WorkFirst HandBook

Employment Services

4.1 Employment Services Overview

The Employment Services Overview includes:

4.1.1 Partnering for Complete Service Delivery

Employment Services are a package of structured activities, usually provided by the Employment Security Department (ESD), that help participants find and keep jobs. For most participants, employment services are their first WorkFirst activities and the key to their independence from welfare. Employment Services consist of two parts:

  1. Job Preparation: Activities to provide the skills needed to be successful in obtaining the best job possible.
  2. Job Search: Activities that continue to build on skills learned during job preparation with a focus on actual employer contacts. Job search may include:

Other providers, like LEP Pathway providers, may also provide employment services. See Pathways in the resource section below.

4.1.2 Who should be referred to Employment Services?

Participants who are referred to employment services activities must at a minimum:

If other scheduled core activities are 30 or more hours per week, do not schedule the participant in job search unless those core activities are scheduled to end within four weeks.

For more on when it is appropriate to refer Community Jobs participants to job search, please refer to section 8.3.12 - Stacking CJ with part time Job Search?

Participants who are employed and still on WorkFirst may be referred to ESD for Employment Services to find a full-time or better job regardless of the number of hours they can participate as long as they are meeting fulltime participation and can come into the WorkSource Center as agreed to with their WFPS and listed on their IRP. The ESD employment counselor will determine the services the participant needs in order to participate and succeed.

4.1.3 What is the referral process to Employment Services?

DSHS staff refer participants to the ESD employment services track by using the RI component code. The participants must have childcare and transportation plans in place before they enter JP/JS activities. The RI should only be opened for the actual time a participant needs to prepare for Employment Services, but no more than 7 days. The RI can be extended an additional 7 days if necessary, but should only be opened for the actual time a participant needs to prepare for employment services. The DSHS worker must case manage the RI component to ensure the participant is making progress in preparing to enter the employment services track.

(Exceptions: For Limited English Proficient (LEP) refer to Chapter 5.2 LEP Pathway or for Tribal participants, the worker enters the JS code with the contractor code, if the tribe has one, and also uses the RT indicator.)

4.1.4 How long do Employment Services last?

Employment Services last up to twelve weeks, divided into three 4-week sessions. DSHS staff can approve additional Employment Services based on participation and the recommendations of the ESD employment counselor as part of the " Continuous Activity Planning" process.

4.1.5 What are participation requirements?

Parents' participation should reflect a workplace-like environment in order to prepare them to interact with employers, enter employment and keep a job. Attendance, punctuality, participation and dress should all be considered.

  1. Each participant is required to participate:
  2. An ESD employment counselor will discuss participation standards with the participant after each absence to improve the participant's engagement in activities. The discussion will be documented in eJAS notes.
  3. ESD employment counselor will intervene with the participant after each excused or unexcused absence to improve the participant's engagement in activities. The intervention (contact or attempt to contact) will be documented in eJAS notes. The ESD employment counselor will also contact (phone, email, etc.) the case manager after each unexcused absence. This contact or attempt to contact will be entered in eJAS notes.
  4. On the day following 2 excused or 2 unexcused absences, the ESD employment counselor will immediately notify the case manager to determine if job search is the appropriate activity for the participant. If job search is determined to be the most appropriate activity, the ESD counselor will document in eJAS notes what corrective action(s) is being taken to improve participation. If participation does not improve, the steps in #5 below will be followed.
  5. After conducting a CAP, if it is apparticipant that employment services are not the appropriate activity for that participant, ESD employment counselors will manually refer the participant back to DSHS. Whenever possible include the participant in the joint evaluation process. Also, note a recommendation for alternative services following the Criteria for Decision Making . If contact with the case manager cannot be made by the second day following a second unexcused absence, and the participant continues to not show to job search, a CAP note will be entered detailing the reason for the referral back and attempts to contact the case manager or DSHS supervisor. ESD employment counselors will then close the activity code and enter an RB for no more than 4 days.
  6. When a participant calls in to get an excused absence, he or she is excused from participation only for the number of hours necessary. This could be for the entire day. The ESD employment counselor documents the excused absence in CATS or if circumstances require, the excused absence will be documented in eJAS notes. This system must be foolproof in each office to ensure that not even one participant is referred back to DSHS for non-participation.
  7. Employment Security counselors will ensure all cases of non-participation and action to correct the situation are documented in eJAS notes. ESD employment counselor must make every attempt to work with the participant and the WFPS so an RB is not required.

DSHS must begin the sanction process for non-participation if the participant fails to participate in employment services, such as being referred back for failing to phoning in to get an excused absence 2 or more times. Good cause must be determined for the reasons the participant did not call in as well as the reasons why the participant did not participate. (For Good Cause information, refer to Handbook section 3.6 Sanctions.)

4.1.6 What are other considerations for accessing employment services or other activities?

Parents may be referred to various "pathways" to access employment services or other activities such as training, Community Services or Community Jobs. The referral and job search documentation procedures may differ. They may be referred to the Pregnancy to Employment Pathway or the LEP Pathway. For additional information on Pregnancy to Employment Pathway see section 5.1 or the LEP Pathway in section 5.2.

4.1.7 Who provides Post Employment Services?

Employment Security staff will provide post employment services to help participants who are employed to find full-time or better jobs. Refer to Chapter 4.2 Employment Services - Job Preparation/Job Search (Post Employment Services) for details.

Resources

Related WorkFirst Handbook Sections
Forms & Other Resources

For more information about the WorkFirst HandBook, contact Sandy Jsames, WorkFirst Program Manager.