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MISSISSIPPI [NON-FINANCIAL CRITERIA: TANF WORK PROGRAM]

11-01-17

Revised cause, with the TWP will apply to volunteers. Failure to attend or participate satisfactorily, without good cause, may result in a TANF sanction and a corresponding SNAP sanction. Prior to referral to the TWP as an "EV", the participant must sign form MDHS-EA359, TWP Agreement to Participate Following Notice of Adverse Action or Referral as an Exempt Volunteer. The 359 serves as case documentation that TWP rules and regulations were explained, and to acknowledge his/her understanding of TWP requirements and adverse action policy and regulations. The “EV” code for an exempt volunteer that is no longer eligible for the JJ or JV exemption must be changed to NE (mandatory participant.) For example, a volunteer with a child younger than 12 months old will no longer qualify for the JJ exemption the month after the child's first birthday. The EV should be changed to NE for the first month of ineligibility. A minor parent who is not the head of household (JI-dependent under age 18) is subject to TANF school attendance requirements. A minor parent who is attending school and needs assistance with child care expenses to remain in school may be referred to the TANF Work Program as a “MV- Minor Volunteer” in order to receive supportive services. A minor dependent who fails to attend school satisfactorily will be sanctioned under school attendance policy, not TWP. The minor parent’s TWP code should be changed from MV to JI and the appropriate school attendance penalty applied. Refer to Chapter 3, School Attendance Requirements, for additional and more detailed information. A TANF recipient’s spouse whose presence in the case is disregarded for six months due to application of the Marriage Disregard will be referred to the TWP manually. The case manager must handle this individual manually because he/she is not actually in the JAWS system. Refer to Chapter 8, Volunteers, for more information. Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians MDHS has entered into an agreement with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians which allows the Tribe to operate a separate TANF Work Program for their TANF eligible members in seven Mississippi counties. The counties involved in this program are Jones, Kemper, Leake, Neshoba, Newton, Scott and Winston. Non-exempt Choctaws living in these counties must be served by the Tribal TANF Program rather than the MDHS TWP. A Choctaw Indian living in a county other than the seven listed above is considered a regular TWP referral. In this situation, the Choctaw indicator on the HERC screen in MAVERICS must be changed to "N" for the Choctaw to be counted in the TWP participation rate. NOTE: Choctaw Indians residing in a non-Choctaw county who are coded "N" will not be listed on the Active Choctaw Indians Report, but other household members who are coded "Y" will be listed. This report is used to