Food stamp participants selected to participate in these components must comply unless they meet a work registration exemption or have good cause.  Participants who fail to comply when called in by the Division of Workforce Development and do not meet a work registration exemption or have good cause are subject to sanctioning policy.  Refer to IMNL Sections 1105.025.30.05-1105.025.30.25.

Sections 1105.025.05.10 and 1105.025.10 are revised to change reference to the Division of Employment Security to the Division of Workforce Development.

Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

 

File the revised pages in the Food Stamp Manual.

 

Take necessary action on any non-compliance notices received from the Division of Workforce Development.

Distribution # 3

close the case or reject the application and record the reason.

9.  The individual is subject to or is participating in Temporary Assistance case management activities.  The case management services can be provided by Self-Sufficiency Case Managers, Futures Case Managers, contracted providers or Welfare to Work agencies.  (code 16)

10.  The individual is receiving Unemployment Compensation.  This includes persons who have applied for but are not yet receiving benefits. This person must be required to register for work as part of the unemployment compensation application process.  (code 19) 

11.  The individual regularly participates in substance abuse treatment or rehabilitation program as a resident or non-resident.  (code 20) 

12.  All individuals whose METP-related child care expenses are in excess of $200 per child under age two or $175 per child age two or over.  (If the charge for even one child exceeds these amounts, the household is entitled to this exemption.)  (code 21) 

13.  The individual is a half-time student in any recognized secondary,  vocational or technical school, employment training program, Office of Refugee Resettlement Training Program or institution of higher education.  Use the school's definition of half-time student.  Students attending an institution of higher education must meet the student criteria.  (code 29) 

      NOTE:   JTPA participants attending school must be mandatory METP participants.

14.  All individuals 16 or 17 years old, unless the head of the household. Individuals 16 to 18 years old are either excluded or are a mandatory registrant.  They are mandatory if they are the economic head of household and not attending school half time or enrolled in an METP component.  (code 35)

15.  A person who is a VISTA volunteer participating in the program at least 30 hours per week and receiving minimal compensation.  (code 12)

16.  A household member age 16-19 who is attending school full time.  (code 04)

1105.025.05.10   Household Members Excluded from Work  Registration 
 IM-#117 July 31, 2000 

Consider the following persons as work registered, but due to the impracticality of completing a successful job search, education, or training program, excluded from participation in an employment and training program component(s):

1.  Individuals with a temporary mental or physical disability that is expected to last less than 60 days.  Re-evaluate these persons at the end of 60 days.  Temporary disabilities include acute mental problem(s) or emotional strain (such as caused by the death of a family member) or any medical condition that hinders a person from working (such as a broken limb).  If the disability lasts more than 60 days, exempt the individual.  (code 05)

NOTE:   If Division of Workforce Development (DWD) determines the individual has good cause that is expected to be more than 60 days, DWD notifies DFS that work registration must be re-evaluated at the  next recertification.

2.   Individuals who are lacking transportation as in having no personal car, no available public transportation, and no other means of transportation to the DWD office, a possible job site, or METP component activity.  (code 30) 

3.   Individuals who are migrant or seasonal farm workers during the season of work.  (code 31) 

4.   An individual who lives in a remote area defined as more than two hour round trip from home to DWD, or other program component site.  Mileage may vary due to driving difficulty.  (code 08)

5.   A woman who is pregnant in the second and third trimester.  (code 11)

6.   Individuals who lack adequate child care.  The existence of a  Protective Service case is sufficient to grant this exclusion.  (code 32)

7.   Individuals who have family problems requiring a parent to be in the home.  Family problems may be, but are not limited to, alcoholism of another family member, reported child abuse, or neglect, etc.  The existence of a Protective Service case due to child abuse or neglect is sufficient to establish this exclusion.  (code 33)

8.   Household members who have multiple impediments and are not 

under any single item of the previous criteria, but are prevented from participation due to a combination of employment-related barriers or personal hardships (for example, participants with no permanent address due to a personal or natural disaster and in a temporary residence). Identify a minimum of two marginal impediments to employment and/or training.  Taken separately, the impediments are not sufficient reasons for exemption or exclusion but, taken together, represent a significant employment barrier or create a situation in which employment and training participation cannot be required without substantial personal hardship.  Use worker judgment in determining eligibility for this exclusion.  (code 34)

EXAMPLE:   A woman who is a single head of household and has marginal language abilities or marginal mental deficiencies, and/or young children between the ages of 6 and 15, and/or questionable after-school arrangements for the care of her children, is a candidate for this exclusion criteria.

9.   Division of Workforce Development may make a determination of good cause of 60 days for individuals required to participate in Job Search, Job Search Training or Workforce Linkage.  This can only be entered by the Division of Workforce Development.  (code 18)

1105.025.05.15  Mandatory Participants Who Are Required to Register for Work 
IM-#117 July 31, 2000 

Individuals over the age of 15 and under age 60 (ages 16-59) who are determined
to be physically and mentally fit must provide sufficient information to allow a determination of their employment status or job availability.  These individuals must register for work once every 12 months at the time of application and reapplication.

Household members required to work register must:

• report, as requested, to an assessment interview, an employment and training program, and/or to a job site;

 
• respond to a request for supplemental information regarding employment status or availability for work; and

 
• participate in any component, if selected and assigned. 

1.   Which household members are able bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) ages 18 to 50.  These individuals are:

• persons who are physically and/or mentally able to work;
• persons who do not meet a work registration (METP) exemption;
• persons who are not pregnant; or
• persons who do not live in a household with a child under age18. 


2.   Which household members are mandatory work registrants. 

1105.025.10        Assessing and Referring Mandatory METP Participants 
IM-#117 July 31, 2000 

Determine which METP components are available to the mandatory participants in the county in which they reside.  Make the most appropriate referrals by completing a Household Member Assessment (IM-101) with the applicant. Entering the work registration code on the FSU5 approval transaction generates the METP referral to JTPA, MJET, and Division of Workforce Development (DWD).  Refer participants to ABE using the IM-101A.  DJP referrals may be made anytime there is an appropriate job opportunity for the individual.  The appropriate referral is determined by whether the individual is an ABAWD and the assessment (IM-101) completed on the participant.  A monthly system generated listing of mandatory  work registrants is provided to the counties.  This listing may also be used to make DJP referrals.

The following quidelines are provided to assist in determining the appropriate METP component for mandatory participants.

1.   Individuals who do not have a high school diploma, GED or they want to improve their reading or math skills:

a.   ABAWDs:

o    JTPA (eighth grade education required)
o    MJET (in St. Charles County and Southeast Missouri)
o    ABE
o    DJP (if individual has work history)

                o    MJET (in Southeast Missouri) 
                o    ABE 
                o    DJP (if individual has work history) 
                o    DWD (if individual has work history)

2.   Individuals who have a degree, certificate or license, or perhaps need very little (less than a year) education to complete a degree, certificate or license:

a.   ABAWDs:

o JTPA (eighth grade education required) 

o    MJET (in St. Charles County and Southeast Missouri) 
o    DJP 

b.   Other Mandatory Work Registrants: 

o    DJP
o    Division of Workforce Development (DWD {in areas served by DWD}) 
o    MJET (in Southeast Missouri) 

3.   Individuals who have worked in the last year but, are not currently employed:

a.   ABAWDs:

o    JTPA (eighth grade education required)
o    DJP 

b.   Other Mandatory Work Registrants: 

o    DWD (in areas served by DWD)
o    DJP
o    MJET (in Southeast Missouri)

4.   Individuals who have not worked in over a year and have no specialized job skills:

a.   ABAWDs:

o    JTPA (eighth grade education required)
o    DJP 

o    MJET (in Southeast Missouri)
o    DJP
o    DWD (in areas served by DWD) 

Explain to the applicant, during the assessment, the importance of contacting his/her worker if s/he is called in to participate in a component and is unable to comply.  See Work Registration (METP) Noncompliance.
 

1105.025.15        METP Components 
 IM#117 July 31, 2000 

 Upon completion of the assessment, refer the food stamp participant to the most
 appropriate component.

  1105.025.15.05          Workforce Linkage and Job Search (JS) Components 
 IM-#117 July 31, 2000 

Workforce Linkage or similar type workshops and Job Search are components operated by Division of Workforce Development (DWD) providing supervised employer contacts for mandatory work registrants.  In Boone, Buchanan, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Dunklin, Greene, Howell, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, St. Francois, St. Louis County, Scott, and St. Louis City, approval of the food stamp application and entry of work registration code "22" initiates referral to DWD of individuals.  Mandatory registrants living in counties surrounding those listed above, who live one hour or less from the DWD offices, may also be called in to participate.  DWD begins the enrollment process by selecting participants and sending an automated call-in letter to the individual.  DWD staff completes an assessment of the individual during the call-in interview.

DWD offers five Workforce Linkage workshops.  Work registrants called in to participate in Workforce Linkage must attend three days.  They may choose to attend all five days.

Workforce Linkage Workshops include: 

1.   Career Exploration  in which the participants: 
• select at least one short-term and one long-term goal; 
• identify transferable skills they already possess; and 

develop an employability plan outlining the steps to be taken in order to achieve a chosen career goal. 
2.   Job Market  in which participants are:
 
• taught where and how to locate job openings for the kinds of jobs they desire;
• taught how to use Missouri WORKS!; and
• provided an opportunity to use Missouri WORKS! in the Resource Area. 


3.   Applications and Resumes  which provides the following:
 

• assists participants to identify a job objective;
• teaches participants to effectively complete job applications; 
• analysis of critical questions; 
• how to state strengths as tailored to the employment sought; 
• different types of resumes, when each one should be used; and 
• how to compose cover and thank you letters. 


4.   Interviewing Skills  in which the participant is taught: