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FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES MANUAL GENERAL PROCEDURES & REQUIREMENTS FNS 140 PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS

4 Change 1-2021 May 1, 2021 A. The State provides periodic training to counties regarding policies and procedures of the FNS Program. B. County directors, through their FNS supervisors, are solely responsible for direct orientation and training of new personnel, as well as providing day-to-day training and consultation for each FNS caseworker to ensure appropriate eligibility determinations and program effectiveness. Supervisors are responsible for developing and instituting training sessions for the appropriate workers in their agencies. County training programs must cover: 1. FNS eligibility criteria; 2. FNS certification procedures; 3. Household rights and responsibilities, including non-discrimination rights; 4. Other job-related responsibilities concerning the certification of households, for example, interviewing skills, supervisory training, etc.; 5. Date management and issuance related activities; and 6. Record keeping and reporting requirements. NOTE: County agencies are required to maintain a training file for documenting training activities conducted or attended. C. Employees assigned responsibility for the certification of households must be provided sufficient training prior to initially assuming their duties. Formal training must be provided periodically to all FNS Program staff, as needed. The need for training is established by policy changes and program deficiencies identified through the Performance Reporting System. Inadequate performance by individual employees may also indicate the need for training. D. State and/or county may allow public attendance at formal certification training sessions that are conducted on a statewide, regional, countywide, or citywide basis. Attendance at these training sessions may be allowed if, in view of the agency, such participation is beneficial. The State and/or county: 1. May invite individuals who represent recipients or organizations working on behalf of recipients who are knowledgeable about program rules, certification requirements; 2. May invite individuals who are actively engaged in work or volunteer activity related to FNS certification rules; 3. Should not arbitrarily exclude individuals (who otherwise meet this criteria) due to disagreements between these individuals and the State or county concerning aspects of FNS operations; and 4. The county may limit the role of public participants to observation only.