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PROVIDER DETERMINATIONS In accordance with 7 CFR 273.7(c)(18) a State agency must ensure that E&T providers are informed of their authority and responsibility to determine if an individual is ill-suited for a particular E&T component. Describe the process used by E&T providers to communicate provider determinations to the State agency. The Third-Party Partner, after completing a needs assessment, may complete a provider determination form and submit it to the LDSS if their program is not a good fit for the customer. The Partner may complete a provider determination after the participant has been placed in components but is not a good fit. The Partner will send an email to the LDSS point of contact for the customer to be reassessed. Describe how the State agency notifies clients of a provider determination. If a customer is not a good fit for a specific SNAP E&T program and the provider has submitted a provider determination letter, SNAP eligibility staff will schedule a meeting with the customer within 5 days of receiving the provider determination to inform the customer and explore other programs that may be better suitable through the following steps: 1. Refer the individual to an appropriate E&T component. The DHS case manager may refer the individual to another E&T component; however, as a best practice, the DHS case manager is encouraged to consider if an individual who has already received a provider determination is a good candidate for E&T, or if the fourth option below would be a better fit. 2. Re-assess the individual’s mental and physical fitness. If the individual is not determined mentally or physically fit, then the individual must be exempted from employment and training participation. The DHS case manager may also re-assess the individual for other exemptions from the individual work requirements, or the ABAWD work requirement, as applicable. 3. Refer the individual to an appropriate workforce partnership, if applicable. If the LDSS has certified one or more workforce partnerships, the DHS case manager may refer an individual to a workforce partnership at the option of the individual. The State agency must provide individuals with sufficient information about workforce partnerships to make an informed decision about participating. 4. Coordinate with other Federal, State of local workforce or assistance programs to identify work opportunities or assistance for the individual. The DHS case manager may decide that an individual with a provider determination would be better served by a program outside E&T or a workforce partnership. If the State agency chooses this option, the DHS case manager must consider granting the individual good cause from participation in the training program. What is the timeframe for contacting clients after receiving a provider determination? 1-3 Days 4-7 Days 8-10 Days 1/29/26, 11:10 AM State Plan MD FY26 - Original Submission https://dam-fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/microsite/snapet-mdfy26stateplan//index.html 30/298