Narrative: a. 11.

NARRATIVE COORDINATION STATEMENT SNAP work registration occurs at SNAP application and certification, and again at recertification. The county agency determines eligibility for SNAP and refers voluntary participants to the SNAP E&T program. The Employment Services Provider (ESP) provides orientation; issues advance notices to participants which contain a schedule of activities (employment assignments) for each 30 days of enrollment; and monitors compliance with program requirements. ESPs monitor client progress as established in employment plan. DEED staff monitor both county and ESP compliance for program operation. ABAWDs are referred from counties to service providers in the following manner: SNAP applications are taken at local county human service offices. Once a worker approves a case for benefits, they look to see if the applicant meets Minnesota’s mandatory referral to E&T. If so, the worker will select the appropriate provider from a pop up screen in MAXIS and when the SNAP benefits approved the MAXIS system then sends the referral to DEED’s WF1 system. WF1 deposits the referrals in the selected agency referral queue. From that point, SNAP staff in each agency retrieve the referrals and create a general information tab in WF1 which is a placeholder for information until clients come in for orientation. At this point, the counselor sends out letters to those in the referral queue inviting them to orientation. When clients attend the SNAP E&T Orientation, a WF1 record is completed and client is enrolled in SNAP E&T. There is a communication between county workers and counselors regarding clients. This communication takes places via status updates which come from MAXIS electronically on case changes and from WF1 via status updates that are faxed to workers.

INFORMATION COORDINATION Information is exchanged between the county agency and the ESP (e.g., referrals and notification of status changes). Currently, this exchange occurs through forms, direct phone contact and computer listings.

DEED, in consultation with DHS, developed a Management Information System (MIS) which provides interfaces between DHS’ MAXIS system and DEED’s Workforce One system. This interface provides live electronic transfer of information pertinent to participant referrals and participant status changes between agencies and the ESP. The DHS child care management system (MEC²) is part of MAXIS.

The SNAP E&T Coordinator and DHS financial management staff meet quarterly to review expenditures and prepare fiscal material for federal reporting. Reporting requirements have been established and disseminated to all appropriate staff. Additional meetings are held as necessary.

DEED’s Adult Services staff monitor operational conditions between county agencies and ESPs. Monitoring includes individual participant file review to determine interagency correspondence related to participant actions. Both State agencies encourage open and regular communication between ESPs and county agencies.

The SNAP E&T expansion with the Office of Higher Education (OHE) will encompass biweekly meetings between DHS, DEED and OHE at the project manager level throughout the next year. Managers will continuously meet to discuss program operations and program performance.

Data exchanges between DEED and OHE will take place two weeks after the add/drop dates issued by the local institutions. This data will be uploaded to OHE and a composite file sent to DEED for verification for SNAP eligibility using the data warehouse and Workforce 1 for SNAP E&T enrollments. This procedure will take place 4 times a year with the start of fall, semester, spring semester, first summer session and second summer session. DEED will physically monitor local colleges to ensure that data has been properly collected and returned to DEED.

COORDINATION TIME FRAMES • County agency and the ESP ensure that services for participants are scheduled to occur within 30 days of eligibility determination. DWP providers must meet with participants within 24 hours of application. • The ESP notifies the county agency within 24 hours when a DWP participant fails without good cause to comply with program requirements. This action does not affect SNAP eligibility. INTERAGENCY COORDINATION AREAS OF COORDINATION County agencies are required by Minnesota statute to coordinate program service delivery with any and all employment and training programs/providers within their jurisdiction. This includes educational agencies, WIOA providers and other referral agencies as deemed necessary to ensure participants have access to all programs which may benefit them. Coordination may result in financial or non–financial agreements. However, only allowable SNAP E&T Activities are recorded by the DEED staff when the FNS–583 report is completed and sent to FNS.

METHODS OF COORDINATION The Departments of Human Services (DHS) and of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) jointly manage the administration of SNAP E&T/DWP/MFIP at the State level via an interagency agreement. Program directives are transmitted to counties and ESPs through DHS/DEED informational and instructional bulletins. Training is provided by state agency staff to local agencies and ESPs as needed.

Minnesota law requires county agencies to submit annual SNAP E&T plans describing how SNAP E&T services are delivered within the county, coordination with other employment programs, and client support systems. Plan development consists of a joint effort between the county and ESP. Counties are also required to outline DWP services in a separate planning document. A copy of the county annual plan guidance is included as an attachment. Development of SNAP E&T Plans (local level) encourage local agencies to coordinate public assistance programs with all other available employment and training resources to maximize the use of funds and resources as well as expertise in the employment and training service provision. Referrals to all applicable programs such as WIOA, Job Service, Rehabilitation Services, ESL, ABE, and various educational programs help ensure that participants receive the necessary services to enable recipients to strive towards self–sufficiency.

The Departments of Employment and Economic Development and Human Services review these plans on an annual basis to determine if counties and ESPs are carrying out their respective roles and responsibilities according to program requirements. DEED performs SNAP E&T monitoring on a scheduled basis and corrective actions are issued to areas where deficiencies occur.

SNAP E&T expansion with OHE extends coordination with DEED and DHS. It further builds on a partnership to provide high quality career/technically based post–secondary training to eligible SNAP recipients. A joint implementation team meets biweekly to establish roles, responsibilities and to plan joint training for college staff, county financial workers and E&T counselors. Training will be conducted statewide by financial worker regions. This approach provides all partners with the same level of understanding of the process and procedures required to implement this component.

DEED and DHS are working together to develop a service delivery pilot which assists SNAP recipients residing in group residential housing facilitates with mental health issues the opportunity to stay employed or gain employment through intensive case management and supports. This will be addressed in more detail in a later plan modification along with a proposed budget. This effort aligns with DEED’s program titled Individual Personal Strategy which supports these ideals as well.

Minnesota statute require SNAP E&T services be carried out by statewide system WorkForce Centers unless such services are not available locally.

CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS The Department of Human Services is not responsible for contracting out SNAP E&T services. This is the responsibility of the counties through the state supervised, county administered arrangement. As noted elsewhere in this plan, counties must contract with ESPs to carry out SNAP E&T program requirements or have received a waiver from DEED. DWP, 2 parent and FSS services may or may not be contracted with ESPs.

The interagency agreement between DHS and DEED is required by Minnesota statute and has been in place since 1987. The agreement, which is renegotiated every two years, specifies work efforts to be carried out by each department.

• DEED contracts with Heading Home partners and the Greater Twin Cities United Way and is reimbursed by DHS under the terms of the interagency agreement. Heading Home consists of five agencies: Catholic Charities, Goodwill Easter Seals and Project for Pride and Living. Greater Twin Cities United Way, will continue to fund three service providers in the SNAP Navigator Project. DEED contracts with each of these three providers to carry out Navigator objectives. • DEED and OHE will enter into an interagency agreement for the purposes of carrying out the data and funding exchanges between the two departments. The amount of funds and work plans for DEED will be part of the DEED/DHS interagency agreement mentioned above. These agreements will be modified as necessary throughout the year to reflect any changes in the amounts or functions of each agency. A copy of the MOU will be sent to FNS upon completion.