The Welfare Peer Technical Assistance (TA) Network is interested to learn about promising practices regarding what services States are providing to support individuals with developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, or mental health issues in finding and retaining employment. Any answers you could provide would be helpful.

The state of Iowa wants to find out how other States manage large caseloads while dealing with specific and different eligibility requirements/guidelines for Federal programs. How are regulatory differences in resources and income eligibility for TANF, Food Stamps and Medicaid are merged? Please share how you are successful in identifying barriers to providing seamless services.

The State of Iowa would like to know of any States that are currently using any particular assessment tool for TANF participants? Do States have "best practices" or "best assessment tools" that they are willing to share?

Have any states developed a program where they issue monetary bonuses to TANF individuals who retain employment for a designated period of time? If so, please describe the program. Also, please share what you have learned about the effectiveness of such programs, and please share what helped make your program successful and what pitfalls to look out for when developing a program. Thank you!

New Jersey is seeking information on other States' processes/policies for determining temporary or permanent medical exemptions from the TANF work requirement. In other States, who makes the medical exemption determination (i.e., the agency worker or a doctor?)? Also, is there a State review of decisions? Thank you very much for any information you can provide.

Are there any States that have developed videos on the services provided by a child support agency (focusing on both custodial and noncustodial parents) for viewing in the waiting areas of the child support office? If so, would you please provide a brief description of the video content and a contact person with phone/e-mail address for follow-up? Thanks very much.

I am looking for details on the TANF Work participation waivers for the states of Ohio, Indiana and Massachusetts that they had for Federal FY 2002 or any current year. I would also like to find out what types of activities these states count towards their participation rates.

Colorado is requesting assistance in researching what legal issues have come up across the country regarding religious beliefs and TANF work requirements. The state has a new applicant family (two parent family) for Colorado Works that is Sunni Muslim. Their belief is that the woman should not work outside the home and her responsibility is to care for the children and home. Colorado would like to know if other states have had issues in this area (without regard to a particular religion), but with any religious beliefs and what the result has been, including how states have handled such cases. Have there been lawsuits and if so, what is the decision of the court?

A Region IX state is seeking examples of States that have provided or referred recipients exiting cash assistance with/to enhanced Child Support Enforcement services. These cases may be those leaving assistance due to earned income or time-expiration. Please provide a name and contact number, and additional details would be greatly appreciated.

Are there any States that have eliminated or modified the welfare ban on drug-related felonies that can find and share any previous fact sheets or testimony they used to successfully "opt out" or amend the ban to be more lenient?