Online, phone services offered to prevent coronavirus spread

FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Department of Human Services is allowing clients to email documents to their county office or drop off documents in boxes in the offices’ lobbies to help prevent the spread of covid-19, according to a news release from the department.

“The more clients who can access our services remotely, the safer everybody will be,” Mary Franklin, director of the department’s county operations division, said in the news release. “Our offices are open, but we’re trying to greatly limit the number of people who need to come in as we deal with this public health emergency.”

Up to 10 people are allowed in the department’s county offices at one time. Marci Manley, spokeswoman for the department, said 125 people came to the Washington County office Friday.

Clients applying for Medicaid, ARKids, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary

Employee Assistance (TEA) or those asked to provide additional documentation can email their county office, according to the news release.

The Benton County office may be reached at 041Ben ton@arkansas.gov; the Washington County office at 721Washington@arkansas. gov.

“It’s important that clients do not email multiple county email addresses because it will take us much longer to process the information. They also should include the word ‘sensitive’ in the subject line to protect their private information. Clients can scan documents or take a photo of them with their phones and email those in,” according to the news release.

The agency will provide a receipt by email as soon as possible showing it received the documents, the release said.

Medicaid, SNAP or TEA applicants may apply online at Access.Arkansas.gov or by phone at (855) 372-1084.