General Referrals
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NA and CA applications are referred to FAA by authorized public and private agencies, or other partners.
Policy
As a result of legislation or an inter-agency agreement, potentially eligible participant applications may be referred to FAA from any of the following sources:
●Behavioral Health Services
●Division of Employment and Rehabilitation Services (DERS) Re-entry Program (REP) (For information on the re-entry program, see Inmate Pre-Release NA Applications.)
●Department of Child Safety (DCS) or a DCS licensed agency for all of the following CA programs:
Kinship Foster Care
Kinship Foster Care – Child Only
Legal Permanent Guardian (LPG)
NOTE See DCS Fast Pass for additional information regarding DCS referrals.
●FAA Authorized Pilot Programs
●Health-e-Arizona Plus
●KidsCare
●Arizona Nutrition Assistance Outreach Program NA Referrals
NOTE NA applications may be referred from agencies, organizations, and other partners in the Arizona Nutrition Assistance Outreach Program.
●Social Security Administration (SSA) (For information on joint applications with SSA, see NA Joint Applications with SSA.)
●Volunteer Agency(g) and the Welcome Corp (WC) sponsorship program for qualified noncitizens with any of the following immigration categories:
Afghani Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holder (includes Afghan Humanitarian Parolee)
Amerasian
Asylee
Cuban or Haitian entrant (CHE)
Refugee
Ukrainian refugees
Unaccompanied Refugee minor (URM)
Victim of severe trafficking
For more information about Voluntary Agencies (VOLAGs) or WC, see Refugee Resettlement Program (RRP).)
Interview and processing time frames are the same as applications accepted by FAA, except for any of the following referred applications:
●Applications for Disaster Nutrition Assistance Program. For more information, see NA Disaster Relief Program.
●Applications referred by the Department of Child Safety (DCS). For more information on applications referred to FAA by DCS, see DCS Fast Pass.
For other application timeframes, see Time Frames and When Must an Interview Be Completed under Interview Requirements.
NOTE Applications referred for CA may include participants who are required to cooperate with the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS). For more information, see Cooperation with Child Support Services.
Confidential information relating to the eligibility for public assistance programs can be released without the PI’s permission to specified agencies. For a list of agencies, see Confidential Case Information – No Permission Needed.
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NA Referred Applications
Applications for participants who may be potentially eligible for NA may be referred to FAA by authorized public or private agencies.
NA Referred Applications include and are not limited to all of the following:
●NA Joint Applications
●Disaster Relief Referred Applications
●Nutrition Assistance Outreach Program Referred Applications
Applications for NA may be referred to FAA using the Health‑e‑Arizona Plus online application.
NA Joint Applications with SSA
A participant who applies or reapplies for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits with the Social Security Administration (SSA) may also apply for NA during the SSA interview. Joint applications are accepted by SSA and referred to FAA for an eligibility determination. SSA staff accepts the application and helps complete the application when a participant requests NA at the same time they apply for SSI.
A joint application (NA and SSI) can only be made with SSA when all participants in a case are applying for or are receiving SSI benefits, unless the applicant is applying from an institution. Participants living in an institution may apply for both NA and SSI when not all participants are applying for or receiving SSI benefits.
NOTE A participant may appear to be eligible for expedited NA benefits. SSA informs them that they may receive their NA earlier when they apply at FAA.
SSA staff conducts the interview and sends the NA application, and all original verification provided by the participant, to FAA. The application is sent within one workday(g) after the NA application is completed.
FAA completes the eligibility determination on NA joint applications taken at SSA.
NOTE Eligibility determination on NA joint applications for participants age 65 years or older are processed by the Arizona Simplified Nutrition Assistance Program (AZSNAP) unit. For more information, see AZSNAP.
CA Referred Applications
Applications for CA may be referred to FAA by authorized public or licensed private agencies using the Health-e-Arizona Plus online application or the FAA-0001A paper application.
The referring agency specialist assists the applicant in completing the FAA application.
Kinship Foster Care (KF) applications are given special considerations in all of the following:
●Application process
●Verification process
●NA and CA eligibility requirements
A KF application may be emailed from DCS or a DCS licensed agency, a Tribal Court, or a Tribal Child Welfare Agency in Arizona, or turned in to FAA by the caretaker relative.
NOTE Not all children placed by DCS are in the legal custody of the State of Arizona. In emergencies, DCS may step in and find placement with a relative or non-related adult for a child who is not in DCS custody. This is done to keep the child from becoming a ward of the state. For treatment of these applications, see Kinship Care (KS) Child Only.
CA Applications Referred by DCS
The Department of Child Safety (DCS), a DCS licensed agency, a Tribal Court, or a Tribal Child Welfare Agency in Arizona may refer any of the following applications:
●Kinship Foster Care (KF) Application
●Kinship Foster Care (KF) - Child Only Application
●Legal Permanent Guardian (LPG)
The DCS Guardianship Subsidy Program provides a subsidy payment for children who are placed in the care of an LPG. The subsidy payment is considered as income of the child. All of the following apply:
●For CA, guardian subsidy payments are not countable as income.
●For NA, guardian subsidy payments are not countable as income when the child is not included in the NA budgetary unit.
Kinship Foster Care CA Referrals
Kinship Foster Care (KF) is the legal name of the foster care specified relative placement program administered by the Department of Child Safety (DCS). The KF program encourages the placement of children with caretaker relatives who meet all state child protection standards. For more information on the referral process, see DCS Fast Pass.
NOTE When a child under the jurisdiction of one of the following is placed with an unrelated adult, the unrelated adult becomes the child's caretaker relative:
●DCS
●Tribal Court in Arizona
●Tribal Welfare agency in Arizona
DCS staff or a DCS licensed agency is required to inform KF families of the other services for which they may be potentially eligible.
A KF child only case is a CA case in which the eligible dependent child is in the legal custody of DCS, a Tribal Court, or a Tribal Child Welfare Agency in Arizona. The child is placed in foster care with an unrelated adult or a nonparent relative, who is not requesting CA for themself. State Benefit Limit (STBL) and needy family criteria does not apply to a KF child only case.
When the KF child is placed in a home of a related or unrelated adult, the caretaker (specified) relative requirement is met. It is not required that the adult be a blood relative. This also applies to Legal Permanent Guardians.
NOTE When a child who is not in the custody of DCS, a Tribal court, or a Tribal child welfare agency is placed with a relative in unlicensed foster care, the child only case is considered a Kinship Care case. For more information on unlicensed foster care relative placements, see Kinship Care (KS) Child Only.
When the dependent child's parent or siblings are also living in the home, they are not considered part of the budgetary unit.
When the nonparent caretaker relative(g) does not have eligible minor children and chooses to be included in the child only CA case, the case is no longer a child only case. The case is processed in accordance with regular CA time frames and requirements, including the Personal Responsibility Agreement (PRA) eligibility requirements.
Procedures
NA Disaster Relief Referred Applications
For tracking purposes, a unique Referral Source Code is used for each federally declared disaster. The Referral Source Code is sent to staff with notification that the Disaster Nutrition Assistance Program has been approved by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). This Referral Source Code is only activated during a federally declared disaster.
Arizona Nutrition Assistance Outreach Program NA Referrals
Agencies, organizations, and other partners in the Arizona Nutrition Assistance Outreach Program (NA only) are marked with the Referral Source Code. The Referral Source Code is located in the upper right corner of the application, above the DATE STAMP box that identifies the Nutrition Assistance Outreach Program source.
SSI and NA Joint Applications
SSA staff may take an SSI new or renewal application over the telephone. An NA application may be taken at the same time when all participants receive SSI. This is considered a pure SSI application.
NOTE SSA does not accept an application from an SSI participant who requests NA benefits when not all participants in the case receive SSI. This is considered a Non - Pure SSI application.
SSA staff completes the interview and application. The application is then mailed to the participant to sign and return to either SSA or FAA. SSA sends any NA applications it receives to FAA.
On the day an NA application is received from SSA, FAA completes all of the following:
●Registers the application in AZTECS. The application date is the date received at SSA. Prorate benefits for the first month from this date.
●Screens the application to determine whether the participant meets eligibility for expedited services.
●Verifies that the participant does not have a pending application and is not receiving NA.
Request information or verification when needed. When the participant fails to provide verification, action may be taken on the day after the expiration of the 10 day request.
A resident of a public institution may apply for SSI and NA before release from the institution. When this occurs, the date of application is the date of release from the institution.
Participants applying for SSI and NA at SSA are exempt from work requirements until the participant’s SSI eligibility is determined.
SSA staff takes an SSI application while the patient is institutionalized in the Arizona State Hospital (ASH) and completes all of the following:
●An SSI Pre-Release Food Stamp Addendum (SSA-4140) form, NA application, and interview.
●Documents the word Pre-Release in large red letters across the top of the SSA-4140.
●Sends the SSA-4140, NA application, verification, and a copy of the informal notice of SSI eligibility or ineligibility from SSA to Research and Analysis Unit (R&A).
●Informs R&A when the participant's release date is known. SSA also informs FAA when the participant is not to be released as expected.
Once the NA application and SSI Pre-Release Food Stamp Addendum (SSA-4140) are received from SSA, R&A completes all of the following:
●Postpones registering the application until the date the participant is released from Arizona State Hospital (ASH).
●Places the unregistered application in a designated Pre-release Application folder.
●Gives the folder to the assigned worker.
SSA sends an advance notice of the participant's release. When this occurs, all of the following apply:
●Do not take action until the participant is released. Once released, register the application into AZTECS using the actual release date as the date of application.
●The assigned worker must complete the application process in AZTECS. Once completed, CARC the case to the correct FAA office based on the participant's residential ZIP Code.
Keep the application documents in the Pre-release Application folder for 12 months from the date SSA first completed them. This is equal to the amount of time SSA holds an SSI application.
Contact the SSA representative at ASH when the application has been unregistered for more than 12 months. Verify that the participant has not been released.
When SSA completes the interview, FAA cannot require the participant, or others in the NA case to make an office visit or complete a second interview.
Follow expedited procedures when the participant meets the requirements for expedited NA benefits.
Upon NA approval, complete all of the following:
●Contact the participant to explain change reporting requirements.
●Approve participants determined eligible under the SSI NA joint application procedures for 24 months.
●When a case is at the wrong FAA location, transfer the case only after an eligibility decision has been made.
SSA in Arizona are not required to notify FAA when SSI participants are approved or denied for benefits. SSI benefits may be verified by the State Verification Exchange System(g), which includes an interface with SSA.
CA Kinship Foster Care Child Only
Process the CA Kinship Foster Care child only application by including all of the following:
●Stamp the first page of the official FAA application with the KF/KS/LP stamp. Circle KF. When the KF/KS/LP stamp is not available, write KF on the application.
●Contact the participant within five calendar days of the application date to conduct the interview.
●For a DCS, Tribal Court, or a Tribal Child Welfare Agency referred application, relationship is considered verified.
●For a Kinship Foster Care application not referred by DCS, Tribal Court, or a Tribal Child Welfare Agency, use the official FAA application with the KF/KS/LP stamp received from DCS or the court order or minute entry as verification of relationship.
●Use the A1 Need Standard in the eligibility determination. Verification is not required.
●Complete the eligibility determination as soon as possible, but no later than 20 calendar days from the date the application is received by FAA.
●Advise the Kinship Foster Care participant to contact Community Information and Referral for other potential supportive services. (For contact information, see Community Information and Referral)
Verification
Program specific factors that affect the eligibility or benefit level of the budgetary unit are required to be verified before an eligibility determination can be completed.
An official FAA application with the KF/KS/LP stamp received from DCS, Tribal Court, or a Tribal Child Welfare Agency can be used as proof of relationship in a Foster Care Child Only case.
A court order or minute entry can be used as proof of relationship.
AZTECS Keying Procedures
Referral Source Code
The correct Referral Source Code indicating the referring agency must be keyed on RESE in order to track staffing and workload issues, time frames, and to meet state and federal reporting requirements. The purpose of RESE is to display and allow all of the following information to be keyed:
●Referring Agencies
●Date Arizona residency was established
●Young Adult Transitional Insurance (YATI) Indicator
●The case is a preservation or reunification when referred by DCS or a DCS licensed agency.
●To track NA Disaster Relief Referred Applications for each federally declared disaster.
●To identify NA applications referred from agencies, organizations, and other partners in the Arizona Nutrition Assistance Outreach Program.
NOTE NOTE These applications are marked with the Referral Source Code in the upper right corner, above the DATE STAMP box, indicating the NA Outreach Program source.
For CA applications, a participant may be required to cooperate with DCSS. For information on who is required to cooperate, see Cooperation with Child Support Services.
NA Disaster Relief Referred Application
For tracking purposes, a unique Referral Source Code is used for each federally declared disaster. The Referral Source Code is sent to staff with notification that the Disaster Nutrition Assistance Program has been approved by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).
When an NA application is received during a federally declared disaster, key in the REFERRAL SRC field the Referral Source Code instructed in the notification. This Referral Source Code is only activated during a federally declared disaster.
Arizona Nutrition Assistance Outreach Program Referrals
NA applications may be referred from agencies, organizations, and other partners in the Arizona Nutrition Assistance Outreach Program. These applications are marked with the Referral Source Code in the upper right corner, above the DATE STAMP box, indicating the Nutrition Assistance Outreach Program source.
When registering the application, key the Referral Source Code on REAP. When the Referral Source Code is not keyed at the time of registration, key the code on APMA or RESE.
Key one of the following Referral Source Codes to indicate the Arizona Nutrition Assistance Outreach Program source:
●CA for Arizona Community Action Association (ACAA)
●DM for Desert Mission Food Bank
●FB for Food Banks
●FC for FAA Benefits Unit
●FO for Faith-based Organizations
●GS for Grocery Stores and Retailers
●HF for Health Fairs
●IO for Immigrant Outreach Organization
●MW for Meals on Wheels
●PH for Community Assistance - Phoenix
●RC for Resource Center
●UW for United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona
●VA for Veterans' Administration
●W1 for FAA website
●W2 for ACAA website
SSI and NA Joint Applications
SSA may send a notice that the participant is not to be released from the institution. When this occurs, complete all of the following:
●Register the application.
●Deny the application on FSED, using the RI Denial Closure Reason Code. (See Residents of Institutions for NA)
Keep the application documents in the Pre-release Application folder for 12 months from the date SSA first completed them. This is equal to the amount of time SSA holds an SSI application.
Contact the SSA representative at ASH when the application has been unregistered for more than 12 months. Verify that the participant has not been released.
DCSS Cooperation
Applications for CA may include participants who are required to cooperate with DCSS. When this occurs, complete the DCSS requirements. Key all of the following Absent Parent (AP) screens:
●APSR
●APCR
●APPD
Kinship Foster Care
●Register the application for the programs requested by the applicant.
●The date of application is the date the application is received by FAA.
●On REAP, key KF in the REFERRAL SOURCE field.
For a KF Child Only application, the KF Referral Source Code must display next to the PI keyed OU in the PT field on SEPA, and next to the child for whom benefits are being requested.
When the REFERRAL SOURCE field is keyed on REAP, the Referral Source Code displays on RESE next to all participants. Remove the KF Referral Source Code on RESE that displays next to all participants not included in the Kinship Foster Care benefit, other than the PI.
When the Referral Source Code does not display on RESE, key the KF Referral Source Code on RESE next to the PI coded OU, and the child coded IN or BC in the PT field on SEPA.
Legal Authorities
7 CFR 273.2(k)(1)
AAC R6-12-102
AAC R6-12-203
AAC R6-12-306(A)(4)
AAC R6-12-309 - 310
A.R.S. § 35-148
TANF State Plan
PL 21-04 U.S.
last revised 04/15/2024