Transcript CommunicationVM (2)

Improving Inter-Agency
Communication
Working Together Efficiently
Agenda
• Effective Communication in the financial
world of a statewide system.
• Respecting our fellow statewide
workers, counterparts and partners.
When do we need to work
together?
• Duplicate Case Transfers
• Adjusting Collections
• Registrations/Court Orders
• Case/Participant Merging
When emailing or calling about a
DCT…
• Provide clear and concise case and participant
information.
• Keep communication constructive and positive.
• Ask yourself what YOU would NEED if you were on the
other end of the call.
• Chat a little bit…build relationships with other LCSA
counterparts.
• Keep your DCT contact list updated…people move
around.
When adjusting collections…
• Give notice to the county who’s collections will be adjusted.
• Use the CFW contact list and call into the weekly CFW
Conference Calls.
• If something goes wrong, contact the other LCSA as soon as
possible!
Registrations…
• Registrations are now an optional LCSA
business practice. Understand counties work
differently.
• Prior to registering a court order, review all
court orders, balances that may be in CSE
under the underlying order and consider split
cases.
• Have you reviewed the Registering a Support
Order QRG?
Case & Participant Merging
• Merging cases can be dangerous as financial data can
be lost…give notice to the other LCSA prior.
• Merging participants can cause disbursements to go
out to the incorrect participant.
• Have you reviewed the two QRG’s that exist?
Practice Active Listening
• Distinguish between words and tone of
voice.
• Paraphrase and restate what the other
person is saying or writing.
• Stop multi-tasking!
Helpful Tips for Inter-County
Communication
• Understand that mistakes are made, it is how
we handle them that makes a difference!
• Don’t bring up the past…work towards the
future.
• Visualize yourself in the other person’s shoes.
• Be assertive not aggressive and state the facts
rather than your perspective.
• Understand we all have local procedures and
that is not always a bad thing.
Helpful Tips for Inter-County
Communication
• “Check in” with your listener or
recipient to make sure you conveyed
your message.
• Take the high road and break the cycle
of negativity.
• Try your best to be timely…24-48 hours is
a good goal!