Page 14

Colorado State Plan Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Effective July 1, 2018

Page 14 of 22

Job ready is defined locally and outlined in county policies; Colorado has found that being ready to work is fluid and looks different family-to-family, and is committed to working with customers where they are at. Counties are encouraged to think about mid- to long-range planning for economic stability, implementing strategies that protect against recidivism because those who are exiting are truly more economically stable and no longer need the support of the program. In this vein, work ready is considered not only the ability to get work tomorrow, but also the ability to maintain and succeed in employment over the long-term.

Provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA): Other Specialized Training: Colorado assists individuals to train for, seek and maintain employment to provide direct care in a long-term care facility and in other occupations related to elder care determined appropriate by the State for which Colorado identifies an unmet need for service personnel.

Administrative Policies and Procedures

Confidentiality. All applicant or recipient information is confidential and available only for the purposes of the effective administration of the program and will be made available to federal or State agencies as appropriate. All employees are trained to maintain the confidentiality of information and are notified that failure to do so will result in dismissal. All parties acting on behalf of the county department must be employees or contractual agents. County departments of human/social services contracting for program administration or services are required to include confidentiality requirements in their contracts. County departments of human/social services administering the program are required to include procedures to ensure confidentiality in their policies.

Appeals. All programs and services under the Colorado Works program are implemented in a fair and equitable manner. This includes ensuring the correct use of any adverse actions towards applicants and participants of Colorado Works whose basic cash assistance benefits have been denied, reduced or discontinued. An applicant and/or participant may appeal such decisions through the appeals process established by CDHS.

All disputes and complaints begin at the county level. Participants are informed of their appeal rights at application and when any adverse action is taken on his/her case. Individuals who believe that an agency decision regarding the receipt of benefits or services is incorrect may appeal the adverse action. An applicant or recipient who disagrees with a proposed action has the right to a local level dispute resolution conference, which must be requested prior to the effective date of the proposed action. If the individual does not wish to utilize the local/county conference to resolve the dispute, they may request a State level fair hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. If the individual is dissatisfied with the outcome of the local dispute resolution conference, a State level fair hearing before an Administrative Law Judge can take place if a request is received no later than 90 calendar days after the date the notice of proposed action was mailed by the county department/agency.