Transportation by Bus/Trolley for Clients

(Revised 06/07/19)

Forms Introduction Day Pass vs. Compass Card 30 Day Compass Card Minimum Frequencies and Service Coverage Compass Cards Daily Pass Procedures Compass Card Procedures Disabled Compass Card Child/Youth Compass Card Replacement of Monthly Compass Card Unused Compass Card Alignment with SET

Forms The following forms are referenced in this file:

• 04-197 Authorization For Compass Card/Day Pass • Reduced Fares and Passes Application (MTS) • Senior/Disabled/Medicare Reduced Fare ID Card Application (North County Transit District)

Introduction To assist the client in meeting the case plan goals and court ordered requirements, the SW may request a Compass Card or Day Passes. Compass Card/Day Passes are to be used for transportation specifically for court ordered services including counseling, parenting classes, drug testing, alcohol/drug treatment and support meetings, medical appointments, and visitation with children. It is the SW’s responsibility to advise clients on the proper use of a Compass Card/Day Pass and to monitor for the appropriate use of the Compass Card/Day Pass.

NOTE: Please see the Compass Card brochure above in Forms for assistance.

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Day Pass vs. The following table describes the difference between a Day Pass and a Compass Card. Compass Card Description Current Cost Issuance Frequency

Day Pass Metropolitan Transit System Up to 7 days for clients in • Picture ID is not (MTS) and North County Transit IRS/IS Programs. required when District (NCTD) using a Day Up to 14 days for clients Pass. $6.00* per Day Pass in CI/CS Programs if: • SCP requests a (Regional Service) client is in compliance Day Pass for with their service plan, foster child. $13.00* per RegionalPlus Day and requires fewer than Pass. the minimum frequency (Special Services) for a compass card. (see chart below) *includes $1 administrative fee

30 day Compass For use on both MTS and NCTD Calendar Month for Card buses/trolley. In total, there are clients who comply with • Valid for 30 days 10 fare types available: service plan and require of unlimited • $120 Adult 1z the minimum frequency riding (aka FLEX) or more for a compass • Picture ID is • $165 Adult Coaster 3z card. (see chart below) required when • $100 Adult Premium/ using a Youth or • $72 Adult Regional Senior/Disabled/ • $41.25 SDM Coaster 3z Medicare (SDM) (The SW must verify the Monthly client has a disabled permit) Compass Card • $25 SDM Premium/Rapid (The SW must verify the client has a disabled permit) • $18 SDM Regional (The SW must verify the client has a disabled permit) • $82.50 Youth Coaster 3z • $50 Youth Premium/Rapid • $36 Youth Regional

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30-Day Compass Monthly Minimum Frequency Card minimum frequencies and Pass Type Adult Youth SDM service coverage Regional 12 6 3

Premium 8 4 2

1z-Flex 10 n/a* n/a*

3z-Coaster 13 7 4

*select 3z-Coaster for Youth and SDM Flex service

Service Coverage

Regional [MTS Trolley, MTS Bus/Express, MTS Rapid, NCTD Breeze, NCTD ]

Premium [REGIONAL + MTS Rapid Express]

1z-Flex [REGIONAL + MTS Rapid Express, NCTD FLEX]

3z-Coaster [REGIONAL + MTS Rapid Express, NCTD FLEX, NCTD COASTER]

Compass Cards MTS Compass Cards are valid for use on a number of different travel systems in County including: o MTS Trolley o MTS Bus o MTS Rapid o MTS Express o MTS Rapid Express/Premium (for an additional charge).

North County Transit systems o NCTD Breeze o NCTD Sprinter o NCTD Coaster (for an additional charge) o NCTD Flex Services (for an additional charge).

For more information on routes, here is a link to MTS Regional Transit Map: https://sdmts.com/schedules-real-time/maps-and-routes.

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Daily Pass SWs will follow these steps to request Day Passes: procedures Step Action

1 Review the adult client’s compliance with his/her case plan if re-authorizing transportation services.

2 Determine the number of trips and locations the client or foster child will have to travel weekly.

Example 1:

Counseling in San Diego - 1 Frequency per week = 1 time/week (1 roundtrip)

Counseling in Lemon Grove - 2 Frequency per week = 2 times/week (2 roundtrips)

Total Frequency per Week: 3

Total Frequency per Month: 12 (3x4)

Example 2: (bi-weekly or monthly travel)

Counseling in San Diego - 2 Frequency per week = 2 times/week (each roundtrip)

Visitation in Lemon Grove - 1 Frequency per week = .5 time/bi-weekly (roundtrip)

Visitation in El Cajon - 1 Frequency per week= .25 time/month (roundtrip)

Total Frequency per Week: 2.75

Total Frequency per Month: 11 (2.75x4)

3 • Complete Form 04-197 Compass Card/Day Pass Authorization and submit to PSS for approval and signature. • Use the comments section on the 04-197 to note unusual circumstances or other information helpful to determine issuance of Compass Card or Day Passes. • Is monthly frequency greater than or equal to the minimum requirement for 30 day Compass Card? (See 30 Day Compass Card Minimum Frequencies and Service Coverage chart above.) If yes, go to Compass Card procedures in next section. If no, go to step 4.

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Step Action

4 • Take original 04-197 to the Regional Fiscal Clerk for Day Passes. NOTE: Copies of 04-197 will not be accepted. • Regional Fiscal Clerk will review 04-197, release appropriate number of day passes, and keep original 04-197, with supervisor signature, for documentation purposes. • Sign acknowledgement of receipt per the Regional Fiscal Clerk for the Day Passes. • File copy of 04-197 under the Financial/Placement tab of the hard case file.

5 Deliver Day Pass by: o asking the client or the SCP to pick-up at office; or o delivering in person to the client or SCP.

NOTE: It is County policy to give Day Passes to the client or SCP in person. Client must provide ID and sign a copy of the 04-197 for auditing purposes.

6 Document in the Contact Notebook the manner in which the Day Passes were delivered and file the signed 04-197 in the hard file.

7 All services offered and/or delivered need to be entered in the “Delivered Services” page of the Contact Notebook and in the court report.

Compass Card SWs will follow these steps to request a Compass Card: procedures Step Action

1 Review the adult client’s compliance with the case plan. If the client is in compliance, requesting a 30 day Compass Card may be appropriate.

If the client is not in compliance document in the Contact Notebook and consider whether to request a Day Pass instead. If Day Passes are used, the Compass Card must be returned to the Regional Fiscal Clerk.

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SWs will follow these steps to request a Compass Card:

Step Action

2 • Complete form 04-197, and submit to PSS for approval and signature. • Use the comments section on the 04-197 to note unusual circumstances, or other information helpful to determine issuance of Compass Card or Day Passes. • If monthly frequency is greater than or equal to the minimum requirement for a 30 day Compass Card (see 30 Day Compass Card Minimum Frequencies and Service Coverage chart above), send the original form 04-197 to the Regional Fiscal Clerk, before the 10th of each month, to ensure services are available for the following month. • If monthly frequency is lower than the minimum requirement for a 30 day Compass Card, submit an 04-197 to the Regional Fiscal Clerk to request Day Passes.

3 Retain a copy of the form 04-197 in the case file until the Compass Card is received from the Regional Fiscal Clerk.

NOTE: To ensure the Compass Card is issued by the first of the following month, send form 04-197 no later than the 10th of the current month. Forms submitted after the 10th of each month, will be assessed to see if a monthly compass card is still cost effective for the current month. If not, day passes for the remainder of the month will be recommended instead.

You will be notified when the Compass Card is available and it must be picked up within 5 days of notification from the Regional Fiscal Clerk.

4 • Obtain the Compass Card from Regional Fiscal Clerk along with a copy of the 04-197. • Sign acknowledgement of receipt per the Regional Fiscal Clerk for the Compass Card.

5 Delivery of Compass Card: The client or SCP may pick up the Compass Card at the office, either from the SW, or designated person. The client or SCP must: • present a current picture ID, and • sign a copy of the 04-197 for auditing purposes. • The signed 04-197 must be filed in the case file.

NOTE: The Compass Card will not be sent via certified mail.

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Step Action

5 If the client or SCP does not have a current photo ID or needs to obtain a disabled permit, the SW can send the client to DMV, where the client may obtain an ID. The cost for the ID at DMV varies depending on the client’s eligibility to a reduced-fee ID. See DMV website for specific fees.

If the youth does not have a current photo ID, the SCP should contact the youth’s SW regarding obtaining a reduced fee picture ID for the youth.

NOTE: See Normalcy Protocol for reduced waiver fees for youth.

6 Compass Cards expedite fare collection; they are plastic credit cards that are activated by “tapping” the card at a validator or fare box.

Compass Cards have five different rider classes (a full fare Adult, a discounted Senior, a discounted Disabled, a discounted Medicare, and a discounted Youth) available on three types of Compass Cards (Adult, SDM, Youth).

The following takes place when a client “taps” their card at a fare box: • Authentication of Microchip Serial Number • Authorization of fare balance “Loading” • Update of activity recorded on Compass Card Server • Confirmation sent to the driver that generates an auditory signal that the Compass Card is valid.

The cards expire 10 years from the date they are first activated. The SW will only have to deliver the card once, future months will be automatically loaded on the Compass Card. On the 25th of each month the future month’s fare will be available for download.

7 Document in the CWS/CMS Contact Notebook the manner in which the Compass Card was delivered and file the client signed copy of the 04-197 in the hard file.

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Step Action

8 All services offered and/or delivered need to be entered in the “Delivered Services” page of the Contact Notebook and in the court report.

Disabled Compass CWS clients in drug and/or alcohol treatment are eligible for a Disabled Compass Card (which Card is a photo identification card).

The SW should advise their client to go to the Transit Store (102 Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101, telephone 619-234-1060) or to the North County Transit District (NCTD) (810 Mission Ave., Oceanside, CA 92054, telephone 760-966-6500) to get a Disabled Compass Card. The charge for the card through the Transit Store is $7.00. The client will need a letter from the drug treatment program. The Transit Store has a listing of drug treatment programs they consider approved.

The NCTD accepts a letter from any drug treatment program and calls to verify the eligibility, for a 6-month Disabled NCTD Reduced Fare I.D. Card, which will allow the county to purchase a Disabled Compass Card at a reduced cost. The first NCTD Reduced Fare I.D. Card is initially free, but there is a fee for replacements. The client will need both the NCTD Reduced Fare I.D. Card and the Disabled Compass Card to ride on the bus/trolley. A combination NCTD Reduced Fare ID Card/Compass Card is available for an initial fee of $2.00.

To obtain the Disabled NCTD Reduced Fare I.D. Card or a combination Reduced Fare ID Card/Compass Card, the following must be completed: • The SW must complete the Senior/Disabled/Medicare Reduced Fare ID Card Application and give it to the client to take to NCTD. • The client must bring a photo ID with them. If the client receives SSI, they must bring in a current award letter from SSI or a recent bank statement showing their name and the transaction showing direct deposit of their SSI payment. • The SW must verify that the client has the Disabled ID Card before requesting a Disabled Compass Card.

Child/Youth SCPs who are receiving foster care, TANF, SSI, or any other government funds for a dependent Compass Card child/youth are responsible for transportation of the child/youth. However, if a Compass Card is needed for the child/youth, SCPs should contact the SW to request they obtain a Compass Card for the child/youth. The SCP and SW should use the “prudent parent standard” in the Normalcy Protocol deciding whether a child/youth is capable of safely riding a bus/trolley alone.

The travel reimbursement for educational purposes allows for the SCP to request reimbursement for a bus pass for the child/youth to take themselves to school. If a bus pass has been requested for school transportation, the SW must not authorize another bus pass for the child/youth (via the Form 04-197 Authorization for Bus Tokens /Passes).

CWS Policy Manual Cross Program Procedures – Transportation by Bus/Trolley for Clients Page 8 of 9 Replacement of Compass Cards that are lost, stolen, damaged or malfunctioning will be replaced by MTS. monthly Compass Replacement requests are processed daily, but delivery of the new Compass Card can take 7- Card 10 business days. In this event, a client can be issued the number of Day Passes needed for up to 7 days.

A replacement card can be requested at any time. Replacement requests are processed through the RFC, who forwards the request to the CWS Compass Card Coordinator. The method for requesting a replacement is set by each Regional Fiscal Clerk.

A replacement card is only granted to cards with active* status.

(*If a client’s Compass Card is inactive, a replacement card can be requested at the time of renewal, simply by selecting LOST from the dropdown and making a note in the comments section.)

Compass Cards that are recovered after reported lost or stolen cannot be reactivated. They should be returned to the Regional Fiscal Clerk.

Unused Compass Unused Compass Cards must be returned to the Regional Fiscal Clerk within ten calendar Card days of the last day of the month. SWs must attempt to recover unused Compass Cards from clients who no longer need transportation services. The Regional Fiscal Clerk will return the unused Compass Cards to the CWS Compass Card Coordinator.

Monthly, unused Compass Card reports will be sent to the regions, indicating clients who have not used the services provided. SWs should investigate why a Compass Card they requested is not being utilized. If the Compass Card is not used for 2 months (from date of activation/re-activation), the card will automatically be deactivated by fiscal. SWs may re- refer the client for a Compass Card if appropriate.

Alignment with SET This policy aligns with SET Value 1: Partner with the family to create ongoing permanency. Value #3: Preserving connections with family and seeking permanency.

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