THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, May 14, 1996 TAG: 9605140358
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B11 EDITION: FINAL
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Short : 31 lines
The Suffolk Department of Social Services has received statewide recognition for three programs.
The Quality Improvements Task Force, a group made up of local social service agencies and the Virginia Department of Social Services, ranked Suffolk as having ``Best Performance'' in two areas, Aid for Dependent Children and Medicaid.
The city also received an award, ``For Achievement of the Greatest Improvement in Payment Accuracy,'' for its Food Stamp program.
Suffolk was the only agency in the state to receive awards for three programs.
Leonard Horton, the department's assistant director, said the Task Force was created several years ago to track how local agencies handle their cases and to exchange ideas on how agencies can improve their methods.
``It's a motivational type thing,'' said Bobby L. Ralph, Suffolk department director. ``You're evaluated each year, and it helps you want to improve.''
A few years ago, Suffolk had one of the worst error rates in the state for its food stamp program. Last year, the department improved its rate by almost 50 percent. by CNB