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Department
of Human Services Families
First Online Policy Manual Rights and Responsibilities |
Revised: |
31.9 |
FAMILIES FIRST REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS REQUIREMENTS |
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The Families First program and Families
First work activity contractors must make a range of reasonable
accommodations for clients with disabilities and/or those caring for family
members with disabilities. Providing
accommodations is the most effective way to prevent non-compliance with
program requirements. DHS and its contractors
are required to provide reasonable accommodations to applicants/recipients
with a disability to ensure that they
have equal access to benefits and services.
“Reasonable accommodation” is
defined as any reasonable change made in the way the Families First Program
policies or program participation guidelines are applied to individual
clients. Some clients who have a disability or who have a family member with a
disability may not need an ongoing accommodation to participate in the
program upon entering the program, but can instead be granted good cause
during participation in the program, as needed, because of their inability to
participate due to compelling circumstances.
In addition to granting “good cause” to clients who are unable to comply
with program requirements, DHS will provide an initial screening to all
applicants and a secondary screening to clients with a work requirement or
who wish to volunteer. These
screenings have been put in place to identify possible impairments and to evaluate
a client’s need for accommodations.
The accommodations screenings will be done prior to assigning work
activities to ensure that all recommended accommodations are considered. Reasonable accommodations can include, but are not limited to, the
following accommodations in work activities: ·
Modifying
existing facilities to make them accessible. ·
Acquiring or
modifying equipment. ·
Providing
readers or sign language interpreters. ·
Giving
temporary or permanent exemptions from work activities. ·
Scheduling a
work activity to accommodate an individual’s need for medical, mental health,
substance abuse treatment, or rehabilitation. ·
Providing
work activities with flexible hours. ·
Making other
certain reasonable modifications to program requirements to ensure the disabled
applicant/recipient’s ability to have equal rights to the program’s benefits. Reasonable accommodations can include, but are not limited to, the
following accommodations in program requirements other than work activities: ·
Providing
home and off-site visits, telephone interviews, and the right to use an
authorized representative for clients who cannot attend face-to-face
appointments. ·
Helping
clients to apply for benefits and to acquire documents to establish
eligibility or verify the need for an accommodation. ·
Providing
notice verbally to those the agency knows will be unable to understand a
written notice, through phone calls or personal visits. ·
Scheduling
appointments that do not conflict with known medical or mental health
appointments. ·
A student
with a disability, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),
who will not complete high school or an equivalent vocational/technical
training before turning 19, is eligible for Families First benefits through
the month of his/her 19th birthday. Bulletin
01, FA-09-01 Reasonable accommodations include, but are not limited to, the
following accommodations for clients who are not otherwise exempt, but who
are caring for in-home family members with disabilities: ·
Providing a
temporary exemption or delay in beginning work activities until specialized
child care can be located. ·
Providing a
work exemption for those clients who care full time for an in-home disabled
relative. Bulletin 33, FA-07-14 Accommodations are designed and granted on a case-by-case basis to
address special needs and to guarantee that every applicant/recipient has
full access to the Families First Program. It is important to remember that
there can be more than one reasonable accommodation and that the specific
accommodation a client requests may not be the best one for his/her
situation. In addition, accommodations
must be reviewed by the caseworker at each renewal and by the client rep at
each bi-monthly contact to ensure that the accommodation continues to be
appropriate to the client’s needs. Bulletin 33, FA-07-14 At each client contact, ensure that the individual has all the
information and assistance from the Department that is needed to complete the
application, interview, or other action before ending the conversation. Accommodations should be offered when: ·
The client
requests accommodations based on a disability or impairment that will prevent
access to our services. ·
The DHS
staff member (caseworker, client rep, counselor, front desk staff, etc.) or
contractor is concerned that the individual may not understand the
application, verification, or renewal instructions, or other program
requirements. ·
The DHS
staff member is concerned that the individual may not complete the
application or renewal without these accommodations. ·
The DHS
staff member (caseworker, client rep, counselor, front desk staff, etc.) or
contractor is concerned that the individual may not be able to perform a work
requirement. Bulletin 33,
FA-07-14 ·
The
program’s policies dictate that a waiver from the office interview is
appropriate. ·
Other
circumstances or information lead DHS staff to think that accommodations are
needed. All clients must have access to our standard services. While accommodations must be offered to
those in need of them, these specialized services are a client option, not a
requirement. |
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