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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. Maximus is routinely informed they have the authority and responsibility to deem that participants are not fit for the E&T program. Maximus may make a provider determination from the time a participant is referred to the component until completion of the component. Maximus may place or switch participants in components based on their employability assessment, individualized employment goals, and abilities to assist in the participant’s success. Maximus must notify eligibility staff when a participant has been determined not suited for the SNAP E&T program and why they are not suited for the SNAP E&T program within 10-days of determination by faxing or emailing the Employment and Training Client Status Form (DPHHS-HCS/SNAP-010) to the OPA Scanning unit. Eligibility staff will receive a ‘task’ when the form is scanned into Perceptive (data management system.) The eligibility staff may consult Maximus for additional information that would assist in making the most suitable decision for the participant. It is possible for the eligibility staff to re-refer the participant back to the SNAP E&T program. Describe how the State agency notifies clients of a provider determination. Once eligibility staff receive the task with the provider determination, the eligibility worker will attempt to contact the client to discuss the provider determination which also includes sending a general correspondence to the client within 10 days of receipt of the provider determination. The eligibility worker will discuss the following with the client as well as provide the following in the general correspondence letter sent in the mail. The eligiblity worker & general correspondence will detail that a provider determination was received from Maximus, Montana’s E&T Contractor. That the contractor has authority and responsibility to notify Montana DPHHS of their decision, and the client has been deemed ineligible for SNAP E&T services, and the client has not been disqualified from SNAP. If they are an ABAWD, they will accrue countable months towards the three-month participation limit the next full benefit month after the month they received the provider determination, unless the ABAWD fulfills the work requirement, has good cause or lives in a waived area or is otherwise exempt. The correspondence directs the client to contact the OPA within 10 days of receipt of the letter by calling 1-888-706-1535. Eligibility staff will reassess the participant by taking one of the below steps: 1) Re-refer the client to the E&T program by re-screening for E&T appropriateness by following the SNAP E&T Referral and Screening Business Process. (2) Reassess the physical and mental fitness of the client. If the client is found to not physically or mentally fit the client is exempt from the work requirement. If the client is found to be physically and mentally fit the eligibility worker must consider if one of the other actions in this paragraph are appropriate for the client. (3) Coordinate with other federal, state of local workforce assistance opportunities or assistance programs to identify work opportunities or assistance for the client. In the case of an ABAWD who has received a provider determination, the ABAWD will accrue countable months toward their three-month participation time limit the next full benefit month during which the eligibility staff notifies the ABAWD of the provider determination, unless ABAWD fulfills the work requirements or the ABAWD has good cause, lives in a waived area, or is otherwise exempt. 1/29/26, 8:17 AM State Plan MT FY26 - Amendment 1 https://dam-fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/microsite/snapet-mtfy26stateplan//index.html 38/103