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applicant/recipient and contact the appropriate ESA staff to resolve the issue. Resolving the issue could include ensuring that all appropriate actions were taken with respect to the applicant/recipient’s benefits and discussing the complaint with the applicant/recipient and/or the ESA personnel involved. If an ESA staff member acted improperly, the Department may take disciplinary action against the employee. TANF See MA. GC See MA. FS OARA is responsible for handling FS program complaints filed by applicants, recipients or other concerned individuals or groups. Complaints involving such areas as processing standards and service to applicants/recipients will be reviewed and resolved within the complaint process. Complaints involving legal or policy issues will be referred to the OFH. The FS complaint system augments but does not supplant the fair hearings system. Any complaint alleging discrimination on the basis of race, age, sex, religion, disability, color, national origin or political beliefs will be forwarded to the OIC. The purpose of the complaint system is to improve service by reviewing all complaints, recommending corrective action where warranted, recording and analyzing the nature and types of complaints, and achieving an informal solution to case processing and service complaints.

FEDERAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPLAINTS 7.6 MA N/A TANF N/A GC N/A FS Federal FS regulations mandate that the department maintain records of complaints received and their disposition and review records at least annually to determine whether any pattern of problems exists in local offices. The results of this review will be provided to the General Counsel and the Administrator of the ESA for appropriate action and for inclusion in the State Corrective Action Plan. The information provided to the General Counsel and Administrator will include the identification of any potential or actual patterns of deficiencies and the causes of these problems. In light of the federal reporting requirements, OARA: • maintains a computerized ledger of all complaints with the date, the service center where the complaint arose, and the SSR or staff member interacting with the applicant/recipient at the time in question; • codes all complaints so that a determination may be made as to the most frequently occurring issues; • prepares a monthly report of the findings pertaining to program complaints including, at a minimum, the nature or categories of complaints, origination of complaints, and the SSRs and center managers involved; • analyzes the monthly report to determine if patterns exist and transmits the analysis to the General Counsel and the Administrator; and • develops an annual statistical report which includes an analysis of the monthly reports and any overall impressions derived from discussions with staff, program participants, and other interested parties or advocates. This report will be transmitted to the General Counsel and the Administrator.