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EAP Policy Manual FFY24 Chapter 5 Crisis Page 12 Process for Addressing Emergencies Before Eligibility Determination If a household reports an energy emergency, and the Service Provider has not yet determined the household’s eligibility, the Service Provider may enter a Crisis request in eHEAT. The process is: 1. Household reports an energy emergency. • The information the household reported on the application is acceptable to add a Crisis request to the household’s application in eHEAT. If a household only completes partial emergency information, follow up with the household or energy vendor to obtain missing information. When the Service Provider follows up with the household or energy vendor to obtain missing information and discovers there is no longer an energy emergency, the application is processed by the application log date order. Then the Service Provider must make a note in the ‘Application Notes’ field • If the household or vendor does not respond to the request for missing emergency information within a reasonable time, the application should be processed by the application log date order to ensure the Primary Heat benefit is not delayed. Service Providers make a note in the ’Application Notes’ field. 2. Enter the household emergency information on the eHEAT Crisis tab, complete the application, and determine eligibility. • If Primary Heat payments for the emergency energy vendor are sufficient to cover the emergency amount, eHEAT creates a ‘Resolved’ Crisis event. If Primary Heat payments for the emergency energy vendor are insufficient to resolve the emergency, eHEAT creates an ‘In progress’ Crisis event. 3. When Crisis funds are available, review ‘In progress’ Crisis events and verify the energy emergency with the energy vendor. If there is an energy emergency, process the Crisis event. If there is not an energy emergency, cancel the Crisis event. 24/7 Accessibility Households must be able to access Crisis assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from October 1 through April 15. Service Providers must have a 24-hour emergency number. Service Provider staff must be available to address a life-threatening situation within 18 hours. Acceptable 24- hour response capacity includes (but is not limited to): • Rotate assigned staff to access answering machines or voice mail. An answering machine message asks clients to leave a message that will be responded to within required Crisis response timelines. • Use a cell phone or beeper. The message provides a number or calls the referral service. Households or referral agencies call the number and assigned staff respond. • Call forwarding to on-call staff cell phone.