1. (a) The Family Service Worker will:

   1. (1) Check documentation of the child’s special need or needs and the additional activities required of the foster parents to meet the need or needs;
   2. (2) Complete the CFS-304: Justification of Special Board Rate by determining the level of care needed in each of the three (3) need categories and adding the three (3) levels;
   3. (3) Submit the request for a special board rate with documentation attached to the County Supervisor for review and recommendation; and
   4. (4) Once approved, review the continuing need for the request on a quarterly basis and, if appropriate, resubmit for reevaluation by the County Supervisor and the Area Director.

2. (b) The County Supervisor will:

   1. (1) Review the request for completeness and appropriateness and recommend approval or disapproval within three (3) working days of receipt;
   2. (2) If approved, forward the request to the Area Director for review and approval or disapproval;
   3. (3) If disapproved, forward the request with a recommendation for disapproval to the Area Director for review and action as appropriate;
   4. (4) Once approved, review the continuing need for the request and, if appropriate, resubmit the request on a quarterly basis for reevaluation by the Area Director; and
   5. (5) Inform the foster parent in writing of the ultimate approval or disapproval of the request and the reason for that decision, noting that approval is only for ninety (90) days and the documentation of continuing need must be reviewed quarterly.

3. (c) The Area Director will:

   1. (1) Receive requests from the County Supervisor;
   2. (2) Review the request for completeness and appropriateness, consider the County Supervisor’s recommendation and either approve or disapprove the request within three (3) working days;
   3. (3) Have the authority to approve all special board rates up to nine hundred sixty dollars ($960);

   4. (4)

      1. (A) Refer the request to the Foster Care Unit Manager for a second-party review if the Area Director cannot decide on approval or disapproval.
      2. (B) Inform the requesting County Supervisor of the request’s disposition and reasons for:

4. (i) Approval;

   1. (ii) Disapproval; or

      1. (iii) Referral to the foster care unit manager.
      2. (C) A special board rate becomes effective the day the Area Director or Assistant Director, as appropriate, approves it.
      3. (D) Retroactive payments will be determined on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by the Assistant Director of Field Operations;
   2. (5) Once approved, ensure that the special board rate is reevaluated on a quarterly basis for continued appropriateness;

   3. (6)

      1. (A) Maintain a file for each approved special board rate.

      2. (B) The file should contain:

         1. (i) The requesting memo;
         2. (ii) Supporting documentation;
         3. (iii) CFS-304: Justification of Special Board Rate;
         4. (iv) Notification of approval memo; and
         5. (v) A printout of the computer entry of the special board rate; and

   4. (7) Maintain a log of special board rate approvals including the following column headings:

      1. (A) Child’s name;
      2. (B) Case number;
      3. (C) County;
      4. (D) Effective date;
      5. (E) Termination date;
      6. (F) Rate; and

      7. (G) Reason.

         1. (d) The Division of Children and Family Services Assistant Director of Field Operations will:
   5. (1) Have the authority to approve or disapprove all special board rates over nine hundred sixty dollars ($960);
   6. (2) Receive completed request packets for special board rates over nine hundred sixty dollars ($960) from Area Directors;

   7. (3) Check each request packet for completeness to include:

      1. (A) A completed CFS-304: Justification for Special Board Rate;
      2. (B) Clear and convincing documentation of any emotional, physical, and/or auxiliary problems the child has that may justify a special board rate;
      3. (C) The Area Director’s dated signature on the CFS-304: Justification for Special Board Rate as evidence of his or her review; and

      4. (D) A cover memo from the Area Director to the Assistant Director that:

         1. (i) Identifies the proposed subsidy as over nine hundred sixty dollars ($960);
         2. (ii) Provides a justification for the proposed special subsidy; and
         3. (iii) Makes a recommendation regarding approval or disapproval;
   8. (4) Review the request for appropriateness and consider the Area Director’s recommendation;
   9. (5) Refer the request to the Foster Care Unit Manager for technical assistance if desired;
   10. (6) Reach a disposition regarding the request within three (3) working days; and
   11. (7) Inform the requesting Area Director in writing of the request’s disposition and reasons for approval or disapproval.

5. (e) The Foster Care Manager will:

   1. (1) Provide only technical assistance when requested regarding special board rates; and
   2. (2) Return the request to the Area Director or Assistant Director, as appropriate, for decision and action.

6. (f) CHRIS procedures.

   1. (1)

      1. (A) If the special board rate is approved for the initial entry date at the provider placement service, the Family Service Worker will complete the provider recommendation screen in CHRIS.

      2. (B) The FSW will:

         1. (i) In the Payment Scale Information grouping, select the Child requires Special Rate checkbox;
         2. (ii) Enter the total approved special board rate monthly amount in the Monthly Authorized Amount field;
         3. (iii) Select the appropriate Reason for Special Rate pick list value of Special Board Rate Justification or Other;
         4. (iv)
7. (a) (a) Enter a brief justification for the special board rate in the Explanation for Special Rate text box.

8. (b) (b) This is mandatory if Other is selected as the Reason for Special Rate;

   1. (v) Click Add button; and

      1. (vi) Click Approval button to check the Request for Approval checkbox.

   2. (2)

      1. (A) If the special board rate is approved after the initial entry date at the provider placement service, the Family Service Worker will complete the Payment Scale screen in CHRIS.
      2. (B) This can also be completed if the special board rate was approved but was not entered on the Provider Recommendation screen as it should have been.

      3. (C) The FSW will:

         1. (i) Enter the End Date of the open Payment Scale (such as Normal or Clothing and Personal Allowance) and click Change button;
         2. (ii) Select the Ok button to the following message: “382-This is the open placemen for this client. Please open a new Payment Scale or remove the End Date for the last Payment Scale”;
         3. (iii) Click Clear button to complete the following:
9. (a) (a) Select the Child requires Special Rate checkbox;

10. (b) (b) Select the appropriate Reason for Special Rate pick list value of Special Board Rate Justification or Other;

    1. (c) (c) Enter the total approved special board rate monthly amount in the Monthly Authorized Amount field;

       1. (d)
    2. (1) (d)(1) Enter a brief justification for the Special Board Rate in the Explanation for Special Rate text.
    3. (2) (2) This is mandatory if Other is selected as the reason for special rate;
11. (e) (e) Enter the start date of the approved special board rate in the Begin Date field; and

12. (f) (f) Enter the Review Date if deemed necessary;

    1. (iv) Click Add button; and

       1. (v) Click Approval button to check the Request for Approval checkbox.

    2. (3)

       1. (A) The special board rate approvals are three-tier:

          1. (i) FSW requests;
          2. (ii) Supervisor recommends; and
          3. (iii) Area Director approves.
       2. (B) The FSW request portion was described in the procedures above.

       3. (C) To complete this three-tier process, the following operations should occur:

          1. (i) Family Service Worker Supervisor will:
13. (a) (a) Highlight the Payment Scale Request for Approval in their Supervisor Approvals' Box and click Show button;

14. (b) (b) Review information for accuracy and click Approval button to click Recommend checkbox; and

    1. (c)
    2. (1) (c)(1) If information is not accurate, click Approval button to click Deny checkbox and enter Denial Reason.

    3. (2) (2) If denied, the denied special board rate payment scale must be end dated and a new one entered; and

       1. (ii) Area Director will:
15. (a) (a) Highlight the Payment Scale Request for Approval in their Supervisor’s Box and click Show button;

16. (b) (b) Review information for accuracy and click Approval button to click Approve checkbox; and

    1. (c)
    2. (1) (c)(1) If information is not accurate, click Approval button to click Deny checkbox and enter Denial Reason.
    3. (2) (2) If denied, the denied special board rate payment scale must be end dated and a new one entered.

Codification Notes: This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules provided as follows: "02/2012"