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COMBINED MANUAL

ISSUE DATE 04/2022

SPECIAL MEDICAL CRITERIA

0011.36

- Has a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, or borderline personality disorder which indicates a significant impairment in functioning and a mental health professional documents that he/she is reasonably likely to have future episodes requiring inpatient or residential treatment unless ongoing case management or community support services is provided.

OR

- Has been court-committed as a mentally ill person in the past 3 years or has had the commitment stayed or continued.

OR

- Meets any of the criteria above but the specified time period has expired.

OR

- Was diagnosed with severe emotional disturbance as a child and who a mental health professional has documented in the past 3 years is reasonably likely to have future episodes requiring inpatient or residential treatment unless ongoing case management or community support services is provided.

MFIP caregivers with a household member meeting any of the special medical criteria listed above are: ● Presumed unable to work and do not need to verify their inability to work.

● Eligible for Family Stabilization Services (FSS). See 0011.34 (Family Stabilization Services).

● Eligible for a hardship extension beyond 60 months if they still meet the special medical criteria.

● Eligible for 1 additional banked month to be used beyond 60 months for each month during their 1st 60 months that they qualify for special medical criteria.

● Only 1 parent can qualify for the special medical criteria in a 2-parent household with a child or an adult who meets the disability or medical criteria for home care services. If the family provides documentation from their health care provider that a 2nd parent is also needed in the home to care for the child or adult who meets the special medical criteria, the 2nd parent may be eligible for FSS under the category for participants whose presence is needed in the home because of the illness or incapacity of another member of the assistance unit.

BANKED MONTHS

Employment Services status due to special medical criteria were effective July 1, 2000, but a unit may accrue months back to January 1, 1998, if someone in the unit meets SMC. Families who might be retroactively eligible for this criteria should be reviewed so that accrued months can be allowed correctly. See BANKED MONTHS in 0002.05 (Glossary: Assistance Standard...).

If a caregiver meets any of the special medical criteria for themselves, they may be extended under the ill/incapacitated category, for example, but would not accrue banked months.

Participants must be evaluated for extension on or before the 60th month. When a caregiver with accrued banked months reaches month 60, assess if they still meet the special medical criteria. ● If the special medical criteria no longer applies, they must use the banked months before they can be extended under an extension category. Participants are subject to regular Employment Services requirements and Pre 60 month sanction policies while using banked months. If the participant is in a 2-parent unit in which 1 parent is extended under the hard to employ or employed/employed with limited hours extension category, then post-60 month sanction policies apply. If there is information known to the county or employment services provider that the participant may meet 1 of the other Family Stabilization Services (FSS) eligibility criteria, then FSS sanction provisions must be followed prior to imposing a sanction. See 0028.30.04.03 (Post-60 Month Sanctions: 2-Parent Provisions), Employment Services Manual 17.61 (Sanctions).