FAA1.A Background and Introduction : 04 Handling Special Cases - Overview : E Handling Special Cases - Other Nonrelative Conflict of Interest Cases
Handling Special Cases - Other Nonrelative Conflict of Interest Cases
 
REVISION 48
(01/01/20 - 12/31/20)
When a participant and a DBME employee, contractor, volunteer, or temporary employee spend time together outside of the office, the DBME employee, contractor, volunteer, or temporary employee must report this to their supervisor as a possible conflict of interest.
 
This conflict could occur when a DBME employee, contractor, volunteer or temporary employee interacts with a participant or case that belongs to, but is not limited to one or more of the following:
 
●Themselves
●Relative
●Roommate
●Neighbor
●Friend
●Business associate
●Co-worker
●Significant other
●Parent of a child in common
 
This also includes any participant with whom the DBME employee, contractor, volunteer, or temporary employee has or had any of the following:
 
●A negative relationship
●A personal reason that they cannot act impartially
●Does not have an official business reason to interact with participant or case
 
NOTE All these relationships include current and former relationships.
 
EXCEPTION
When a DBME employee, contractor, volunteer, or temporary employee is not well known to, or familiar with the neighbor, friend, or business associate, discuss the situation with a Supervisor. The Supervisor will determine whether there is a conflict of interest and document the conversation and decision in the employee’s, contractor’s, volunteer’s or temporary employee’s file.
 
DBME employees, contractors, volunteers, or temporary employees must report cases belonging to these individuals to their direct Supervisor as there may be a conflict of interest. (See Conflict of Interest Employee, Contractor, Volunteer or Temporary Employee Reporting Responsibility)
 
DBME employees, contractors, volunteers, or temporary employees must not have any case involvement(g) with the case of any participant where there may be a conflict of interest. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
 
●Accessing and viewing or making changes to the case file
●Determining eligibility of benefits
●Registering applications
●Interviewing the participant
●Case specific discussion with another DBME employee about the employee’s, contractor’s, volunteer’s, or temporary employee’s case
●Issuing EBT cards on these cases
●Submitting verification on behalf of an individual with whom a conflict of interest exists
 
WARNING
All AZTECS, OnBase(g) and HEAplus inquiries are recorded and monitored. Actions that display on a case in which there may be a conflict of interest may be considered suspicious or potentially fraudulent activity.
 
DBME employees, contractors, volunteers, or temporary employees are not allowed to request information from co-workers regarding cases with a conflict of interest. (See special handling of employee cases for additional information and restrictions.)