Understanding CalWORKs - California Center for Research on ...

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<strong>CalWORKs</strong> Employment Services<strong>CalWORKs</strong> employment services include the following:1. orientation, appraisal, and job search;2. assessment and development of the Welfare-to-Work plan;3. support and monitoring of participation inWTW activities; and4. reappraisal and assignment to new activities.1. Orientation, Appraisal, and Job SearchOrientation and appraisal are the initial activities <strong>for</strong> all<strong>CalWORKs</strong> WTW participants.Orientation acquaints participants with the WTWprocess and provides in<strong>for</strong>mation regarding eachparticipant’s rights and responsibilities.Appraisal involves a face-to-face meeting between theparticipant and a caseworker to discuss the participant’seducation, employment history, and job skills. Duringthis time, the caseworker and participant identifysupportive services needs (like child care ortransportation) that will help the participant with theirjob search, and they develop a plan <strong>for</strong> providing andaccessing the services.Following appraisal, most <strong>CalWORKs</strong> participants areassigned to job search – unless they are exempt(see page 12), already enrolled in a self-initiated trainingor education program (SIP) (see textbox), or alreadyworking enough hours to meet WTW requirements.Job search/job readiness offers participants employmentservices to help them search <strong>for</strong> and obtain a job.Typically a structured group process to help welfarerecipients find a job, job search is intended to motivateand educate participants, many of whom have limited orno successful employment experience. Job search caninclude training and support <strong>for</strong> resumé writing, basicjob search skills, in<strong>for</strong>mation on completing jobapplications, mock interviews, and other activities thatprepare participants <strong>for</strong> the job market.The job search phase can last up to 120 or 180 hours ina calendar year, but may be shorter if the participantobtains a job. The county can also extend the jobsearch phase.When serious barriers to employment (e.g., very poorliteracy or language skills, substance abuse, or mentalhealth conditions) are discovered during the appraisal orjob search stage, the county can move the participantdirectly into one of the next two components describedbelow. Advancing a participant to the next phaseSelf-Initiated ProgramsSome <strong>CalWORKs</strong> participants find education andtraining programs on their own and are enrolled in theprogram prior to the appraisal appointment. Theseprograms, called Self-Initiated Programs (SIPs), aretypically at a community college, adult school, orvocational school, but may also be at a four-year collegeor university. State law grants SIP recipients up to thefull 60 months of <strong>CalWORKs</strong> to finish an educationalprogram. The program must result in a degree orcertificate and lead to employment.The time spent in an individual SIP counts towardsrequired hours of WTW activities. Recipients mustparticipate in the educational program at least 32 hoursper week. If their classroom, lab, and supervised studytime do not total 32 hours, the participant will be sentto “assessment,” and a WTW plan will be developed <strong>for</strong>the remaining hours. Non-credit study time may notcount <strong>for</strong> state participation hours, though it is federallycountable within certain limits.As of October 2009, 6.4 percent of <strong>CalWORKs</strong>recipients who were participating in WTW activitieswere in Self-Initiated Programs.Source: <strong>Cali<strong>for</strong>nia</strong> Department of Social Services. <strong>CalWORKs</strong> Welfare-To-Work Monthly Activity Report. Two-Parent Families and All (Other)Families. Released December 24, 2009. Retrieved at: http://www/dss/cahwnet.gov/research/PG292.htm and http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/research/PG291.htmprovides them with access to educational programs, suchas English language classes and treatment programs orother services that can increase the participant’s chancesof getting and keeping a job.2. Assessment and Developing the WTW PlanFor participants who do not find a job during job search,state law requires an in-depth assessment, which is a moreintensive analysis of the client’s work history, skills, andneeds than occurs in the appraisal. The assessmentidentifies conditions that might limit a participant’sability to undertake job search activities or to work. Theassessment also identifies the need <strong>for</strong> education, training,or other services to prepare the client <strong>for</strong> the work<strong>for</strong>ce.The assessment may be conducted by a contractedspecialist or by a caseworker. The results of thisassessment are used to develop a written WTW plan.The WTW plan is essentially a contract between theparticipant and the county that outlines the activities theparticipant is expected to complete over the comingmonths to meet hourly participation requirements.22 www.ccrwf.org
Plans include:• activities and services that will move the participantinto employment and toward self-sufficiency;• core and non-core activities, with at least one coreactivity <strong>for</strong> the required minimum hours and nominimum hours <strong>for</strong> volunteers (see textbox,page 21);• education or job skills directly related toemployment, when necessary;• needed supportive services (e.g., transportation, childcare, payment of ancillary expenses); and• school attendance requirements <strong>for</strong> children.3. Support and Monitoring of Participationin WTW Activities<strong>CalWORKs</strong> caseworkers support and monitorparticipants’ progress in completing the work activitiesthat are part of their WTW plan and ensure thatappropriate supportive services are provided.4. ReappraisalThe county is required to conduct a reappraisal when aparticipant does not obtain unsubsidized employmentupon completion of all the activities identified in theWTW plan. During the reappraisal, the county evaluatesany extenuating circumstances (e.g., a community’s lackof jobs due to the recession, or parenting issues thatrequire a parenting education class) that might haveprevented the participant from obtaining employment.The caseworker then works with the participant todetermine the next set of appropriate activities and todevelop a new WTW plan.If it is determined that there were no extenuatingcircumstances, the WTW activities will continue to focuson work experience, subsidized or unsubsidizedemployment, education or job skills training directlyrelated to employment, and/or mental health, substanceabuse, and/or domestic abuse services.Community ServiceCommunity service is allowed, in some circumstances, as atemporary and transitional training activity and must be inthe public or nonprofit sector. Community service activitiesmust be designed to help a participant develop basic jobskills that can lead to employment. Community service isalso an allowable work activity <strong>for</strong> recipients who cannotfind employment.Participants in community service must meet the hourly workrequirements – 32 hours per week <strong>for</strong> a single parent and 35hours per week <strong>for</strong> two-parent households. Participants cancombine community service and another activity in order tomeet the hourly participation requirements.Extended ServicesFormer <strong>CalWORKs</strong> participants may be eligible <strong>for</strong> Medi-Cal and subsidized child care services <strong>for</strong> up to 2 yearsfollowing the end of cash assistance. Beyond this two-yearextension, eligible families may continue to receive Medi-Caland child care subsidies to the extent child care funds andslots are available. Once cash assistance benefits end, eligible<strong>CalWORKs</strong> participants may also receive Transitional FoodStamps <strong>for</strong> five months, and when these transitional benefitsrun out, eligible families can then receive Food Stamps.Post-Employment Services<strong>CalWORKs</strong> recipients are not automatically discontinuedfrom WTW supportive services when they “income off” aidbecause of earnings. Based on available resources at thecounty level, counties have the option to continue to provide,<strong>for</strong> one year, transportation, case management, training,parenting classes, or supportive services to participants wholeave aid.Post-employment services have three objectives:• help participants (and <strong>for</strong>mer participants withinthe first year after leaving aid) keep their jobs(job retention);• help participants increase their earnings and/or finda better job (job advancement); and• maintain contact with participants to assist withwork-related challenges.Counties define job retention and job advancement servicesin their county plans. To help participants keep their currentjobs, individual counties may offer a range of services, whichcan include child care, transportation, caseworker assistance,and mediation to work with participants and employers inresolving problems at the job site.To help increase earnings, counties may offer workingparticipants the option of additional education and training,both to build skills and to help participants improve theirearnings capacity. Maintaining contact with participantsallows counties to intervene early if employment situationsare threatened in any way.www.ccrwf.org23
Page 2: Kate Karpilow, Ph.D.Executive Direc
Page 7 and 8: Family FormationTANF includes polic
Page 9 and 10: Child-Only CasesChild-only cases ar
Page 11 and 12: THE CALIFORNIAPROGRAMTwo recent wav
Page 13 and 14: Table 2: Region 1 CountiesAlamedaCo
Page 15 and 16: Table 4: Comparison of Federal and
Page 17 and 18: • age 60 or older;• disabled;
Page 19 and 20: When a family, without good cause,*
Page 21 and 22: PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AGENCIESCounties
Page 23: local One-Stop employment centers,
Page 27 and 28: CalWORKs legislati
Page 30 and 31: Congress under ARRA. In FY 2010-11,
Page 32 and 33: MENTAL HEALTH ANDSUBSTANCE ABUSE SE
Page 34 and 35: PROFILE OF CalWORKs</strong
Page 36 and 37: Other Issues Among CalWORKs
Page 38 and 39: CalWORKs Grant Cut
Page 40 and 41: CHILDREN and SERVICESIncrease in Ch
Page 42 and 43: 13 Ibid.14 Califor<
Page 44: About CCRWFThe Cali

Understanding CalWORKs - California Center for Research on ...

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