10-144-609 Me. Code R. § 4
Employment and training service components are defined in 7 C.F.R. § 273.7(e)(2) and may be limited in availability to the extent that SNAP E&T Providers deliver specific service components in specific geographic locations.
The Department requires SNAP E&T Providers to deliver those service components as defined in the USDA SNAP E&T Toolkit, posted at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/employment-training-program-toolkit. SNAP E&T services that may be delivered are categorized as Non-work Components, Work Components, and Educational Components. All SNAP E&T Providers are required to provide case management services to SNAP E&T participants during their SNAP E&T participation, which requires at a minimum monthly contact with SNAP E&T participants to track and coach progress related to SNAP E&T participation. SNAP E&T Participants may be coenrolled with more than one SNAP E&T Provider only when the providers are delivering separate components of services as listed below to the Participant. (E.g. a participant may have their case management reimbursed by one provider and their Educational Component by another.) SNAP E&T Participants may not receive the same component of service from more than one SNAP E&T Provider in the same month, and in the event that more than one Provider offers that component of service, the Participant may select the Provider of their choice.
The following employment and training service components may be delivered:
Job Search Training is a component that assists participants to become job ready by teaching job seeking techniques and working with participants to increase their self-confidence and job search motivation. The component may include job skills assessments beyond the initial assessment, job clubs, and other employment related training. Job Search Training may also have specific activities to assist participants who have not recently been in the workforce or are from a different culture. Necessary Job Search Training services are identified on an individual basis and may also include but are not limited to interview workshops, resume writing, and Maine JobLink registration to apply for jobs online. Depending on needs, some participants may receive more intensive services to help them become work ready, including time management, budgeting, or assistance with transportation.
Job Search is the component that requires job ready participants to make contact with a minimum of three employers per week regarding potential employment and keep a job search log. Job Search must be a supervised activity in order to meet federal requirements outlined in 7 C.F.R. § 273.7 (e)(2).
The component allows the participant to conduct job searches independently or within a group setting, and includes case management from the SNAP E&T Provider to support Job Search activities.
Job Retention services pursuant to 7 C.F.R. § 273.7(e)(2)(viii) provide case management and participant reimbursements for recipients who have obtained a job through working with the SNAP E&T Provider. Job Retention services can typically be provided for a minimum of 30 days up to 90 days after starting a job that was obtained through participation in SNAP E&T. Maine received approval from FNS on August 13, 2020 to expand the duration of Job Retention services to a maximum of 365 days effective October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2024. This component allows case management services and some participant reimbursements for equipment, tools, uniforms, childcare, and transportation to support the participant in retaining a job.
ABAWDs are limited to a maximum of two hours per week of Job Retention services that can be counted toward ABAWD work requirements, which may be combined with 18 hours of ABAWD work requirements.
Job Retention is the only SNAP E&T component that may be delivered to participants who lose their SNAP eligibility due to excess income when they attain employment through SNAP E&T participation.
Workfare is a component in which SNAP recipients defined as ABAWDs are required to work off the value of their household's monthly SNAP allotment through assignment at a private or public non-profit agency as a condition of eligibility. The goal is to improve employability and encourage recipients to move into regular employment.
Work Experience includes on-the-job training, job-specific training, apprenticeships, or "earn while you learn" opportunities in a classroom or with an employer. The employer may be not-for-profit, private or for-profit. This component has the primary goal of developing specific work skills and employability of recipients.
Basic Skills Education as defined above may only be reimbursed for classes or services that are not otherwise available to the participant at no cost. SNAP E&T participants enrolled in Basic Skills Education through the SNAP E&T Provider may be eligible to receive participant reimbursements for services necessary to complete the Basic Skills Component even when that course is funded by another source, e.g., high school equivalency (HiSET) courses available at no cost to residents of a particular municipality. Basic Skills may include but are not limited to high school diploma or equivalency, English as a Second Language, math or reading to assist a participant in becoming eligible for post-secondary education, or other classes or programming necessary to assist with a vocational goal.
The SNAP E&T Post-secondary Education component can reimburse post-secondary educational activities such as short-term vocational training, certification programs, and two-year and four-year undergraduate degrees in programs that have direct links to employment. Direct links to employment are determined by the State of Maine Department of Labor and are occupations defined as high-compensation occupations with demand for skilled labor as per the criteria outlined in 12-597 C.M.R. Ch. 2, and included in the CSSP Approved Occupations List at https://www.mainecareercenter.gov/cssp.shtml.
10-144 C.M.R. ch. 609, § 4