Arizona Laws 46-298. Diversion from long-term assistance; report; definition
A. At the time an applicant‘s employability is assessed during the initial application for assistance, the department shall determine whether the applicant should be offered services under the diversion option rather than long-term cash assistance. The assessment shall consider the following:
Terms Used In Arizona Laws 46-298
- Applicant: means a person who has applied for assistance or services under this title, or a person who has applied for assistance or services under this title and who has custody of a dependent child. See Arizona Laws 46-101
- Assistance: means payments in cash or kind to or on behalf of a person or persons in need as provided for in this title. See Arizona Laws 46-101
- Assistance unit: means those members of a needy family, as prescribed by the department in rule, or a child only case, that meets the nonfinancial eligibility criteria for cash assistance and whose needs and other circumstances are considered as a whole to determine a cash assistance benefit amount. See Arizona Laws 46-101
- Cash assistance: means temporary assistance for needy families paid to a recipient for the purpose of meeting basic living expenses as defined by the department. See Arizona Laws 46-101
- department: means the department of economic security. See Arizona Laws 46-101
- Director: means the director of the department of economic security. See Arizona Laws 46-101
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- including: means not limited to and is not a term of exclusion. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Month: means a calendar month unless otherwise expressed. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Services: includes social casework, rehabilitation counseling and similar services rendered to a person or persons in need as provided for in this title. See Arizona Laws 46-101
- Temporary assistance for needy families: means assistance granted under section 403 of title IV of the social security act as it exists after August 21, 1996. See Arizona Laws 46-101
1. The applicant’s employment history.
2. The likelihood of the applicant obtaining full-time employment given the applicant’s education, training and work experience within ninety days of the initial application.
3. The applicant’s need for cash assistance.
B. If the department finds that the applicant is eligible for the diversion option, it shall explain the benefits and requirements to the applicant, including the amount of the diversion option payment.
C. If the department and the applicant agree to select the diversion option as the appropriate means to self-sufficiency, the department shall issue benefits, if the applicant is eligible, within three working days after the applicant submits a completed application, including all required information and necessary documentation.
D. The department shall provide a dollar amount equal to three times the monthly amount of cash assistance for which the applicant qualifies. The applicant is also eligible to receive employment services, as defined in Section 46-300.01, subsection I, administered by the department for ninety days from the initial application to expedite employment placement.
E. The applicant must sign an agreement that lists the requirements and conditions of the diversion option.
F. The department shall expedite employment placement services if these services are requested by an applicant who is approved for and participating in the diversion option.
G. An applicant approved for the diversion option is eligible for all other support services for which recipients of temporary assistance for needy families are automatically eligible.
H. If the applicant decides to reapply for long-term cash assistance within three months from the date of initial application, the department shall prorate the diversion payment to the applicant over a three month period beginning on the date of initial application and subtract this amount from the temporary assistance for needy families payment the applicant’s assistance unit receives.
I. If the diversion option is not appropriate for an applicant or the applicant chooses not to participate in the diversion option, the applicant may receive cash assistance as provided under this chapter.
J. The director of the department shall submit an annual report to the joint legislative budget committee ninety days after the end of the fiscal year beginning with fiscal year 2008-2009. The report shall include:
1. The number of recipients provided services under the diversion option.
2. The number of recipients who reapply for long-term cash assistance within one hundred eighty days after initially participating in the diversion program.
3. The number of recipients who obtained employment within ninety days of receiving assistance under the diversion option.
K. For the purposes of this section, "diversion option" means granting an amount of cash benefits to certain applicants who are eligible for long-term cash assistance but who have only short-term needs and who find the services described in this section the most appropriate means to self-sufficiency.