1. (a)

   1. (1) Diversion Assistance is intended to help a family through a financial problem that jeopardizes employment and that, if not solved, could result in the family requiring regular ongoing cash assistance.
   2. (2) Diversion Assistance is a replacement for, not a supplement to, regular assistance.

2. (b)

   1. (1) Diversion Assistance is a one-time payment to or on behalf of the family that will resolve a financial problem so that the adult can maintain or obtain employment.
   2. (2) Diversion Assistance is only available to an adult once during their lifetime.

3. (c) The eligibility requirements for Diversion Assistance are as follows:

   1. (1) A minor child must live in the home;
   2. (2) The adult has never received a Diversion Assistance payment;
   3. (3) The Diversion Assistance amount will alleviate the crisis;

   4. (4) The adult:

      1. (A) Is currently employed but having a problem that jeopardizes the employment; or
      2. (B) Has been promised a job but needs help in order to accept the job, for example, they need car repairs or uniforms; and

   5. (5) The adult:

      1. (A) Agrees to forego regular transitional employment assistance (TEA) cash assistance for a period of one hundred (100) days from the date of application; and
      2. (B) Signs a Diversion Assistance Agreement, DCO-182, to that effect.

4. (d)

   1. (1) The regular TEA income and resource requirements do not have to be verified and established.
   2. (2) If the family’s resources are obviously over the resource limit, then Diversion Assistance will not be authorized.

5. (e)

   1. (1)

      1. (A) The Diversion Assistance payment will be the actual amount needed in order to resolve the crisis for up to a maximum of three (3) months of maximum grant payments for the household.
      2. (B) For example, a household of three (3) = two hundred four dollars ($204) x three (3) months = six hundred twelve dollars ($612) maximum diversion payment.
   2. (2) If the amount needed to resolve the problem is more than the maximum payment, and there are no other resources available to assist with the cost, it will be determined whether the maximum will alleviate the crisis in any way.
   3. (3) If not, the payment will not be authorized.

6. (f)

   1. (1) Under Arkansas state law, a Diversion Assistance payment is a loan that the client should repay to the State of Arkansas when able to do so.
   2. (2) Repayment, though, does not entitle the individual to another Diversion Assistance payment in the future.

7. (g)

   1. (1) A Diversion Assistance payment counts as a TEA month or months for purposes of the twelve-month time limit, if the adult later applies for TEA assistance, unless the payment has been repaid.
   2. (2) If not repaid, the diversion payment counts for up to three (3) months of the time limit, based on the amount of the diversion payment, divided by the maximum grant for the family size.
   3. (3) The number of months will be rounded up to the next higher number.
   4. (4) See 20 CAR § 502-309.
8. (h) Note. If the client requests to apply for Diversion Assistance, the client will be referred to the TEA case management unit.

Codification Notes: This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules provided as follows: “04/01/24”