V E R S I O N M A R C H 2014 S TA T E O F O R E G O N D E P A R T M E N T O F H U M A N S E R V I C E S O F F I C E O F S E L F S U F F I C I E N C Y P R O G R A M S TANF PROGRAM JOB OPPORTUNITY AND BASIC SKILLS (JOBS) JOBS ACTIVITY GUIDELINES
TABLE OF CONTENTS A. JOBS participation requirements 1. Mandatory non-exempt work-eligible individuals 2. Federally exempt clients 3. Oregon exempt clients 4. Required hours of participation 5. Monthly calculation of participation rates 6. Attendance documentation requirements B. JOBS activities (table) AB Adult Basic Education* BR Branch Retention CH Child-related Activities CI Crisis Intervention CP Community Services Program* DA - Drug and Alcohol* DV Domestic Violence ES English as a Second Language* FA Family Stability FC Family Support and Connections HS High School/GED* JO Job Search* JT On-the-Job Training* LS Life Skills* ME Medical Issues MH Mental Health* MI Microenterprise* PE Program Entry PL JOBS Plus* PS Parents as Scholars* (not available for new enrollees after July 1, 2011) RA Rehabilitative Activities* RE Re-Engagement RT Retention SL Stabilization of Living Situation SS SSI Application SW Supported Work* VT Vocational Training* WE Work Experience* WO Working (unsubsidized paid work)* *Countable (core and non-core); core is bolded Pages 1-4 Pages 5-16
TABLE OF CONTENTS C. Job Participation Incentive (JPI) Pages D. General guidelines 1. Caring for Disabled Family Member Guidelines 2. Excused absence attendance policy 3. Holiday attendance policy 4. Maximum number of unpaid work hours allowed 5. Projected actual attendance and auto-population 6. Supervision of participants Send questions to: TANF.Policy@state.or.us 17-18 Pages 19-21
A. JOBS participation requirements 1. Mandatory non-exempt work-eligible individuals A work-eligible individual (WEI) is the federal term for a JOBS mandatory client. They are adult parents, needy caretaker relatives or teen parents receiving TANF who are not exempt. Note: Teen parents that are not Head of Household are not federally considered WEI s but Oregon considers them JOBS mandatory. Others not in the need and/or benefit groups, but still JOBS mandatory (WEI) are those who: have exceeded the 60 month federal time limit, are a fleeing felon or violating parole or probation, are a work eligible non-citizen, are disqualified for non-cooperation, or are serving an intentional program violation (IPV) 2. Federally exempt clients (non work-eligible individuals) single parents with a child under age one (not to exceed 12 mo. in a lifetime), clients who are disqualified for non-cooperation (not to exceed 3 months in the last 12 mo.), non-citizens who are not authorized to work in the United States, a parent (not a caretaker relative) providing care for disabled family member who is living at home (medical documentation of needed care is required), DHS Form 7785 (optional form now available). SSI recipients, and non-needy caretaker relatives. 3. Oregon exempt clients based on rules and policies clients in their 9th month of pregnancy (7th & 8th mo. requires limited participation of 10 hours per week)l clients experiencing medical complications during pregnancy, single parents, 20 years and older, with a child under six months, single parents, under 20 years old with a child under 16 weeks, for two-parent families, one parent to care for child under 6 months old (these families are not included in participation rate) VISTA volunteers, clients 60+ years of age, and clients with undue hardship. (Oregon does not have a definition for this exemption and is not currently using it to pull out WEI s from participation counts.) JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 1
4. Required hours of participation 50 percent of all TANF work eligible (non-exempt or mandatory) individuals must meet the federal participation requirements. Type of JOBS participant Mandatory adult with child 6+ years of age Mandatory adult with child under 6 years This group includes minor parents with a diploma or GED, if Head of Household they are in the participation rate. Required hours Other guidance 30/20 30 hours per week of countable activities (core and non-core), with at least 20 of those hours in core activities 20 20 hours per week of core activities For minor parents, educational activities are preferred if appropriate. Note: Oregon exempt individuals with a child under six months may volunteer to participate as district participant slots are available. They are not subject to disqualification if they later decide not to participate, as long as they are still exempt. Mandatory Teen parent Parent under 20 years old without a diploma or GED Two Parent Families Two-parent families are paid with state only funds. They do not count in the federal participation rate for Oregon. Satisfactory Progress Determined case-by-case Enrolled in an educational activity and making satisfactory progress based on the standards of the educational institute Requirements for teen parents: http://apps.state.or.us/caf/arm/b/461-190- 0171.htm Determine plan hours on case by case basis (could be federal standard or other) Note: They are not exempt from disqualification. FYI only and does not apply to Oregon Federal requirements for two-parent families TANF funded by federal or maintenance of effort (MOE): With child care - 55 hours per week in core or noncore activities, 50 of which must be from core activities Without child care - 35 hours per week, 30 of which are from core activities See Section B for more information about these activities: o activities (countable): CP, DA, JO, JT, LS, MH, MI, PL, PS, RA, SW, VT, WE, WO o Non-core activities (countable): AB, ES, HS o Other activities (not countable): BR, CH, CI, DV, FA, FC, ME, PE, RE, RT, SL, SS JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 2
5. Monthly calculation of participation rates Although participation hours are discussed in terms of hours per week, the federal participation rate is actually calculated on a monthly basis. Either the client meets or does not meet the participation rate, there is no partial credit given. In Oregon, the participation month is based on the number of Saturdays per month. For a client required to participate on a 30/20 basis, a five Saturday month would require 150/100 hours and a four Saturday month would require 120/80. 6. Attendance documentation requirements For all countable and countable Non- Activities: AB, CP, DA, ES, HS, JO, JT, LS, MH, MI, PL, PS, RA, SW, VT, WE, WO All attendance must be in writing, kept in the client s file or a central location and contain the following: o, o actual (not planned) hours of participation, o name of work site, school, or service provider, o name and phone number of person verifying the attendance (not required for paid work activities), and o certification that the client received daily supervision (not required for paid work activities). Local attendance forms can be used (providing they include the above information) for all activities, except for: o Work search (JO) DHS form 475 should be used, and o Educational activities (HS, PS) - DHS form 7861 should be used for individual students. To report extra hours of homework in a supervised setting, the DHS form 7862 should be used. For educational activities where a group of JOBS participants are attending, other school attendance records may be used. Attendance must be recorded on attendance forms no less than on a weekly basis, except for the following situations: o Other school attendance records may be used when a group of JOBS participants are attending school, JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 3
o job search and job readiness activities which must be recorded on a daily basis (current job search and job readiness activities are: DA, JO, MH, and RA), and o paid work activities which must be verified by employer verification of a minimum two weeks of work and can be projected forwards if anticipated to remain the same (current paid work activities are: JT, MI, PL, WO, and JPI). PAS participants in their first 12 months of PAS must report attendance. Following their first 12 months in PAS, a PAS participant is required to report attendance only if they are receiving support services. Attendance cannot be granted for: o school breaks (Christmas, Spring, or Summer) for PS, HS, and VT, o travel time to and from home or activities (except between actual work search employer contacts), and o time client is waiting for an activity to begin. Homework attendance can be documented as follows: o hours must be reported on at least a weekly basis and turned in to a designated DHS or contractor staff, and o the DHS form 7861 should be used to document one homework hour for every class hour. Attendance must be based on the client's actual hours of attendance in an activity - for example, attended 2 hours of mental health counseling, NOT 20 hours of dealing with mental health issues or expected hours. Excused absences can be granted and entered in TRACS as excused hours. Any excused hours that exceed 2 days per month or 10 days per year will not count (TRACS reports this accurately behind the scenes for participation). Holidays can be entered as attendance for a day of schedule participation. Attendance recorded in TRACS must be documented as noted in the activity charts. For non-countable activities: BR, CH, CI, DV, FA, FC, ME, PE, RE, RT, SL, SS Client self-reporting is acceptable. For activities with support payments made, attendance should be verified by the service providers. JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 4
B. JOBS activities (table in alphabetical order) JOBS activity Federal category Supervision, attendance, and documentation Activity limits/notes AB Adult Basic Education Basic education for individuals without a high school diploma or GED and that is related to a specific occupation, job or job offer. class time lab work field study clinical time internship activities required to fulfill occupation requirements Countable (Non-) Required Supervision: Weekly by DHS or other responsible party Daily attendance documented by: the DHS 7861 JOBS education attendance form for individual student Attendance Documentation must actual hours of class work None BR Branch Retention Retention and wage enhancement services for employed former TANF clients. Career assessment activities Support groups Not Countable As appropriate Attendance documented by: partner reporting client self-reporting, either in writing or received by phone or in person and narrated in TRACS TRACS narrative of client discussions Not countable Attendance auto-populates after actual start date is entered, and thru the activity end date. CH Child-related Health & Development Activities that contribute to the well-being and health of the children in the family. Attending parenting classes or work and family classes Working with child care referral agencies Seeking and securing child care arrangements Not Countable As appropriate Attendance documented by: partner reporting client self-reporting by phone, writing, or in person and narrated in TRACS TRACS narrative of client discussions Attendance auto-populates after actual start date is entered, and thru JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 5 Not countable
JOBS activity Federal category Supervision, attendance, and documentation Activity limits/notes Dealing with SSI and/or legal matters for minor children Working with DCS or other agencies to establish paternity Attend family counseling, school conferences or similar activities to enhance the well-being of the children in the benefit group the activity end date. CI Crisis Intervention Activities that deal with family or individual crisis in order to return to the regular JOBS activity. Identifying and assessing the status of emergency issues Referrals to other partner agencies Not Countable As appropriate Attendance documented by: partner reporting client self-reporting, either in writing or received by phone or in person and narrated in TRACS TRACS narrative of client discussions Not countable Attendance auto-populates after actual start date is entered, and thru the activity end date. CP Community Services Program Structured work activities that improve employability and is performed for the direct benefit of the community in such fields as health, social service, environmental protection, education, urban and rural redevelopment, welfare, recreation, public facilities, public safety and child care. Note: Do not include job search activities that are not part of site placement. Orientation, assessment, testing related to placement into unpaid work site slot work time at the work site Countable Must be supervised daily by the work site employer, contractor, or other responsible party. Attendance must be documented no less than weekly: time cards, or sign-in/sign-out sheets, rosters, other employer produced documents with recorded hours of work, or partner reporting Attendance documentation must actual hours of work name of the worksite name and phone number of person No limit, but weekly hours are subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) No limit JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 6
JOBS activity Federal category Supervision, attendance, and documentation Activity limits/notes DA - Drug & Alcohol services Activities to reduce barriers to employment caused by substance abuse. Must be determined to be necessary by a qualified professional. This is considered a job readiness activity. substance abuse screening and/or evaluation outpatient or residential drug and/or alcohol treatment attending support or community groups such as AA, NA, and Al- Anon Medication management (Countable) Required Supervision: Daily by DHS or other responsible party Daily attendance documented by: contractor/partner/treatment provider reporting support group reporting clinical or medical staff reporting treatment attendance form Attendance Documentation must actual hours of treatment participation name of the service or treatment provider name and phone number of person verifying the hours certificate of daily supervision 12 weeks per year combined with other job readiness activities and no more than 4 weeks may be consecutive Note: Any week that has hours recorded counts as a full week towards the 12-week limit. DV- Domestic Violence services Activities to keep clients, who are experiencing a domestic violence situation, safe and stable. working with DV service providers, support groups, advocates, etc. location of safe housing or relocation activities court/legal appointments or activities medical/counseling appointments related to DV (Not Countable) Required Supervision: As appropriate Daily attendance documented by: contractor/partner reporting self-reporting, in writing, by phone, or in person and narrated in TRACS support group reporting Attendance auto-populates after actual start date is entered, and thru the activity end date Not countable Note: DV data is used when determining the state s participation rates JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 7
JOBS activity Federal category Supervision, attendance, and documentation Activity limits/notes ES English as a Second Language Activities which give clients with limited English proficiency better speaking, writing or reading skills that may enable them to become self-sufficient. Countable Non- Required Supervision: Weekly by DHS or other responsible party Daily attendance documented by: the DHS 7861 JOBS education attendance form for individual student None class time lab work field study clinical time internship activities to fulfill occupation requirements Attendance Documentation must actual hours of class work FA - Family stability Activities that working on family stability issues working on family stability issues (Not Countable) Required Supervision: As appropriate Daily attendance documented by: client self-reporting Attendance auto-populates after actual start date is entered, and thru the activity end date Not countable FC - Family Support and Connections (FS&C) Contracted services through FS&C to help families maintain the safety and well-being of their children, thus preventing Child Welfare involvement. working with FS&C service providers appointments with FS&C service providers (Not Countable) Required Supervision: As appropriate Daily attendance documented by: FS&C Coordinator partner reporting client self-reporting, either in writing, received by phone, or in person and narrated in TRACS TRACS narrative of client discussions Enter max of one hour per week while the client is receiving services Not countable This activity serves some non-mandatory clients. If an open TRACS plan does not exist, code FSC case descriptor on the UCMS case JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 8
JOBS activity Federal category Supervision, attendance, and documentation Activity limits/notes HS - High School or GED Activities include attending and completing High School for teen parents. Activities also include GED completion for both teen parents and adults. class time lab work field study clinical time internship activities required to fulfill credit requirements study time Non-core (countable) Weekly by DHS or other responsible party Attendance must be documented no less than weekly the DHS 7861 JOBS education attendance form for individual student school attendance records for a group of students Attendance documentation must actual hours of class work name of the school name and phone number of person verifying the hours None JO - Job Search Activities in seeking or obtaining employment, preparation to seek or obtain employment, improving skills in finding or competing for employment. Considered a job readiness activity. Case plan activities writing resumes interviewing skills contacting and interviewing with employers travel time between employer contacts completing and submitting employment applications gathering information concerning the labor market job search preparation classes time spent with placement agencies such as the Employment Department, staffing companies or employment specialists (Countable) Responsible party as appropriate Attendance must be documented daily: the DHS form 475 for actual work search Attendance Documentation must actual hours of job search and/or job preparedness name of the worksite name and phone number of person verifying the hours certification of daily supervision 12 weeks per year combined with other job readiness activities and no more than 4 weeks may be consecutive Note: Any week that has hours recorded counts as a full week towards the 12-week limit. JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 9
JOBS activity Federal category Supervision, attendance, and documentation Activity limits/notes JT - On-the-Job Training Training given to a paid employee who is engaging in productive work that provides knowledge and skills necessary to perform the job. (Countable) By work site employer, contractor, or other responsible party. Attendance should be documented by a minimum of 2 weeks of actual hours worked and may be projected out for 6 months or reported ongoing with current actual: Pay stubs, time cards, or sign-in/sign-out sheets, rosters, other employer produced documents hours of work, or partner reporting Attendance documentation must actual hours of work name of the worksite name and phone number of person verifying the hours Attendance will auto-populate after 2 weeks of attendance have been entered and thru the activity end date No limit Time of activity to be determined by paid training guidelines. LS Life Skills Activities that offer development of skills that prepare clients to be successful in the workplace and daily living Development of work place skills and habits Employment retention skills Daily living skills Parenting / Relationship skills Budgeting Decision making Self-Esteem building Countable Daily by DHS or other responsible party Daily attendance documented by: contractor/partner reporting treatment provider reporting support group reporting clinical or medical staff reporting treatment attendance form Attendance documentation must actual hours of mental health services attended name of the service or treatment provider name and phone number of person verifying the hours 12 weeks per year combined with other job readiness activities and no more than 4 weeks may be consecutive. Note: Any week that has hours recorded counts as a full week towards the 12-week limit. JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 10
JOBS activity Federal category Supervision, attendance, and documentation Activity limits/notes ME - Medical-Related services Client activities to assess and address health concerns that limit employment. Note: Consider whether the activities match RA and use when appropriate. attending appointments to evaluate medical issues (Not Countable) As appropriate When support services are made, attendance documented by: contractor/partner reporting treatment provider reporting support group reporting clinical or medical staff reporting treatment attendance form Not countable MH - Mental Health services Activities to reduce barriers to employment caused by mental health issues. Must be determined to be necessary by a qualified medical professional. Considered a job readiness activity. mental health screenings and assessments counseling sessions and treatment medication management support groups (Countable) Daily by DHS or other responsible party Daily attendance documented by: contractor/partner reporting treatment provider reporting support group reporting clinical or medical staff reporting treatment attendance form Attendance documentation must actual hours of mental health services attended name of the service or treatment provider name/phone of person verifying the hours 12 weeks per year combined with other job readiness activities and no more than 4 weeks may be consecutive. Note: Any week that has hours recorded counts as a full week towards the 12-week limit. MI Microenterprise Self-employment for clients with small business opportunities which are approved by a 3 rd party entity. Case plan activities Work time Training time related to the business Countable Attendance should be documented by a minimum of 2 weeks of actual hours worked or those indicated by other business records. Hours counted cannot be more than the self- employment income minus the business expenses, and divided by federal minimum wage. Attendance will auto-populate after 2 weeks of attendance have been entered and thru the activity end date No limit Normally no more than 12 consecutive months JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 11
JOBS activity Federal category Supervision, attendance, and documentation Activity limits/notes PE - Program Entry Used for recording initial intake and case plan appointments May be used with service loading activities such as orientation, workshops, testing, and assessments. Cannot be attributed specifically to job search, unpaid work activity (SW, WE) or other available activity codes. (Not Countable) As appropriate Daily attendance documented by: TRACS narrative of client intake and case plan appointment contractor/partner reporting Not countable Once per activity period. Case plan activities Intake appointment Case plan appointment General JOBS orientation Needs assessment that is not part of loading for specific activities Case plan development Review of rights and responsibilities Testing activities PL - JOBS Plus Subsidized employment in the public or private sector where the participant is placed on the employer s payroll and TANF/SNAP benefits are suspended. Case plan activities Paid work time Paid job search hours in last 2 months of PLUS contract Holidays and excused absences based on JOBS Plus employer standards for temporary employees (Countable) By employer Attendance should be documented by a minimum of 2 weeks actual hours and may be projected out for 6 mos or reported ongoing with actuals: Case manager adds PL code and actual start date DPU enters the first attendance hours claimed by the employer on the first wage reimbursement claim form Attendance will auto-populate after 2 weeks of attendance have been entered and thru the activity end date Documentation must Participant/employee name actual hours of work actual hours of paid job search (up to 8 hours per week after 4 th month of being on worksite) No limit No more than 6 months within a 12 mo period (exception to 6 mo limit may be approved through central office if PL is extended do not forget to change activity end date so attendance will continue to be coded) JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 12
JOBS activity Federal category Supervision, attendance, and documentation Activity limits/notes PS - Parents as Scholars Completion of a two- or fouryear degree at an approved school. This is administered at the State level. There are no new participants loaded. Only current participants remain on PS. Note: Clients still coded with PS have already met the maximum 12 months core countable time. class time and lab work field study clinical time activities required to fulfill credit requirements study time distance learning (Countable for maximum of 12 months) Weekly by DHS or other responsible party Attendance must be documented no less than weekly: the DHS 7861 JOBS education attendance form for individual student school attendance records for a group of students Attendance must be verified in order to access support services when allowable by rule (OAR 461-190-0211) 12 months in a lifetime count towards federal participation Note: Any week that has hours recorded counts as a full month towards the 12month limit. Time needed to complete twoor four-year degree per PAS policy RA - Rehabilitative services Activities to reduce barriers to employment caused by physical, medical and/or other disabilities Must be determined to be necessary and certified, by a qualified medical professional. Considered a job readiness activity. therapeutic activities such as physical, speech, or occupational therapy Do not include activities such as programs for smoking cessation or weight loss and taking children to medical appointments. (Countable) Daily by DHS or other responsible party Daily attendance documented by: contractor/partner reporting treatment provider reporting medical support group reporting clinical or medical staff reporting treatment attendance form Attendance documentation must actual hours of rehabilitation name of the service or treatment provider name and phone number of person verifying the hours 12 weeks per year combined with other job readiness activities and no more than 4 weeks may be consecutive Note: Any week that has hours recorded counts as a full week towards the 12-week limit. None JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 13
JOBS activity Federal category Supervision, attendance, and documentation Activity limits/notes RE - Re-Engagement Not required to be used, this activity code was made available for use for districts who want to use it for local tracking and monitoring purposes. (Not Countable) Daily attendance documented by: Attendance documentation must SL Stabilized Living Activities that enable a client to establish housing in order to participate in JOBS. Not Countable As appropriate Attendance documented by: partner reporting client self-reporting, either in writing or received by phone or in person and narrated in TRACS TRACS narrative of client discussions Not countable Attendance auto-populates after actual start date is entered, and thru the activity end date. SS - SSI Application Process Activities for clients involved in the Social Security Insurance application(ssi) process. working with DHS disability liaison, Social Security Administration staff, or medical/mental health providers attending court/legal appointments attending SSI hearings (Not Countable) As appropriate Attendance documented by: partner reporting client self-reporting, either in writing or received by phone or in person and narrated in TRACS TRACS narrative of client discussions Attendance auto-populates after actual start date is entered, and thru the activity end date. Not countable No limit JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 14
JOBS activity Federal category Supervision, attendance, and documentation Activity limits/notes SW - Supported Work Unpaid work to develop good work habits skills, training and knowledge to obtain employment; involves more intensive staff support and may be at a work site or in a work simulation activity. orientation, assessment, testing related to loading participants into unpaid work site slot work time at the work site Do not include job search activities that are not part of site placement. (Countable) Must be supervised daily by the work site employer, contractor, or other responsible party. Attendance must be documented no less than weekly: time cards, or sign-in/sign-out sheets, rosters, other employer produced documents with recorded hours of work, or partner reporting Attendance documentation must actual hours of work name of the worksite name and phone number of person verifying the hours certification of daily supervision No limit, but weekly hours are subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) No limit VT Vocational Training Enrollment in short-term training (no more than 12 months) organized educational program directly related to the preparation for employment in occupations in high demand or high wage, or will provide a wage that can support the family. The training results in a job offer or certificate. (Countable) Weekly by DHS or other responsible party Attendance must be documented no less than weekly the DHS 7861 JOBS education attendance form for individual student school attendance records educational provider reporting partner reporting 12 months in a lifetime count towards federal participation Note: Any week that has hours recorded counts as a full month towards the 12 month limit. class time lab work study time activities required to fulfill certification Attendance documentation must actual hours of class/trg name of the school or training organization name and phone number of person verifying the hours certification of daily supervision No more than 12 months in duration. All VT must be approved through district process. JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 15
JOBS activity Federal category Supervision, attendance, and documentation Activity limits/notes WE - Work Experience Unpaid work to develop good work habits, skills, training, and knowledge to obtain employment. Work is at a work site. Orientation, assessment, testing related to placing participants into unpaid work site slot work time at the work site Do not include job search activities that are not part of site placement. (Countable) Must be supervised daily by work site employer, contractor, or other responsible party. Attendance must be documented no less than weekly: time cards, or sign-in/sign-out sheets, rosters, other employer produced documents hours of work, or partner reporting Attendance documentation must actual hours of work name of the worksite name and phone number of person verifying the hours certification of daily supervision No limit, but weekly hours are subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) No limit WO - Working Full- or part-time unsubsidized employment for current TANF clients in the public or private sector that is not subsidized by TANF, such as JOBS Plus, or other public programs, such as the WIA On-the-Job Training program. (Countable) Attendance should be documented by a minimum of 2 weeks of actual hours worked and may be projected out for 6 months or reported ongoing with current actual. Attendance will auto-populate after 2 weeks of attendance have been entered and thru the activity end date No limit No limit paid unsubsidized work self employment working in self-owned trade or business and may include, but is not limited to, domestic work and child care. Attendance documentation must pay stubs time cards sign-in/sign-out sheets, rosters, attendance records, or other employer produced documents, with recorded hours of work Employer verbal verification (narrating in TRACS name and phone number of contact) if no other documentation is available JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 16
For policy related to JOBS activities, see the Family Services Manual, Employment and Self Sufficiency Services located at: https://apps.state.or.us/cf1/eligmanual/emnlframe.htm?page+id=03-toc C. Job Participation Incentive (JPI) 1. Program intent and overview The intent of the Job Participation Incentive (JPI) is to provide an additional food benefit to help increase the ability of single parents with children to meet the nutritional needs of their families. The JPI benefit is coded on the FCAS case and provides a $10 incentive per month to SNAP cases with single parents who have a qualifying child and who meet the TANF federal work participation rate by working at unsubsidized employment for an average of 20 or 30 hours a week. The incentive allows the department to include these individuals in the TANF federal work participation rate. 2. JPI enrollment Initial enrollment should occur by staff as they process benefits for SNAP cases. To be enrolled in JPI, an individual must: Be an eligible adult in a SNAP benefit group and the sole parent of an eligible dependent child in the same SNAP benefit group; Not be receiving any concurrent TANF program benefits in the same month. (This is true for all members of the SNAP benefit group); Be working at an unsubsidized paid employment averaging weekly hours that meet federally required participation rates. (For selfemployed clients, income must be equivalent to 20 or 30 weekly hours at state minimum wage); Average of 20 weekly hours for a single parent with a child under 6 years, or Average of 30 weekly hours for a single parent with a child age 6 to under 18. Provide the department with employer-produced documents of paid, unsubsidized work hours covering a consecutive two-week period; JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 17
Anticipate the weekly employment hours will remain the same or increase for the SNAP reporting period, and Report changes as required for SNAP cases based on TBA and SRS reporting systems. Ongoing enrollment should be determined as SNAP cases are updated: Individuals must provide employer-produced documents of paid, unsubsidized work hours each time requested by the department or no later than the last day of the sixth month in conjunction with SRS and recertification time frames; and Individuals must continue to meet JPI eligibility. 3. Verification of eligibility Documentation must be employer verification of work hours or, if income is derived from self-employment, the client must provide verification of self-employment income. Work hours can also be verified through collateral contact, including The Work Number or verbal evidence given by an employer or written evidence given by a third party that has direct knowledge of the hours worked or self-employment income. Note: Verbal employer verification and verification of work hours from anyone but employer should be limited and used as a last resort for verification. Note: Round weekly hours to nearest whole hour. 4. Attendance tracking JPI/JP2 Need Resource is coded on the JPI eligible individual. The end date should match the SNAP Reporting or certification end date. The amount should reflect the average weekly hours the JPI eligible individual is employed. Use the Need Resource to enter the hours the system will count this as weekly participation hours, not as a dollar amount and continue until the report period has ended. Additional JPI information is available in the Family Services Manual- TANF Chapter Section 5. JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 18
D. General guidelines 1. Caring for Disabled Family Member Guidelines A parent providing care for a disabled family member is identified by coding D (exempt JOBS STAT field) and N (exempt EXMP field). Staff verifies, by medical documentation, the need for the recipient caretaker relative (usually the parent) to remain in the home to care for the disabled family member. After determining that the individual is needed at home to provide care, enter the D/N coding. 2. Excused absence attendance policy Hours recorded as excused absences will be limited by TRACS (in the background) to 2 days per month of missed participation, with a limitation of 10 days per year in accordance with federal guidelines. Excused absences include: sick time medical appointments for self or family members required appointments with other service providers court dates job interviews attendance in assigned non-countable activities (such as FS&C appointment) that coincide with a scheduled countable activity good cause granted in accordance with DHS rule 461-130-0327 Excused absence hours should only be granted for days when the client is scheduled to participate. Staff should consider both federally excused absences and other good cause absence reasons when entering hours. 3. Holiday attendance policy - Holidays should be recorded as attendance time if the holiday is observed on a day of scheduled participation. Record the normal number of hours the client would have attended. The maximum number of holidays allowed in a calendar year is 10 days. New Year's Day Martin Luther King's Birthday President's Day Memorial Day July 4th Labor Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Eve Christmas Day Holiday hours should only be granted for days when the client is scheduled to participate. JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 19
4. Maximum number of unpaid work hours allowed - The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) applies to individuals working in unpaid JOBS work activities (WE and SW). FLSA requires that individuals engaged in these activities, in effect, cannot "work off" their TANF and SNAP benefits at an hourly rate of less than the State minimum wage. To calculate the maximum number an individual can be required to participate in an unpaid JOBS work activity (WE and SW) use the following formula: Monthly TANF grant amount + monthly SNAP benefits Oregon minimum wage average 4.3 weeks = Maximum number of unpaid weekly work hours allowed. The expected activity hours should not exceed the FLSA calculation. Round down to nearest hour. Note: If a client chooses to do more hours than the FLSA maximum weekly hours, code the actual hours of attendance. Clients cannot be disqualified for not meeting hours above their FLSA weekly maximum. If under this calculation, a client is required to do less than the 20 or 30 hours of unpaid work required by federal participation standards and, if the client participates the maximum number of hours allowed, they will be "deemed up" to the full 20 or 30 hours. For example, if a client can only be required to do 16 hours per week of work experience, and they participate the full 16 hours, they will be "deemed up" to 20 or 30 hours of participation. The actual number of hours participated will be entered locally, the "deeming up" process will be calculated upon transmitting data to the Federal agency. Note: This feature is not properly captured in the state version of the monthly participation report used for district management purposes. 5. Projected actual attendance and auto-population Paid Work Hours (JT, MI, PL and WO): Determine the client's average number of hours worked per week based on a minimum of two weeks actual work verified. JOBS paid work attendance will be automatically entered for the next 6 months by TRACS automated attendance on this basis. If the client's work hours are not likely to change, actual attendance hours can be calculated as follows: Tina worked 25 hours per week, each week for the past two weeks. Tina expects to work a similar schedule. Attendance can be recorded in TRACS (WO) or UCMS (JPI) for the actual hours of the past 2 weeks and will auto populate at 25 hours per week for the next 6 months. JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 20
During the past 2 weeks, Joan worked 10 hours the 1st week and 30 hours the 2nd week. Joan expects to work a similar schedule. Average the hours (10 + 30 = 40 2 = 20) of the past 2 weeks. Attendance can be recorded in TRACS for the actual hours of the past two weeks and will auto populate at 20 hours per week for the next 6 months. Averages should be rounded to the nearest whole hour. If DHS becomes aware that the individual's work situation has changed and has resulted in an increase or decrease in work hours, document the new hours and TRACS will project attendance for the remainder of the 6 months or until the activity end date. At the end of the 6 month period, re-verify the work hours. Documentation for determining average hours worked per week must be retained in the client's case file or TRACS case file. Non-countable Activity Hours (DV, FA and SS): For the above activities expected hours should be determined by the client s average number of hours engaged in the activity per week, but no less than one hour weekly. Automated attendance will begin once the actual start date is entered by the worker. For more information about the automated attendance feature, see the TRACS Help Topics: Click on the Contents tab, select Personal Development Plan, select Recording Attendance and Absences, and select Automated Attendance. Note: This data is not current but does provide an overview. 6. Supervision of participants - All countable activities (other than paid work activities) must be supervised daily. Supervision requires observing and evaluating performance, providing guidance, and directing activities on an as needed basis. JOBS Activity Guidelines Page 21