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BEM 233C 1 of 9 FAILURE TO MEET EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS:RCA BPB 2017-008 4-1-2017

BRIDGES ELIGIBILITY MANUAL STATE OF MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

DEPARTMENT PHILOSOPHY Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) requires clients to participate in employment and/or family self- sufficiency-related activities and to accept employment when offered. Refugee contractors work with families in removing barriers as well as surmounting challenges and concerns when recipients fail, without good cause, to comply with employment requirements. If these efforts to engage recipients in participation do not succeed, clients must experience the consequences of their decisions and actions. The goal of the Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) penalty policy is to obtain client compliance with appropriate work and/or self- sufficiency related assignments and to ensure that barriers to such compliance have been identified and removed. The goal is to bring the client into compliance. DEPARTMENT POLICY The policies in this item apply to failure to comply with work require- ments in the Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA). This item only applies to FAP when the noncompliant person was active for both RCA and FAP on the date of the noncompliance. Process FAP using policy in BEM 233B when RCA is closed for noncompliance or refusing suitable employment. If the noncompliant person is not a FAP recipient on the date of the RCA noncompliance, no FAP penalty applies. When a RCA mandatory participant fails without good cause to comply with an employment and/or self-sufficiency-related activity or refuses suitable employment, a member disqualification must be imposed. The refugee contractor works with the family to gain compliance and lift the penalty in the shortest period required. Both applicants and recipients are penalized for refusing suitable employment. Only RCA recipients are penalized for noncompliance with an employment and/or self-sufficiency-related activity. This item only applies to FAP when the noncompliant person was active for both RCA and FAP on the date of the noncompliance. Process FAP using policy in BEM 233B when RCA is closed for noncompliance or refusing suitable employment. If the