Current through September 17, 2024
In order to participate in Bridge to Independence, the
following elements of eligibility must be met:
(A) Individual eligibility as established by
Neb. Rev. Stat. §
43-4504 and the requirements of
this chapter;
(B) United States
Citizenship or lawful presence as established by this chapter;
(C) Educational or employment
conditions;
(D) Placement and
living arrangement; and
(E)
Voluntary Services and Support Agreement.
003.01
CITIZENSHIP
REQUIREMENTS. In order to participate in Bridge to Independence, a
young adult must be a citizen of the United States or a qualified alien as
defined in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
of 1996 (PRWORA). When a non-citizen applies for Bridge to Independence the
applicant's qualified alien status must be verified through the Systemic Alien
Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program operated by the Citizenship and
Immigration Services. At the time of application, the young adult making the
application must sign a Department approved attestation form, confirming
citizenship or qualified alien status.
003.02
NEBRASKA RESIDENT
REQUIREMENT. In order to participate in Bridge to Independence, a
young adult must be a resident of Nebraska. The Department will determine
whether a young adult is a Nebraska resident using the criteria set forth in
this section.
003.02(A)
LIVING IN
NEBRASKA. A young adult living in the state of Nebraska
voluntarily with the intent of making Nebraska his or her home will be
considered a Nebraska resident.
003.02(B)
LIVING OUTSIDE
NEBRASKA. A young adult living outside the state of Nebraska may
be deemed to be a Nebraska resident if the young adult:
(i) Is temporarily absent from the state as
the result of enrollment in post-secondary Education, a trade school, or the
Job Corps, and the young adult intends to return to Nebraska when the purpose
of the temporary absence has been accomplished;
(ii) Is a member of the United States Armed
Forces and he or she is stationed in a state other than Nebraska and the young
adult does not claim the other state as his or her residence for voting or tax
purposes;
(iii) Prior to age 19,
was placed in another state by the Department or probation as part of a court
proceeding filed under the Nebraska juvenile code and the young adult has
continuously lived in the state where he or she was placed by the Department or
probation; or
(iv) Prior to age 19,
was living in the State of Nebraska when a Federally Recognized Indian Tribe
obtained jurisdiction over the young adult due to child abuse or neglect and,
prior to the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe's age of majority, the young
adult was placed outside of the State of Nebraska by a court order issued by
that Tribal Court.
003.02(C)
EXCEPTION.
A young adult who was a Nebraska resident but was placed outside Nebraska
pursuant to the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC) is not
subject to the residency requirement.
003.02(D)
DETERMINATION OF
INTENT. A young adult's intent to make Nebraska his or her home
will be evaluated by the Department. The Department may consider whether the
young adult has a Nebraska driver's license, a motor vehicle registration in
Nebraska, owns or leases property in Nebraska or another state, or has accepted
employment in Nebraska or another state.
003.02(D)(i)
INCAPABLE OF
INDICATING INTENT. A young adult is considered to be incapable of
indicating intent if documentation from a medical or mental health professional
indicates that the young adult is not capable of indicating intent.
003.02(D)(ii)
RESIDENCY
DETERMINATION. A young adult who is incapable of indicating intent
is considered to be a resident of the state in which the young adult is living,
unless the young adult was placed out of state as part of a court proceeding
filed under the Nebraska juvenile code and the young adult has continuously
lived in the state where he or she was placed by the Department, in which case
the young adult will be considered a resident of Nebraska.
003.03
EDUCATIONAL OR
EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS. A young adult must meet at least one of the
participation requirements described in this section in order to be eligible
for Bridge to Independence:
003.03(A)
EDUCATION. To be eligible under the education
category, the young adult must have part-time enrollment in a secondary or
post-secondary education program.
003.03(A)(i)
ENROLLMENT. A young adult who is on semester, summer,
or other break, but was enrolled the previous semester and will be enrolled
after the break, is considered to be enrolled in school.
003.03(A)(ii)
EQUIVALENT
PROGRAM. A secondary or post-secondary education program that is
equivalent to part-time enrollment may be accepted if agreed to by the
Department and the young adult.
003.03(B)
EMPLOYMENT. To be eligible under the employment
category, the young adult must be employed for at least eighty hours per month.
The employment requirement may be satisfied through one or more places of
employment, so long as the young adult meets the minimum of eighty hours per
month.
003.03(C)
BARRIERS PROGRAMS. To be eligible under this category,
the following must be met:
003.03(C)(i)
PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAM. A young adult must be
participating in programs or activities that improve, enhance, or teach
job-related skills applicable to the workplace or careers. These types of
programs and activities include:
(1)
Activities and classroom instruction on career awareness, exploration, and
preparation such as those provided through the local workforce
centers;
(2) Internships, job
shadowing, on-the-job training positions and volunteer projects;
(3) Supported employment;
(4) Apprenticeship programs;
(5) Programs such as Job Corps or other young
adult initiatives that improve workplace knowledge and skills;
(6) Enrollment in an education program less
than part-time;
(7) Job Search;
or
(8) Other programs or activities
as agreed to by the Department and the young adult.
003.03(C)(ii)
REQUIRED
HOURS. A young adult must participate in a program or activity or
a combination of programs or activities described in in this section for a
minimum of 40 hours a month. Job search activities may account
for no more than 20 hours of the 40 hours required each month.
003.03(D)
INCAPABLE OF
PARTICIPATION. To be eligible under this category, a young adult
must be incapable of participating in the education, employment, or barriers
program activities set forth in this chapter due to a medical
condition.
003.03(E)
TRANSITIONING BETWEEN ELIGIBILITY CATEGORIES. If a
young adult is no longer engaged in one of the educational, employment, or
work-related programs or activities necessary to meet eligibility requirements,
the young adult may become eligible under a different category. The young adult
must meet eligibility requirements within 30 days or the Department may
terminate the young adult from the program.
003.04
HOUSING OR LIVING
ARRANGEMENT REQUIREMENTS. In order to be eligible for the Bridge
to Independence program, a young adult must agree to give the Department
continued care and placement responsibility. Young adults participating in
Bridge to Independence must reside in one of the following housing or living
arrangements that have been approved by the Department:
(i) Licensed foster care facility, licensed
group home, licensed child-caring agency, or residential child-caring agency;
or
(ii) A supervised independent
living setting, which includes:
(1) Single or
shared residence, such as an apartment or house;
(2) Host home;
(3) College dormitory or other post-secondary
education housing;
(4) Emergency
shelter;
(5) Parental
home;
(6) Transitional living
program;
(7) Military housing or
residence;
(8) Other supervised
independent living setting approved by the Department; or
(9) Institutions in which a young adult is
living voluntarily, including:
(a) Licensed
mental health treatment facility;
(b) Licensed substance abuse treatment
facility; or
(c) Other Adult
Treatment Facility.
003.04(A)
SUPERVISED INDEPENDENT
LIVING SETTING. A young adult residing in an approved supervised
independent living setting must be supervised or monitored by a Department
employee a minimum of once every calendar month.
003.04(B)
CHANGES IN LIVING
ARRANGEMENTS. The young adult must report changes in living
arrangements to the assigned Independence Coordinator within 10 business days.
To remain eligible for the Bridge to Independence program, the young adult's
new living arrangements must be approved by the Department.
003.05
VOLUNTARY SERVICES AND
SUPPORT AGREEMENT. A young adult must sign a voluntary services
and support agreement on a Department-approved form in order to participate in
Bridge to Independence. The agreement is not final until it is signed by both
the young adult and an authorized Department representative.
003.05(A)
AGE AT TIME OF
SIGNING. If a voluntary services and support agreement is
initially signed when the young adult is under age 19, in order to continue
participation in Bridge to Independence, the young adult must re-affirm the
voluntary services and support agreement by re-signing it within 30 days after
reaching age 19.
