EES POLICY NO. 19-01-01DRAFT

RE: GOALS; ABAWD E & T Work Program

POLICY MEMO

Contact Person:

Dan Decker

FROM:   Sandra Kimmons

DATE:   April 1, 2019 (Originally January 1, 2019)

 Other:

Primary DCF Areas Affected: Employment Services

Where Posted on Web: http://content.dcf.ks.gov/ees/KEESM/
Policy_Memo/policy_memo_list.htm

This memo provides implementation instructions and information for GOALS-HopeWorks and ABAWD E & T Work Program.

GOALS

GOALS is an employment service program which will be funded with the TANF Block grant and is available statewide. This is a voluntary program for those cases where the recipient is under the age of 60 and is receiving food assistance, but not receiving TANF. Eligibility requirements draw on TANF and Food Assistance rules. This program is available for those who meet the following criteria:

  • Responsible for a child in the home through 17, or age 18 if in high school
  • (or) Pregnant woman

GOALS (Intensive Case Management Program): 

  • Voluntary
  • Vendor payments only; no funds paid directly to client
  • Payments are limited to one 4 consecutive calendar months’ time limit. Exceptions to the 4-month time limit are subject to administrative approval.  (Career Navigators will need to be future planning with client when it comes to support service payments due to the limited time frame that client may receive this service.)
  • Employment Support Services (only to vendors, no direct payment to client/EBT card)
  • No transportation allowances
  • Client will need to apply and qualify under Income Eligible Child Care Program

Business Process:

  • When eligibility interviews client for Food Assistance request, they will send “GOALS – Opportunity Form” (until Form is available for use in KEES, a copy and paste notice will need to be utilized and can be located in the KEES User Manual)
  • After Career Navigator receives contact from potential participant, they will review program criteria to ensure eligibility for GOALS is met
  • FAET block will be opened for the clients that meet the criteria and are volunteering to participate in the program
  • A Tier 2 case flag is to be set on the program block
  • Career Navigator will follow process for case management
  • If client decides not to continue the program, the Career Navigator will then discontinue the FAET program block by placing an end date on the case flag and the program block with client request (without impact to FA case)

The Career Navigator will assist appropriate individuals to register for work through KANSASWorks.

Participants in this program are NOT eligible for child care services, transportation, or direct employment support services based on food assistance work requirements. Eligibility for child care would require a separate application and determination, based on child care eligibility rules.

No payment for support services will be issued directly to a client or placed on the EBT card.

Examples:

  1. An assessment by the Career Navigator is completed. Client and Career Navigator determine short-term education is appropriate. The local technical school offers a short-term training that the client is interested in. Enrollment for new classes doesn’t begin for two months. Tuition fees are paid at the time of the enrollment (2 months later). The four months of financial eligibility begins with the month of the first payment.  Career Navigator will complete appropriate pages in KEES (program block w/case flag, data collection pages, including opening an activity, etc.) for client’s plan.

  2. A client needs interview clothes. Since this individual cannot receive funds on their EBT card, she would need to obtain an estimate from a clothing store and bring it to the Career Navigator. The Career Navigator will complete the service arrangement page and issue a voucher for client to present to vendor. The client can then purchase the clothes and return the receipt to the Career Navigator.  Payment of purchases begins the four months of financial eligibility.

  3. A client wants to attend a trucking school in Ft. Scott. Funds can be spent on training or education. Therefore, the Career Navigator will complete the service arrangement page and issue a voucher for the tuition and that client presents to the institution.  Remember, no transportation payment may be made for the student to attend. Any uniform or tool costs would have to be paid directly to a vendor. Payment of tuition/tools begins the four months of financial eligibility.
  1. Client contacts Career Navigator about GOALS.  During the assessment phase, the   client reports that they have limitations and/or a disability.  At this time, a referral to Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) is made by the Career Navigator.  If the client begins cooperating with VR, the FAET program block is then closed.  If VR refers back to GOALS for services, the program block will remain open, and the engagement process may resume.

NOTE: Client is not eligible to repeat the support service (financial eligibility) period.  This is once per lifetime. If a client has been an active participant for 12 months, a review should be conducted to determine continued participation.

If a client loses TANF eligibility but remains eligible for transitional services, the client shall receive any case management and/or support services under TANF Transitional Services.  The client may be eligible for Transitional Services if eligibility requirements are met for this program.  The client will not be eligible for GOALS while there is eligibility for TANF or TANF funded support services.

Example:

  1. Client’s TANF closes and is eligible for transitional services.  The Work Program block will remain in transitional status and open for the 12-month period.  The client receives information about GOALS and inquiries about volunteering for the program with the local career navigator.  Upon a review of the client’s case, it was discovered that the client has 6 months of transitional services remaining.  The client is referred to the TANF career navigator providing services for that area for case management and/or support services.

  2. Client’s TANF is closed and the 12-month Transitional Services period has expired.  The client receives information about GOALS and inquiries about volunteering for the program with the local career navigator.  Upon review of the case, client is not eligible for TANF or TANF funded support services (the 12-month transitional period is over).  Client is eligible for GOALS.  The GOALS career navigator follows the case management process in providing services to the client.

  3. Client’s TANF is closed and is eligible for Transitional Services.  After 3 months, the client requests that the Transitional Services case be closed (or it is closed for no longer being eligible for TANF funded services).  Two months pass and client inquiries about GOALS.  The career navigator reviews the client’s case and notices that the client is still within the 12 months after TANF closure.  However, the client is no longer eligible for Transitional Services because they requested case closure (or no longer meet eligibility criteria for the program) and therefore not considered to be eligible for TANF support services.  The client is eligible for GOALS and the career navigator will follow the case management process in providing services to the client.

NOTE: GOALS is a Program providing opportunities to a specific population not currently receiving TANF and should not to be confused with TANF Employment Services policy and procedure or support services.

Prior to April, food assistance recipients will be notified of their potential eligibility.

On-going cases (Applications and Reviews)

Refer to Work Flow noted previously in Policy Memo

Failure to cooperate:

Recipients who volunteer for the GOALS program will not face negative action for failure to cooperate.  Individuals must still meet all eligibility requirements (including but not limited to potential employment) for the food assistance program. 

ABAWD E & T Work Program

Non-exempt ABAWDs are referred to participate in the Food Assistance Employment and Training Program in the following counties: Shawnee, Sedgwick, Johnson and Wyandotte. Case management services are provided to ABAWDs in these areas and failure to meet the participation requirements will result in ABAWD months being counted against client’s time limit. To remain eligible past the 3-month period the ABAWD must meet ABAWD work requirements KEESM 2520.  Limited support service funds such as transportation and activity costs are available to clients in this program.


NOTE: FAET Program blocks for ABAWDs will not have case flags attached

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