Summary (159.12 KB)
All SNAP state agencies are required to operate SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) and have considerable flexibility in the design of their programs. One of FNS’s priorities is to strengthen SNAP E&T by helping SNAP agencies serve more SNAP participants with high-quality services.
The Rapid Cycle Evaluation project provided interested states the opportunity to test small scale operational changes for improving program operations and delivery. Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Rhode Island participated in developing and rigorously evaluating site-specific interventions. Detailed findings are presented in the site-specific reports, and overall findings are summarized below.
Key Findings Across Interventions
- All interventions incorporated text messaging to increase program enrollment, remind SNAP E&T participants about appointments or facilitate referrals to services.
- Although enrollment in SNAP E&T remained very low, use of text messages appeared to increase enrollment in some interventions.
- Participant-driven assessments can help case managers better match SNAP participants with services and SNAP E&T providers offering program activities and services that meet their goals.
- The seven interventions provided numerous lessons for future initiatives for improving enrollment and engagement in SNAP E&T.
Cross-site takeaways on text messaging, participant assessments, and barriers to participation are presented in the practitioner briefs.