How do I configure my TEFAP program?

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a federal program that helps supplement the diets of low-income Americans, including elderly people, by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost. Through TEFAP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) purchases a variety of nutritious, high-quality USDA Foods, and makes those foods available to state distributing agencies.

This article will explore the customizable settings in Link2Feed that can be adjusted to align with State Requirements for TEFAP.

For detailed information on standard program settings applicable to your TEFAP program, please refer to this guide.

To modify any of the settings mentioned in this article, you must be logged in as a Network Admin at the Network level.

Looking for more information on how these settings appear in the TEFAP tab? Click here for a detailed explanation. Additionally, to support your intake workers in recording visits effectively, we've prepared two resource documents at the bottom of this article, one focused on screening and the other without. Please share these with your intake staff to ensure they have the steps they need to follow on hand.

This article covers the following topics: 

• TEFAP Visit Frequency
• Operational Options
• State-Specific Options
  
  • TEFAP Options
  • Income Guidelines
  • Signature Options 

TEFAP Visit Frequency

As of the update on September 12, 2024, we have made the following changes to the State-Specific Options at the Network level:

• Removed the options:
  • Restrict TEFAP Visits in Same Month by Agency
  • Restrict TEFAP Visits in Same Month by Network

These options have been incorporated into the Visit Options section under Visit Frequency. This update provides enhanced flexibility, similar to the customization available for pantry and generic programs. You can now set visit limits both network-wide and for individual agencies.

A key difference with this new visit frequency feature is that it allows you to configure the frequency settings solely at the Network level. You can also choose whether the visit threshold applies across the entire Network or individually at each agency.

How to Enable Custom TEFAP Visit Frequency

1. Log in at the Network level.
2. Select Administration from the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Choose Network Programs.
4. Click the orange edit button next to the TEFAP program you wish to configure.
5. Navigate to Visit Options and expand this section by clicking the blue box.
6. If not already selected, check Visit Frequency.
7. Specify the number of visits allowed per set interval (day, week, month, year).
8. You can also check off Enforce Visit Frequency if you would not wish for this to be able to be bypassed. 
9. Check off the disclaimer.
10. Click Save to apply your changes.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Will the existing settings for "Restrict TEFAP Visits in Same Month by Agency or Network" be preserved after this update?
   Yes, these settings will be migrated to the Visit Options section under Visit Frequency.

2. Can I set different visit frequencies for multiple TEFAP programs?
   Yes, it is possible. Please contact support for assistance with adding a secondary TEFAP program. Once added, you can set different visit frequencies for each TEFAP program at the Network level.

Operational Options 

One of the key features of the program is the Operational Options section, which follows the standard settings. This section allows you to customize your program to meet the specific requirements of your state, going beyond the standard income guidelines. You will see the following settings which can be checked off as required.

Eligibility by City
Eligibility by County
Eligibility by State
Restrict Anonymous Visits

Specifically, you can use this section to:

• Specify program eligibility by city, county, or state to align with local regulations and standards
• Restrict Anonymous Visits: Require clients to identify themselves before participating in your program, adding an extra layer of security and control.

By leveraging these customization options, you can ensure that your program is compliant with all relevant state regulations and effectively serves the needs of your clients.

Cities and counties would need to be added as list options within Administration > Lists before being able to designate the eligibility above.

Before you can designate eligibility based on cities and counties, you'll need to add them as list options within Administration > Lists. It's important to note that these settings are initially disabled. To enable them for each TEFAP program, you'll need to do so individually.

State-Specific Options

Within State-Specific Options you will be able to specify any specific states your organization provides TEFAP through as well as set various settings on a state-by-state basis.

TEFAP Options

Upon adding a state, you'll notice that the settings are organized into distinct sections, with TEFAP Options being the first.

Within the TEFAP Options section, you'll find the following configurable settings for each state, allowing you to tailor your implementation to meet specific requirements and needs:

Setting name	Description
Other Signatory	Allow a signatory other than those listed on the TEFAP tab to sign for a TEFAP visit.
TEFAP Screening	Track TEFAP screening feature for all sites that have a TEFAP program.
TEFAP Screening Certify with Exception	This setting allows you to comply to any state requirements surrounding the TEFAP screening tool and requiring an option for crisis eligibility. If a client is screened for TEFAP and is ineligible based on their household income or social program participation an exception option will appear.
TEFAP Screening Exception Message	TEFAP Screening Certify with Exception setting must be checked off for this to appear. When this is enabled the following message appears by default but can be customized, this will be followed by a text box to input an Exception Reason: "This client appears to be ineligible for TEFAP based on their household income and their social program participation. They may be eligible due to a household crisis. If household is eligible for household crisis food needs, document reason for crisis here. "
TEFAP Screening Requirements	Only appears with TEFAP screening is selected. Provides a list of fields to be displayed for TEFAP screening. Options available to display for TEFAP screening feature: Last Name, First Name, Address Line 1, Address Line 2, City, County, State, Zipcode, Household Size, Household Social Program, Household Monthly Income, Proof of ID, Proxy, Proxy Address, Certification, Eligible Script, Ineligible Script.
TEFAP Screening Eligible Script	Only appears with TEFAP screening is selected. Allows you to include a script that is displayed when a client is eligible through TEFAP screening.
TEFAP Screening Ineligible Script	Only appears with TEFAP screening is selected. Allows you to include a script that is displayed when a client is ineligible through TEFAP screening.
TEFAP Household Social Program Eligibility	Allows you to restrict TEFAP visits to be recorded only for clients who access specific household social programs. TEFAP Social Program Eligibility Options (1 Person Household) - this selection is only applicable to households of 1. TEFAP Social Program Eligibility Options (2+ Person Household) - this selection is only applicable to households of more than 1.
TEFAP Tab	Allows you to enable the TEFAP tab for all sites that have a TEFAP program as well as customize the options that appear within this tab.
TEFAP Proxy	Only appears if TEFAP tab is enabled. Track the name(s) of proxies on the TEFAP tab who are allowed to sign for that client's TEFAP visit.
TEFAP Proxy Address	Only appears if TEFAP tab is enabled. Track the "Proxy Address" on the TEFAP tab.
TEFAP Certification/Recertification Disclaimer	Only appears if TEFAP tab is enabled. Track disclaimer for TEFAP Certification/Recertification. When selected a box will appear to enter the disclaimer message.
TEFAP Recertification Period	Only appears if TEFAP tab is enabled and TEFAP Certification/Recertification Disclaimer is enabled. Allows you to choose how you would like to track recertification periods. Two options are displayed: Every X months: Allows you to specify a number of months before a client will need to re-certify. Calendar months: Specify the calendar months clients will need to re-certify in.
Recertification Due On	Only appears if TEFAP tab is enabled and TEFAP Certification/Recertification Disclaimer is enabled. Allows you to specify whether the recertification will be due on the exact date specified for the recertification period or at the start of the month following the end of the recertification period.
Certify with Exception	Only appears if TEFAP tab is enabled. Allows the client to certify even if they don't meet all the requirements.
Restrict TEFAP by Eligibility Without Certifications	Require a valid certification to record a TEFAP visit.
Proof of ID	Allows you to add a checkbox to the TEFAP tab to track proof of id.
Double Distribution	Allow the organization to record a visit for both this month and the next in one entry.

Income Guidelines 

This section allows you to enter the income amount per household size this can be updated as needed from within the Network program settings. 

Signature Options

You can add a signature option if required and format your disclaimer within this section. You will also have the ability to choose your preferred allowed eSignature styles for the program here on a state-by-state basis. 

There is a new option which is presently on our test site, which allows you to simply state that a disclaimer was presented rather than asking for a signature. This has been added to ensure that organizations in states that are not required to collect applicant signatures remain compliant.