Division of Management Information Systems Overview
Aggressively responding to the nationwide mandate for reducing government bureaucracy while enhancing supportive services to our clients, the Mississippi Department of Human Services' (MDHS), Division of Management Information Systems (MIS) is expanding its support structures into the mainstream applications in production throughout the Agency. MIS supports the various Divisions which, in turn, provides cost effective services to needy individuals and strives to educate its clients to reduce their dependency on social and financial support programs.
MIS supports MDHS's varied computerized applications systems with a staff of programmer analysts, business analysts, database administrators, operators and other technical personnel.
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF), previously known as AFDC, and the Food Stamp programs, as well as the determination of eligibility for the State's Medicaid program, are supported by the Mississippi Applications Verification Eligibility Reporting Information and Control System (MAVERICS). MAVERICS supports interfaces and exchanges data with private, State and Federal agencies daily, providing real time information. The latest policies are implemented into MAVERICS and deployed statewide, ensuring case workers are kept abreast of the most current policies.
The goal of the TANF Work Program (TWP) is to end dependence on public assistance by preparing the TANF recipient for employment. The work program serves all counties and provides the parent or caretaker with job preparation, work and supportive services. The Jobs Automated Work System (JAWS) is the automated system that supports the TWP tracking and reporting requirements for the individuals in work activities, paying for supportive services, collecting data for Federal and State reporting and paying Child Care providers for daycare services.
The Division of Child Support Enforcement is responsible for the Child Support program in Mississippi. The Mississippi Enforcement and Tracking of Support System (METSS) allows Child Support Staff to efficiently work and keep track of their Child Support caseload. Through numerous external and inter-agency interfaces, the workers are provided valuable information to assist with the location, establishment and enforcement process. METSS accepts online entry of receipts and adjustments, as well as the automatic upload of collections received via Electronic Funds Transfer/Electronic Data Interchange (EFT/EDI) from employers and others states. METSS also accepts online payment intercepts from other agencies such as the Mississippi Employment Security Commission, Internal Revenue Service, and Mississippi State Tax Commission. The system appropriately allocates and distributes all collections received as federally mandated and provides printed and online reports; thereby meeting all user, State and Federal reporting requirements.
In January 2001, the Mississippi Department of Human Services implemented the Juvenile Case Management System (JCMS) for the Division of Youth Services. The JCMS System provides an automated data capture and reporting system for enhanced administration of juvenile crime statistics for the State of Mississippi. The JCMS systems replaces a manual forms process and provides network access to valuable information for Youth Service workers throughout the State. Additionally, the JCMS Systems creates a central Database.
In the Spring of 2001, an automated system for the Division of Family and Children Services was implemented statewide. The Mississippi Automated Child Welfare Information System (MACWIS) is the future’s state of the art application in terms of both software tools and business design for the Child Welfare Program. MACWIS incorporates the sophistication of a Visual Basic graphical user interface (GUI) that features common GUI components. It provides the Division of Family and Children Services the means to input and keep track of all application for client services; electronically submit and document various approval and screening processing; document home studies and maintain a Resource Directory of placement resources; track case plans and child placement histories; manage the County Bookkeeping component (accounts payable and receivable); and process Board Payments to placement resources. The combination of Resource Directory and Placement History provide means to perform an automated search for placement resources for a child, or an emergency search for resources for a child, or support an emergency search for resources in the middle of the night. MACWIS also supports the basic Personnel functionality to track positions, workers, training, conferences, and performance appraisals.
The Agency's network provides connectivity and communications capability among all attached workstations, servers, printers, plotters, and various other devices for office automation and database applications throughout the state with the central processing center located at 750 North State Street in Jackson, Mississippi. The network serves the entire State Office's operations which are comprised of thirteen divisions located on nine floors.
Contact Information
Mississippi Department of Human Services
Division of Management Information Systems
1-800-345-6347