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Explain the benefits of participation, including the support services that may be available, program expectations, and ensure the participant is aware of their enrollment in the program and understands that their participation is voluntary.

Assess the participant’s literacy level and refer the participant to local literacy programs when appropriate. This assessment may use a formal placement exam, observation, conversation with the participant, or a combination of these.

Identify Time Limited SNAP Recipients (TLRs) who have time-limited SNAP eligibility, so that potential work or work program activities can be quickly developed to help them earn additional months of SNAP benefits.

Identify strengths, barriers, interests, employment history, and goals, as well as the need for support services such as transportation, purchase of equipment or tools.

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Develop and implement the participant’s EP, whether through direct service provision or referral to other agencies for services that are needed, so that the participant can successfully complete the plan and find employment.

Employment plans must contain, at a minimum, the date the plan was created, proposed employment and training activities, employment goal(s), participant signature, any other information relevant to employment and training.

Monitor participant performance and participation and modify the participant’s EP as necessary. Employment plans must be reviewed and updated at least annually.

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Provide the county or tribal human services office with information that may affect a participant’s SNAP program eligibility, or benefit amount, such as anytime a participant’s employment status changes.

Notify the county or tribal human services office anytime a participant has failed, without good cause, to accept a bona fide offer of suitable employment. For information regarding suitable employment, see CM 0028.18.03 (Suitable/Unsuitable Work). The eligibility worker must make the final determination of good cause.

Notify the county or tribal human services office anytime a time-limited participant meets their work requirement.

If either the eligibility worker or ESP become aware of circumstances that indicate a participant’s exemption status has changed, inform the other of the change. The eligibility worker should then review the participant’s exemption status. If the participant has become exempt, the eligibility worker must notify the participant and the ESP, update the MAXIS exemption code on the WREG panel and redetermine if the TLR months were counted properly. The participant may continue to participate in the SNAP E&T program.

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A person receiving SNAP wants to participate in a component of the SNAP E&T program.

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A provider is unable to serve them in employment and training because it is determined that they would be unable to be successful in the program.

A participant elects not to participate in SNAP E&T either by notifying staff or through loss of contact.

A participant is initially interested in SNAP E&T, but the provider is able to offer another employment and training program (such as a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act program) that the participant is willing to engage in and in which the participant may be successful.

New barriers are discovered that require the provider to make a change to a participant’s employment plan, which can still be addressed through SNAP E&T or another employment and training program offered by that provider. (Note: The Department of Human Services will require information about these participants from providers and intermediaries quarterly via the quarterly report).

A participant completes participation, or is enrolled with one provider and is referred to another provider for another service (co-enrollment).

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If a participant is enrolled with another SNAP E&T provider, refer to Workforce One (WF1) regarding program activities and outcomes, expenditures, individual participant services and progress. Communicate regularly with the other service provider to ensure services are not duplicated.

Maintain needed program files and documentation, and record relevant participant data on the WF1 system as necessary. When a participant moves to a different county or there is a change in service provider, the former county or service provider must make program documents and information available to the new county or the new provider.

The records retention policy for SNAP E&T is available on the Minnesota Department of Human Services web site by searching “County Human Services General Records Retention Schedule”. Agencies may choose an electronic or paper format. This includes the WF1 Electronic Document Storage (EDS), which meets the minimum requirement, or an agency specific electronic storage system.

The ESP must have ongoing contact with the participant to determine progress, compliance, and any counseling or service needs. The ESP must have, at minimum, 1 monthly contact with each participant for these purposes, and this contact must be case noted.

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Due to SNAP closure: Exit the person’s SNAP E&T record in WF1 within 30 days of SNAP closure (or as soon as the benefit end date is known if beyond 30 days), unless they are open in the job retention activity. The exit date must be backdated to the last day of the month SNAP benefits were received. For example, a November closure would have an exit date of October 31.

Due to no longer being engaged: Exit the person’s SNAP E&T record in WF1 within 60 days of non-engagement. The record should be exited within 60 days of failed contact and a corresponding exit date entered. If the participant is time-limited or is a SNAP eligible student based on enrollment in SNAP E&T, the employment counselor must also communicate this with the county or tribal human services office.