Texas unveils online assistance guide

The Texas Human Services Department today launched the State of Texas Assistance and Referral System, or STARS. The Web site, at , offers a step-by-step guide to determining eligibility for state assistance programs.Visitors to the site can use an online guide to tell if they are eligible for any of 50 types of state assistance programs, including subsidized housing, Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and food stamps. STARS is the first piece of the Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System (TIERS), a larger system designed by American Management Systems Inc. of Fairfax, Va. TIERS will replace the department’s aging public assistance and caseload management systems. The STARS Web site offers visitors a choice of two navigation options, one for users who are familiar with computers and one for users with limited computer skills. Users can access STARS from any PC linked to the Web, in homes, schools, libraries, hospitals or county human services offices.