Ensure participants know all the ways to document family violence.

Documentation can be 1 of the following, past or current, however, do not demand a specific document or form of verification if another is more readily available. All of the documents listed are equally as valid as documentation for the Family Violence Waiver.

· Police, government agency or court records.

· Statements from staff at a family violence shelter, a sexual violence advocate or a family violence specialist with knowledge of the circumstances. This could include the same family violence advocate who is helping with the employment plan.

· Statement from a professional to whom the participant has turned for assistance about the violence.

· A sworn statement from the participant along with a sworn statement from any other person with knowledge of the violence or credible evidence that supports the participant’s statement.

Keep the documentation in the case file.

Allow the participant a minimum of 10 days to gather the documentation verifying the family violence.

· Do not require a participant to engage in employment services activities or impose a sanction during this time.

· Help participants if they have difficult in securing the documentation.

· The family violence specialist may help obtain the documentation.

If child support has already received and accepted documentation about family violence from a participant, that same documentation can support the request for a family violence waiver in MFIP.

Do not require the participant to resubmit that same information to the MFIP eligibility worker or employment counselor.