Programs and Services for Individuals and
Families
Ohio Works First (TANF)
Ohio Works First (OWF) serves as Ohio's
public
assistance program, in compliance with the federal program known as
Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). This program replaced the
former
ADC and AFDC programs in 1997. OWF eligibility is based solely on
income . However, only families with at least one child
under the age of 18 in the household are
eligible for assistance.
OWF serves as a temporary support
system
designed to emphasize employment and family self-sufficiency through
programs
and services to unemployed and/or low income families. While
receiving
cash benefits, adult family members search for jobs, attend training
for
future jobs, participate in volunteer work programs, an/or finish a
high
school or vocational degree.
Each OWF assistance group must complete
a self-sufficiency contract that outlines the responsibilities of the
family
in seeking employment and self-sufficiency. The contract also
clarifies
the role of Licking County Department of Job & Family Services
(LCDJFS)
in assisting families with reaching their goals and establishes
consequences
for noncompliance.
OWF families qualify for all or most of
the supportive services offered through LCDJFS. Families must
attain
self-sufficiency by the time they have received 36 months of benefits
or risk losing those benefits and support services.
To assist in job maintenance and
retention
after an adult family member has found employment, LCDJFS continues to
provide support services to families as they transition to
self-sufficiency.
Since the implementation of OWF,
Licking
County has seen a significant increase in the number of families moving
from public assistance to self-sufficiency. Through the OWF
Program the LCDJFS is able to utilize more time and resources to assist
low income, working families in maintaining employment, obtaining
greater
employment opportunities and enhancing
Family Self-Sufficiency.
DFA-Disability
Assistance
The DA program provides cash and/or
medical
assistance to individuals considered disabled due to a physical
or mental impairment. Income and resource
limits
also apply.
The disability must be medically proven
to have lasted (or will last) at least 9 months. The determination of
disability
is made by a special unit at the Ohio Department of Job & Family
Services.
Disabled persons on this program must apply for Supplemental
Security
Income (SSI) at the Social Security Administration.
Other factors affecting DA eligibility
are:
- residency in the county of
application
- citizenship
- resources
- independent living arrangement
(not in
jail,
institution, etc.)
- have not voluntarily terminated
employment
(without good cause) within the last 30 days.
Food Stamps 
The Federal Food Stamp Program provides
monthly
food benefits to low income households or individuals to increase their
food purchasing power. The programs goal is to promote better health
and
nutrition.
Ohio utilizes the Electronic Benefits
Transfer
(EBT) Program to administer food stamp distribution. Eligible
families
receive an electronic card with a dollar credit equal to the
monthly benefits based on family income, family size, and other
eligibility
criteria. Families/individuals use the EBT card at participating
stores. The family/individual is able to add credit to the card
each
month for basic food items to support the household.
Food Stamps cannot be used to
buy:
- Alcoholic Beverages, tobacco and
cigarettes,
vitamins and medicines
- Pet Foods
- Paper products
- Household supplies
- Any other non-food items
To find out more information regarding
the Food Stamp program or food stamp eligibility, contact LCDJFS at
(740) 670-8999 or 1-888-895-2790.
FNS/USDA
Non-discrimination Statement
Medicaid
Medicaid provides medical insurance
coverage
to low income people age 65 or over, blind, disabled, pregnant or
members of
families
with dependent children. There are many types of Medicaid, including:
- Medicaid for aged (65 or over),
blind,
or
disabled people
- Healthy Start/Healthy Families
Medicaid, for
income eligible pregnant women, children and families
- Nursing Home Medicaid, with
special
rules
for people in nursing homes
- Waiver Medicaid, with in-home
nursing
assistance
and other services to elderly or disabled people who would otherwise be
in a nursing home
For information
regarding Medicaid
programs
in Ohio including Managed Care Plans and citizenship requirements,
visit Office
of Medicaid
Managed
Care
Licking County recipients of Healthy
Start/Healthy Families Medicaid must enroll with one of three (3)
Managed Care Plans: Anthem, Care Source or Molina. Certain
recipients of Medicaid for aged, blind or disabled people must also
enroll in a Managed Care Plan beginning in April, 2007.
Citizenship
Effective September 25, 2006, all
recipients of any type of Medicaid are required to prove U. S.
citizenship by providing certified proof of birth plus proof of
identity
At
Risk Pregnancy Services (ARPS)
For pregnant women...
If you are pregnant and need prenatal
care,
or know someone who is pregnant and needing prenatal care, contact the
LCDJFS---we have a program that provides support and health related
services.
If you have a health problem that goes untreated, that health problem
may
affect your unborn baby. The healthier you are, the more likely
you
are to have a healthy baby.
The At-Risk Pregnancy Services Program
was developed to reduce the incidence of pre-term delivery, low birth
weight
babies, and other poor birth outcomes for the Medicaid population. Once
a Medicaid eligible pregnant woman is diagnosed as being at-risk, she
is
eligible for additional services from her Doctor. These Services
include
extensive pregnancy counseling and education, nutrition counseling, and
care coordination (medical case management). The local Department of
Job
& Family Services may also provide or arrange transportation
services.
Healthchek 
Healthchek is a preventive Health
Care
Program for Newborns, Children, and Teens. Children eligible for
Healthchek
services through Medicaid may receive free physical exams as well as
dental,
vision, and hearing services.
For newborns...
Newborns should have six preventive health
checkups by age one, and two more checkups between one to two years of
age. Those checkups will also make sure your child receives all
of
the shots he/she needs. Shots prevent illnesses that cause pain,
fever, rashes, cough, sore throats, hearing loss, blindness, crippling,
brain damage -- even death.
For children & teens...
From age two and up, your child should
have
a preventive Healthchek exam once a year. Healthchek services are
also important for teenagers--adolescence is a time of rapid change and
growth in the body. The Healthchek screening may serve as a
sports
physical.
LCDJFS can assist you by providing
names
of doctors and dentists, strategies for scheduling appointments, and
transportation
to those appointments.
If you are interested in Healthchek,
contact
LCDJFS at (740) 670-8824. Eligibility is based on income and
need.
If you think you might be eligible, you can complete the Healthchek and
pregnancy services assessment form (provided by LCDJFS) and return it
to
us. If you are eligible for Healthchek services through Medicaid,
we will contact you and arrange for services.
Non-Emergency Transportation (NET)
The NET Program assists eligible Medicaid
individuals in need of transportation for medical services.
These must be for Medicaid covered services within the recipient's
community,
or services provided through contracts with outside providers.
Transportation must be arranged in advance.
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