Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP)

1. Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) California Department of Aging Coordinator Training Project Participant Responsibilities

2. SCSEP Project Responsibilities to Participants • Recruitment of Eligible Participants and Enrollment Priorities • Enrollment and Participant Orientation • Capturing Volunteer Information at Enrollment • Participant Wage and Fringe Benefits (PWFB) • Assessments and Individual Employment Plan (IEP) • Community Service Assignment - Subsidized Placement • Recertification • Participant Reassignment or Rotation • Supportive Services Examples • Participant Files • Payroll Documentation • SCSEP Participant Durational Limits & Transition Plans • Participant Termination • Post-Placement Follow-up First Six (6) Month Period (Retention) • Post Placement Follow-up at 12 Month Period • Volunteer Follow-up

3. The Basics Recruitment of Eligible Participants • Age – 55 years or older • Income - 125 percent or less of Federal Poverty Guideline • Unemployed • Resident of California

4. Enrollment Priorities • Do not enroll job ready applicants! • Priority given to applicants 65 and older OR applicants with the following status: • Veterans/spouses • Disabled • Limited English proficiency • Low literacy skills • Rural residence • Low employment prospects • Failed to find employment through Workforce Investment Act programs • Homeless or at risk of homeless

5. Enrollment • Enrollment begins when an eligible individual is assigned to a community service assignment • Once assigned, participants get paid wages for hours related to: • Orientation • Assessment and IEPs • Pre-Community Service Training • Community Service Assignment • Assistance with Unsubsidized Employment Search

6. Volunteer Information • DOL requires projects to collect participant volunteer information at enrollment • DOL tracks volunteer information in SPARQ • When a participant exits the program, projects are required to follow-up on the participant who did not volunteer before enrolling in SCSEP to find out if they are now volunteering • DOL provides this information to Congress, showing the value of SCSEP by tabulating how many participants exiting the program without gaining unsubsidized employment are still contributing to the community through volunteer services

7. Participant Wages & Fringe Benefits (PWFB) • Hours of participation per year • On average 18-22 hours per week • Depends of federal funding • Starting date • Assignment to a host agency/community service assignment • Rate of pay • No less than the highest of Federal, state or local, or prevailing wage • Uniform treatment • Participant staff must be treated the same as all other participants

8. Fringe Benefits • Annual physical exam • Sick leave not part of an accrued sick leave policy • Employer-honored federal holidays • FICA • Workers Compensation • Unemployment Insurance – only if state law requires {California does not require unemployment insurance since participants are part of a federally funded training program [Unemployment Insurance Code §634.5(e)(1) & §634.5(e)(2)]} • No accrued fringe benefits • Zero balance at the end of each program year

9. Community Service Assignment - Subsidized Placement • Pre-placement activities – Developing the right (best) assignment • MUST be based on assessed strengths and barriers • Training/position description • Supervision and training • IEP Goals • Rotation as a policy and practice • Monitoring and evaluation • Specialized training • IEP relationship; growth industries • OJE

10. Participant Orientation • Content for Orientation • Wages start with assignment to host agency • Expectation to achieve and retain unsubsidized employment • Assignment is temporary • SCSEP goals and objectives • Community service assignments • Other training opportunities • Available support services • Free physical examination • Participant’s rights and responsibilities • Permitted and prohibited activities • No lobbying at host agency • No volunteering at host agency • SCSEP policies and procedures • Grievance procedure – CDA PM 11-06(P) • Leave of absence policy – Developing State Policy • Participant terminations – CDA PM 11-20(P)

11. Required Services • Assessment • Individual Employment Plan • Community Service Assignment with wages • Referral to American Job Center for employment services • Job search assistance & counseling • Orientation • Supportive services (includes post employment)

12. SCSEP Funds Can Support • Participant wages while in training plus • Reasonable costs for: • Instructors • Classroom rental • Training supplies and materials • Equipment • Tuition • Other costs of training

13. Assessment • Should be signed by participant and program staff • Must be updated twice per 12 month period

14. Individual Employment Plan (IEP) • Participant’s first IEP must have an employment goal • Participant’s goal is the end point; action steps describe how to reach the goal • May be modified at any time

15. Recertification Requirements • Income of each participant must be recertified at least once in a 12 month period • No self-recertification • Allowable to recertify all project participants on same date • Allowable to recertify on an ongoing basis, but must be done within the 12 month period • Recertification requires • Income (of all family members) must be documented • Family size must be documented • Ineligible participants: immediate written 30-day notice of termination • Participant referral to other sources of assistance • Completing the recertification portion of the Participant Form, including the waiver factors

16. Participant Reassignment or Rotation • Rotation of Community Service Assignment must be based on the participant’s IEP: • Greater opportunity for use of participant’s skills and aptitudes • Provides work experience or training that will enhance unsubsidized placement potential • Participants should be considered for rotation to new training assignment if they have completed their site training and are not being considered for hire

17. Supportive Services • Purpose: • To assist participant in successfully participating in community service assignments and to help participant gain and keep a job • Can provide support services during 12-month post-placement period to help ensure retention

18. Examples of Supportive Services • Counseling • Transportation (special provision) • Room and board, if necessary, during training • Periodic group meeting • Incidentals, including but not limited to: • Work shoes • Badges • Uniforms • Safety glasses • Eyeglasses • Hand tools

19. SCSEP Participant Durational Limits • Durational limit (DL) for program participation: • Up to 48 months • Projects must provide transition planning to participants exiting because of DL – CDA PM 10-19(P) • Last IEPs should reflect transition planning activities • Participants reaching DL must receive a 30 day notification letter and copy of grievance policy.

20. Post-Placement Follow-up First Six Month Period (Retention) • After job placement • Must follow-up for up to six months after placement • Verify continued unsubsidized employment and wages (with employer) • Determine need for supportive services to keep positions • Follow-up a must if you want your project to get credit for unsubsidized employment in performance measures

21. Post Placement Follow-up at 12 Month Period • 12 month post-placement • Verify continued unsubsidized employment and verify wages • Fosters contact between CDA-project and employer (could lead to other placements) • Follow-up a must if you want your project to get credit for unsubsidized employment in performance measures • Employer Customer Satisfaction Surveys

22. Participant Terminations • Termination Policy – CDA PM 11-20(P) • CDA’s Termination Policy approved by DOL • Explains “For Cause” Terminations • Explains IEP related Terminations • Explains other reasons for termination • Requires a 30 day notification letter detailing the reason for termination • Requires a copy of the grievance procedure to be included in 30 day notification letter • Terminations and grievance procedures must be explained at orientation • Participant file must document a written receipt confirming termination and grievance procedures were covered during orientation

23. Follow-up Volunteer Information • Projects must follow-up on participants who exit the program without gaining unsubsidized employment and who did not perform volunteer services previous to their enrollment in SCSEP. • DOL is tracking in SPARQ to find out if these participants are now engaging in volunteer activities.

24. Eligibility Documentation and Participant File Content • Enrollment information (participant form; signed and dated) • I-9 (signed and dated) • Worksheet to determine income eligibility (signed and dated) • Eligibility documentation (with project director and participant signature) • Recertification information and documentation • Signed waiver if offer of annual physical exam refused • Signed acknowledgement of orientation • Assessment (with twice per year updates) • IEP (with updated actions) • Community service assignment(s) with position descriptions • Any personnel actions as appropriate (IEP warnings, grievances, etc.) • Case notes with case worker signature or initials and date • Exit data and documentation (including unsubsidized employment retention follow-ups and volunteer follow-ups)

25. Payroll Documentation • Time cards • Signature and dates • No modifications (white-out) • Payroll documentation • Worksheets corresponds with general ledger • No modifications (white-out) • In-kind documentation • Host Agency Supervisor Training Hours • Calculated on Supervisor hourly pay • Supervisor pay must be from non-federal funds • Limited to actual supervisor training provided • Signed and dated

26. Other Management Duties • Coordination activities • MOU with local Workforce Investment Board(s) • AAA program coordination • Coordination with other SCSEP grantees • Employer outreach activities • Community visibility activities • Meet CDA Performance Goals • Expenditure of SCSEP funds

27. Successful Projects Do: • Assessmentsand IEPs • Cultivate good community service assignments • Provide additional training, when possible • Collaborate with American Job Centers • Track participant progress • Exit management • Employer placements • Track expenditures and performance • Follow-up • Unsubsidized employment • Volunteer activities