Introduction to OPRABA
Jung Pham and Katie Hornberger
Office of Payee Review and Beneficiary Assistance (OPRABA)
Disability Rights California
SLIDE 2
Representative Payee Program Funding Source
OPRABA staff are employees of Disability Rights California, not SSA.
Our program was created by the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2018, a bi-partisan bill signed into law on April 13, 2018.
https://www.ssa.gov/payee/reviews_by_Protection_and_Advocacy.htm 
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Overview
-What is a representative payee?
-What does OPRABA do?
-What does OPRABA not do?
-How can OPRABA help?
-Who’s who at OPRABA?
-What does OPRABA do?
SLIDE 4
-Reviews of Representative Payees
SELF-INITIATED REVIEWS or “WILDCARDS”
-Educational Visits
-Initial Onsite Assessment of FFS Organizations
-Develop Corrective Action Plans (CAP)
-Provide Trainings
-Provide Information and Referral to Beneficiaries
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Reviews: Purpose
-To verify that representative payees are properly using funds on behalf of beneficiaries and carrying out their duties correctly.
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OPRABA Initiated Reviews
-Reviews that we have reason to believe are warranted.
-May come from DRC referrals, media reports, or other sources.
Example: Pat calls from Los Angeles. She says that her rent has not been paid on time, she has an SSI overpayment, and she has had other problems with her representative payee, which is a large fee for service organization. You will do the intake, gather as much information as you can about Pat and the rep payee. Refer to OPRABA.
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Corrective Action Plans (CAP)
-After a review, OPRABA may need to complete a CAP to correct such issues as:
-Incorrect titling of bank accounts
-Untimely or overdue accounting reports
-Recordkeeping errors
-SSA will approve the CAP before OPRABA sends it to the representative payee.
-The CAP notes deficiencies found by OPRABA in the review and recommends corrective actions, like training.
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Limitations in Scope
-We do not provide direct services.
-We do not have clients.
-We do not represent beneficiaries.
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How do we help?
-We help change poor beneficiary practices by correcting them through the Corrective Action Plan.
-We monitor these changes to ensure they are implemented. 
-We hope to enact systemic change through the referrals you send to us.
-One referral for one beneficiary may help many beneficiaries in the end.
SLIDE 10
Referral Process
-You hear the words “payee” or “representative payee” in conjunction with Social Security, think OPRABA.
-Follow the intake questions provided with this training.
-Email Jung Pham the referral.
-If warranted, we send the nomination to Social Security.
-Social Security will approve the nomination (or not).
-We review the representative payee and implement a Corrective Action Plan.