340:50-5-26 Drug addiction or alcoholic treatment centers

Residents of drug addiction or alcoholic treatment centers are certified for program participation through the use of an authorized representative who is an employee of, and designated by the publicly-operated, community mental health center or the private, non-profit organization or institution administering the treatment and rehabilitation program. The organization or institution receives and spends the food benefit allotment for food prepared by or served to a person who is drug or alcohol addicted. (1) Persons addicted to drugs or alcohol in treatment programs. Persons addicted to drugs or alcohol who regularly participate in publicly operated or private non-profit drug or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitative programs on a resident basis may voluntarily apply for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The child of a resident who lives with his or her parents in the treatment center may also qualify to participate. Residents have eligibility determined as a one person household or, when applicable, as a family unit. They may use all or part of the food benefits issued to them in the treatment center to purchase food prepared for them during the treatment program. (A) Residents of treatment centers are certified using the same provisions that apply to all other applicant households except certification is completed through use of authorized representatives. (B) Participants in a drug addict or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitative program are exempt from the work registration requirement. Participation must be verified through the organization or institution operating the program before granting the exemption if the information is inconsistent with other information on the application, previous application, or other documented information. (2) Approved centers. The drug or alcohol treatment and rehabilitative center must be approved by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS), or by Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) as a retailer. (3) Center responsibility. All treatment and rehabilitative centers must provide the local human services center (HSC) with a list of currently participating residents on a monthly basis. This list must include a statement signed by a responsible center official attesting to the validity of the list. (4) When participant leaves the center. When a participant leaves a treatment center, the center: (A) notifies the departing resident household they may have food benefits left in their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) account. (i) The departing household receives its full food benefit if no food benefits have been spent on behalf of that person's household. These procedures are applicable any time during the month. (ii) The center accesses only half of the food benefits in the resident's EBT account prior to the 15th of the month. (iii) If the resident remains in the facility after the 15th day of the month, the remaining food benefits may be accessed on behalf of the resident. (iv) If the household leaves after the 16th day of the month and the food benefits have already been issued and used, the household does not receive any further food benefits for that month; (B) is no longer allowed to act as that person's authorized representative; (C) provides, if possible, the person with Form 08FB038E, Changes in Household Circumstances, and advises the person to complete the form showing his or her new circumstances and to return the form to the local HSC within ten calendar days; (D) informs the departing household they must go to the local HSC to secure their own Access Oklahoma card; (E) deactivates immediately the Access Oklahoma card by calling the phone number shown on the back of the card; and (F) notifies the HSC the participant left the treatment center. (5) Reporting changes. The treatment center must notify the HSC of changes in the household income or other household circumstances required to be reported as outlined in OAC 340:50-9-5. (6) Treatment center liability. The organization or institution is responsible for any misrepresentation or fraud it knowingly commits in the certification of treatment center residents. (A) As an authorized representative, the organization or institution must be knowledgeable about the households' circumstances and carefully review these circumstances with residents prior to applying on their behalf. (B) The organization or institution is strictly liable for all losses or misuse of food benefits held on behalf of resident households and for all over issuances which occur while the households are residents of the treatment center.