2006 Massachusetts Code - Chapter 18B — Section 7. Commissioner; powers and duties.

Section 7. (a) The commissioner shall establish reasonable caseload rates and shall report the same to the general court in the budget estimates of the department.

(b) The commissioner shall develop and implement a management information system which shall contain fiscal and personnel data, client data, and program data necessary for the ongoing administration or effective service delivery. Said information system shall include but not be limited to a service plan for each client, with provisions for periodic review thereof. The commissioner shall promulgate such rules and regulations as are deemed necessary to ensure the confidentiality of client data collected by the department.

(c) The commissioner shall develop and implement a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system for all social services under the control of the department and shall collect the necessary program and fiscal data annually.

(d) The commissioner shall conduct an annual needs assessment for all social services under the control of the department.

(e) The commissioner shall report annually to the general court on all services which report shall reflect program and client data and unit costs.

(f) The commissioner shall develop and implement a plan for the orientation and training of area-based and other staff.

(g) The commissioner shall coordinate the overall service planning of the department with planning under Title XX.

(h) The commissioner shall be authorized to apply for and accept on behalf of the commonwealth federal, local or private grants, bequests, gifts or contributions.

(i) The commissioner subject to the provisions of chapter thirty A shall promulgate such rules and regulations as are deemed necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter and may amend or repeal the same.

(j) The commissioner shall include in the budget estimates of the department funds for the development and implementation of the aforementioned management information system, monitoring and evaluation system, annual needs assessment, and staff training plan.

(k) The commissioner shall, subject to appropriation, enter into contracts with nonprofit organizations to provide social services for families and individuals in emergency and transitional housing; provided, that the department, in entering into such contracts, shall provide three dollars for each dollar of donated funds which have been committed to such nonprofit organizations from any nonstate source. For the purposes of this subsection, a nonstate source may include private donations or monies from city, town or county governments but shall not include funds from other state agencies.

(l) Prior to undertaking any activity or implementing any policy which would affect expenditures for medical assistance under chapter one hundred and eighteen E, including but not limited to identifying individuals eligible for such assistance under said chapter, the commissioner shall assure that such activity or policy is reviewed by the commissioner of medical assistance.

Not more than three per cent of the department’s annual budget shall be appropriated in a separate account and expended for the purposes set out in subsections (b), (c), and (d), of this section. On or before January first, nineteen hundred and eighty-three the commissioner shall submit to the governor and to the general court a report evaluating the level of funding and the desirability of continuing separate funding for such activities.