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Board Area 19 members, Director of Ohio WorkForce Coalition Coordination Coordination with the workforce development system consists of efforts to partner with workforce providers to directly serve SNAP E&T participants or to align the flow or types of services offered across programs. Describe any special State initiatives (i.e. Governor-initiated or through State legislation) that include SNAP E&T. Describe any efforts taken by the State agency to coordinate these programs, services, partners, and/or activities with the State's E&T program. ODJFS’s Benefit Bridge pilot: The initiative is geared towards addressing the benefit cliff and aiding the population we serve who are experiencing a decrease or discontinuation of public assistance due to earned income by offering resources, advocates, case managers as well as financial literacy to help them off benefits to self-sufficiency. The Benefit Bridge program is currently being piloted in 13 county agencies: Allen, Cuyahoga, Fairfield, Gallia, Hamilton, Licking, Meigs, Perry, Portage, Seneca and Summit. The Benefit Bridge program consists of Compassion Counts training for staff and a Care Team for clients. The Compassion Counts training is designed around EMPath© which includes training staff in empathy and trauma to meet the client where they are, build trust and provide support to move the individual to economic independence. Understanding the impact of trauma on an individual and their family's lives is important and can potentially improve client engagement, motivation, and outcomes. The goal of the training is to meet the clients where they are, build trust, and provide support to move individuals to economic independence. A Care Team, at minimum, includes a benefit coach and a peer mentor or intensive case manager. It is recommended that the peer mentor/intensive case manager be dedicated to the Benefit Bridge program and be available outside of traditional working hours if possible. When appropriate, a child support case manager is also encouraged to be part of the Care Team. The Care Team looks at the client holistically and provides them with the support they need to become economically independent, including benefit support, life skills, financial literacy and stability (mentally and financially), and a peer mentor (who has lived experience overcoming the struggles of transitioning from public assistance to economic independence). County agencies also offer incentives to help motivate and encourage participants to complete their individualized goals that lead to their self-sufficiency . An example of an incentive would be a participant would like to open a savings account, with guidance from the peer mentor the participant sets this as a goal, the participant completes this goal by opening a savings account and the county gives the participant a financial incentive tied to completing the goal. Linking an incentive to a goal and the well-being pillar for score improvement. The State chooses which population of clients, county agencies will serve in the Care Team pilot, which can include SNAP recipients. To be enrolled in the Benefit Bridge program: 1. The individual must meet all the following criteria: a. Have a Bridge Score between 44 and 88 at the time of enrollment; and b. Meet at least the county’s financial requirement to receive GRF funding (not to exceed 400% FPL) and/or meet TANF eligibility requirements (not to exceed 200% FPL). c. Must be a citizen of the United States or a qualified alien as defined in rule 5101:1-2-30 of the Ohio Administrative Code. See also Section 403(a) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996. d. Must be a resident of Ohio and live in the state. e. Must not be: 1/29/26, 9:30 AM State Plan OH FY26 - Original Submission https://dam-fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/microsite/snapet-ohfy26stateplan//index.html 10/121