Food Stamps Certification Manual

Food Stamps Certification Manual Section 110-996

FSC MANUAL 3/1/00 12/01/98	981 Alcoholic and/or Drug Addiction Treatment Centers Residents of alcoholic and/or drug addiction treatment centers may participate in the Food Stamp Program if one of the two following conditions has been met: The center has been certified as a treatment center by the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, or The center has been authorized by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to use food stamp benefits to purchase food through a wholesale outlet. Residents of alcoholic and/or drug addiction treatment centers must apply for food stamp benefits through an authorized representative (AR) who is an employee of the treatment center. In order to avoid duplicate entries on the ANSWER System, the AR will not be classified as an alternate payee. The treatment center will maintain control of the resident’s electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card and personal identification number (PIN) as long as the customer continues to reside at the center. When a county office receives an inquiry from alcoholic and/or drug addition treatment center about participating in the Food Stamp Program, the center should be provided with a copy of FSC 981.5. All applicable policy should be provided to participating treatment centers. This includes the policy at FSC 1820-1825 and FSC 980-981.5.
FSC MANUAL 12/01/98	981 Alcoholic and/or Drug Addiction Treatment Centers Residents of alcoholic and/or drug addiction treatment centers may participate in the Food Stamp Program if one of the two following conditions has been met: The center has been certified as a treatment center by the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, or The center has been authorized by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to use food stamp benefits to purchase food through a wholesale outlet. Residents of alcoholic and/or drug addiction treatment centers must apply for food stamp benefits through an authorized representative (AR) who is an employee of the treatment center. The treatment center will maintain control of the food stamp benefits as long as the customer continues to reside at the center. When a county office receives an inquiry from alcoholic and/or drug addition treatment center about participating in the Food Stamp Program, the center should be provided with a copy of [FSC 981.5]. All applicable policy should be provided to participating treatment centers. This includes the policy at [FSC 1820] and [FSC 980-981.5].
FSC MANUAL 12/01/98	981.2 Accessing EBT Benefits Alcoholic and/or drug addiction treatment centers that have only Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse certification will purchase food for the residents by using the residents' EBT cards at retail outlets. In treatment centers that have been authorized by FNS to use food stamp benefits at a wholesale outlet, a point of sale (POS) device may be installed. In centers with a Point of Sale (POS) device, the authorized representative will swipe the resident's EBT card through the center's POS device to obtain benefit authorization. When the EBT card authorization occurs, the food stamp benefits will be debited from the resident's account and transferred through the settlement process to the treatment center's bank account. The treatment center will use the funds in the bank account to purchase food for the center.
FSC MANUAL 12/01/98	981.3 Special Procedures for Authorizing Authorized Representatives (AR) For residents of alcoholic and/or drug addiction treatment centers, an EBT card is issued for both the AR and the resident. The AR's EBT card does not have the resident's name on it. In order to identify each resident's EBT card, the county must have a special way of entering the AR's name on the WFSM. For example, if the AR's name is Robert Johnson and the resident's name is Bill Smith, the AR's name could be entered on the WFSM as Rjohnson Bsmith. There is no mandated method of entering the AR's name; however, only 23 spaces are available in the field where the AR's name is entered. Any method selected by the county should be used consistently for all treatment centers and all residents.
FSC MANUAL 12/01/98	981.4 When a Resident Leaves a Treatment Center When a resident leaves an alcoholic and/or drug addiction treatment center, the treatment center must report the departure to the DHS county office and destroy the AR's EBT card immediately. The treatment center will provide his or her EBT card to the resident, if possible. If the resident leaves without notifying the treatment center, both the resident's and the AR's EBT card will be destroyed immediately by burning the card or by cutting the card into at least three pieces. When a treatment center reports that a resident has left, the county office will deactivate the EBT account. If a former treatment center resident contacts the county office, the county office will determine if the resident left the center on or before the 15th of the month. If so, the county office worker will reactivate the account and will, if necessary, authorize the issuance of an EBT card and PIN for the former resident.
FSC MANUAL 3/1/00 12/01/98	981.5 Treatment Center Guidelines for Food Stamp Program Participation Residents of an alcoholic and/or drug addition treatment center will be allowed to participate in the Food Stamp Program only if the center has been: certified by the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse; or authorized by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to use food stamp benefits at wholesale food outlets. Treatment centers that wish to be certified by the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse must contact the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, 5800 West 10th, Suite 907, Little Rock, AR 72204. The telephone number is (501) 280-4500. Treatment centers that wish to be authorized by FNS to use the food stamp benefits at wholesale outlets must contact FNS at 700 West Capitol, Room 3319, Little Rock, AR 72201. The telephone number is (501) 324-5851. A treatment center must agree to be responsible for any misrepresentation or fraud knowingly committed when resident households are approved for food stamp benefits. A treatment center must designate an employee in writing to serve as an authorized representative (AR) for all residents. The AR will make application for food stamp benefits on behalf of center residents. The AR will use the resident’s electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card and personal identification number to access the resident’s food stamp benefits. The resident will not have access to the EBT card and PIN while he or she is residing at the treatment center Only treatment centers authorized by FNS to use food stamp benefits at wholesale outlets will be allowed to have an EBT point of sale (POS) device at the center. When a resident leaves a treatment center, the center must notify the DHS county office immediately. If possible, the resident's EBT card and PIN will be given to the resident. If not, the EBT card and PIN must be destroyed. A treatment center must insure that residents who leave on or before the 15th of the month have access to one-half of their monthly food stamp benefit amount. Residents who depart on or before the 15th of the month will be directed by the treatment center to contact the county office to have their remaining food stamp benefits activated. In treatment centers where the EBT cards are used to shop, the center will insure that one-half the resident's monthly benefit amount remains in the resident's account until the 16th of the month. In treatment centers that utilize an EBT point of sale (POS) device, the center may do a food stamp purchase refund if the resident departs on or before the 15th of the month. Or, the center may swipe the EBT card through the POS on a weekly or biweekly basis to cover the costs of the resident's meals for that period. A treatment center must maintain a Daily Census Report (DCO-254) and provide a copy to the appropriate county office at the end of each month. The DHS county office will conduct a yearly on-site visit to each treatment center to compare the Daily Census Report to the center's records.
FSC MANUAL 12/01/98	981.5 Treatment Center Guidelines for Food Stamp Program Participation Residents of an alcoholic and/or drug addition treatment center will be allowed to participate in the Food Stamp Program only if the center has been: 1) certified by the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse; or 2) authorized by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to use food stamp benefits at wholesale food outlets. Treatment centers that wish to be certified by the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse must contact the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, 5800 West 10th, Suite 907, Little Rock, AR 72204. The telephone number is (501) 280-4500. Treatment centers that wish to be authorized by FNS to use the food stamp benefits at wholesale outlets must contact FNS at 700 West Capitol, Room 3319, Little Rock, AR 72201. The telephone number is (501) 324-5851. A treatment center must agree to be responsible for any misrepresentation or fraud knowingly committed when resident households are approved for food stamp benefits. A treatment center must designate an employee in writing to serve as an authorized representative (AR) for all residents. The AR will make application for food stamp benefits on behalf of center residents. The AR will be designated as the alternative payee for each resident who is eligible to receive food stamp benefits and will receive an EBT card for each eligible resident. The AR will be the only person who can access the food stamp benefits while the individual is residing in the center. Only treatment centers authorized by FNS to use food stamp benefits at wholesale outlets will be allowed to have an EBT point of sale (POS) device at the center. When a resident leaves a treatment center, the center must notify the DHS county office immediately so the AR can be removed as the resident's alternative payee. If possible, the resident's EBT card will be given to the resident. The AR's EBT card must be destroyed. A treatment center must insure that residents who leave on or before the 15th of the month have access to one-half of their monthly food stamp benefit amount. Residents who depart on or before the 15th of the month will be directed by the treatment center to contact the county office to have their remaining food stamp benefits activated. In treatment centers where the EBT cards are used to shop, the center will insure that one-half the resident's monthly benefit amount remains in the resident's account until the 16th of the month. In treatment centers that utilize an EBT point of sale (POS) device, the center may do a food stamp purchase refund if the resident departs on or before the 15th of the month. Or, the center may swipe the EBT card through the POS on a weekly or biweekly basis to cover the costs of the resident's meals for that period. A treatment center must maintain a Daily Census Report (DCO-254) and provide a copy to the appropriate county office at the end of each month. The DHS county office will conduct a yearly on-site visit to each treatment center to compare the Daily Census Report to the center's records.
FSC MANUAL 12/01/98	982.1 Accessing EBT Benefits A resident of a group living arrangement may receive their own EBT card and PIN or may designate an authorized representative (AR). A resident of a group living arrangement may also receive benefits through an AR designated as an alternate payee. The alternate payee designated by the resident (or a guardian) will have a separate card, card number and PIN. The resident may or may not have an EBT card if there is an alternate payee. This decision will be made by the group living arrangement on a case-by-case basis.