Library: Policy

OKDHS:2-21-80. Mail services

Revised 5-1-14

 (a) Responsibility.  The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) Support Services Departmental Services Unit (DSU) Mail Center is responsible for establishing standards for mail procedures and coordinating DHS mail statewide.

(b) Collection of inter-agency mail.  The DSU Mail Center collects, processes, and delivers inter-agency mail for DHS offices in the Oklahoma City area and processes all outgoing mail from the State Office while meeting DHS, state and federal rules, and the United States Postal Service (USPS) established guidelines.  Two trips are made daily to the Oklahoma City post office.

(c) State Office and inter-city pick-up.  DHS mail is collected twice daily from the State Office buildings and once daily among the inter-city locations.  State Office personnel may hand-carry mail directly to the DSU Mail Center prior to  3:00 p.m. for mailing that day.  Special mail handling for offices housed in the State Office building is provided upon request.

(d) Change of address.  When an office moves, has a name change, or undergoes any other change that affects mail delivery, the office sends written notice, including the effective date to the DSU Mail Center.

(e) Opened and unopened mail.  The DSU Mail Center has the option to open mail or leave it unopened.

• (1) Opened mail.  Mail received from DHS county offices, institutions, medical claims, and all invoices are removed from envelopes and the date is affixed to each document prior to State Office distribution.

• (2) Unopened mail.  Unopened mail, such as legal documents or envelopes marked confidential, are sorted and stamped with the date on the envelope.  Unopened mail is only opened when there is no other way to identify the intended recipient.

(f) Metered and pre-sort mail.  When possible, mail is metered using the less expensive pre-sort rate.

• (1) Postage for outgoing mail is stamped by a postage meter located in:

• (A) the DSU Mail Center; or

• (B) DHS offices.

• (2) Metro DHS offices may arrange for the DSU Mail Center to provide metering when experiencing mail machine issues.

• (3) The pre-sort vendor retrieves metered mail three times daily.

• (4) Client warrants and notices are sent to the host printer by the Office of Business Quality and pre-sorted.

(g) Personal mail.  Personal use of DHS resources, such as DHS letterhead, envelopes, and postage meters is prohibited.  Employees who violate this policy are subject to appropriate disciplinary action per DHS discipline policy, DHS:2-1-7.

• (1) DHS Mail Center staff cannot affix postage to outgoing personal mail.

• (2) Outgoing personal mail is not included with packaged, weighed, and metered DHS mail.

• (3) Incoming personal mail or package delivery to DHS locations is prohibited.

• (4) DHS employees affix personal postage to outgoing personal mail.

(h) Shipping.  Vendors pick up outgoing mail from the DSU Mail Center each business day.