Division of Field Operations Tanf Policy Manual
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
TITLE 18: HUMAN SERVICES PART 13: DIVISION OF FIELD OPERATIONS TANF POLICY MANUAL MISSISSIPPI [TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR CHAPTER 1: GENERAL] Revised 03-01-11 Page Subject 1000 INTRODUCTION 1000 LEGAL AND FUNDING BASE 1000 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) 1001 Related Programs 1001 Child Support 1001 Refugee Assistance 1010 NONDISCRIMINATION COMPLIANCE 1010 FEDERAL LAWS PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION 1010 HOW TO FILE A DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT 1011 WHERE TO FILE A DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT 1011 RESPONSE TO DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINTS 1011 Office of Civil Rights 1012 County Office 1012 State Office 1013 COMPLAINT INVOLVING OTHER AGENCIES 1013 PROGRAM COMPLAINTS 1013 PUBLIC NOTIFICATION 1020 VOTER REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS 1020 VOTER REGISTRATION Volume III | Chapter 1 1 MISSISSIPPI [TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR CHAPTER 1: GENERAL] Revised 03-01-11 Page Subject 1020 Agency Responsibilities 1021 Declination Forms 1022 Agency Coordinator Duties and Responsibilities 1023 Site Coordinator Duties and Responsibilities 1024 NVRA Reporting 1025 Training 1026 Prohibitions 1026 Registration of 17-year-olds 1030 RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES 1030 RIGHTS OF APPLICANTS AND RECIPIENTS 1031 RESPONSIBILITIES OF APPLICANTS AND RECIPIENTS 1050 CONFIDENTIALITY 1050 REGULATIONS SAFEGUARDING CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION 1050 SAFEGUARDING INFORMATION 1051 NATURE OF INFORMATION TO BE SAFEGUARDED 1051 PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION OF CONFIDENTIALITY 1052 PERSONS AUTHORIZED TO DISCLOSE INFORMATION 1052 INFORMATION TO BE RELEASED 1053 OTHER INFORMATION TO BE DISCLOSED Volume III | Chapter 1 2 MISSISSIPPI [TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR CHAPTER 1: GENERAL] Revised 03-01-11 Page Subject 1054 DISCLOSURE TO GRAND JURIES 1054 DISCLOSURE TO AGENCIES-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR TANF AND CHILD SUPPORT 1054 DISCLOSURE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT 1055 AGENCIES PROVIDING ASSISTANCE OR SERVICE 1055 DISCLOSURE TO CLIENT OR CLIENT REPRESENTATIVE 1056 RELEASE OF MEDICAL INFORMATION TO SPECIFIED AGENCIES 1057 DISCLOSURE TO ELECTED OFFICIALS 1057 DISCLOSURE TO COUNTY OR DISTRICT PROSECUTING ATTORNEY 1058 SUBPOENA OF CASE RECORDS 1058 DISCLOSURE TO LEGISLATIVE OFFICIALS 1058 DISCLOSURE FOR AUDIT PURPOSES - TANF 1400 THE CASE RECORD 1400 DEFINITION 1400 PURPOSE OF THE CASE RECORD 1400 CONFIDENTIAL NATURE OF CASE RECORD 1401 PURPOSE OF CASE RECORD FORMS 1401 THE CASE NUMBER 1401 THE INDIVIDUAL NUMBER Volume III | Chapter 1 3 MISSISSIPPI [TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR CHAPTER 1: GENERAL] Revised 03-01-11 Page Subject 1402 MAINTENANCE OF INDIVIDUAL CASE RECORDS 1402 Destruction of Case Records 1403 ARRANGEMENT OF DOCUMENTS IN ELECTRONIC CASE FOLDER 1403 TANF ONLY CASES 1403 Application Forms 1403 Permanent Documents 1403 Temporary Documents 1403 Medical Review 1403 Personal Data Folder 1404 Case Review 1404 TANF Fair Hearing 1404 Combination Cases 1404 COMBINATION CASES 1404 Application Forms 1404 Permanent Documents 1404 Temporary Documents 1404 Personal Data Folder 1405 Case Review Volume III | Chapter 1 4 MISSISSIPPI [TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR CHAPTER 1: GENERAL] Revised 03-01-11 Page Subject 1405 ADDING TO DOCUMENTS IN INTERWOVEN/WORKSITE 1450 TWP/CASE MANAGEMENT CASE RECORD 1450 OVERVIEW 1450 TWP ELECTRONIC CASE RECORD FORMAT 1450 ARRANGEMENT OF DOCUMENTS IN ELECTRONIC CASE FOLDER 1450 Supportive Services Applications 1450 Permanent Documents 1451 Temporary Documents 1451 TWP Up Front Job Search (UFJS) 1451 Personal Data Folder 1451 TWP Fair Hearing 1451 JOBS AUTOMATED WORK SYSTEM (JAWS) 1452 TWP File Status 1452 Hold Status 1453 Active Status 1453 Inactive Status 1454 Closed Status 1454 CASE REASSIGNMENTS, COUNTY TRANSFERS AND CASE CLOSURE Volume III | Chapter 1 5 S MISSISSIPPI [TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR CHAPTER 1: GENERAL] Revised 03-01-11 Page Subject 1454 Reassignments 1454 County Transfers 1455 Case Closures 1500 GUIDELINES FOR CASE MANAGEMENT 1500 OVERVIEW 1500 CASE MANAGEMENT 1501 Case Management Principles 1501 REGIONAL DIRECTOR 1503 COUNTY DIRECTOR 1503 CASE MANAGEMENT DUTIES 1507 Managing the TWP Caseload 1508 JOB READINESS TRAINER 1510 EMPLOYMENT COORDINATOR 1550 TANF AND TWP INFORMATION EXCHANGE 1550 OVERVIEW 1550 EXCHANGING INFORMATION 1552 JAWS/MAVERICS INTERFACE 1552 JAWS/MAVERICS Transactions Volume III | Chapter 1 6 1553 TANF Case Closure MISSISSIPPI [TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR CHAPTER 1: GENERAL] Revised 03-01-11 Page Subject 1553 Other Data Exchanges 1554 JAWS Appointment Notices 1554 Resolving Conciliations 1556 Exemption Requests 1557 County Transfers 1557 SUBMITTING PROBLEMS TO THE HELP DESK 1558 Deleting Attendance Due to Incorrect Data Entry 1558 SYSTEM SECURITY GUIDELINES Volume III | Chapter 1 7 MISSISSIPPI [GENERAL: INTRODUCTION] Revised 06-01-06 LEGAL AND FUNDING BASE The following cited laws and regulations set forth basic guidelines used to develop detailed policies and procedures set out in this Volume III, TANF Policy Manual. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program is authorized by Title IV of the Social Security Act as amended by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 (Public Law 104-193) and found in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 45 beginning with Part 200. The TANF Program is administered through the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. The Mississippi Department of Human Services is the agency designated by state law to administer the TANF Program. The TANF Program is authorized in the Mississippi Code of 1972 Annotated, in Title 43, Chapters 1 and 17. The TANF Program includes the TANF Work Program (TWP) with specific work-related requirements, exemptions and sanctions. TANF eligibility requirements and TWP requirements are addressed in State law at 43-17-5. Under the federal and state laws, TANF benefits are time limited, mandating that families move quickly into work activities leading to self-sufficiency. The TANF Program is designed to: ∙ provide TANF payments assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives; ∙ end dependence of parents/caretakers on public assistance by promoting job preparation, work and marriage; ∙ encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families; and ∙ prevent Program fraud and abuse. The specific time limits under which families may receive assistance under the TANF Program as funded under the federal PRWORA, Title IV-A, and State law at 43-17-5 are as follows: ∙ Temporary assistance to needy families that include an adult is limited to a maximum of 60 months, whether or not consecutive, unless excluded within the 20% exemption criteria. ∙ The parent or needy caretaker in the assistance unit must be engaged in an approved work activity (defined by the State) as soon as he/she is determined ready to engage in work. In no case shall the adult in the TANF Program receive assistance for more than 24 months within the countable 60 months, whether or not consecutive, unless assigned to and participating satisfactorily in an approved work activity. The State may exempt no more than 20% of the TANF recipient families from the 60 month maximum benefit and work requirement limits, except as allowed by law in regard to cases Volume III | Chapter 1 1000 MISSISSIPPI [GENERAL: INTRODUCTION] Revised 06-01-06 consisting only of minor children, hardship, etc. The State’s 20% exemption will include the elderly caretaker relative whose needs are included in the assistance unit, cases in which the parent(s) are incapacitated, cases in which the adult is exempt from work because of caring for a severely incapacitated/ill household member, or cases in which the adult (or child) is suffering hardship because of sexual, mental or physical abuse or battery. Administrative and benefit costs of TANF payment assistance and the TANF Work Program (TWP) are funded by the federal TANF Block Grant and State Maintenance of Effort (MOE) monies. Formulas for determining the amount of the TANF Block Grant and State MOE requirements are defined in PRWORA. NOTE: The Block Grant TANF Program replaced the Aid For Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) federal/state match Program in Mississippi effective October 1, 1996. Related Programs The legal base and funding for other MDHS programs associated with TANF include: Child Support Cooperation with child support enforcement requirements as a condition of TANF eligibility is mandated at both the federal and state level as found in PRWORA and in State statute in Title 43, Chapter 19. The Division of Economic Assistance refers appropriate TANF cases to the Division of Child Support Enforcement. Refugee Assistance Money payments for certain individuals who are not eligible for TANF are authorized and funded through the Refugee Assistance Act for Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA). These services are provided with federal grant monies. Volume III | Chapter 1 1001 MISSISSIPPI [GENERAL: NONDISCRIMINATION COMPLIANCE] Revised 06-01-06 FEDERAL LAWS PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION The Mississippi Department of Human Services is an equal opportunity service provider and employer. No program, applicant or recipient shall be discriminated against in any aspect of MDHS administration including, but not limited to, the initial and continuing eligibility determination process, the authorization of benefits, access to hearings, and any other service for reasons of race, color, national origin, gender, disability, religion or political beliefs. Civil rights laws and regulations on which compliance is based include Title IV of