V. Provider Responsibilities

A. Job Placement with Retention and Special Project Providers

1. If a participant's situation requires, Job Placement with Retention and Special Project Providers may refer or assign individuals to relevant counseling/prevention services. These services may be provided by the contractor if they are licensed through the appropriate entity. These services must be paid for from the contractor's earned administrative rate or provided free by another licensed provider. The services provided cannot include treatment.
2. Providers may assign participants to 2 to 4 hours per week of counseling/prevention services as part of an approved SNAP E&T activity.
3. Providers must ensure that participants in counseling/prevention services are also engaged in approved program activities.
4. The hours for these counseling/prevention services are countable within the approved SNAP E&T activity to which the participant has been assigned.
5. Participants in counseling/prevention services may earn cash assistance for participation in these services if they are concurrently participating in Earnfare activities (Basic Education, Vocational Training, and/or Earnfare work assignment) through a Job Placement with Retention provider.
6. Providers must coordinate counseling/prevention services and information exchange between the participant's Family Community Resource Center (FCRC) and all other service providers.
7. Providers must give the individual an option as to what counseling/prevention program they are to be referred.

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B. Participation Hours

1. Participants in the Job Placement with Retention and Special Project programs are to participate in one or a combination of SNAP E&T approved work and training activities as described in, "SNAP E&T Program Activities" in order to secure 80 hours per month of participation Job Placement with Retention.
2. Cook County Earnfare Providers will ensure that participants work no more than the maximum hours per month as determined by the Department as indicated on the Earnfare Referral and Attendance Record.
3. Downstate Earnfare Providers must determine the number of hours that each individual must participate in Earnfare as follows: the amount of the individual's SNAP benefits (per person share) is divided by the state or federal minimum wage, whichever is higher, to determine the number of participation hours required to work off the value of the SNAP benefits. After the value of the SNAP benefits is worked off, individuals will participate in the Earnfare activity, working additional hours in order to earn cash assistance up to $294.00 per month. The Provider will record this information on the Earnfare Referral and Attendance Record issued to the participant. Refer to the Monthly SNAP Conversion Chart included in the Forms Packet for assistance in determining SNAP work off hours.

** Effective September/October 2018, the SNAP benefits will be automatically generated by IES (Integrated Eligibility System).  The payments will be based on the monthly attendance submitted via WVS/IES by the Provider.

C. Case Management

Job Placement with Retention and Special Project Providers will provide each individual with intensive case management which includes, but is not limited to, monthly follow-up to monitor progress in the activities based on each participant's needs and unique situation. Providers will document all activities in participants' case files (case management, phone calls, emails/texts, and work site concerns and monitors). In addition, Providers will ensure they:

1. Network and advocate on behalf of the customers served with community based organizations, community colleges and other resources to leverage services required by customers at no cost;
2. Identify and report to your DHS Provider Manager, the employment/industry growth sector(s) in the community on an ongoing basis you are working with and developing jobs in. The focus on jobs should be long term as opposed to temporary employment (Staffing Agencies);
3. Refer customers served to pre-identified, short-term vocational training certificate programs or other training in the employment/industry growth sectors as appropriate;
4. Customers referred to pre-identified training programs in the employment/industry growth sectors will achieve a certificate of completion;
5. Enrollment and on-going engagement in ABE, GED or ESL classes for those customers identified in need of and appropriate for participation in ABE, GED or ESL classes; and
6. Customers referred to ABE, GED or ESL classes will achieve grade level gains based on pre/post testing or obtain their GED certificate.

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D. Reporting Information

1. Providers will ensure that monthly reports are accurate, complete, timely, and fully supported through case file documentation.
2. Providers will report information concerning participants as follows:

   Cook County Earnfare Providers will:

   • return the Earnfare Referral and Attendance Record (Form 2606D) to the Family Community Resource Center (FCRC) within 48 hours when the participant fails to report to the assignment as scheduled. The Provider will indicate "DNR" across the form before returning it to the FCRC; and
   • telephone the SNAP E&T Liaison within 48 hours to report those instances when a participant fails to complete his/her assignment, obtains or refuses employment, or other circumstances which may affect participation.

   Special Project Providers will:

   • forward a signed Referral Form (Form 2151) within 48 hours of the individual's intake appointment, to notify the FCRC if the individual failed the appointment or was accepted into the program; and
   • send a Change Progress Report Form (Form 2151A) notifying the FCRC within 48 hours when a participant obtains employment, fails to cooperate with program requirements, refuses an offer of employment, or increases hours of employment or rate of pay.

    Downstate Earnfare Providers will:

   • forward a signed Referral Form (Form 2151) within 48 hours of the individual's intake appointment, to notify the FCRC if the individual failed the appointment or was accepted into the program; and
   • submit a Change Progress Report Form (Form 2151A) to the FCRC for each participant each month that details the progress made by the individual; and
   • forward a Change Progress Report Form (Form 2151A) to notify the FCRC within 48 hours when a participant obtains employment, fails to cooperate with program requirements, refuses an offer of employment, or increases hours of employment or rate of pay.

   Job Placement with Retention Providers will:

   • scan a signed Referral Form (Form 2151) within 48 hours of the individual's intake appointment, to notify the FCRC if the individual failed the appointment or was accepted into the program; and
   • submit a Change Progress Report Form (Form 2151A) to the FCRC for each participant each month that details the progress made by the individual; and
   • submit a Change Progress Report Form (Form 2151A) notifying the FCRC within 48 hours when a participant obtains employment or increases hours of employment or rate of pay; and
   • forward a Change Progress Report Form (Form 2151A) to the FCRC in cases of non-cooperation after conciliation has been unsuccessful.
   • submit a Monthly Activities & Outcomes Summary to their Provider Manager by the 10th day of the month following the month of service using the reporting format provided.

   ** The Provider will need to access WVS/IES to report on customer attendance and progress

3. Cook County and Downstate Earnfare, Job Placement with Retention Providers (the subcontractors if it occurs off-site or the entity who is responsible for the customer at the time of the injury, if for example it was in the performance of community service hours) who offer Earnfare and/or Work Experience as an activity and must complete the appropriate Workers Compensation forms when a participant is injured while on assignment. The forms listed must be completed within the specified time frame and submitted to TriStar Risk Management.

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E. Conciliation (Job Placement with Retention and Special Project Providers when indicated in their approved request for funding)

1. Job Placement with Retention and Special Project Providers, when indicated in their approved funding request, will initiate the conciliation process for all participants who, without good cause, do not:
   1. accept a bona fide offer of employment; or
   2. cooperate with the assigned countable activity; or
   3. complete all assigned activities listed on FSE&T Employability Plan (Form 2839) to meet federal participation requirements.

      See Appendix C for the conciliation process.

      NOTE: A participant who fails to report to/complete/cooperate with the Earnfare work assignment where he has the opportunity to earn up to $294 per month is not subject to a sanction and should not be included in the conciliation process. If the Provider cannot re-engage the participant, inform the FCRC via the Change Progress Report Form (Form 2151A) with an explanation of the circumstances and await a determination from the FCRC. 

2. If conciliation efforts are unsuccessful, the Provider must:
   1. follow Department conciliation policy and request a sanction from the FCRC via the Change Progress Report Form (Form 2151A); and
   2. notify the FCRC within 30 days of the date that the Provider learned of the instance of non-cooperation.
3. Prior to requesting a sanction, the Provider will work with the individual in an effort to re-engage him/her into the program.
4. If the individual who failed to cooperate has good cause, the Provider will document all good cause reasons on the Change Progress Report Form (Form 2151A) to explain why the participant was not referred back to the FCRC for non-cooperation.

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F. Job Placement with Retention

1. Job Placement with Retention and Special Project Providers will place participants in unsubsidized employment and receive administrative payments. In order to count as an unsubsidized placement and to qualify for administrative payment, the placement must meet the requirements for starting wages, number of hours per week and retention periods as outlined in Exhibit B.  Job Placement with Retention and Special Project Providers will provide job retention services which include but are not limited to:
   1. training participants on job retention issues;
   2. follow up with the participant to address retention issues after employment;
   3. job coaching and counseling; follow up with the participant's employer to address issues and problems on the job; and
   4. development of a written Career Pathway plan directly related to the employment obtained, which identifies no fewer than the next two progressive jobs within the area employed and the necessary steps to advance, i.e., work experience, skill sets, training and education.
2. Job retention services will incorporate weekly contacts with the customer and/or employer in the first 30 days of employment and semi-monthly contacts in days 31-120 of employment. The provision of job retention services and contacts must be documented in participants' case files.

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G. Case Records

1. Downstate Earnfare, Job Placement with Retention, and Special Project Providers must maintain case records on each participant to document services and activities provided and supportive services issued. Participant activity for the appropriate number of hours per month must be documented in the case record. The case record must contain copies of all relevant documentation on participants including referrals, the Employability Plan, detailed documentation of completed job contacts, supportive services issued, case notes and dated attendance sheets containing the participant's and supervisor's signature and time of sign in/sign out.
2. Cook County and Downstate Earnfare, Job Placement with Retention, and Special Project Providers must maintain copies of all attendance forms and payment records, i.e., canceled checks or copies of money orders, for three (3) years and these records must be accessible for review by Department/Department designated monitors.
3. Cook County and Downstate Earnfare, Job Placement with Retention, and Special Project Providers, must ensure that all records and other information regarding participants, which are confidential, shall be protected from unauthorized disclosure. The Provider shall take due diligence to ensure the confidentiality of participants at assigned work sites.

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H. Earnfare Employers, Work Experience Sponsors and Assignments

1. Job Placement with Retention Providers and Downstate Earnfare Providers who offer Earnfare and/or Work Experience as an activity:
   1. recruit able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) who receive non-assistance SNAP benefits;
   2. accept referrals from FCRCs for ABAWDs who receive non-assistance SNAP benefits;
   3. renew all agreements at the beginning of each contract year;
   4. recruit employers and obtain subsidized Earnfare positions for participants. Work Experience positions must be with public or private not-for-profit sponsor organizations that will consider/hire customers in unsubsidized employment and retain them for a minimum of 30 consecutive days;
   5. maintain a non-financial agreement with each subsidized employer/sponsor, including the number of monthly subsidized positions and a description of each position title. The Provider will use a standardized non-financial Earnfare Employer or Work First/Work Experience Agreement form, provided by the Department. The Provider will give a signed copy of the Agreement to the employer/sponsor who must retain a copy of the Agreement at the work site;
   6. visit all Earnfare employers and/or Work Experience sponsors in person prior to entering into an Agreement. A quarterly contact must be made, either in person or by phone, and documented in writing to ensure that employers/sponsors continue to meet all requirements of the Earnfare program and/or Work Experience component as detailed herein. The Provider will make these reports available to the Provider Manager and Monitoring staff upon request; and
   7. provide a complete listing of Earnfare employers and/or Work Experience sponsors to the Provider Manager upon execution of the Agreement. The listing must include employer/sponsor name, address of all work locations, phone number, contact person and number of positions by type. The Provider will update the listing as necessary and ensure that update listings are sent to the Provider Manager within the calendar month of the change.
2. Cook County Earnfare and Downstate Earnfare must ensure that:
   1. participants are adequately supervised at work sites and training facilities and that the physical environment is appropriate and meets all applicable standards set by State and Federal laws, rules and regulations;
   2. Earnfare participants do not work more than 40 hours per week/6 days per week, eight (8) hours per day, unless the Provider's standard work shift exceeds eight (8) hours per day. All Earnfare participants are limited to 40 hours of work per week;
   3. all Earnfare assignments begin and end on the hour or half hour each day and are completed within the calendar month; and
   4. Earnfare participants will participate for cash assistance no more than six (6) months in any fiscal year (consecutive 12 month period from July through June) as indicated in the Provider's Agreement.
3. Cook County Earnfare, and Downstate Earnfare Providers must ensure that Earnfare participants' monthly attendance is reported on the Earnfare Referral and Attendance Record which is to be mailed, faxed or delivered to them. Earnfare participants are expressly prohibited from delivering or maintaining their own attendance records.
4. Cook County Earnfare and Downstate Earnfare Providers will not enter into agreements with other employers who accept referrals of Earnfare participants from other Providers unless written exception is submitted to the Department and approved in writing.
5. Cook County Earnfare and Downstate Earnfare Providers will ensure that Earnfare participants do not displace persons who are already employed as regular full-time or part-time employees of the Provider/Earnfare employer, or are involved in a labor dispute between a labor organization and the Provider/Earnfare employer, or have been temporarily laid off by the Provider/Earnfare employer.
6. Cook County Earnfare and Downstate Earnfare Providers agree to provide a written reference, if requested, to an Earnfare participant upon their satisfactory performance on the Earnfare assignment.
7. Job Placement with Retention Providers must ensure that:
   1. participants are adequately supervised at work sites and training facilities, and that the physical environment is appropriate and meets all applicable standards set by State and Federal laws, rules and regulations;
   2. participants should be engaged in a total of 80 hours per month in appropriate designated activities, with activity hours assigned to work experience; cannot exceed 20 hours per month;
   3. all work experience assignments begin and end on the hour or half hour each day and are completed within the calendar month;
   4. participants' monthly attendance is reported on the Attendance Record which is to be mailed, faxed or delivered to them: participants are expressly prohibited from delivering or maintaining their own attendance records;
   5. provider will not enter into agreements with other work experience sponsors or accept referrals of other job placement retention providers unless written exception is submitted to the Department and approved in writing;
   6. participants do not displace persons who are already employed as regular full-time or part-time employees of the sponsor/employer, or are involved in a labor dispute between a labor organization and the sponsor/employer, or have been temporarily laid off by the sponsor/employer; and
   7. provider agrees to provide a written reference, if requested, to participant upon their satisfactory performance on the assignment. 

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I. Earnfare Payments

1. Cook County and Downstate Earnfare Providers will determine the cash assistance payments issued to the Earnfare participants as follows: the amount of the individual's SNAP benefits (per person share) is divided by the state or federal minimum wage, whichever is higher, to determine the number of participation hours required to work off the value of the SNAP benefits. These participation hours are the first hours to be completed by each individual and will not generate cash assistance payments. After the value of the SNAP benefits is worked off, participants will be assigned to additional hours, for which the Providers will pay the Earnfare participant the state or federal minimum wage, whichever is higher, up to $294.00 per month.
2. If the Earnfare employer has a paid lunch period for its regular employees, then the Earnfare participant's lunch period time is counted toward the total hours worked. If the Earnfare employer does not have a paid lunch period for its regular employees, then the lunch period for Earnfare participants does not count toward their total hours.
3. With the exception of the paid lunch period, Cook County Earnfare and Downstate Earnfare  Providers will authorize payment to participants only for actual time worked or in attendance in Basic Education or Vocational Training. Participants may not be paid for time off including, but not limited to, holidays and bad weather days, even if regular employees are paid for such days.
4. No cash assistance payments will be made for any additional hours completed beyond the number of assigned hours specified on the Earnfare Referral and Attendance Record.
5. No deductions will be withheld from cash assistance payments including, but not limited to, union dues, Federal, State or local taxes, FICA, or other child support obligation.
6. Cook County and Downstate Earnfare Providers will pay Earnfare participants for hours worked beyond the value of the SNAP benefits as soon as possible but within fourteen (14) days of the completion of the monthly Earnfare assignment. Payments will be made to participants by check or money order to provide supporting documents that will verify cash assistance payments. Providers will not issue payments in cash.

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J. Fiscal

1. At the end of the Agreement, the Department will issue a Close Out and Cost Reconciliation Report to determine the relationship between total funds disbursed by the Department and actual funds earned and expended by the Provider. The Department will include costs appropriately earned and/or expended for approved budget line items and supportive services payments issued to participants. The Provider must reconcile the information contained in the report and certify its correctness. The Department will provide instructions for reimbursing the Department for disallowed costs if necessary.
2. Profit is allowed only for "for-profit" organizations as negotiated in the program budget. Any amount exceeding the budget approved profit amount will be considered program income and must be reinvested in the program and expended for uses under the original award.

K. Harassment

Any harassment is unacceptable. If a customer alleges that they're being harassed or have been harassed, the complaint must be investigated and reported. All allegations of harassment must be reported using IL444-4026 (Individual/Applicant Discrimination Complaint Form). If the complaint is against the Provider, submit this form to your Provider Manager and they will forward the complaint for further investigation.

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