(ML 2821 Rev. 11-02)
(Manual Renumbered effective 04/01/2004 ML2914)
Case files become the property of the county or state government, which created them. As such, they deserve the care and attention due any government property. Locked metal files may provide the best safeguard against loss or damage of confidential files, although open shelf files are acceptable if appropriate steps are taken to assure that unauthorized persons do not have access to them.
Case files containing Federal tax return information and/or Social Security Administration information received through a computer, when the office is closed, and when the worker is gone from their office for significant periods of time.
Supervisory personnel should promote among their staff a respect for case files. All staff members should refrain from leaving them on desks overnight, stuffing them into drawers, removing portions of the records from their folders, etc. Case files should not be removed from the office unless:
A staff member has been subpoenaed to appear in court and the case record is a necessary source of data;
They are being sent to counties to which recipients have moved;
An appeal hearing is held elsewhere, other than the county office; or
Quality Control or the State office requests the file.