LIHEAP Crisis: Tribes

Emergency crisis is a relief following a natural or man-made disaster

1. Loss of income from the death of the wage earner, layoff, termination and/or theft with documentation from the local law enforcement agency.
2. Natural disaster such as fire, tornadoes, direct winds, hurricane, flood, snow, ice storms or other increment weather or disasters declared by the National Weather Service or the Governor of Alabama.
3. The heating or cooling system is not working and the temperatures are above 80 degrees Fahrenheit or below 30 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 consecutive days.
4. The household must have received a shut-off notice and be within 48 hours of shutoff.
5. Deliverable fuel clients must be out of fuel or within two days of running out of fuel. Deliverable fuel customers with a shut-off notice would be considered an emergency.
6. Since electric is needed to operate most heating systems. An e-mail from an approved energy vendor is acceptable in lieu of a shut-off notice.

A household that has properly exhausted their heating assistance benefit from the previous years program, or has not received a heating assistance benefit from the current year, and meets one of the following criteria:

1. The household has run out of heating fuel/firewood or has electricity services terminated; or
2. The household will run out of heating fuel/firewood or have electricity services terminated within the next 48 hours.

A crisis is when a person has received a shut off notice for the electricity and they have no anticipated income previous to the
actual shut off date.

If the household consists of at least one elder 60 years and older, or an infant under the age of one years old and the predicted outside temperature is -5 Fahrenheit for the next 5 days is used.

A crisis is determined when a LIHEAP eligible recipient is provided a disconnection notice that if disconnected from utilities, would endanger the lives and safety of the household.

Factors defining a crisis: Exposure to extreme heat, extreme cold, power outages, seasonal flooding, earthquake, micro-bursts, a natural disaster occurring from a weather induced incident, or other unforeseeable catastrophic event that impacts LIHEAP recipients by endangering the safety of the household is deemed a crisis by the tribe. Intake staff managing the CRIT LIHEAP program will determine a crisis response equitably among all CRIT LIHEAP applicants using the terms stated above, and will provide crisis assistance equitably to all LIHEAP recipients in the event of the above stated terms occurring.

For an elderly (55+), disabled or child under the age of 5, whose household has exhausted the regular benefit and is in crisis, which the power cannot be shut off such as, but not limited to the following situations:

• Medication that requires uninterrupted refrigeration.
• CPS threat of removal of a child in the custody of a grandparent, because of an unsafe environment that would be cause by a lack of electricity for heating and cooling.
• Post medical procedure or emergency convalescence at home, which has prevented the ability to pay for electricity.

A life threatening crisis is defined by a household needing electricity to operate medically prescribed equipment devices. For example, If a member of a household relies on an oxygen machine that requires electricity, and the household is in danger of having it's electricity service disconnected, or has had it's electricity service disconnected, then the household is in a life-threatening crisis.

LIHEAP funds are distributed by Kimaw Medical Center and life-threatening crisis requests are routed through the clinic to obtain proof of medically necessary devices. All clients execute a release of information for these purposes.

Shut off notice (24 or 48 hour notice)

15 Day Notice

Power shut off or out of propane or wood

A household is in danger or or experiencing:

• Possible loss of energy services (electricity, wood, propane, kerosene);
• Depleting fuel for energy service 25% or less (wood, kerosene, propane);
• Arrears and applicant is on an already established payment plan (electricity, propane, kerosene);
• Demonstrates financial hardship and needs assistance with payment to avoid additional stress.

The Round Valley Indian Tribes designates Crisis Assistance criteria as the following:

1. 48 hour shut off notice.

2. Empty tank /furnace, in which our maintenance engineer will verify tank % and supply a acknowledgement signed by the applicant and engineer.

3.Medical necessity. Applicant will provide a Doctors explanation of the medical needs/situation.

Shut off notice (24 hour or 48 hour notice, 15 day notice)

Power shut off or terminated

Low or out of propane

No wood for main heating source

When power is shut off in a household, it can create or aggravate several medical
conditions, especially if the shutoff occurs during extreme weather conditions. Here are some examples of how a power outage can impact a household member's health, taking into account the month, temperature, source of fuel, and available resources:

1. Respiratory Conditions (e.g., Asthma, COPD): Summer: High temperatures and humidity can aggravate respiratory conditions. Without air conditioning, individuals with asthma or COPD may find it difficult to breathe due to poor air quality and increased pollen levels. Winter: Cold temperatures can trigger asthma attacks and exacerbate COPD symptoms. Without heating, the cold air can cause bronchospasms and other respiratory issues.

2. Cardiovascular Conditions (e.g., Hypertension, Heart Disease):

• Summer: High temperatures can lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke, particularly dangerous for individuals with heart conditions. The stress of heat can increase blood pressure and heart rate.
• Winter: Cold temperatures can cause blood vessels to constrict, raising blood pressure and putting additional strain on the heart. Lack of heating can increase the
  risk of heart attacks.

3. Diabetes: Summer and Winter: Insulin and other medications may require refrigeration. A power outage can compromise the effectiveness of these medications, leading to poor blood sugar control and potential health crises.

4. Chronic Pain and Arthritis:

• Summer: Dehydration and heat can exacerbate chronic pain conditions.
• Winter: Cold weather can increase joint stiffness and pain, making it difficult for individuals with arthritis to move around. Lack of heating can make these symptoms worse.

5. Mental Health Conditions (e.g., Anxiety, Depression): Summer and Winter: The stress of a power outage, combined with extreme temperatures, can worsen symptoms of anxiety and depression. Lack of light and heating/cooling can contribute to feelings of isolation and discomfort.

Considerations: Month and Temperature: The specific month and temperature play a crucial role. For example, in July (summer), high temperatures may lead to heat-related illnesses, while in January (winter), low temperatures may cause hypothermia and other cold-related health issues.

Source of Fuel: Households relying on electric heating and cooling systems are particularly vulnerable. Fuel sources like gas or propane for stoves or heaters might mitigate some issues but still pose risks if not used safely. Resources: Access to backup generators, community cooling or warming centers, and emergency medical services can influence the severity of the impact. Households with limited resources may face greater health risks during a power outage.

Applicants who request energy assistance with a shutoff or a termination notice is considered a crisis. The application will be expedited with supporting documentation turned in to our front office now or additional documents can be submitted later but no future services authorized until the information is submitted. This process will take no longer than 48 hours. Exemption is wood.

Wood is not a Crisis benefit and cannot be expedited because of the labor and the high demand of this service. The program has a waitlist
of clients that have applied months in advance for wood and the program is still delivering to those clients who can be higher priority then the client in crisis. We do offer emergency load deliveries in the month of January and deliver half cords of wood for clients in need every Friday.

Additional wood can be provided to clients when the program has delivered wood to all clients. And exception to wood being a crisis
emergency is when the client only source of heat is wood and does not have another life support system.

A crisis is defined as a household who has less than enough fuel to supply their home with at least days of heat with their primary heating source and , depending on the fuel supply for that heating source the:

1. Household has less than 1/8 or less of fuel in a standard 275 gallon tank of fuel.
2. Household has less than 1/4 cord of wood.
3. Household has 25% or less on a propane tank.
4. Household has less than 4 bags or 200 pounds of pellets.
5. Household has received a disconnection notice of a utility that is necessary for the operation of the heating system.
6. Household has a dysfunctional heating system or the heating system is unsafe and there is no secondary heating system for that home

Between October 1st and September 30th, a household may have an eligible for crisis assistance if it is experiencing an energy related emergency which poses health and safety threat and the household is income eligible for one of the following time periods and eligible for LIHEAP:

A- The twelve (12) calendar months immediately preceding the date of the application.

B- The calendar month immediately preceding the date of the application.

C- The thirty (30) days immediately preceding the date of the application

D- The previous years tax return for self-employment applicants.

Events which are considered to be life threatening are:

a. temperature below fifty (50) degrees and the household has no heat or electricity.

b. interruption of electrical services which impact households with medical issues

A household is considered to be experiencing an energy crisis if one of the following conditions exists:

1. The primary heating source of the household has less than one-quarter (1/4) of the fuel tank capacity remaining or less than one-quarter (1/4) cord of wood remaining;
2. The household has received a shut-off notice from the electric company.
3. The household has received a notice to quit or court order indicating eviction from the residence.
4. The primary heating system of the homeowner/homebuyer is inoperable or malfunctioning.

A client is determined to be in a life threatening crisis if any of the following conditions exist:

A) Household that need electricity for medically prescribed equipment/devices, B) Medication that needs refrigeration, C) Clients experiencing post medical procedures, D) Households experiencing temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, E)Households with children under the age of two and/or have medical conditions, F) Households that contain members of vulnerable populations with absolutely no heat.