DIVISION OF FISCAL MANAGEMENT

Division Administrator: Jan Clausen, Chief Financial Officer

Division Telephone Number: 515-281-6085

Vision: We are leaders recognized for our excellence, innovation, and teamwork in providing responsive and competitive financial services.

Mission: The Division of Fiscal Management assures the accountability and customer-focus of financial, contractual, and support operations that strengthen the delivery of human services.

Recent Publications:

Social Services Block Grant Information

Core Responsibilities

The Division provides accurate and timely financial, contracting, and support services to enhance the delivery of services to Iowans.  One of the Division's primary responsibilities is the oversight of the Department's budget (approximately 3 billion dollars) including 28 different State appropriations.
 
Each year the Division works with DHS staff, management and the DHS Council to develop the Department's budget and plan for upcoming expenditures. Fiscal Management provides leadership assuring an appropriate mix of funding that is compliant with rules and regulations.  The Council recommendations can be found at:  DHS Council Recommendations.  

At the end of the budgeting process, the DHS Council presents its budget recommendations to the Governor’s office for approval. These recommendations are then reviewed, modified and presented to the State Legislature as part of the appropriations process. This process concludes with a bill allocating state resources that is agreed to by the Legislature and signed by the Governor. 
 
For additional information on the budgeting process, reference Iowa Code Title 1, Chapter 8- Department of Management, Budget and Financial Control.
 
The Division monitors the approved expenditures throughout the year and provides information for informed decision making when corrections or changes are needed.  An annual report is prepared at the end of each fiscal year by the Division.


Description of other responsibilities:
The Division of Fiscal Management is also responsible for the leadership, technical expertise and strategic management in these key areas:

  • Processing internal and external claims, invoices, and payments and managing accounts receivable.
  • Accounting services for the Department's programs and operations
  • Monitoring and appraising the Department's financial position
  • Providing monthly forecasting reports for proactive planning.
  • Revenue maximization efforts, including cost allocation and grants.
  • Collections and distribution of child support payments
  • Timely and accurate Federal financial reporting
  • Auditing of payments and expenditures
  • Establishing and supporting policies related to contracting for services.
  • Supporting the purchase of social services and rehabilitative treatment and supportive services for children and families.
  • Providing Departmental operational supports such as office space leasing and design, purchasing of supplies, fixed asset tracking and meeting reservation

Organization: The Division includes five bureaus and one team.
The Bureau of Budget and Accounting coordinates development of the Department's budget, monitors the legislative appropriation process, and accounts for the revenue and expenditures of the Department. The bureau is also responsible for preparing and filing all federal and state financial reports and drawing federal funds as well as for maintaining compliance with federal and state financial rules and regulations. Specific responsibilities of this bureau include:

  • Development of the Department's annual operating budget and recommendations
  • Monitor the budget to assist management in maintaining compliance
  • Preparing fiscal impact statements in response to proposed or final changes in state or federal laws, regulations or policies that affect DHS
    Preparing financial reports and accurate and timely accounting records.  
  • Drawing funds as needed to meet cash flow needs
  • Providing financial and technical accounting assistance. 
  • Completing compliance reviews and assuring quality financial systems.

The Bureau of Purchasing, Payments, and Receipts provides processing services for payment of invoices, deposit of receipts, receipt of overpayment recoveries, accounting for federal benefit checks, and purchase of goods for the Department. Through the work of this bureau, providers, vendors, and staff receive nearly 34,000 payments for services to DHS and its customers. In addition, this bureau oversees payments to providers for foster care, daycare services, in-home health services, and adoption services processed through various specialized Department payment systems. 

This bureau provides customer service to DHS Central Office for critical support services.  The bureau is responsible for scheduling video conferencing (ICN) sessions, managing orders for printing, coordination of special mailings, daily delivery of mail, distribution of the Employees Manual, and ordering, receiving, and distribution of supply orders.  This Bureau is also responsible for maintaining the fixed assets inventory and the preparation of GAAP reports for fleet vehicles and fixed assets. 

Bureau personnel conduct daily reviews of food assistance benefits issued and benefits used by clients to verify the records for the State of Iowa, the state's contractor, and the federal government are reconciled.  This oversight provides assurance client benefits are issued accurately.

This bureau is responsible for:

  • Processing payments to vendors and providers
  • Processing travel payments for staff
  • Applying foster care income to costs
  • Releasing escrow funds for client needs
  • Receiving and applying payments on overpayment claims
  • Receiving county payments on Medicaid and facility billings
  • Tracking the balance of county billings for Medicaid and facility billings
  • Resolution of county billing disputes

Note for State Employees: A new purchase order/payment voucher form was released in February of 2005. The new "General Accounting Expenditure" or "GAX" can be found in your Microsoft Outlook, Public Folders, State Approved Forms, Administrative folder. This document is called, "GAX.dot". The form is set up to perform automatic calculations and can create a direct email to a recipient. Instructions for Completing a General Accounting Expenditure, located in the same folder, provides information for using the form.

Note for State Vendors: Please work with your program representative to complete and submit any requests for payments. A list of programs can be found on the main Department of Human Services Website under the "A to Z Services" link on the left side of this page.

The primary duties of the Revenue Maximization Team are to increase or maintain funding from non-state sources and reduce state expenditures for both program and administrative costs. The team accomplishes these duties through:

  • Identifying potential new or increased funding from existing sources or from new sources and providing oversight and assistance in managing the Department's efforts to secure this funding.
  • Operating and continually refining the department's cost allocation system to increase the federal share of funds for administering the department's programs
  • Coordinating audit activities and responding to audit findings to minimize any potential negative fiscal impact to the Department.

The Bureau of Collection Services, also known as the Collection Services Center (CSC), assures that customer services are provided and that receipting and distribution of child support and foster care payments are accurate, timely, and accomplished in accordance with federal and state requirements. CSC, an integral part of the Child Support Recovery system, receives payments from persons owing support and, within a two-day turnaround, disburses payments to the children entitled to the support. The work of CSC is an essential component of the Department's efforts to promote parental responsibility for the financial needs of children and to move families from public assistance to self-sufficiency.

For more information on the Department's Child Support Recovery system, visit Child Support's web site at http://childsupport.dhs.state.ia.us/. 


The Bureau of Purchased Services is responsible for overall support and coordination for all services contracting done by the Department. The Bureau provides technical assistance and training to Department staff on the services contracting procurement processes and requirements, including federal and state regulations that have an impact on service contracts and provider reimbursement.  The Department has approximately 1,700 service contracts as of January 2005, in addition to RTSS and POSS contracts. 

The Bureau supports the achievement of positive client results through contracting, by establishing and setting clear contract expectations, maintaining an equitable system of reimbursement, and monitoring contract performance and enforcing contract compliance.  The Bureau, in coordination with DHS field and policy staff, develops and oversees the policies and procedures governing service contracts.

The Bureau is also responsible for the review, approval, rate setting, monitoring and auditing of service contracts related to purchase of social services and rehabilitative treatment and supportive services for children and families.  They also provide training and technical assistance to providers and DHS staff and audit for billing compliance. As of January 2005, there were 58 contracts for purchase of social services (POSS) and 160 contracts for purchase of rehabilitative treatment and supportive services (RTSS).

  • POSS contracts include the child welfare services of adoption, supervised apartment living and emergency shelter care.  The provider handbook for POSS providers is available for use and review on line
  •  RTSS contracts include the child welfare services of family centered, family preservation, family foster home and residential treatment services and some additional supportive child welfare services.  The provider handbook for RTSS providers is available for use and review on line.
     
  • Information is available on how to become either a POSS provider or an RTSS provider. 

A fourth area of responsibility of the Bureau is auditing of Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), providers to assure that payments have been made only for eligible services and at the correct rate.  
 More information about HCBS services is available at: http://www.dhs.state.ia.us/MedicalServices/hcbs_waivers.asp
Information on becoming a CDAC provider is available at: http://www.dhs.state.ia.us/MedicalServices/WaiverDocs/CDAC%20-%20Provider%20Handbook%2005-04.pdf
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