Fortell's October 2026 webinar brought together four community action leaders who run energy assistance in Missouri, Kentucky, Texas and Washington. The federal program is the same in each state. What changes is the name, the rules and how an application travels from the front desk to a payment — in Texas, delivered as CEAP.
The full recording is below. It runs just under an hour and closes with audience questions.
Who was on the panel
Cortney Mullins, Director, Outreach Services Department, Missouri Valley Community Action Agency (MVCAA) — Missouri · LIHEAP
Samantha Ross, Community Services / HEAP Director, Central Kentucky Community Action Council (CKCAC) — Kentucky · LIHEAP
Scott Humes, Community Services Program Manager, Brazos Valley Community Action Programs (BVCAP) / Brazos Valley Council of Governments (BVCOG) — Texas · CEAP
Justin Marshall, Director of Impact, Olympic Community Action Programs (OlyCAP) — Washington · LIHEAP
What the conversation covered
The panel followed the outline set before the webinar.
Setting the scene: each agency's scale — households supported, application demand and how the busy periods arrive.
How delivery differs: online, by phone or in person; how state requirements shape local intake, and where agencies have room to do things their own way.
The biggest challenges: where households and staff get stuck, what creates repeat work, and what each panelist would most like to fix.
What's working: changes that paid off, lessons learned the hard way, and ideas you can take back to your own agency.
Looking ahead: where document verification and conversational AI could help, and where human support remains essential.
Your questions: open audience Q&A.
Related reading
Read the guide to improving LIHEAP intake →
Explore the LIHEAP program page →
Read the Missouri Valley Community Action Agency case study →
Fortell supports conversational intake, document guidance and phone workflows for energy assistance programs. Talk to Fortell about where your own applications, documents and calls create avoidable work.
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