Employment and Training (E&T) 430-05-40-55

A voluntary E&T Program provides individuals the opportunity to voluntarily participate in activities to improve their employment prospects by gaining skill through education, training, experience and supervised job search activities. Individuals may volunteer to be referred an participate. An individual who is referred as a voluntary participant that then chooses not to participate, will no be subject to the non-compliance disqualifications.

 

Individuals who volunteer for E&T are referred to a voluntary E&T program based on the human service zone in which they reside. Those in Cass, Burleigh and Morton County should be referred to BEST, unless they request to participate in NDWORKS. All other counties will be referred to NDWORKS, since BEST is only available in Cass and Burleigh County

 

Eligibility workers are responsible for screening individuals to ensure they are a fit for an E&T program. Screening individuals should consist of an overview of the E&T program along with the types of training they can receive while attending an E&T program. Below are points of discussion and questions to ask the individual to learn if they are a fit for E&T:

 

• Training opportunities fall into three major areas: help looking for a job, basic education classes to improve reading and writing or to get a GED, and training for specific job types.

   

  • Ask the individual if any of these training opportunities interest them.

     

• Inform the individual that the State will reimburse them for expenses relating to their participation in E&T.

   

• Explain that E&T can help ABAWDs maintain eligibility.

   

• Ask the individual if they would like to participate and be referred and inform them that they cannot be disqualified for failure to comply.

   

• Once it is determined the individual is a good fit for E&T and volunteers to be referred, provide the participant with the verbal and written explanation of their work requirements.

Eligibility workers must notify all individuals in a household who are requiredto comply with the Basic Work Requirements (see section 430-05-40-05). The Work Requirements Verbal Script must be used at the time of application, review/recertification and at case status changes and during interviews. This serves as the verbal notification of individuals rights and responsibilities of the basic work requirements. The date of verbal notification must be entered into the eligibility system. The SNAP Consolidated Work Notice is sent as the written notification

Eligibility workers must carry out the following procedures for all E&T participants:

• If an individual wants to volunteer for E&T refer them to the appropriate E&T program using the program specific referral:

  • NDWORKS Employment and Training Orientation Referral, or

  • BEST Employment and Training Orientation Referral.

• If an individual volunteers in Cass or Burleigh human service zones, the eligibility worker will refer them to the BEST program, unless they specifically request to volunteer for NDWORKS.

• All individuals volunteering outside of Cass or Burleigh human service zones will be referred to NDWORKS.

• Notify the E&T case manager if a participant's SNAP case closes, along with adding a narrative to the case.

• Take action when a provider returns an ill-suited referral.

Voluntary participants must do the following:

• Attend the orientation session on the day and time scheduled.

• Contact the E&T case manager to reschedule if necessary.

• Cooperate and comply in all activities assigned by the case manager.

• Communicate on a weekly and monthly basis with the case manager.

• Report any change in employment or work hours to the case manager.

• Provide receipts to the case manager for any supportive service reimbursements that the participant may be eligible to receive by the close of business on the last working day of the month.

E&T case managers must:

• Conduct orientation sessions.

  • BEST orientations are held on a weekly basis.

  • NDWORKS case managers will contact the participant within 7 days of the receipt of Form SNAP Employment and Training Program Referral to schedule the orientation and provide the date and time of orientation to the participant.

• Inform the eligibility worker when a participant gains employment.

• Submit monthly program tracking spreadsheets to the State Office no later than 15 calendar days after the end of each calendar month.

• Complete a formal assessment and develop an employment plan specific to the participant. The employment plan must be updated monthly, at a minimum.

• Provide monthly case management, including weekly contact with the participant.

  • Part of case management is ensuring an individual is placed in a component within a timely manner and always participating in a component.

• Contact with the eligibility worker monthly to verify a participant continues to receive SNAP. Monthly contact can be via telephone or email.

• Submit monthly participant reimbursements requests along with receipts to the State Office using the SFN471 – Vendor Payment Authorization and Request for Payment for Goods and Services to the State Office no later than 15 calendar days after the end of each calendar month.

• If a client become disengaged for a period of 30 days, they will be removed from the BEST SNAP E&T program. If at any point after those 30 days the participant engages, a new referral will be required.

• E&T case managers also have the authority and responsibility to determine if an individual is ill-suited for E&T services. If a case managers determine an individual is ill-suited, they can refer the individual back to the human service zone office. Eligibility workers will reevaluate the individual and take appropriate action on the SNAP case. This process is referred to as a provider determination.

• Make a recommendation to the EW if they feel that a participant is ill-suited for E&T services. If the case manager feels the participant is ill-suited, they must refer the participant back to the human service zone. EW's must reevaluate the participant and take the appropriate action on the participant's SNAP case. This process is referred to as a provider determination.

Participants in the E&T program may be eligible for reimbursement for supportive services. To receive support services, participants need to be actively engaged and participating in an E&T component. Reimbursements will be made to participating individuals during the month following participation and are excluded income.

Allowable expenses include the following:

• Up to $150/month for transportation (receipts are not required).

• Bus fare, voucher, or pass (if not provided by NDWORKS)

• Gas

• Taxi, Uber and/or Lyft Fees.

• Up to $100/month for the following (receipts required)

• Grooming and personal hygiene

• Up to $125 /month for the following (receipts required)

• Job Readiness

  • Phone cards, employment related clothing, work boots/shoes

• Up to $500/per Federal Fiscal Year (FFY)(10/1-9/30) for License/Certification/Examination fees (receipts required)

  • GED, CAN, Professional

• Up to $200/per FFY yearfor books and training materials (receipts required)

   

• Other - TBD as needed on a case per case basis.

  • Up to $200/per FFY year