview. Clients wuld need t later submit a signed applicatin t avid denial. Verificatin Flexibilities with a disaster waiver: Reduce r eliminate verificatin f items that are nt mandatry (nly verificatin f identity is mandatry fr the DFSP). Certificatin Perids Flexibilities with a disaster waiver: Use standard ne-mnth DFSP certificatin perids and extend as needed if pandemic cnditins and/r scial distancing cntinue. Issuance and Redemptin Current flexibilities: Allw participants t use the phne, fax, r internet t pre-rder items. Allw participants t have drive-thrugh service at their grcery stre t avid cntact with thers. Drive-thrugh service necessitates the use f handheld EBT readers. Allw participants t use internet-based fd rdering and hme grcery delivery by redeeming benefits thrugh the manual vucher prcess. Partner with hme meal delivery prgrams, such as Meals n Wheels-style services, fr benefit delivery using the manual vucher prcess. Assess Yur Capabilities FNS suggests taking the fllwing steps t assess yur State s capability t deliver benefits during a pandemic flu: Get Invlved in State Pandemic Planning.
See www.pandemicflu.gv Get cpies f yur State s plan Get infrmatin n any planning r training activities Get cntact infrmatin fr State planners Jin the State pandemic planning team and stay invlved in their readiness activities The use f scial distancing What cnditins will trigger the use f scial distancing? Hw lng is scial distancing expected t last? What scial distancing principles must yu adpt fr yur wn wrkplace? State plans t distribute fd t needy husehlds Hw will fd banks and pantries perate? If they fail t perate, will yur DFSP be the nly surce f fd resurces in yur cmmunity? Grcery stre peratin What adaptive measures are planned by grcers in yur state? These might include drive thrugh service, hme delivery, and internet r phne rders. Explre hw yu can adjust yur certificatin system. Mail Can yur mailed applicatin system (mailrm, mail distributin, key entry f applicatin data) accmmdate the anticipated vlume f applicatins? Telephne What vlume f incming and utging calls can yur telephne system accmmdate? What happens when the system is verladed? D callers get a hld message, busy signal, r are they discnnected? Can they leave a message and receive a call back? D yu have a staff persn answering the main line r autmatin that will allw clients t prceed t their intended destinatin withut having a bttleneck at a receptin? D yu have call center sftware that allws yu t track calls and distribute calls t staff? D yu have the capacity fr autmated calls t clients t give them infrmatin abut changes t plicy (like extended certificatin perids) s that they will nt need t cntact yu? Internet D yu have an internet applicatin fr clients? D yu have manual r autmated distributin f received internet applicatins t wrkers? D yur servers have the capacity t handle greatly increased web traffic? Autmatic Ntices
Staffing Can yu quickly adjust r disable the autmatic ntice system s that yu d nt send ntices t clients that unintentinally increase yur wrklad? Example: recertificatin ntices sent t clients when certificatin perids have been extended r ntices telling clients t appear at the lcal ffices fr interviews, instead f telephne interview directins. Estimate what percent f yur cmmunity s wrkfrce will be absent frm wrk during varius stages f the pandemic. See www.cdc.gv/flu/tls/fluwrklss/ fr an nline tl. Which administrative r technical activities are nn-urgent and can be pstpned until after the pandemic has ended? Hw will yu train staff that will temprarily transitin frm nnurgent tasks t essential nes? D yu have wrk-at-hme technlgy r plicies that will allw yur staff t cntinue t perate the FSP remtely? Determine yur issuance needs. Can yu prvide centralized mail issuance f EBT cards if yu dn t already? D yu have enugh EBT cards n hand t accmmdate a ptential increase in caselad? Cnsider pre-pinning EBT cards s that the number f calls t the custmer call center is reduced. D grcers need hand held EBT card readers t accmmdate drive-thrugh service r will manual vuchers suffice? If manual vuchers are used, is there an adequate supply already available t grcers r culd new supplies be generated quickly and in grcers hands t use fr drive-thrugh r delivery sales? Will grcers in yur area allw fr internet-based fd rdering and hme grcery delivery with the use f an EBT fd stamp debit card (withut the entry f a PIN)? Currently, the cmmercial industry des nt supprt the use f debit card payment ver the internet when PIN-entry is required, but grcers can use manual vuchers, which allw a signature t substitute fr a PIN. Pandemic Flu Resurces Resurce Surce Purpse www.pandemicflu.gv U.S. Department f Health and Human Services State-by-State pandemic flu planning guidance fr the wrkplace, the cmmunity, and individuals. Checklists, guides, cpies f State plans, Statelevel cntacts, and mre.
www.cdc.gv/flu/tls/flu wrklss/ www.cdc.gv/germstpp er/wrk.htm www.cdc.gv/flu/wrkpla ce/ Centers fr Disease Cntrl Centers fr Disease Cntrl Centers fr Disease Cntrl FluWrkLss estimates the ptential number f days lst frm wrk due t an influenza pandemic. Users can change almst any input value, such as the number f wrkdays assumed lst when a wrker becmes ill r the number f wrkdays lst due t a wrker staying hme t care fr a family member. Users can als change the length and virulence f the pandemic s that a range f pssible impacts can be estimated. FluWrkLss prvides a range f estimates f ttal wrkdays lst, as well as graphic illustratins f the wrkdays lst by week and percentage f ttal wrkdays lst t influenza-related illnesses. Dwnladable tip sheet n wrkplace hygiene. Wrkplace psters, flyers, and nline inf fr emplyee use.