Code of Maine Rules › 10 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES › 144 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - GENERAL › Chapter 301 - SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) RULES › FS-400's › 400 - HOUSEHOLDS WITH SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES › Section 144-301-400-FS 444-5 - Residents of Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers or Group Living Arrangements for the Disabled

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
1.
EQUAL TREATMENT
Residents of centers for the treatment of substance use
						disorders or group living arrangements for individuals with disabilities have
						the same rights to notices of adverse action, fair hearing and entitlement to
						lost benefits as do all other SNAP households.
2.
RESIDENTS OF CENTERS FOR THE
					 TREATMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS
A.
GENERAL RULE
Application for residents of centers for the treatment of
						substance use disorders together with their spouse and children who reside at
						the center must be made through an authorized representative who is an employee
						of the center. Residents together with their spouse and children shall have
						their eligibility determined separately from other residents of the facility.
						Each application must be for an individual household. The recipient's benefits
						will be controlled by the center.
The center must be certified by the State of Maine Office
						of Behavioral Health as providing residential treatment of individuals with
						substance use disorders.
A center which knowingly provides false information or
						does not handle benefits properly may be disqualified from participation in
						SNAP. Repeated occurrences shall be referred to the Senior Program Manager -
						SNAP, for review.
B.
PROCEDURE
(1) The Department
					 shall verify that the center is a certified treatment program as defined under
					 the general rule.
(2) The
					 Department shall review the rights and reporting responsibilities of the center
					 with the center representative, including the treatment of benefits and EBT
					 Cards when a recipient leaves the center.
(3) The Department shall process applications
					 by using the same provisions that apply to all other applicant households,
					 except that certification is completed through use of the authorized
					 representative.
(4) The Department
					 shall contact the authorized representative for any information needed. The
					 authorized representative must agree to sign any required forms and be
					 interviewed with the following exceptions:
(a)
					 The Department shall process all applications and annual eligibility reviews
					 without an interview until March 31, 2023 unless -
(i) the household requests an
					 interview,
(ii) there is unclear
					 information on the application or renewal form, or
(iii) the household would be determined to be
					 ineligible based on information provided on the application or renewal
					 form.
(b) Households
					 which have no earned income and in which all adult members are elderly and/or
					 have disabilities will not be required to complete an interview at annual
					 eligibility review unless -
(i) there is
					 unclear information on the renewal form, or
(ii) the household would be determined to be
					 ineligible based on information provided on the renewal form.
The Department will conduct an interview if the household
						requests one.
(5) Benefits shall be issued and notices
					 shall be provided in care of the authorized representative.
(6) The Department shall use appropriate
					 budgeting procedures. (See Section
					 555-6.)
NOTE:
If the center charges for room and
						board, the room expense is included in the budget as a rent expense (see
						Section 555-5(7)(A)(1)),
						but the board expense is not. If the center does not provide an itemized bill,
						the rent included in the budget is determined by subtracting the Thrifty Food
						Plan (Section
						999-3 Chart 5) for the
						household size, from the total room and board
						expense.
C.
WHEN A HOUSEHOLD LEAVES THE CENTER
(1) When the household leaves the center and
					 no benefits have been spent on their behalf, the center shall provide the
					 household with their EBT Card and full allotment for that month, regardless of
					 what day they leave.
If benefits have already been issued and any portion has
						been spent on behalf of the household, and they leave the center prior to the
						16th of the month, the center shall provide the household with one-half of
						their monthly allotment.
If the household leaves after the 16th of the month, and
						the benefits have already been issued and used, the household does not receive
						any benefits for that month.
(2) Once the household leaves the treatment
					 center, the center is no longer allowed to act as the household's authorized
					 representative. The center shall return to the household's account any benefits
					 received on behalf of households which are no longer residents of the
					 center.
(3) It is the household's
					 responsibility to report their new address and other changes in their
					 circumstances to the Office for Family Independence after leaving the
					 center.