County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSACalWORKs Program Guide Number Page Employment Services Supportive Services 10011A 1of 4 Revision Date May 1 2021 Background Necessary supportive services must be available to every CalWORKs CW recipient participating in approved Employment Services ES activities Participants will have good cause for not participating as required if supportive services are not available Purpose The purpose of this revision is to add provisions for standard advanced ancillary payments for qualifying ES participants enrolled in publicly funded postsecondary education Policy Payment for supportive services must be made as soon as possible to ensure the individuals participation in assigned ES activities Payments except for child care will be advanced whenever necessary and requested by the participant so that personal funds are not used to pay for ES related expenses Supportive Service Types Supportive Services include Ancillary Transportation and Child Care expenses Specific policies related to Child Care are in CalWORKs Program Guide 10010 Supportive services are also issued under the following circumstances Circumstance Child Care for ES Sanctioned Individuals Participation to Cure a Sanction Voluntary Participant ExemptExcused 2nd Parent Failure to Provide Verification of Attendance or Satisfactory Progress Supportive Services Pending an Appeal Transportation Costs Description ES sanctioned individuals are eligible for child care assistance if they are working or participating in an approved ES activity Supportive services may be authorized as needed for a sanctioned CW recipient who wants to participate in ES activities to cure a sanction Supportive services may be authorized as needed for a voluntary ES participant Supportive services cannot be withheld pending verification of attendance or satisfactory progress in an assigned ES activity Participants are not entitled to a continuation of supportive services in the same amount or form pending a hearing decision Participants are entitled to supportive services only at the level and in the form authorized by the Appeals decision Reasonable transportation costs are paid for a participant as needed for the following Travel tofrom approved ES and Family Stabilization activities Travel for both the parent and children tofrom Child Care providers Parking Fees County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSACalWORKs Program Guide Employment Services Supportive Services Number Page 10011A 2 of 4 Ancillary Expenses Ancillary payments cover approved expenses other than child care and transportation All ancillary expenses must be required necessary and reasonable for the individual to participate in assigned ES activities andor to acceptretain employment Ancillary Expenses for Postsecondary Educational Programs ES participants who are enrolled full time or part time in a publicly funded postsecondary educational program will receive a standard advanced ancillary payment for books and college supplies prior to the start of the academic period ES participants may also request an advanced payment or reimbursement for the actual costs of educational expenses exceeding the standard advanced ancillary payment Student Financial Aid Statement Participants who receive financial aid for attendance in education andor training programs may choose to receive ancillary supportive services payments for schoolrelated costs such as supplies and books even though the financial aid may include funds for those items Employment Case Managers ECMs are required to obtain a signed Student Financial Aid Statement WTW8 from all ES participants in approved educational or training activities to ensure that they are adequately informed of their rights and responsibilities regarding financial aid and supportive services Disability Accommodations Ancillary supportive services must be issued to provide reasonable accommodations when necessary for individuals to participate on an equal basis with nondisabled participants in approved ES activities Disabled individuals who request accommodations are not required to disclose their diagnosis but only to verify the nature and extent of their disability Diaper Supportive Services Assistance with diaper costs is considered a necessary supportive service to ensure ES participation of eligible single and twoparent families Qualifying ES participants will receive diaper supportive services each month as an advanced ancillary payment for each child who is under 36 months of age meeting eligibility criteria Participants will have good cause for not participating if diaper supportive services are not provided in advance of an assigned ES activity and the lack of advanced supportive services impacted participation To be eligible for diaper supportive services ES participants must 1 Have a child who is under 36 months of age at the beginning of the month and is receiving CW assistance or ineligible to receive cash aid but under the primary responsibility care and control of the ES participant The ineligible child must be linked to the Assistance Unit AU and living in the home Examples Sibling or halfsibling ineligible to receive cash aid due to undocumented status receipt of Social Security Income SSISSP no deprivation due to either parent in the home working sufficient hours per CW requirements children who are otherwise eligible but cannot be added to the AU until the next CW payment period County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSACalWORKs Program Guide Employment Services Supportive Services Number Page 10011A 3 of 4 2 Be a mandatory or voluntary ES participant in good standing with program requirements actively participating or waiting to be engaged in ES program activities Diaper supportive services may also be issued for participants who are 1 In Noncompliance and not yet financially sanctioned or removed from aid 2 Determined to have good cause for not meeting monthly participation requirements 3 In the processing of curing a sanction or removal from cash aid 4 Exempt from ES but participating voluntarily 5 Excused 2nd Parents but participating voluntarily Diaper supportive services will not be issued to individuals who are 1 Financially sanctioned or removed from cash aid and not in the process of curing the sanctionremoval from cash aid 2 Exempt from ES and not participating voluntarily 3 Excused 2nd Parents and not participating voluntarily 4 CW ineligible and only receiving cash aid for an eligible child Child Only AU 5 Receiving cash aid in a Pregnant Woman Only AU with no eligible children in the home 6 In an AU with a child not aided due to parents failure to report birth of the child within required reporting timeframes andor provide verifications required to add the child to the CW case Diaper supportive services will continue to be advanced until the first of the month in which the child reaches 36 months of age Diaper supportive services will be discontinued if the participant opts out of the payment or is no longer eligible Notification Requirements A timely Notice of Action NOA is required to be issued for supportive service approvals denials andor payment changes When denying decreasing or discontinuing supportive services a NOA must be issued at least ten calendar days prior to the effective date of the change The ten days does not include the day the NOA is mailed or the effective date A NOA is not required for approval of supportive services for onetime short term activities such as OrientationAppraisal ES participants are required to notify their ECM at least ten calendar days before any anticipated changes affecting supportive services except in emergency or exceptional situations Procedure Processing Guides 10011A1 10011A2 Appendix A 10011A2 References MPP 42750 ACL 0315 ACL 1838 ACL 2104 Sunset Date This policy will be reviewed for continuance on or by May 31 2024 County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSACalWORKs Program Guide Employment Services Supportive Services Number Page 10011A 4 of 4 Rick Wanne Director SelfSufficiency Services