Located in:
- Employment and Training Programs Under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Programs Authorized Under Section 6(d)(4) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(d)(4)))
- a. General RequirementsThe State agency must prepare and submit an Employment and Training (E&T) Plan to its appropriate Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Regional Office. The E&T Plan must be available for public inspection at the State agency headquarters. A State agency may include its plan for the SNAP E&T program in a Combined Plan under WIOA but will require FNS approval prior to implementation and must continue to make a copy of the plan available for public inspection. If a State includes SNAP E&T in a Combined Plan under WIOA, the State agency will detail the following for each year covered by the Combined Plan:
- a. General Requirements
a. 10. The Organizational Relationship Between the Units Responsible for Certification and the Units Operating the E&t Components, Including Units of the Statewide Workforce Development System, if Available. Fns is Specifically Concerned That the Lines of Communication Be Efficient and That Noncompliance by the Participant Be Reported to the Certification Unit Within 10 Working Days After the Noncompliance Occurs;
Current Narrative:
DTA case managers determine the work status of each SNAP registrant. Exempt SNAP registrants will be able to access SNAP E&T services as volunteers. This includes exempt ABAWDs who will be encouraged to volunteer to participate in certain SNAP E&T activities as a means of meeting ABAWD work program requirements.
SNAP participants may voluntarily access SNAP E&T services in a variety of ways.
- Contacting the Central Office SNAP E&T staff to request a referral to a particular program.
- Directly contacting a SNAP E&T Provider, attending an orientation, and completing the application process for enrollment. The SNAP E&T Provider staff will then provide assessment information to Central Office SNAP E&T staff and request approval to enroll the participant into the E&T component.
- Responding to outreach from a SNAP E&T Provider, attending an orientation, and completing the application process for enrollment. The SNAP E&T Provider staff will then provide assessment information to Central Office SNAP E&T staff and request approval to enroll the participant into the E&T component.
Central office E&T Specialists verify participation eligibility and refer volunteers to E&T components. All contracted SNAP E&T Providers conduct an assessment of each SNAP participant before enrollment into a component. Work experience, education history, job skills, potential barriers and necessary support services are reviewed. The assessment process provides the basis for developing an individual employment plan for each SNAP participant.
Nonexempt ABAWDs will be able to participate in certain components offered by contracted ABAWD Service Providers and ABAWD Community Service sites to meet work program requirements.
DTA has contracted and works closely with the University of Massachusetts to ensure SNAP E&T Program services, expenditure and claiming is in accordance with federal regulations and guidelines. UMass also assists DTA with participation monitoring and tracking outcomes associated with SNAP client participation in the E&T program. SNAP E&T Providers submit billing claims to UMass, where the claims are compiled before being sent to DTA for final review and payment authorization.
Since the program is voluntary there will be no adverse action for failure to comply with SNAP E&T component requirements.