Assessment and Planning

1
Assessment and Planning

• Agency for Workforce Innovation
• August 2007

2
What is Assessment?

• According to the dictionary, assess means
• The act of appraising
• To determine value
• The collection of information

3
Assessment

• For the Welfare Transition program, assessments
  allow staff to make official evaluations based on
  information collected
• Information from assessments are used to
• Offer appropriate services
• Assign appropriate activities
• Develop a plan with the participant to guide
  him/her towards his/her goals

4
Assessment

• An assessment is not just a test, it is an
  ongoing process
• Assessments
• Are an introduction to the participant
• Help staff to learn about the participant
• Help the participant to get to know him/herself

5
Assessment

• Enable the participant to address needs,
  barriers and achieve goals
• Find the starting point for plan development
• Follow the participants progress for meeting
  goals

6
Assessment

• When should program applicants or participants be
  assessed
• The assessment process should begin
• With work registration, orientation or career
  specialist appointment
• Each time the case reopens
• Before entering certain activities
• Before being referred to an employer
• Etc.

7
Thinking Points

• When does the RWB require participants to
  complete the initial assessment?
• What is the regions initial assessment process?
• Are the results reviewed with the participant by
  a career specialist?
• Does the RWB require an assessment or
  employability review before entering job search,
  training or being referred to an employer?

8
Initial Assessment

• Federal law requires an initial assessment
• To be completed within 30 days of eligibility
  determination
• The 30 days is based on the date the OSST system
  creates a To-Do or an alert to the work program
• Or the date the driver was run for both mandatory
  participation and cash receipt

9
Initial Assessment

• The initial assessment is designed by the RWB or
  program provider and must include an assessment
  of the participants (45 CFR 261.11)
• Work history
• Employability
• Skills

10
Initial Assessment

• This information must be used
• To offer the right services or referrals to other
  agencies for services
• To engage the participant in the right activities
• To develop the Individual Responsibility Plan
  (IRP)
• To help guide the participant towards
  self-sufficiency

11
Initial Assessment

• The initial assessment process is developed
  locally and may include
• A series of tests
• A form
• An interview
• Or a combination of all of the above

12
Initial Assessment

• Think about which components of the initial
  assessment in your area secures the following
  information required under federal law?
• The participants skills
• The participants prior work experience
• The participants employability

13
Initial Assessment

• Why is it important for us to gather information
  about the participants skills, prior work
  experience and employability?

14
Skills

• Can (s)he read?
• Can (s)he run a register?
• Can (s)he speak English?
• Can (s)he type?
• Has (s)he ever used a computer?
• Does (s)he know how to answer a multi-line phone?
• What do (s)he sound like when (s)he answers the
  phone?

15
Skills

• Are program staff prepared to secure this
  information
• Skills may be offered by the participant, or
  staff may have to dig to get the information
• Skills may be found in
• Work history
• Job duties
• Education history
• Activities around the home
• Volunteer work

16
Why Does It Matter Anyway?

• Correctly referring the participant to the
  correct activity directly impacts participation
  and performance
• The participant is referred to an employer for a
  clerical position
• The participant interviews at a school that
  serves hundreds of customers (parents and
  children)
• The participant does not like children
• The participant has never worked a multi-line
  phone
• The participant can only type 10 WPM
• The participant has never learned to use a data
  entry system

17
Why Does It Matter Anyway?

• Will this participant be successful at the
  worksite or job?
• Will the participant accept the job?
• If the participant accepts the job, will (s)he
  remain employed for a long time?
• How will the employer feel about receiving an
  unqualified and inappropriate applicant from the
  Career Center?

18
Prior Work Experience

• The initial assessment must gather information
  about the participants prior work history and
  experience
• Has (s)he ever had a steady job (not as
  needed)?
• How long does (s)he usually stay employed?
• When is the last time (s)he worked?
• Why did (s)he leave?

19
Why Does It Matter Anyway?

• Work experience information directly impacts the
  participants ability to secure a job immediately
  and keep a job
• Work experience can also provide notification of
  trends regarding work behaviors
• Arguing with a supervisor
• Being tardy
• Being fired
• Promotions

20
Why Does It Matter Anyway?

• The participant has kept the last three jobs for
  longer than two years
• The participant was fired from the last three
  jobs for insubordination
• The participant has not been in the workplace in
  eight months
• Is job search appropriate for this customer? What
  about training or Work Experience?

21
Why Does It Matter Anyway?

• The participant has kept the last three jobs for
  longer than two years
• We should review his/her skills to see if (s)he
  can re-enter the workforce immediately
• The individual appears to have a steady work
  history that may positively impact his/her work
  search
• We should highlight his/her length of employment
  on applications and resumes

22
Why Does It Matter Anyway?

• The participant was fired from the last three
  jobs for insubordination
• The participant may need anger management and
  employability skills classes prior to a job
  referral or entry in to a job search program
• The participant has not been in the workplace in
  eight months
• The participant may need skills and work
  experience relevant to the current job market
  before entering the workplace or prior to entry
  in a job search program
• The participant does not have a current employer
  for his/her references. A Work Experience
  supervisor may be a good start

23
Employability

• Employability appears to be a very broad topic
• There are a lot of items that can meet the
  definition of employability
• The local operating procedures must identify
  those items that are relevant for the region and
  ensure that information is secured

24
Employability

• Can (s)he apply for a job and start today?
• Can (s)he enter in a job that she will keep?
• Can (s)he begin her career?
• What barriers are preventing him/her from
  working?
• Need for childcare
• Need for transportation assistance
• Inability to complete a job application
• Inability to provide a current and professional
  resume
• Need for interview skills
• Need for interview clothes
• Need for skills, license or certification

25
What Does It Matter Anyway?

• If we have not properly assessed barriers to
  employment or participation
• The participant will not show to his/her
  appointment or activity
• The participant will not complete hours in
  his/her activity
• The participation rate will be impacted
  negatively
• Most importantly, the participant will not reach
  his/her goals

26
What Does It Matter Anyway?

• His/her children get out of school every day at
  300 PM
• (S)he does not have childcare
• (S)he leaves her classes early every day to get
  his/her children
• (S)he completes only 25 hours per week
• (S)he does not get a satisfactory grade and does
  not progress to secure a certification

27
Initial Assessment

• Does staff know how to use this information to
• Develop a road map for the participant
• Assign activities
• Provide supportive services
• Remember, we are building a foundation for
  engagement

28
Using the Initial Assessment

• Identify needs
• Identify barriers
• Issues that would prevent the participant from
  meeting goals
• Issues that would prevent the participant from
  completing steps
• Need for childcare
• Unreliable transportation
• Money for gas or bus pass
• No clothing to interview in
• Mental health or substance abuse issues

29
Using the Initial Assessment

• Services
• Transportation
• Childcare
• Domestic violence counseling/shelter
• Clothing
• Counseling/Treatment

30
Using the Initial Assessment

• Identify skills and strengths
• Include this information on a resume
• Include this information on applications
• Use this information to connect to possible
  career opportunities
• Match participants to employers

31
Using the Initial Assessment

• Use this information to encourage further
  training
• Use this information to encourage work experience
  activities

32
Using the Initial Assessment

• Identify goals
• Employment goals
• Goals for earnings
• Help the customer identify what (s)he wants
• Home
• Car
• Money for holidays and birthdays

33
Using the Initial Assessment

• What does the participant want?
• Help him/her connect the career path to securing
  what (s)he wants
• Help him/her understand that (s)he can get what
  (s)he want by working with our program
• Help him/her plan a path towards career goals

34
Using the Initial Assessment

• Assign appropriate activities
• Connect the participant to an activity that will
  help him/her reach his/her goals
• Connecting the participant to an activity that
  helps him/her achieve career goals will directly
  impact his/her participation
• This is called buy-in
• Ensure the activities are appropriate based on
  skills, employability needs, etc.

35
What is an IRP?
36
What is an IRP?

• Individual Responsibility Plan (IRP) is designed
  with the participant
• To be a road map to reach goals
• To be a road map to reach wants
• To document the participants weekly requirements
  
• To document accountability on a regular basis

37
What is an IRP?

• The IRP can be a broad road map showing each
  major milestone towards the goal, but the IRP
  must also show
• The activities the participant is engaged in
• Hours the participant is required to complete
  each week for each activity
• Expected completion dates for each activity and
  each step
• These completion dates may be interim dates for
  turning in documentation or meeting with staff

38
What is an IRP?

• We recommend using the steps to self-sufficiency
  to document what the customer has agreed to do in
  a set period of time
• We can immediately hold the participant
  accountable for each success and failure
• The participant can see each requirement and how
  it moves him/her towards her goals

39
What is an IRP?

• IRP
• A complete IRP must be signed by both parties
  within 30 days of becoming eligible
• The complete signed IRP must include
• Services provided to the participant to overcome
  barriers to employment
• Steps the participant has to take to participate
  in the program
• Activities, training and alternative activities
  the participant is engaged in to reach
  self-sufficiency
• Number of hours assigned to each work and
  alternative activity
• Expected completion dates for each work or
  alternative activity

40
What is an IRP?

• The complete IRP must be developed with the
  participant
• The complete IRP must be agreed on and signed by
  both parties
• How often should the IRP be updated?

41
How Often Should the IRP be Updated?

• The entire IRP should be updated when the
  participant changes an activity or has another
  change regarding barriers, goals or life
  circumstances
• However, the step to self-sufficiency, may be
  updated more frequently
• Clear, written requirements that connect the
  participant to his/her wants, goals and path to
  self-sufficiency will lead to increased
  participation

42
Steps to Self-Sufficiency

• The steps to self-sufficiency is a critical
  component of the IRP
• Based on research and monitoring, the steps
  should be clear and concise requirements for the
  participant
• Provides written documentation of participation
  requirements
• Use the steps to hold the participant accountable
  for successes and failures

43
Steps to Self-Sufficiency

• General steps versus specific steps
• Participants need to learn the major benchmarks
  that demonstrate they are moving towards their
  goals
• Participants also need to know what to do on a
  daily basis to reach the major benchmarks

44
Frequent Statement

• My participant knows what to do. We talked about
  it at his/her appointment
• That is great. We should discuss with
  participants their activities and how it helps
  them reach their goals
• All of our lives are busy. Many of our
  participants are dealing with daily drama
• A written set of requirements reduces the
  likelihood of miscommunication and provides a
  notice or reminder to the participant

45
Steps to Self-Sufficiency

• This is a goal and major benchmark for success,
  but how does (s)he get a GED?
• Where does (s)he take classes?
• How does (s)he register?
• When are timesheets due?
• What steps does (s)he need to take to get a job?

• General
• Get GED
• Get a job
• Keep working
• Complete 40 hours per week
• Turn in proof of participation

46
Steps to Self-Sufficiency

• What does the participant have to do to complete
  40 hours each week
• What if classes are only 15 hours and (s)he
  completes unsupervised job search because (s)he
  was not directed to attend a program?
• Did (s)he really fail to comply?
• Or, did we fail to communicate what we really
  wanted?

• General
• Get GED
• Get a job
• Keep working
• Complete 40 hours per week
• Turn in proof of participation

47
Steps to Self-Sufficiency

• Be careful
• Do not assume that the participant understands
  exactly what is required
• Do not assume the participant will remember what
  (s)he is required to do

48
Just Remember

• Our participants are not concerned with the
  participation rate
• (S)he is focused on his/her wants, needs and
  goals
• We need to provide clear direction regarding
  participation
• We need to connect their activities with their
  goals

49
Steps to Self-Sufficiency

• General-get a GED
• Documents the first step with the participant
• Provides a clear deadline to secure a schedule
• Provides the number of hours required for each
  week
• Provides a requirement to start class and secure
  signed time sheets

• Specific
• Sign up for GED classes at XX school on June 1,
  2007
• Bring in GED schedule and instructors names for
  15 hours per week on June 15, 2007
• Attend GED classes 15 hours per week based on
  schedule and have time sheet signed by the
  teacher daily

50
Steps to Self-Sufficiency

• Steps to self-sufficiency should be
• Simple
• Clear
• Concise
• Steps should include
• What the participant is supposed to do for a
  specific period of time
• Activities
• Deadlines
• Return appointment
• When documentation is due

51
Steps to Self-Sufficiency

• Why are we now training for specific steps to
  self-sufficiency
• Monitoring results clearly showed
• Customers were unclear of daily requirements
• Customers did not connect daily requirements to
  general weekly participation requirements
  (complete 40 hours per week)
• Requirements the participant was sanctioned for
  could not be established during audit

52
Steps to Self-Sufficiency

• Allows for staff to hold participant accountable
  in writing
• Requires the steps to be updated on a frequent
  basis
• The RWB may opt to use the system or a locally
  developed form

53
System Break

• Lets review what we need to enter in OSST
• Lets review how to use OSST
• Lets review some examples

54
Needs and Barriers
We need to enter needs and barriers. Needs
and barriers provide very important
Information. Even if the region has a
locally developed IRP, please enter needs and
barriers in OSST.
55
Employment Goals
If the RWB uses the system IRP, please enter
employment goals.
56
Steps to Self-Sufficiency
Enter steps to self- sufficiency if the RWB uses
the system tool.
57
Steps to Self-Sufficiency

• The user can enter
• What the participant is required to do each day
• The number of hours the participant is required
  to engage in these activities
• The date the participant is expected to complete
  the activities, return documentation and return
  for a staff appointment

58
Steps to Self-Sufficiency

• The staff member (user) can
• Enter the text of the steps to self-sufficiency
• Order the steps to self-sufficiency by numbering
  them
• The system will only print the steps that are
  numbered (once saved)
• The system will enter a case note with the text
  of the numbered steps to self-sufficiency once
  the steps are printed

59
To add a step to self- sufficiency, select the
Add tab on the bottom of the Alternative
Plan screen
60
Enter the text of the steps. Ensure the
steps are short, clear and simple. Do not number
the step.
Select Save after each step is entered
61
Because we have not numbered the steps (s)he are
not in any specific order. This is the display
on the Plan Development screen.
62
To number the steps, select the IRP Wizard
link on the left menu.
63
This page allows you to select the elements that
will be included on the printed IRP. For a
complete IRP, select all required elements to
display. If you are just updating the steps to
self- sufficiency, the you can simply select the
last checkbox.
64
Number the steps. Use the numbers to place them
in the appropriate order. Select Save. The
system will refresh the page and put the steps in
order based on the numbering.
65
To print the document, select View to Print.
66
Only the numbered steps will display. The
participant and the staff member must sign the
IRP to demonstrate agreement.
When the participant returns, the staff member
can pull this signed IRP out of the file and
update the document by checking Yes or No
under the completed column. This process shows
the participant that (s)he will be held
accountable at each appointment.
67
To update the steps to self-sufficiency, first
enter the new steps. Select the Add tab at the
bottom of the screen.
68
Once the new steps are saved, the steps will
appear under the History of Steps to
Self-Sufficiency.
69
The user can also change the status of the steps
to display the steps as closed by selecting the
Open link.
70
Select Closed under the Status drop- down. Enter
a completion date. If it is not completed, the
staff can leave it open and check notcompleted
on the previously printed document. If it is
not completed but closed, the user can still
enter a completion date.
To put the steps in order, select the IRP
Wizard icon on the left hand menu.
71
If no other component is being updated, simply
select the last checkbox, Steps to Self
Sufficiency. Select Continue.
72
The display shows that the steps have been
completed, each on 7/6/2007. The status of the
first three steps is closed. The steps can be
renumbered to display only the new steps deleting
the numbers from the old steps and numbering
the new steps.
73
This display shows that the old steps can be
renumbered. Select Save so the OSST system
will retain the order of the steps.
74
This display shows the steps have been
renumbered and reordered once the screen
refreshed. The old steps were moved to the bottom
of the list. Select View to Print to print
the new steps. The customer will need to sign the
updated document to demonstrate agreement with
his/her plan.
75
Only the numbered steps will display on
the printed document. Once again, the
staff member can pull out the signed IRP at the
next appointment to update the Completed column.
76

• If you have any questions, comments or concerns,
  please contact the
• Welfare Transition Team
• through the
• Agency for Workforce Innovations
• Call Center
• 1-866-352-2345
• An equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary
  aids and services are available upon request to
  individuals with disabilities. All voice
  telephone numbers on this document may be reached
  by persons using TTY/TDD equipment via the
  Florida Relay Service at 711.