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46 North Carolina

INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNTS (IDA)

Counties may establish Individual Development Accounts (IDA), projects locally based on the counties’ resources available. Counties’ IDA projects must comply with federal and state regulations and with Section 404(h) of the Social Security Act.

CONFIDENTIALITY

The Division complies with State and federal laws/regulations as it pertains to confidential information. North Carolina General Statute 108A-80 states that it is unlawful for information to be released from a family’s records, except for the purposes directly connected with the administration of programs of public assistance and social services. The law requires the Division to establish and enforce policies governing restrictions on the use and disclosure of any information concerning applicants and recipients of public assistance and comply with the applicable provisions of the Social Security Act concerning confidentiality.

FAMILY VIOLENCE OPTION

North Carolina has adopted the Family Violence Option. The state has developed standards and procedures to notify all Work First applicants and participants about domestic violence to identify applicants and participants with a history of being a victim of domestic violence, sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking There are also standards and procedures to ensure that case managers and other agency personnel responsible for administering the Work First program are trained in the following: the nature and dynamics of sexual harassment and domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking and ensure the confidentiality of personal information and documentation related to applicants for assistance and their children who have provided notice about their experiences of sexual harassment, domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence or stalking. These individuals are referred to counseling and supportive services (while maintaining their confidentiality) and may receive a temporary waiver from one or more Work First requirements if domestic violence is preventing them from meeting these requirements.

The Department has adopted the option to waive Work First requirements such as time limits, participation in work activities, child support cooperation, and family cap provisions in cases where there is good cause to show that compliance would make it more difficult for the participant to escape domestic violence. These waivers also apply to situations that would unfairly penalize someone who is, or has been, a victim of domestic violence. The length of waivers is determined on a case-by-case basis, but may not exceed six months at a time, and may be reevaluated as appropriate.

A substantial body of research has established that having an unmet resource need, including experiencing food insecurity, housing instability, unmet transportation needs and interpersonal violence or toxic stress, can significantly and negatively impact health and well-being. It can also increase healthcare utilization and costs. With this in mind, North Carolina launched the Healthy Opportunities pilots as part of Medicaid Transformation. The pilots were an opportunity for payers, providers and community-