(A)What is supervised job search?

 Supervised job search is a supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) employment and training (E&T) component in whichthat provides applicants and SNAP E&T participants are provided with activities that have a direct link to increasing employment opportunities for participants.

(B)What are the requirements of supervised job search?

(1)Supervised job search shall occur at county-approved locations at whichwhere a participant's activities and participation time are able to be directly supervised and tracked. County approved locations include any location deemed suitable by the county agency where the participant has access to tools, and materials needed to perform supervised job search.

(2)Supervised job search locations are not limited to a physical building and may include virtual tools. Examples of physical locations may include the Ohio means jobs centers operated by the local workforce development board, resource rooms at the job and family services office; whereas virtual tools may include the OhioMeansJobs.com website, other websites, portals or web applications. Offering a variety of locations and formats to best meet participant needs is encouraged and to the extent possible, county agencies are to allow participants to choose their preferred location.

(3)Supervision, either remotely or in-person, is to be provided by skilled staff who provide meaningful guidance and support with at least monthly check-ins. Supervision and job search activities may occur at different times, and is to be provided in such a way to best support the participant and may include activities such as job search coaching, review of job search activities, and guidance on how to best target participant job search activities.

(4)Supervised job search hourly requirements are established by the county agency pursuant to the time limit described in paragraph (D) of this rule and shall be assigned in accordance with rule 5101:4-3-31 of the Administrative Code.

(C)What are the responsibilities of the county agency when implementing supervised job search?

The county agency is to include a summary in their E&T plan of the county guidelines used to implement supervised job search. The summary of the county guidelines, at a minimum, is to describe:

(1)Criteria used by the county agency to approve locations for supervised job search;

(2)An explanation of why those criteria were chosen; and

(3)How the supervised job search component meets the requirements to directly supervise the activities and track the timing and activities of participants.

(4)Time spent in activities in supervised job search is to be tracked within the case record. Information tracked may include, but is not limited to: the participant's name; date and time of attendance; hours spent in supervised job search; and the number of applications submitted to employers.

(D)What are the time limits for supervised job search?

(1)Except as described in paragraphs (D)(1)(a) and (D)(1)(b) of this rule, aA county agency shall not assign supervised job search as a continuous, year-round assignment forestablish a supervised job search period, that in its estimation, will provide participants a reasonable opportunity to find suitable employment. For a SNAP E&T participant who is either a volunteer or an able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) who resides in a county subject to a waiver of the ABAWD time-limit approved in accordance with 7 C.F.R. 273.24 (6/2006)(6/2021), supervised job search is not to be assigned as a continuous, year round assignment unless the county agency determines it is the most suitable assignment and believes it will continue to provide the SNAP E&T participant a reasonable opportunity to find suitable employment.

(a)An assignment to supervised job search immediately following certification of SNAP benefits shall not exceed thirty days.

(b)When thirty days have passed since the initial assignment to supervised job search and a county agency determines that supervised job search is the most suitable assignment, supervised job search may be assigned for as long as the county agency believes it will provide the SNAP E&T participant a reasonable opportunity to find suitable employment.

(2)For a SNAP E&T participant who is an ABAWD subject to the time-limit described in rule 5101:4-3-20 of the Administrative Code, supervised job search may be assigned as follows:

(a)When an ABAWD is meeting the ABAWD work requirements described in paragraph (B)(2) of rule 5101:4-3-20 of the Administrative Code by participating in SNAP E&T,: supervised job search may be assigned at any time during the certification period with no durational limitation. However, the supervised job search activity must be paired with another SNAP E&T activity and the required hours of supervised job search must be less than half of the total number of hours the ABAWD is required to participate in SNAP E&T.

(i)Supervised job search immediately following certification of SNAP benefits is not to exceed thirty days prior to making a work experience program (WEP) assignment. This activity is part of the WEP assignment and participants are considered to be participating in and complying with the requirements of WEP as described in rule 5101:4-3-35 of the Administrative Code.

(ii)Supervised job search may be assigned at any time during the certification period with no durational limitation. However, the supervised job search activity is to be paired with another SNAP E&T activity and the hours of supervised job search are to be less than half of the total number of hours the ABAWD is to participate in SNAP E&T.

(b)When an ABAWD is meeting the work requirement described in paragraph (B)(2) of rule 5101:4-3-20 of the Administrative Code through something other than SNAP E&T (e.g., work) but an assignment to SNAP E&T supervised job search is appropriate, the assignment shall be made in accordance with paragraph (C)(D)(1) of this rule.

Effective: 10/1/2023

Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 7/17/2023 and 10/01/2028

Certification: CERTIFIED ELECTRONICALLY

Date: 09/21/2023

Promulgated Under: 119.03

Statutory Authority: 5101.54

Rule Amplifies: 5101.54, 329.04

Prior Effective Dates: 03/01/1983, 07/01/1984, 08/01/1985, 03/01/1987, 12/01/1987 (Emer.), 02/15/1988, 01/01/1989, 06/30/1989 (Emer.), 09/23/1989, 04/02/1990, 09/01/1993, 12/01/1995 (Emer.), 02/19/1996, 07/01/1996 (Emer.), 10/01/1997 (Emer.), 12/20/1997, 01/20/2003, 10/01/2007, 01/01/2013, 09/01/2018, 11/01/2019, 11/18/2021