3220 Residents of Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers

Georgia State Seal

Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
SNAP Policy Manual

Policy Title:

Residents of Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers

Effective Date:

September 2019

Chapter:

3200

Policy Number:

3220

Previous Policy Number(s):

MT-41

Updated or Reviewed in MT:

MT-55

Requirements

Individuals who live in a drug or alcohol treatment facility and who regularly participate in a treatment program may be eligible for food stamp benefits through an authorized representative.

Basic Considerations

Refer to 3205 Assistance Units for policy regarding non-resident participants of drug addition or alcohol treatment programs.

Resident Eligibility

A resident(s) of a treatment facility must take the following steps in order to be eligible for benefits:

  • have an employee of the center or organization that operates the center serve as authorized representative. An authorized representative applies for and receives benefits on behalf of the resident;

    If the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) disqualifies the authorized representative who is an employee of the center as an authorized retailer, DFCS must suspend the employee’s authorized representative status for the same period of time. The residents may continue to be eligible for benefits.

  • apply as an assistance unit of one or an assistance unit which includes the resident and his/her children who live with the resident at the treatment facility. Spouses cannot be included.

  • meet all non-financial and financial eligibility criteria; determine the work registration status of the resident as exempt due to unfitness of employment. Children must register for work, if mandatory.

  • regularly participate in the treatment program.

The resident(s) has the same rights and responsibilities as all other FS recipients.

Facility Eligibility

Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers such as Private Non-Profit Organizations, Faith Based and Community Organizations, or Publicly Operated Community Health Centers are certified to operate as drug and alcohol treatment centers if they operate to provide drug and alcohol treatment services that can lead to the rehabilitation of drug addicts and/or alcoholics under part B of Title XIX of the Public Health Service Act.

In Georgia, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), Division of Addictive Diseases (DAD) is the title XIX agency responsible for determining whether a community or faith-based organization is operating for the purposes of providing drug and alcohol treatment services under part B of Title XIX.

To obtain certification to operate as a drug and alcohol treatment center, the facility must provide evidence that it is tax exempt and must contact the following agency:

  • The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), Division of Addictive Diseases (DAD), which provides licenses/certifications for both drug and alcohol treatment programs.

    See contact information on the next page.

To obtain drug abuse treatment and education program services, contact, the Department of Community Health (DCH), Healthcare Facility Regulation (HFR).

In order for the resident to be eligible for benefits, the organization or facility must meet one of the following criteria:

  • Become an authorized retailer through the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). An authorized retailer is a retailer that has been approved by FNS to accept government benefits electronically by an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card to pay for food. An authorized retailer is issued a Food Stamp Program Authorization Permit once it has been licensed by FNS to operate as a retailer or meal service provider.

    For information on how to become a meal service provider, go to the FNS website at www.fns.usda.gov or contact:

    USDA, Food and Nutrition Service
    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
    Atlanta Field Office
    61 Forsyth Street, Suite 8T36
    Atlanta, Georgia 30303
    Phone: (404) 562-2098

    OR

  • Is a licensed tax-exempt organization and provides certification or approval to operate as a drug and/or alcohol treatment facility by DCH/HFR or DBHDD/DAD as defined by Food Stamp Program regulations.

    OR

  • Is an unlicensed tax-exempt organization and provides a statement of acknowledgement as a drug and alcohol treatment facility as defined by Food Stamp Program regulations by the Department of Human Services.

For assistance with drug and alcohol treatment centers contact DBHDD/DAD:

Division of Addictive Diseases
2 Peachtree Street
Suite 22-283
Atlanta, Georgia 30303-3167
(404) 657-2331

For assistance with drug abuse treatment and education programs, contact DCH/HRF:

Health Facility Regulation Division
2 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
(404)-657-5700 or (404) 656-4507

Procedures for drug and alcohol treatment facilities that are FNS authorized retailers.

  1. Provide the local DFCS office with a copy of the FNS Food Stamp Program Authorization Permit as proof of authorized status. FNS authorization is required if the treatment center accepts food stamps benefits from residents in exchange for meals and purchases food from wholesalers.

  2. Be assigned a seven-digit Food Stamp Program authorization number, if approved by FNS. The authorization number is electronically transmitted to the (EBT) contractor.

  3. Be provided with instructions to obtain a point of sale (POS) device, to set up EBT accounts for transactions and other information. If the center is authorized by FNS to purchase food from a wholesaler, the residents' benefits are transferred to the treatment center’s bank account.

For information on how to obtain POS Services, contact:

Division of Family and Children Services
Office of Family Independence EBT Unit
2 Peachtree Street, Suite 21-242
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Phone: (404) 657-7696 or (404) 657-3782
Email: ebt@dhs.ga.gov

Procedures for drug and alcohol treatment facilities that are not FNS authorized retailers:

  1. Provide the local DFCS office with verification of tax-exempt status.

  2. Provide certification from DCH/HFR or DBHDD/DAD.

  3. Designate an employee to act as the authorized representative who must comply with all program requirements on behalf of the residents. The authorized representative receives the resident’s EBT card and personal identification number (PIN). The EBT card and PIN are used to access the resident’s benefits. When the AU leaves the center, the employee cannot continue to serve as the authorized representative.

  4. Maintain a monthly listing of residents who receive food stamps including dates of arrival and departure. The listings are made available for review by county DFCS staff that makes random periodic on-site visits to the center.

  5. Return the EBT card to the resident upon the departure of the resident from the center. The authorized representative advises the resident to report a change of address to DFCS and to change his/her PIN. If the resident leaves the EBT card, the authorized representative must return it to DFCS.

  6. Be responsible for any IPV resulting from information knowingly misrepresented on behalf of the AU.

When the AU leaves the center, the following policies are applicable:

  • If the AU leaves the center at any time and no portion of the monthly allotment has been spent, the full monthly allotment is returned to the AU.

  • If the AU leaves the center on or before the 15th of the month, one-half of the monthly allotment must remain in the EBT account.

  • If the AU leaves the center on or after the 16th of the month, any remaining portion of the monthly allotment must remain in the EBT account.

Special Considerations

The following procedures are for non-addicted family members (other than the addict’s children or spouse) who, due to the stipulations of the treatment plan, are enrolled and housed with the addicted AU member at the treatment center.

  • Approve the resident addict/alcoholic as a one-person AU through the use of an authorized representative.

  • If the center provides meals to the non-addicted family members, deny participation as residents of an institution.

  • If the non-addicted family members purchase and prepare their own food apart from meals prepared by the center, process an application for the non-addicted members (excluding the addicted family member from the AU).

  • Assign and appropriate POE, not the exceed the estimated length of stay at the treatment center.

The following procedures are for the addict’s children (biological, adopted, or step) and the addict’s spouse who live with the addicted AU member at the treatment center.

  • Include the children and/or the spouse in the resident addict/alcoholic’s AU.

  • Assign an appropriate period of eligibility not to exceed the estimated length of stay at the treatment center.

A Food Stamp case is transferred from county to county when the head of the AU who is a TANF recipient moves to or from the drug or alcohol treatment facility.