Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a) Based on
P.L. 1997, c.
14 (Work First New Jersey Act), approved January 29, 1997 and
P.L. 1999, c.
427, approved January 18, 2000, the WFNJ Substance Abuse Initiative (SAI) is
established to help promote the goals of the WFNJ program, to move WFNJ recipients from dependency on WFNJ
cash assistance benefits to self-sufficiency, to the extent possible.
(b) The New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) in collaboration with
the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has established a substance abuse treatment
program entitled the "SAI". The SAI addresses the needs of WFNJ recipients who are abusing drugs and/or
alcohol to the extent that WFNJ recipients are unable to move forward and take advantage of work, work
readiness activities, or other service offered through the WFNJ program. The SAI shall provide substance
abuse screening, assessment, treatment placement, utilization management, care coordination and case
management. The screening and assessment services are available at the local WFNJ county welfare agency
(CWA). The referral of WFNJ recipients to and participation in the SAI shall be either voluntary or
mandatory. A substance abuse assessment shall be administered to each WFNJ recipient referred to the SAI by a
professional clinical care coordinator (CCC) using nationally recognized standardized assessment tools. The
CCC shall meet the requirements for Alcohol and Drug Counselors as established in the Alcohol and Drug
Counselor Licensing and Certification Act,
P.L. 1997, c.
331. This subchapter is for use by the WFNJ CWAs/MWAs in the administration of
this ongoing DHS initiative that shall provide an equal and meaningful opportunity for WFNJ recipients to
participate in substance abuse treatment.
(c) All WFNJ CWAs/MWAs
shall make referrals to the SAI program.
(d) The purposes of the
SAI program are as follows:
1. To make no cost substance abuse treatment
services, that include screening and assessment administered by a CCC, treatment, placement and follow-up as
determined clinically appropriate by a CCC, available to WFNJ TANF/GA recipients who have substance abuse
problems;
2. To assist SAI participants in removing substance
abuse barriers to employment, as determined by a CCC, and to enable participants to obtain treatment with the
goal of moving towards self-sufficiency, to the extent possible;
i.
Supportive services shall be provided in accordance with N.J.A.C. 10:90-5;
3. To provide SAI participants with an integrated combination of work
activity and substance abuse treatment as determined clinically appropriate by the CCC, by requiring
individuals who are able to work to participate in job readiness activity that ultimately leads to work;
and
4. To allow an SAI participant's hours spent in treatment to
count towards the required hours of a WFNJ work activity.
i. For WFNJ
recipients required to participate in a work activity, substance abuse treatment counts as a participant's
work activity only if the CCC assesses the individual and monitors the participant's treatment.
(e) Unless good cause for temporary excused
participation exists or other good cause for work deferral exists in accordance with
10:90-4.11(b), the SAI program provides for
participant requirements that include, but are not limited to, the following requirements:
1. Completion and signing of the required SAI program forms, which include
the Work First New Jersey Substance Abuse Initiative Care Coordinator Referral Form, WFNJ-125; the Consent
for the Release of Confidential Alcohol or Drug Treatment Information to the National Council on Alcoholism
and Drug Dependence Work First New Jersey Substance Abuse Initiative, WFNJ-126 and the Consent for the
Release of Confidential Alcohol or Drug Treatment Information to State of New Jersey Welfare Information
Systems, WFNJ-127 in accordance with the Federal Confidentiality regulations at 42 C.F.R. Part 2;
2. Participation in the completion of the substance abuse assessment
administered by the CCC, using nationally recognized, standardized assessment tools.
i. WFNJ recipients shall also cooperate with intake interviews at the
treatment facility and any follow-up activities as determined by the CCC;
3. For WFNJ recipients required to participate in the SAI, mandatory
participation in substance abuse treatment, as determined to be clinically appropriate by the CCC, in
accordance with 10:90-18.3;
4. WFNJ
recipients who are referred for voluntary participation in the SAI that do not complete and sign the required
SAI forms, or do not complete the assessment, cannot obtain substance abuse treatment services through the
SAI. However, these individuals cannot be sanctioned for failure to comply with treatment services;
5. WFNJ recipients subject to mandatory participation in the SAI, when
participation is considered a work activity, shall complete and sign the required SAI forms; complete the
assessment and follow through with the recommended treatment or the recipient shall be sanctioned in
accordance with 10:90-4.13; and
6.
WFNJ applicants/recipients, who want to establish eligibility in accordance with
10:90-18.6 and are subject to mandatory participation in the
SAI, shall complete and sign the required SAI forms; complete the assessment and follow through with the
recommended treatment as a condition for WFNJ initial or continued eligibility and the receipt of WFNJ/GA
cash assistance benefits.
