New Jersey Administrative Code › Title 10 - HUMAN SERVICES › Chapter 90 - WORK FIRST NEW JERSEY PROGRAM › Subchapter 6 - EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE › Section 10:90-6.6 - Recipient/agency responsibilities

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 2024
(a) The
				county/municipal agency shares responsibility with the individual/family in
				receipt of emergency assistance to resolve the emergency situation and to
				assist the individual/family to secure a suitable permanent housing
				arrangement. Receipt of emergency assistance is contingent upon the recipient's
				taking reasonable steps toward resolving the emergent situation. Reasonable
				steps shall include the recipient's signature on a written notice of recipient
				responsibilities while receiving temporary housing/shelter; participation in
				formulating, complying with and carrying out a plan for service; fulfilling the
				number of housing searches mutually agreed upon; and following agency
				recommendations related to resolving the emergent situation. The service plan
				shall consist of mandatory and non-mandatory activities as determined by the
				agency. The agency shall review each activity listed on the service plan with
				the recipient. Failure to comply with the mandatory activities of the service
				plan without good cause shall result in termination of EA benefits for a period
				of six months. In no case shall the EA granted exceed the limits set forth in
				10:90-6.4 concerning time limits
				and extensions in situations of extreme hardship.
1. The service plan shall be developed
				between the county or municipal agency and the recipient of emergency
				assistance within 10 days of the EA authorization date in order to provide a
				plan of action aimed at working toward securing permanent shelter and also,
				where directly related to securing such shelter, at resolving the circumstances
				that contributed to the emergency situation. When appropriate, development of
				the service plan shall be coordinated with the development of the individual
				responsibility plan (IRP) discussed in
				10:90-4.8. For individuals
				requesting EA for reason of family violence or the risk of family violence, the
				EA service plan must be coordinated with any services offered through the
				designated victim service provider agency and included in the family violence
				safety and service plan in accordance with
				10:90-20.1(b)1 
				ii. Every effort shall be made to avoid situations in which the development and
				execution of one plan infringes upon the development and execution of the
				other, thereby placing the recipient in danger of being either sanctioned due
				to non-cooperation or terminated from receipt of EA. The service plan shall
				include, as appropriate, but is not limited to:
i. Selection of a housing arrangement which
				takes into consideration the recipient's circumstances, such as mental or
				physical problems.
(1) Every effort will be
				made to locate suitable housing in the community of prior permanent residence.
				If, however, shelter/housing is not available at the most reasonable rate,
				taking into consideration individual circumstances and services provided,
				within the municipality of customary residence, the recipient, as a condition
				of eligibility, shall be obliged to accept shelter/housing outside the
				municipality of customary residence;