Development of the Individual Responsibility Plan (IRP)

1. Development of the Individual Responsibility Plan (IRP) Agency for Workforce Innovation Statewide Training Spring 2005

2. Statutory Requirements • 45 CFR Part 261.11 (Assessment) • Initial assessment of the skills, prior work experience, and employability of each recipient who: • Is at least age 18, or • Who has not completed high school/GED and is not attending secondary school • Within 30 days of becoming eligible for Cash Assistance

3. Statutory Requirements • 45 CFR Part 261.12 (IRP Requirements) • Identify an employment goal and a plan for moving immediately into private sector employment • Describe the obligations of the participant • Designed to lead to career advancement • Describe the services to be provided by the case manager • TANF State Plan, Section 2.13

4. Assessment • Areas to consider • Work history • Will work history or references be a problem? • Is training needed? • Is there a job market for the participant’s current job skills? • Education • Summary of prior education and training? • Date education or training was completed? • Current educational status? • Is job testing needed or recently completed?

5. Assessment (Continued) • Housing • Rents or owns their home? • Lives with others? • Subsidized or unsubsidized? • Transportation • Does the participant have a car? (Yr/model) • Does the car need repairs? • Does the participant have a valid drivers license? Auto insurance? • Is public transportation available?

6. Assessment (Continued) • Child Care • Is child care available? • Has a referral been made? • Does participant need help finding child care? • Does child have special needs? • Special needs of the family • School discipline problems? • Geographic location? • Alcohol or drug addiction? • Medical or health problems? • Domestic violence issues? • Personal Support • Family, friends, church or other organizations?

7. What is an IRP? • Contract or agreement between theparticipant and the case manager that does two things: • Outlines what the participant must do to look for work or prepare for work that will lead to self-sufficiency through required participation in the Welfare Transition (WT) Program, and • Outlines what the case manager will do to help the participant become self-sufficient

8. IRP—Focus on “Individual” • As the name implies, it should be developed specifically for each individual participant • Steps to Self-Sufficiency should be clearly stated and easily understood, even if the steps are mini-steps • Be as detailed as necessary, depending on the individual participant

9. The IRP • Should be developed jointly by the participant with the case manager to: • Describe the participant’s responsibilities, activity requirements and authorized support services • Keep the participant moving towards self-sufficiency • Document the action steps the participant has agreed to do

10. The IRP • Should: • Describe the case manager’s responsibilities, such as providing a child care referral or transportation voucher • Describe the consequences for failure to follow their plan • Loss of support services • Sanction

11. When is an IRP Done? • Should be: • Initiated within 30 days of receiving the New Case, Reopen or Transfer Alert • Based on initial assessment findings • Should be updated if: • A change affects the existing IRP (such as homelessness, domestic violence, etc) • New activities, training or services are approved, or • Nearing completion of an activity or training to ensure continuous participation

12. Where Do You Begin? • Think of it as a trip (questions you might ask yourself) • Can you drive, or do you have to fly? • Can you stay with friends or relatives, or will you have to make hotel reservations? • What type of clothes are needed? • How much will it cost? • Will you be traveling during the “high” season or the “low” season? • How early do you have to make reservations?

13. What Did You Overlook? • Your destination? • You can’t make plans or reservations until you know where you are going • If you don’t know where you are going you can drive all day but you won’t know whether you got there or not • So, where do you begin developing the IRP? • Identify an employment goal

14. Employment Goal • Be specific; example, “Pediatric LPN” • Examples of Employment Goals found in OSST: • “Job Search” • “Find a career” • “Find employment with benefits” • “To start her own small business” • “To get a fulltime job”

15. Barriers to Self-Sufficiency • Identify barriers which are preventing the participant from reaching their goals and becoming self-sufficient • Examples: • Lacks marketable skills • Primary language is not English • Lack of child care and/or transportation • Substance abuse • Criminal record

16. Identify Barriers Click the “Add” button under Needs and Barriers

17. Enter Barrier/Need Detail and Save

18. Go to Steps to Self-Sufficiency Need has been identified Click on the Hyperlink

19. List the Steps to Self-Sufficiency • Associate the steps with the barriers • Example: • Needs computer skills (Barrier or Need) • Steps to Self-Sufficiency • Provide voucher for Basic Computer Keyboarding class scheduled to begin 5/10/04 at Seminole Community College • Register for Basic Computer Keyboarding class by 4/26/04 • Attend class on a regular basis • Provide documentation of attendance within five calendar days after the end of each month to case manager • Call case manager at 407-555-1212 immediately if unable to attend class to report your reason

20. Enter Steps Associated with Need or Barrier Indicate who is responsible for the step

21. Summary Provided as Steps are Entered

22. Detailed Description of Steps

23. IRP Wizard Identify sections to be included on the printed IRP and click Continue

24. IRP Completion and Update Date Date the IRP was initiated Last date the IRP was updated or changed Click “View to Print” to print a copy for the case manager and the participant to sign

25. IRP Employment Goals

26. Barriers, Countable Activities and Support Services

27. Steps to Self-Sufficiency

28. Are we Required to Use the IRP in OSST? • Regions may use their own IRP forms • Copies must be retained in the case file • Must be signed by the participant and the case manager • The IRP Completion/Last Plan Update section must be completed in OSST

29. Alternative Requirement Plan (ARP) • Provides a means for addressing barriers to self-sufficiency while an individual is deferred from the work requirements as a result of: • Domestic Violence • Medical Incapacity • Alcohol, Substance Abuse or Mental Health Issues

30. Alternative Requirement Plan (Cont) • Identifies objectives or action steps that will lead to self-sufficiency or barrier resolution • Objectives or action steps must be consistent with the participant’s documented limitations

31. Developing the ARP • Factors to consider when determining the appropriateness of alternative activities • The ongoing safety of the participant and the children (domestic violence related) • The goal of self-sufficiency • Specific activities required to enable the individual to fully participate in work activities • Is it reasonable based on documentation received (medical verification, collateral contacts, etc.

34. Summary • The IRP/ARP is a living document that is constantly being changed and updated • Should be developed and updated based on the individual’s needs, barriers, circumstances • Should be viewed as a map to economic self-sufficiency

35. For Additional Information • Contact • Diane.Parker@awi.state.fl.us • Norm.Cushon@awi.state.fl.us • Erica.Mott@awi.state.fl.us