V. Provider Program Responsibilities

A. Enrolling Participants

SNAP E&T is managed in ISETS so before a provider can enroll a customer they first must request and gain access to the ISETS system for all needed staff. Once a provider has access to ISETS the provider should then recruit participants for their program. It is up to the provider organization on how they recruit but each organization should develop a recruitment strategy.

There are two basic referral options:

  1. IDHS Referral - Providers can receive referrals of individuals who are interested in the provider's program from IDHS. These referrals will come via ISETS and the provider will need to accept or reject the referrals using ISETS.
  2. Reverse Referral - In many cases, IDHS referrals may not produce a quality match for a training program. For this reason, using "reverse referral" or a provider-initiated referral for the program is an encouraged practice. Most of a provider's referrals will most probably be reverse referrals. To initiate a reverse referral, a Provider creates a reverse referral request and completes the Initial Screening in ISETS for potential participants they have recruited. Once a reverse referral is created in ISETS, IDHS will accept or reject the referral within 2 working days. If a referral has not been accepted or rejected within 2 working days, the Provider should contact their Provider Manager and/or Referral contact. A participant is considered enrolled in E&T upon orientation or intake and not at the point of referral.

B. Intake/Orientation

Providers should go over SNAP customers' rights and responsibilities, including the general work requirements, required eligibility in SNAP to participate in SNAP E&T, etc. Customers should already be aware of basic program rules, but this ensures that they have been informed (see form 444-5175 (pdf)) .

Upon enrolling an individual in a provider's program, a Needs Assessment must be done of the participant's skills and goals, and an Employment Plan (EP) must be created. The Assessment and EP can be done in the same interview/meeting and both the Assessment, and the EP will be completed and documented in ISETS. A paper copy may be kept in a paper file as well if the provider chooses. The EP should be updated at least once a year and must be updated more often as changes occur to customer's career plans and program components that they are participating in.

The EP should include incremental steps to help participants define concrete goals on their path to improve employability, get a job, and/or increase their wages. The following items must be included with the EP:

  • Date the EP was created,
  • Proposed SNAP E&T activities,
  • Identified employment barriers,
  • Start and expected end date,
  • Site Location
  • Description of activities

EPs must be updated annually, and you should update the form or file when the participant's components or activities change. For example, when they complete training or when or reach an employment goal.

C. Participation Hours

  1. Participants in SNAP E&T volunteering for participation may choose to participate in one or a combination of the approved components as described in, "SNAP E&T Program Components" up to 80 hours per month.
  2. Providers who offer Earnfare will ensure that participants work no more than the maximum hours per month as determined by the Department as indicated in ISETS. Providers must verify the number of work-off hours that each individual must participate in before being eligible to earn a stipend. The work-off amount is the individual's SNAP benefits (per person share) divided by the state or federal minimum wage, whichever is higher. After the individual completes their work-off hours (Community Workfare), individuals may earn a cash stipend. The Provider will input the information into ISETS.

D. Participant Case Management

Case Management is a requirement for every participant who volunteers to participate in SNAP E&T in addition to participating in at least one of the above components. Case Management consists of a minimum of monthly contact with the participant to discuss progress on employment goals, personal or work-related barriers to goals and/or program participation and needed supportive services to assist the participant in being successful. Some components require Case Management to be done more frequently (see component details). Providers will document all contact in ISETS (counseling/job coaching sessions, phone calls, emails/texts, etc.). Documentation of Case Management is required and should consist of at least, the date the contact was made or attempted, progress in component, any potential barriers and if support services are needed or issued.

E. Monthly Reporting & Reporting in ISETS

  1. Providers will ensure that reports are accurate, complete, timely, and fully supported through case file documentation and that all information is entered into ISETS.
  2. Monthly reports are due on the 15th of each month on the program activities of the previous month. Provider Performance Tracking Tool (PPTT) and the Monthly Expenditure Documentation Form (EDF) is due on the 15th of the month to your provider manager.
  3. Periodic Performance Report and Periodic Financial Report are due quarterly 30 days after the close of each fiscal quarter beginning with the start of the state fiscal year on July 1st.
  4. IDHS reviews quarterly number of enrollments and completions by component type. IDHS also reviews the total number of participants enrolled and the total number of participants who gained employment.
  5. IDHS defines successful completion as receiving a certificate or other program completion acknowledgement or an industry recognized credential. Successful completion also includes a participant who gains employment.
  6. IDHS reviews employment placements rates, even if the customer does not receive services through the Job Retention component. The provider should only claim the client's employment as due to their participation in the program if the employment began within 3 months after the last day the participant received SNAP E&T services from the provider.
  7. Data from reports are used to ensure providers are meeting performance outcome standards and other terms as outlined in the contract.

F. ISETS Information

Tracking of the program activities and their outcomes will be tracked and reported through ISETS. Providers must take the following actions and document the following information/activities in ISETS:

  • Referrals are accepted or rejected within 2 working days.
  • Complete the customers Assessment and Employability Plan.
  • Place customer in an appropriate component(s)
  • Issue and document all needed supportive services/participant reimbursements
  • Document all case comments and activities/goals progress *Enter information about income and job placement

For technical assistance with ISETS, Providers can contact their Provider Managers, attend weekly technical assistance calls, attend trainings by CJC, or view training material in ISETS. Training material located in ISETS can be found by clicking on your sign in drop down and clicking on the words "My Training".

G. Case Records

Files must be kept for all SNAP E&T participants. Providers must ensure that all records and other information regarding participants, which are confidential, shall be protected from unauthorized disclosure. Participant files are comprised of information maintained in ISETS as well as in paper case files. IDHS staff will review both digital and hard copy files as part of the annual SNAP E&T program monitoring.

Organize files according to your agency's standards but at a minimum they must contain documents on the intake, assessment, release of information/consent forms, eligibility verification, participant progress, participant outcomes, participant hours and participant reimbursements with supportive documentation.

For documentation of supportive services issued, i.e., canceled checks or copies of money orders, must be maintained for 3 years. Participant records must be available for review by the IDHS and IDHS designated monitors upon request.

H. Provider Determination

A Provider Determination is when a SNAP E&T Provider determines a referred or active customer is not appropriate for their program. The Provider notifies the Office of Workforce Development within 10 days of making this determination. The Office of Workforce Development will review and determine if the volunteer is suitable for any other Provider. If not, the Office of Workforce Development will notify the FCRC that the volunteer is not suitable for the program and to send SNAP Employment Training (SNAP E&T) Program Provider Determination Notice.

If a referral is sent in ISETS and the Provider determines that the volunteer is not suitable, the Provider may reject the referral in the system. The Provider should also send a justification or reasoning statement included with the rejection to the Office of Workforce Development.

A Provider Determination may occur after the acceptance of a referral or after working with a volunteer, it is discovered that the customer can't appropriately be served. The Provider will notify their Provider Manager within 10 working days after making the determination. After notifying their Provider Manager and submitting a brief explanation or statement of reasoning, the customer may be exited from the Provider's program in ISETS.

Once the Provider has notified the Provider Manager, the Provider Manager and the Office of Workforce Development will review to see if the volunteer is suitable for a different Provider. If not the Office of Workforce Development will notify the FCRC within 10 working days that the customer is no longer fit to participate in SNAP E&T with their current Provider. If suitable for different Provider, a new referral must be made.

Within 10 calendar days of being notified by the Office of Workforce Development, the FCRC will send SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) Program Provider Determination Notice to inform the volunteer that they are no longer fit to participate with their current Provider and if they wish to continue their participation in SNAP E&T they must contact their FCRC to request a new referral. When the SNAP Work Requirement is in effect, this notification will also inform the customer how this determination may affect a client's time limited benefits.

I. Job Sites for Work Experience Components and Community Workfare Worksite Sponsors

Participants may not displace persons who are already employed as regular full-time or part-time employees of the employer or are involved in a labor dispute between a labor organization and the employer or have been temporarily laid off by the employer.

Providers must:

  • recruit employers and worksite sponsor organizations that will consider/hire customers in unsubsidized employment and retain them as permanent workers;
  • renew all agreements, with worksite sponsors, at the beginning of each contract year;
  • maintain a non-financial agreement with each subsidized employer/sponsor, including the number of monthly subsidized positions and a description of each position. The Provider will use a standardized non-financial Agreement form, provided by the Department. The Provider will give a signed copy of the Agreement (Form 4484 C (.pdf)) to the employer/sponsor who must retain a copy of the Agreement at the worksite;
  • visit all worksites 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 SNAPT E&T program components as detailed herein. The Provider will make these reports available to the Provider Manager and Monitoring staff upon request; and
  • provide a complete listing of worksite 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 30 days of any change;
  • 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;
  • participants do not work more than 40 hours per week/5 days per week, eight (8) hours per day:
  • participants' monthly attendance is reported and entered into ISETS;
  • will not enter into agreements with other employers who accept referrals of participants from other SNAP E&T Providers unless an exception is submitted to the Department and approved;
  • agree to provide a written reference, if requested, for a participant to use in their job search.

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