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The Basics of Eligibility Determination & Assessment of Appropriate Services for WIA Youth

The Basics of Eligibility Determination & Assessment of Appropriate Services for WIA Youth. Session Overview. The ISS must meet statutory requirements WIA youth service eligibility and the ISS What are we trying to achieve? What should the ISS contain? How is the ISS constructed?

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The Basics of Eligibility Determination & Assessment of Appropriate Services for WIA Youth

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  1. The Basics of Eligibility Determination & Assessment of Appropriate Services for WIA Youth

  2. Session Overview • The ISS must meet statutory requirements • WIA youth service eligibility and the ISS • What are we trying to achieve? • What should the ISS contain? • How is the ISS constructed? • Setting ISS goals • Questions? • Youth service design framework • Program eligibility vs. service eligibility • WIA youth program eligibility criteria • Definitions of program eligibility criteria terms • Program eligibility documentation requirements • Service eligibility • Objective assessment and ISS development • Documentation for service eligibility ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  3. Youth Service Design Framework Intake & Eligibility Det. Assessment Service Delivery Follow-up ISS ISS Case Management Progress Set Goals Attain Goals ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  4. Program Eligibility vs. Service Eligibility • WIA is notan entitlement program • WIA Section 195(12) - “Nothing in this title shall be construed to provide an individual with an entitlement to a service under this title.” • Two sets of eligibility criteria • Program eligibility refers to the statutory definition of the target group (i.e., characteristics of youth, like being between the ages of 14 and 21) • Service eligibility refers to program-eligible youth qualifying for the services received based on the results of an objective assessment • Program eligibility criteria permits local flexibility • Grantees and sub-grantees may add criteria to the statutory-mandated criteria to design programs that are responsive to local needs and funding availability (e.g., residence requirement, specific target group, etc.) ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  5. Program Eligibility vs. Service Eligibility • Services must be designed to meet the needs of the youth rather than having the youth meet the needs of the services • WIA Section 129(c)(1)(B) – “…service strategies for each participant that shall identify an employment goal (including, in appropriate circumstances, nontraditional employment), appropriate achieve- ment objectives, and appropriate services for the participant taking into account the assessment…” • Services should be targeted “to those who can benefit from, and who are most in need of, such opportunities” (WIA Section 195(1)) ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  6. Program Eligibility vs. Service Eligibility • An objective assessment is key to determining youth needs to be met by the services delivered to program-eligible youth • WIA Section 129(c)(1)(A) – “...provide an objective assessment of the academic levels, skill levels, and service needs of each participant…” • Basic skills and occupational skills • Prior work experience • Employability • Interests and aptitudes • Supportive service and developmental needs • Always keep in mind that youth who are interested in the WIA youth program may be better served by others in the community ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  7. WIA Youth Program Eligibility Criteria • Youth who are ages 14 through 21 (through 24 if ARRA) at the time of determination of eligibility and youth program participation (see WIA Section 101(13)(A)) • A • Must be in compliance with the Military Selective Service Act (WIA Section 189(h)) • Males born on or after Jan. 1, 1960 • Can register within 6 months of his18th birthday and up to age 26 • Exempt if he is an honorably discharged veteran or has an obvious disability which would disqualify him from military service • Website to verify compliance: www.sss.gov AND AND ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  8. WIA Youth Program Eligibility Criteria AND • AND • Must be a citizen, U.S. national, lawfully admitted permanent resident alien, refugee, or other immigrant authorized by the Attorney General to work in the U.S. (WIA Section 188(a)(5)) • AND • Must be a low-income individual (WIA Sections 101(13)(B)) • Receives or is a member of a family that receives cash payments under a Federal, State, or local income based public assistance program (WIA Section 101(25)(A)) • TANF • Refugee Assistance • SSI • Disability Assistance AND OR ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  9. WIA Youth Program Eligibility Criteria OR • Is a member of a household that receives (or has been determined within the 6-month period prior to application for the program involved to be eligible to receive) Food Stamps (WIA Section 101(25)(C) • Qualifies as a homeless individual as defined in the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (WIA Section 101(25)(D)) • Is a foster child on behalf of whom State or local government payments are made (WIA Section 101(25)(E)) OR OR OR ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  10. WIA Youth Program Eligibility Criteria OR • Received an income, or is a member of a family that received a total family income for the 6-month period prior to application that, in relation to family size, does not exceed the higher of the poverty level or 70% of the lower living standard income level (LLSIL) (WIA Section 101(25)(B)) • Use the higher of either 100% of the poverty level or 70% of the LLSIL • Family income excludes - • Unemployment compensation • Child support payments • Cash payments under a Federal, State, or local income-based public assistance program • Old-age and survivors insurance benefits (Section 202 of the Social Security Act) ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  11. WIA Youth Program Eligibility Criteria AND • Falls into one or more of the following categories - • Deficient in basic literacy skills • A school dropout • Homeless, a runaway, or a foster child • Pregnant or a parent • An offender • An individual who requires additional assistance to complete an educational program or to secure and hold employment* * Defined by State or local policy. If the State Workforce Investment Board defines a policy, the State’s strategic plan must include this definition ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  12. WIA Youth Program Eligibility Criteria • Up to 5% of youth participants served by youth programs in a local area may be individuals who do not meet the income criterion for eligible youth, but who have oneor more of the following barriers – • School dropout • Basic skills deficient • Behind one or more grade levels • Pregnant or parenting • Individual with a disability • Homeless or runaway • Offender • Face a serious barrier to employment as identified by the local board ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  13. Definitions of Program Eligibility Criteria Terms • Family (WIA Section 101(15)) - Two or more persons related by blood, marriage, or decree of court, who are living in a single residence, and are included in one or more of the following categories - • A husband, wife, and dependent children • A parent or guardian* and dependent children • A husband and wife • * * The issue of guardianship concerning dependent children may be determined by decree of court or may be determined by a state or federal agency which has established or assumed guardianship ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  14. Definitions of Program Eligibility Criteria Terms • Dependent child (Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004) – A youth under age 19 (or under age 24 and a full-time student), living in a single residence, and who is being claimed as a dependent on a parent’s or guardian’s income tax return • Related by blood or adoption • Shared the same principal residence as the parent/guardian for more than half of the tax year (exceptions apply in some cases) • Met one of the following: younger than 19; younger than 24 if a full- time student for at least 5 months during the year; or totally and permanently disabled during any part of the year • Did not provide more than half of his or her own support during the year • A U.S. citizen or national, or a permanent resident ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  15. Definitions of Program Eligibility Criteria Terms • Basic literacy skills deficient (WIA Section 101(4))– The individual has English reading, writing, or computing skills at or below the 8th grade level on a generally accepted standardized test or a comparable score on a criterion-referenced test • School dropout (WIA Section 101(39))– An individual who is no longer attending school and has not received a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent • Homeless (Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act) – An individual who lacks a fixed, regular, adequate night- time residence ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  16. Definitions of Program Eligibility Criteria Terms • Runaway (WIASRD)– A person under 18 years of age who absents himself or herself from home or place of legal residence without the permission of his or her family • Foster Child (WIA Section 101(25(E)) – An individual who is in foster care for whom State or local government payments are made • Pregnant or Parenting (WIASRD) – An individual who is either under 22 years of age and who is pregnant, or an individual (male or female) who is providing custodial care for one or more dependents under the age of 18 ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  17. Definitions of Program Eligibility Criteria Terms • Offender (WIA Section 101(27))– An individual who is or has been subject to any stage of the criminal justice process, for whom services under this Act may be beneficial; or who requires assistance in overcoming artificial barriers to employment resulting from a record of arrest or conviction • Individual with a disability (WIA Section 101(17)) – An individual with any disability as defined in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  18. Program Eligibility Documentation Requirements • The regulations (20 CFR 661.120) give states and local areas authority to establish their own policies and guidelines relating to verifying and documenting eligibility, as long as they are consistent with WIA, the regulations and other federal statutes • “Data Validation Policy for Employment and Training Programs,” TEGL No. 3-03 and subsequent updates (go to http://www.doleta.gov/performance/reporting/Directives.cfm) Grantees are required to annually validate data – • Report validation (required before submitting the WIA annual report) • Data element validation (required within 120 days after submitting WIASRD individual records) ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  19. Program Eligibility Documentation Requirements • ETA’s data element validation requirement outlines acceptable documentation for significant data elements reported to ETA (see Data Reporting and Validation System guides athttp://www.doleta.gov/performance/reporting/tools_datavalidation.cfm) • For program eligibility items not covered included in ETA’s data element validation guide, states and local areas may establish their own policies and guidelines relating to verifying and documenting eligibility as long as they are consistent with the law and applicable guidance • If self-certification is used, the state or local area must incorporate a random sampling methodology to determine the accuracy of the self-certification method (TEGL 12-01, Attachment C) ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  20. Service Eligibility • Services must be designed to meet the needs of the youth rather than having the youth meet the needs of the services • WIA Section 129(c)(1)(B) – “…service strategies for each participant that shall identify an employment goal (including, in appropriate circumstances, nontraditional employment), appropriate achieve- ment objectives, and appropriate services for the participant taking into account the assessment…” • Services should be targeted “to those who can benefit from, and who are most in need of, such opportunities” (WIA Section 195(1)) ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  21. Objective Assessment and ISS Development • WIA 129(c)(1)(A) – “…provide an objective assessment of the academic levels, skill levels, and service needsof each participant, which assessment shall include a review ofbasic skills, occupational skills, prior work experience, employability, interest, aptitudes…,supportive services needs and developmental needs of such participants…” • The objective assessment identifies the needs • An ISS identifies specific activities from different providers and programs (including partner programs) to meet the needs identified during objective assessment as well as other needs the youth may have ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  22. Documentation for Service Eligibility • The Individual Service Strategy is the core document- ationfor service eligibility; it provides proof that a participant is in need of and eligible for services to be provided • The ISS is also used as the basic instrument for the local area to document appropriateness of decisions made about the mix and combination of services, including referrals to other programs for specified activities, that will help the youth reach his or her goals • At such, the assessment results, barriers identified, supportive services needs, employment goals, etc. should be basis for services ISS ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  23. The ISS Must Meet the Statutory Requirement • Develop an Individual Service Strategy that meets the requirements of WIA Section 129 (c )(1) (B): • Identifying an age appropriate career goal • Provide preparation for postsecondary education • Links to academic and occupational learning • Prepare youth for employment • Build strong links to job market and employers • Basic Skills Deficiency and other barriers must be addressed in the service strategy ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  24. WIA Youth Service Eligibility and the ISS • The Individual Service Strategy (ISS) builds on the information gathered in the assessment. The more comprehensive the assessment, the better the plan. • ISS is a process for helping each INDIVIDUAL accomplish as much as possible, whether or not a job is the end result • Results of the interview and other assessments feed into initial training and employment goals • Jointly interpret how these facts shape into a job goal … ask: • What needs will a job fulfill? • What type of employment are you considering? • What do you want out of a job? • What type of occupation or job do you want? • When do you expect to be ready to apply for the type of job you want? ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  25. WIA Youth Service Eligibility and the ISS • The ISS will serve as the basis for the entire case management service strategy and as a guide for delivery of appropriate services • The ISS should clearly indicate the youth’s participation in the development, signature is important • Goal statements must be relevant for the participants academic, social and career needs • Ensure that the ISS is clear and specific enough that even individuals who have had no prior involvement with the case can understand it ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  26. WIA Youth Service Eligibility and the ISS • Relate every training activity to enhancement of a skill assessed as needed for employment • Set priorities for action steps • Clarify responsibility and consequences • Set dates to review progress and, if necessary, modify the plan ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  27. What Are we Trying to Achieve? • Starting with the end in mind • Consider other things needed to make the youth successful • But also consider the common measure as a goal in mind • The goals of the common measures are generally two fold: • Education attainment - (attainment of degree or certificate, or literacy or numeracy gains) • Education and job attainment - (placement in employment or education) • For 14-18 years old - younger youth: • In-school • Attainment of degree • Out-of-school/dropout • Employment; education; occupational skills attainment/Increasing basic skills; literacy and numeracy gains ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  28. What Should the ISS Contain? • Education/work goal:Including a job that the participant is interested in doing and for which s/he needs to acquire the skills to do the job when the plan is completed; it should take into account abilities, interests, and experiences • Steps:Actions steps that are needed to reach the participant’s goal and how long it will take him/her to complete them • Services:List of services that the participant will require to reach his/her goal • Provider:Who will provide the services? • Supportive services: List barriers that were identified thru the assessment; plan must state how each barrier will be addressed • Progress:Outline of how progress towards the education and/or work goal will be evaluated ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  29. What Should the ISS Contain? • The ISS should clearly indicate the youth participation in the development; a signature is important • Goal statements must be relevant for the participant’s academic, social and career needs ISS ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  30. What Should the ISS Contain? • Objective Assessment Summary • The objective assessment summary should sum up the results of all assessments conducted • It must contain an interpretation of each assessment result; the interpreted results must be incorporated in the plan and must serve as the basis/ justification for why the service(s) is being provided 20 CFR 664.405(a)(2) “develop an ISS for each youth…,including identifying an age-appropriate career goal and consideration of the assessment results for each youth…” ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  31. What Should the ISS Contain? • Description of the actual services that are being provided and their sequence - an example: • David James is being enrolled in a number of service activities; he and his case manager wrote the following in his service strategy: Training – Start Date ___/ Est. End Date _____: Narrative: David James’ employment goal is _______________. He has completed his education and training at ________. Although Mr. James now possesses the skills necessary to be marketable as a _________, he does not possess the job readiness skills necessary to find employment. To obtain the necessary skills he will participate in Job Readiness Training, where he will attend workshops and receive instructions in life skills management, resume writing, interviewing, labor market research and job development techniques. In addition, he will utilize our Resource Room on a regular basis. James is expected to visit and utilize the Resource Room at least twice a week - it will be documented in his participant file. ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  32. What Should the ISS Contain? • Description of how each service is connected to the assessment results – clearly linking the assessment results to appropriate service plan – (WIA Section 129(c )(1)(B) “develop service strategies for each participant that shall identify an employment goal….. appropriate achievement objectives, and appropriate services for the participant taking into account the assessment conducted…..” ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  33. What Should the ISS Contain? • Services: Developing Multiple Options for Career Ladder • Based on the assessment results: • Develop multiple occupational training options • Career ladder/pathwayof connected long-term and short-term employment and educational goals - (how to get the youth from where he or she is – a dropout or high school graduate – to where he or she wants to be – a registered nurse) - (e.g., from dropout – CNA - Medical Assistant – LPN – RN) • Develop short-term and long-term goals • Outcomes: • For each service, list the outcome that is expected to be achieved from the activity; once achieved, update ISS to document the outcome - (e.g., work experience ended successfully, occupational training was completed and certificate obtained) ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  34. How is the ISS Constructed? • Use information in the assessment to build the plan • Strengths • Barriers • Support services needed to overcome barriers • Training needed to overcome barriers • ISS determines the training strategy and timing/phasing of each strategy • Classroom • Work experience ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  35. Setting ISS Goals • Meet the youth’s immediate needs first • A youth’s immediate needs are basic – the need for human comfort, education, employment, safety, security, including financial security • A youth may also express a need that he or she perceives as immediate, such as getting a GED certificate; meeting a youth’s immediate need or perceived need first helps make the ISS a partnership between the youth and the case manager • Next, determine activities using the 10 program elements, core labor exchange services, and supportive services needed to meet the youth’s immediate needs • It is important to prioritize needs – short-term, long-term, and immediate – especially for older, out-of-school youth • Often, youth will disappear if needs they consider to be critical are not met immediately ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  36. Setting ISS Goals • Review objective assessments results to help youth identify long-term and short-term employment and education goals • Explain how continued WIA youth services can move the participant beyond their immediate need, i.e. - • How supportive (childcare, transportation) can allow youth to continue to participate in WIA activities • How occupational skill training and basic skill can prepare the youth for a better job in a skilled occupation • Use labor market information about the occupation to help develop/enhance their interest for needing to start and complete occupational training, if appropriate ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  37. Setting ISS Goals • Focus on the needs and strengths of the youth as identified in objective assessment, not on the needs of the program. Needs and strengths might include: • Basic skills • Prior work experience • Occupational skills • Employability (e.g. SCANS skills or other work readiness/life skills) • Occupational interest • Occupational aptitudes • Developmental needs (what a youth needs in order to develop employability and career-related skills in each area above ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  38. Setting ISS Goals • Help youth identify long-term employment and education goals in an occupation or career that leads to self-sufficiency • Work with the youth to identify short-term employment and education goals that lead to long-term goals(short-term goals in “bites” that lead to long-term goal of youth) • Help youth identify a specific career pathway to attain the long-term employment goal- You as a case manager needs to have knowledge about the various career ladder and opportunities to help the youth – so do some homework • Anticipate potential barriers or challenges to completing the plan and reaching goals ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  39. Setting ISS Goals • What performance measures apply? – these measures will drive, to a large extent, the activities and goals set • Where is this person now? – assessment results and career exploration drive long and short-term goals • Where do you want to go? – work as partners to negotiate mutual agreements • For each long-term goal – a set of sequenced short-term goals – youth achieve regular “wins” • Time-sequence and prioritize the goals and objectives – an action plan that focuses on “bite-size” pieces • Determine who does what – who needs to be involved – case manager’s organization and/or referrals to partners ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

  40. Questions? Winston Tompoe Youth Program Specialist Atlanta Regional Office Tompoe.Winston@DOL.GOV ETA Region 3 - Atlanta

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