808.15 Orientation (FAM)

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The Orientation to the New Hampshire Employment Program (NHEP) is a condition of eligibility for most individuals applying for financial assistance to needy families (FANF), and may be conducted as a group or individual appointment. Individual NHEP Orientations are always provided upon request. At the NHEP Orientation, the NHEP representative informs the individual about the NHEP program, their rights and responsibilities, participation and compliance requirements, and the results of non-compliance, as well as the support services available to them under NHEP.

Core Elements of Orientation

The following information must be provided at the NHEP Orientation:

Policy

•       the NHEP mission;

•       an explanation of the weekly core, secondary, and interim activity requirements of NHEP; and

•       that NHEP is a collaboration of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and Southern New Hampshire Services (SNHS).

NHEP Communication Method Permission, NHEP Job Readiness Module Series & Job Search Information

•       the Form NHEP207, Additional Communications Preferences, to all attendees at the NHEP Orientation;

•       the Generic Job Application;

•       that prior to their next NHEP appointment, participants may need to complete work in the NHEP Job Readiness Module Series or one of the supplemental workbooks identified during Orientation and verify time spent completing Job Readiness activities using the corresponding NHEP267 Form. Any work efforts recorded may count towards federal participation hours;

•       the Form NHEP223, Job Search Log, will be provided to all attendees at the NHEP Orientation who indicated they are currently seeking employment, along with Participant Instructions Form NHEP223 and Example Form NHEP223; and

•       that in order to receive all the services and benefits of NHEP, including the development of the Employability Plan (EP), participants must attend the Service Determination Appointment (SDA).

Team Responsibilities and Services Provided

•       The Form NHEP207, Additional Communications Preferences, to all attendees at the NHEP Orientation;

•       The Generic Job Application;

•       Prior to their next NHEP appointment, participants may need to complete work in the NHEP Job Readiness Module Series or one of the supplemental workbooks identified during Orientation and verify time spent completing Job Readiness activities using the corresponding NHEP267 Form. Any work efforts recorded may count towards federal participation hours;

•       The Form NHEP223, Job Search Log, will be provided to all attendees at the NHEP Orientation who indicated they are currently seeking employment, along with Participant Instructions Form NHEP223 and Example Form NHEP223; and

•       That in order to receive all the services and benefits of NHEP, including the development of the EP, participants must attend the SDA appointment.

Individual Rights and Responsibilities

•       That voluntarily quitting a job without good cause or failure/refusal to comply with work program requirements without good cause will result in sanctions for mandatory participants;

•       That sanctions are progressive and that those individuals who continue to fail/refuse to comply with work program requirements without good cause risk having their financial assistance terminated;

•       That sanctions are cured by fully meeting the participation requirements that resulted in the sanction;

•       That mandatory participants who accrue 3 months of NHEP work program sanctions in a 12-month period will have their cash benefits terminated;

•       That NHEP volunteers who voluntarily quit a job without good cause or fail or refuse to comply with work program requirements will not be allowed to participate in NHEP for 3 months;

•       The good cause policy;

•       A description of work program exemptions;

•       The administrative appeals process; and

•       The NHEP representative’s name and phone number.

Support Services for the Initial Appointment

Transportation and NH Child Care Scholarship are not available to individuals for the initial appointment with the NHEP representatives.

Individuals Excused from Attendance at the NHEP Orientation

Attendance at the NHEP Orientation is not a condition of eligibility for the incapacitated adult in an AG requesting financial assistance due to parental incapacity. No proof of the incapacity is needed to be excused from attendance at the NHEP Orientation. If the other adult in the assistance group is not claiming to be incapacitated, he or she must still attend the NHEP Orientation as a condition of eligibility for financial assistance.

Adults included in the FANF assistance AG are not required to attend the NHEP Orientation when they provide third party verification that:

•       They are experiencing a serious medical condition that prevents their ability to attend.

Orientation after Reapplying

If a FANF case closed during a sanction and the individual reapplies for financial assistance within 30 days of closure from Work Programs, the NHEP Orientation is not (again) required. 

References: He-W 637s; He-W 655’s; RSA 167:79, III(a); RSA 167:82; RSA 167:85

Editorial Revisions Made: 12/2023