Policy Directive                                                                       Issuance Number: FSC 08-05

Food Stamp Certification Manual                     Issuance Date:   07-31-08

From: Joni Jones, Director                                Expiration Date: Until Superseded

Subj:   Food Stamp Employment and Training (E&T) Program

I.   Introduction

Under a plan approved by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) will continue to provide a Food Stamp E&T Program for the current fiscal year.  The DHS Division of County Operations has entered into 12 contracts with entities such as the adult education centers, public schools, vocational schools and community colleges to provide employment and training services for program participants.  The current year contractors will operate a Food Stamp E&T Program in the following counties:

1. Cleburne                                    8.   Independence

2. Craighead                                 9.   Lee

3. Crittenden                                10.  Miller

4. Drew                                         11.  Pope

5. Faulkner                                   12.  St. Francis

6. Grant                                        13.  Union

7. Hempstead                             14.  White

For the current E&T Program year, some contractors are providing E&T services to more than one county.  No fundamental changes have been made to E&T policy.  Participation in the Food Stamp E&T Program is still voluntary and participants will not be penalized for failure or refusal to participate.

II.  Reimbursement Changes

County office staff should be mindful that the mileage rate will be automatically adjusted up or down as the State mileage reimbursement rate changes.   Actual costs (e.g., for bus service or transportation provider) may still be reimbursed, and the maximum monthly reimbursement for an E&T participant continues to be $285.00 per month.  (This includes all reimbursements – transportation, books, tuition, etc.)

III. Automated Referrals

The Division of County Operations (DCO) provides to the E&T contractors a list of able-bodied adults without dependent children (ABAWDS) who are subject to the requirement to work (RTW) each month.  Per current DHS requirements, this list is sent via encrypted CDs.  E&T referrals will occur at certification, recertification and reinstatement of SR cases.  (FACTS action types – “A2”, “A4”, “C2”, “C4”, and “RI”).  Household members with the work participation code “Mandatory E&T” or “Mandatory – Food Stamps” (FACTS – work registration code “1”) will be selected for automated referral if none of the following General Client Characteristics are selected:  Felony Drug Conviction, Fleeing Felon, Fraud-IPV conviction, Ineligible Student, Parole Violator, or Probation Violator, the member status code is “Active”.  (FACTS member status code is “1”, “2” or “3” and the aged/disabled indicator for the member is “0”).

The local E&T Coordinator will be provided with the following information about each household member selected as a mandatory E&T referral:

•  Member Name

•  Member SSN

•  Casehead Name

•  Casehead SSN

•  Address

•  Telephone Number (if available)

•  Beginning month in certification period

•  Ending month in certification period

•  Total by county

A copy of the list of referrals will be provided to the Food Stamp Section and to the DHS county office.

A list of cases closed for any reason listed below will be sent to the local E&T Coordinator if a household member has been referred to the E&T Program under the criteria shown above:

The list of closures will provide the following information for each case listed:

• Member Name

• Member SSN

• Casehead Name

• Casehead SSN

• Beginning month in certification period

• Ending month in certification period

• Total by county

 A copy of the list of closures will be provided to the Food Stamp Section and to the DHS county office.

IV.  County Office Responsibilities

Referral of ABAWDs at Reported Change – DHS county office workers must continue to refer work registered, non-exempt ABAWDs to the local E&T office if the ABAWD is added to the case as the result of a reported change including those changes reported on the semi-annual report.

Providing Information to the Local E&T office – DHS county offices must report address changes to the local E&T office if a household member is participating in the E&T Program and the household reports the address change during the household’s certification period.  (This includes address changes reported on the semi-annual report.)  DHS county offices must also report to the E&T office if an E&T program participant, either a mandatory referral or a volunteer, is dropped from an active case during a certification period, or when a food stamp case containing an E&T participant is closed.

Referral of Volunteers – Any food stamp recipient who is work registered but not classified as an ABAWD may participate in the E&T Program as a volunteer.  For example, a parent of a minor child could be referred to the E&T Program if that parent is work registered and wishes to volunteer.  Or, a child age 16 to 17 who is not in school and who is work registered may be manually referred as a volunteer if he or she would like to participate.  Volunteers who are work registered may be reimbursed for any expenses related to E&T participation.  The reimbursement rate for work registered volunteers is the same as the reimbursement rate for ABAWDs who participate in the program.  The reimbursement rate is $285.00 per calendar month for all reimbursements – transportation, books, tuition, etc.  County offices must manually refer work registrants, other than ABAWDs, who want to volunteer to participate in the E&T Program.

V.  E&T Contractor Information

An updated E&T contractor list is attached.  The E&T Coordinators’ names, addresses, telephone numbers, fax numbers and e-mail addresses are provided on this list.

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR F. S. E&T PROGRAM CONTRACTORS

Inquiries to:     Dorothy Vance, Food Stamp Section, (501) 682-8290

                        dorothy.vance@arkansas.gov