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VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES ENERGY ASSISTANCE
11/13 VOLUME X, CHAPTER A, PAGE 7
11. FAMILY BASED SOCIAL SERVICES GUIDANCE
An effective social service and public assistance system is designed to meet the basic needs of citizens who need help. The system shall provide services within the needy citizen's home community and within an environment that promotes family stability whenever possible. In order to accomplish effective social and public assistance services within Virginia's locally administered, State supervised system; each LDSS must administer programs based upon a philosophy of family based social service delivery. Additional information on Family Based Social Services is contained in Volume I, Chapter E., and Volume VII, Section I, Chapter A.
Benefit programs are designed to provide income support benefits to assist families who are unable to provide the necessities of life and maintain minimum standards of health and well-being through their own efforts. Gathering relevant information about a family's situation and assessing that information against the eligibility for benefit programs are the basis for making the eligibility determinations. This process also includes an assessment of need for service programs and other resources to assist the family, which includes following the Practice Model contained in Appendix B of Chapter A. If other needs exist, the eligibility worker must refer the family for appropriate services or resources within the LDSS or community.
12. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING
LDSS in need of technical assistance for the EAP should contact the Regional Consultant. . LDSS requests for assistance will be acknowledged or addressed within three business days.
The on-line Energy Assistance Question and Answer (Q&A) website is http://spark.dss.virginia.gov/divisions/bp/ea/. This resource may be used for information regarding all aspects of the program including, Cooling Assistance, Crisis Assistance, Fuel Assistance, Reports and Vendors.
Additional technical assistance, training information and support is located at http://spark.dss.virginia.gov/divisions/bp/ea/index.cgi.
13. ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FORMS
Forms are located at http://spark.dss.virginia.gov/divisions/dgs/warehouse.cgi. Appendix A provides a listing of all general program forms.
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