PERMANENT RULES
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Economic Services Administration)
Effective Date of Rule: September 1, 2009.
Purpose: The department is streamlining the WorkFirst exemption process.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-310-0350.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.04.050, 74.08.090, and 74.08A.340.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 09-13-093 on June 16, 2009.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: July 28, 2009.
Stephanie E. Schiller
Rules Coordinator
4104.1You are exempt from mandatory participation if you are:
(a) An older needy caretaker relative:
(i) You are fifty-five years of age or older and caring for a child and you are not the child's parent; and
(ii) Your age is verified by any reliable documentation (such as a birth certificate or a driver's license).
(b) An adult with a severe and chronic disability:
(i) The disability must be a severe and chronic mental, physical, emotional, or cognitive impairment that prevents you from participating in work activities and is expected to last at least twelve months; or
(ii) You have been assessed by a DSHS SSI facilitator as likely to be approved for SSI or other benefits and are applying for SSI or another type of federal disability benefit (such as railroad retirement or Social Security disability); and
(iii) Your disability is verified by documentation from the division of developmental disabilities (DDD), division of vocational rehabilitation (DVR), home and community services division (HCS), division of mental health (MHD), and/or regional support network (RSN), or evidence from another medical or mental health professional; and
(iv) Your SSI application status may be verified through the SSI facilitator and/or state data exchange.
(c) Required in the home to care for a child with special needs when:
(i) The child has a special medical, developmental, mental, or behavioral condition; and
(ii) The child is determined by a public health nurse, physician, mental health provider, school professional, other medical professional, HCS, MHD, and/or a RSN to require specialized care or treatment that significantly interferes with your ability to look for work or work.
(d) Required to be in the home to care for another adult with disabilities when:
(i) The adult with disabilities cannot be left alone for significant periods of time; and
(ii) No adult other than yourself is available and able to provide the care; and
(iii) The adult with the disability is related to you; and
(iv) The disability is verified by documentation from DDD, DVR, HCS, MHD, and/or a RSN, or evidence from another medical or mental health professional.
(2) Who reviews and approves an exemption?
(a) If it appears that you may qualify for an exemption
or you ask for an exemption, your case manager or social
worker will review the information and we ((will)) may use the
case staffing process to determine whether the exemption will
be approved. Case staffing is a process to bring together a
team of multidisciplinary experts including relevant
professionals and the client to identify participant issues,
review case history and information, and recommend solutions.
(b) If additional medical or other documentation is needed to determine if you are exempt, your IRP will allow between thirty days and up to ninety if approved to gather the necessary documentation.
(c) Information needed to verify your exemption should meet the standards for verification described in WAC 388-490-0005. If you need help gathering information to verify your exemption, you can ask us for help. If you have been identified as needing NSA services, under chapter 388-472 WAC, your accommodation plan should include information on how we will assist you with getting the verification needed.
(d) After ((the)) a case staffing, we will send you a
notice that tells you whether your exemption was approved, how
to request a fair hearing if you disagree with the decision,
and any changes to your IRP that were made as a result of the
case staffing.
(3) Can I participate in WorkFirst while I am exempt?
(a) You may choose to participate in WorkFirst while you are exempt.
(b) Your WorkFirst case manager may refer you to other service providers who may help you improve your skills and move into employment.
(c) If you decide later to stop participating, and you still qualify for an exemption, you will be put back into exempt status with no financial penalty.
(4) Does an exemption from participation affect my sixty-month time limit for receiving TANF/SFA benefits?
An exemption from participation does not affect your sixty-month time limit (described in WAC 388-484-0005) for receiving TANF/SFA benefits. Even if exempt from participation, each month you receive a TANF/SFA grant counts toward your sixty-month limit.
(5) How long will my exemption last?
Unless you are an older caretaker relative, your exemption will be reviewed at least every twelve months to make sure that you still meet the criteria for an exemption. Your exemption will continue as long as you continue to meet the criteria for an exemption.
(6) What happens when I am no longer exempt?
If you are no longer exempt, then:
(a) You will become a mandatory participant under WAC 388-310-0400; and
(b) If you have received sixty or more months of TANF/SFA, your case will be reviewed for an extension. (See WAC 388-484-0006 for a description of TANF/SFA time limit extensions.)
(7) For time-limited extensions, see WAC 388-484-0006.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.04.050, and 74.08A.340. 03-24-057, § 388-310-0350, filed 12/1/03, effective 1/1/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08A.010(4), 74.08A.340, 74.08.090, 74.04.050. 02-12-068, § 388-310-0350, filed 5/31/02, effective 6/1/02.]