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VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES APPLICATION PROCESSING

10/24 VOLUME V, PART II, PAGE 23

5. Drug Addict/Alcoholic Treatment Centers (7 CFR 273.2(n)); 7 CFR 273.11)(e))

Narcotic drug addicts or alcoholics who regularly participate in a drug or alcoholic treatment program on a resident basis may elect to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The treatment center must be a private, nonprofit organization or institution or a publicly operated community mental health center, under Section 300x-21 et. seq. of U.S. Code Title 42 (formerly Part B of Title XIX of the Public Health Service Act). See Part VII.C.2.

Residents must apply and be certified through the use of an authorized representative who must be an employee of and designated by the treatment center. The resident household, however, should assist in completing the application and should sign the application along with the authorized representative, prior to certification, if possible.

The treatment center representative will receive an EBT card on the household’s behalf. The center must spend the SNAP benefits for food prepared by and/or served to the addict/alcoholic. The household may not directly access the SNAP benefits in the EBT account while residing in the treatment center. See Part VI.E for additional information about residential treatment centers.

6. Group Living Arrangements

Residents of public or private nonprofit settings for blind or disabled individuals may elect to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. An appropriate agency of the state or locality must certify group living arrangements using regulations based on under Section 1616(e) of the Social Security Act.

Residents of group living arrangements may apply and be certified three ways:

a. through the use of an authorized representative employed and designated by the facility;

b. through the use of an authorized representative selected by the resident; or

c. on their own behalf.

If residents want to apply for themselves, the facility must determine if they are physically and mentally capable of managing their affairs.

In a single facility, there may be a combination of application methods used. For example, the facility may have some residents using authorized representatives and some applying on their own behalf.

The local agency must determine the eligibility of residents of group living arrangements who apply through the use of the facility's authorized representative as one-person households. Household composition provisions of Part VI.A will determine household size if residents apply on their own behalf. See Part VI.E for additional information about group living arrangements.

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