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3.2.1 Comprehensive Evaluation, Comprehensive Evaluation Foundation and Updating a Comprehensive Evaluation

3.2.1 Comprehensive Evaluation

This section has three separate sub-sections:

3.2.1 Comprehensive Evaluation

Everyone has skills and abilities needed in today's workforce. Weaving those skills and abilities with labor market realities and education levels is the cornerstone of the new comprehensive evaluation (CE).

The primary objectives of the CE are to:

The CE is the key tool in leading parents directly to employment since job search continues to be the most appropriate pathway for the majority of parents. For other parents, the CE leads to employment through training or supported work programs and also identifies areas in which the parent may need additional support. In some instances, parents receive services to help resolve issues while participating in work related activities.

Active participation by the parent is essential to the CE process. The CE is designated both as an engagement tool and the vehicle to move parents quickly to the most appropriate WorkFirst activity. The parent's involvement in the decision making process helps ensure the parent's success.

3.2.1.1 What is a Comprehensive Evaluation?

The comprehensive evaluation is a series of evaluations designed to help parents achieve better and quicker engagement in employment-related activities that lead to self-sufficiency. .

3.2.1.2 What does "parent involvement in decision making" mean?

Parent input is essential to an effective comprehensive evaluation. We want and value the parent's input and take their desires and wishes into account when developing a plan.

However, a parent's wishes alone do not substitute for the comprehensive evaluation and program pathway criteria. Parent input should not be the sole basis for deciding what activity a parent will participate in. A parent's wishes need to be factored into the larger picture, which includes family and health issues, education, skills and abilities, job availability, and training or rehabilitation resources. Decisions on what pathway a parent participates in must first be made on the basis of program criteria and policy. At that point the parent's wishes should be a major factor in deciding on the pathway choice.

3.2.1.3 Who must receive a Comprehensive Evaluation (CE) and when should it be conducted?

The foundation piece of the CE is conducted by the WFPS in the Community Services Office (CSO) for:

Parents are then referred to the other portions of the CE via an initial IRP. The WFPS sets a return appointment to review Employment Security Department (ESD) recommendations and all information available for development of the final IRP.

The entire CE will be completed within 10 business days. The CE is good for six months from the finish date, but may be updated sooner at the parent's or WorkFirst partner's request.

Parents having an immediate and urgent need identified at the time of the foundation evaluation will be referred to a WorkFirst Social Worker (WFSW) for an assessment to determine if the parent is able to continue the CE process (see “Criteria for Decision Making” ). In addition, parents who are pregnant, or for whom a social service or other assessment is appropriate, will be referred to the WFSW as part of the CE. When this occurs, it will likely take parents more than 10 business days to complete the CE. Parents needing a referral to the WFSW are exempted from the 10-day timeframe. Direct the parent to complete the other portions of the CE as soon as possible.

Parents are referred to the CE each time they are approved for WorkFirst Cash Assistance, including those referred to as “returners” (persons who are coming back to WorkFirst Cash Assistance within six months of exiting.). The WorkFirst partners determine, based on previous CE information and the present situation, whether new testing is necessary. However, the eJAS documentation must be completed each time a parent is referred to CE, but may include information from a previous CE, when appropriate.

The following people must complete all or a portion of the CE:

The following parents can be “fast tracked” through the CE process: they must complete the CE foundation and are not required to complete the other elements of the comprehensive evaluation process in eJAS:

Please refer to section 3.2.1.4 Fast Track Step-by-Step.

The other parents who are only required to complete the CE foundation are:

Child only cases do not require any portion(s) of the comprehensive evaluation.
3.2.1.4 Fast Track Step-by-Step Guide

When a parent meets the criteria to be Fast Tracked through or Exempted from the Comprehensive Evaluation, the WFPS will check the box in the CE foundation section marked “Exemption/Fast Track Section”. eJAS will then require the worker to select the highest applicable reason code from the drop down list:

Selecting one of these reasons will close out the CE.

For parents who meet one of the Fast Track criteria, follow these steps:

ESD will conduct a work skill assessment at their entrance to job search activities.

The college will:

  1. Confirm if the parent's educational activity meets WorkFirst requirements.
  2. Communicate to case manager any changes in eJAS component coding as needed.
  3. Monitor participation in approved educational program.
3.2.1.5 What does “likely to be approved” mean?
3.2.1.6 What are the elements of the Comprehensive Evaluation?
3.2.1.7 What about parents who obtain full time employment or request closure of their TANF grant after they have started the Comprehensive Evaluation process?

When a parent has already begun the CE process, and obtains full time employment or requests closure of his/her TANF before completing the full CE, the comprehensive evaluation can still be counted as successfully completed. To do this, the worker must go to the DSHS Final Decision section of the CE, check the box called “Client could not finish Evaluation” and select the appropriate reason. It is important to select the most appropriate reason as this will help ensure accurate counting of successful closures. Successful closures include when:

Selecting one of these reasons from the drop down list will successfully finish the comprehensive evaluation.

3.2.1.8 Where are the results of the Comprehensive Evaluation documented?

The final results from each WorkFirst partner's portion of the CE is recorded in the CE screens in eJAS. The information is accessible and readable by all the WorkFirst partners and will be used to make decisions regarding program participation and expectations. The local WorkFirst partners conducting the CE elements are responsible to document the information immediately upon completion of the evaluation sections.

3.2.1.9 How will the results of the Comprehensive Evaluation be used to develop an Individual Responsibility Plan?

The results and recommendations of the comprehensive evaluation will be used to develop the IRP. It will indicate the best pathway for the parent and what support services WorkFirst will provide the parent to participate. Decisions will be made objectively and consistently, based on program policy criteria - See “Criteria for Decision Making” . The IRP will be developed by the WFPS and the parent to:

IRPs will be developed for longer-term activities if parents are participating in consecutive program elements. The expectation is that all activities are preparing parents to go to work. IRPs will be developed to find the best mix of activities, including those who are participating in issue resolution activities. Parents will be expected to participate full-time.

WFPSs will use the criteria for developing an IRP and making referrals to a pathway as outlined in “Criteria for Decision Making”.

Community Jobs referrals will be made only for the parents least likely to succeed in attaining unsubsidized employment. Based on the CE results, CJ will be an option for those parents who have participated in other activities and have not been successful or where other activities may not be deemed appropriate.

3.2.1.10 Can a parent be placed in sanction for failing to participate in the Comprehensive Evaluation process?

Yes. The CE IRP tells the parent when and where to go to complete the CE process. If a parent fails to show up or reschedule any CE appointment, you must go through the good cause process to determine if the person had a good reason for not following their IRP. For more on excused and unexcused absences, see section 3.9.1.5 - How do we treat excused and unexcused absences?

Our partners must document clearly the reasons for the immediate notification or referral back and any other information relevant to the person's situation.

Sanction is a tool of last resort which will be used as a consequence for parents who refuse to participate in the WorkFirst program. It is very important to determine and document whether a person is refusing, or simply unable to comply.

3.2.1.11 Comprehensive Evaluation: Step-by-Step Guide

Refer to the Application and Screening section for a step by step guide of the process leading to the determination of eligibility and the comprehensive evaluation. Application information will be used as a part of the foundation element of the CE as appropriate and later in terms of the overall results of the CE to develop the parent's IRP.

DSHS
  1. Conduct Positive Prevention strategies as part of the WorkFirst Cash Assistance application process.

    2. Child care, transportation and/or other needed support services are provided by DSHS staff at the time of positive prevention so the parent can complete the CE and prepare for employment pathway participation.

  2. The WFPS:
    1. Uses the questions in the CE section in eJAS to begin to establish the foundation. (To view a list of all areas covered in the CE Foundation, refer to What topics does the CE foundation cover? Subsection.)
    2. Determines who are returners and conduct the returner portion of the CE.
    3. Opens the CE code, when:
      1. The foundation is pending, but the parent is in the CE process, which includes the WFSW assessment.
      2. The parent has finished the CE foundation.
    4. Refers some parent(s), as appropriate, directly to the LEP Pathway provider (See LEP Pathway section) or to the Teen Parent pathway (Dependent teens and pregnant and parenting minors section). The WFPS will do an IRP and enter the appropriate component code into eJAS.
    5. Refers parents found to have immediate urgent issues to a WFSW for an assessment. See "Criteria for Decision Making" when making immediate referrals to a Social Worker by the WFPS. The WFPS:
      1. Develops an IRP.
      2. Pends the CE.
      3. Ensures the CE component code in eJAS remains open.
  3. As needed, the WFSW:
    1. Conducts the social services assessment portion of the CE and
    2. Documents the results and activities options.
    3. Determines if the parent is are able to complete the remainder of the CE.
  4. The WFPS:
    1. Refers all other parents to complete the remainder of the CE using the CE component code. Parents are given an IRP detailing their requirements while participating in CE. The IRP also includes the name of the WFPS/WFSW or who to contact if the parent is unable to attend evaluations and the date the parent is to report back with the results of the evaluations or assessments
    2. Pursues sanction if the parent refuses to meet IRP requirements, complete the CE or report back as directed.
  5. If the parent is unable to complete the CE, the WFPS:
    1. Stops the CE process.
    2. Documents the reason the parent cannot complete the CE.
    3. Documents the specific reason in the appropriate eJAS case note(s) category.
    4. Goes to the DSHS final decision section:
      1. Enters "Start Date".

      2. Clicks on "Client could not finish Evaluation (select reason below)".
      3. From the drop-down box chooses the appropriate reason.
      4. Enters notes in “Decision & Justification" section
      5. Clicks on "Save/Finish Final Decision" button.

      Note: The CE component code automatically closes when the final decision is made. The WFPS:

    5. Enters the appropriate component code.
    6. Updates the IRP.
Community and Technical Colleges

A Community and Technical College representative will:

  1. Make an evaluation of the following educational areas:
    1. CASAS Appraisal.
    2. Literacy/Educational Level.
    3. Current enrollment or interest in attending school.
  2. Conduct a one-on-one interview and inform the parent of training options and provide personal information related to the parent's education/literacy levels.
  3. Document the results of the evaluation on the comprehensive evaluation in eJAS. Documentation will include a recommendation for services using the criteria for "Criteria for Decision Making" – Education and Training Criteria.
  4. Upon completion of the Educational Assessment, based on local procedures, the college representative will advise the parent where to report to continue the comprehensive evaluation or to report back to ESD for an overall interpretation/recommendation for services based on the final results of their evaluation.
  5. If the parent is unable to continue:
  1. Stop the evaluation process.
  2. Document the inability on the comprehensive evaluation.
  3. Document the specific reason in the appropriate eJAS case notes category.
  4. Refer the parent back to the WFPS.
Employment Security Department
  1. An Employment Security Department Employment Counselor will conduct a Work Skill Assessment for each parent referred for the evaluation. Parents will be evaluated using appropriate assessment tools necessary to evaluate and/or make recommendations for the following areas:
    1. Work History.
    2. Work Needs.
    3. Work Values.
    4. Work Interests.
    5. Work Skill.
    6. Local Labor Market Information.
    7. Long and Short Term Goals.
    8. Recommendation for Services.
  2. Upon completion of the evaluation a one-on-one meeting between each parent and an ESD employment specialist is required. This meeting will be used to discuss the interpretation of the entire comprehensive evaluation and build an employment plan. This includes objective application of the criteria to determine who will be referred to basic education, supported work programs and the other approved WorkFirst activities. A recommendation for an employment pathway cannot be made without the parent present to participate in the recommendation process. Staff will consult with partner agency staff as needed to complete a parent's employment plan.
  3. Staff will use the results of the Work Skill Assessment to complete the Employment Plan. When the Employment Plan is completed and approved in the Customer Automated Tracking System (CATS), ESD staff will complete their final recommendation for services on the comprehensive evaluation in eJAS.
    1. ESD Staff will take into consideration all elements of the comprehensive evaluation, including parent input, when making their recommendation for the best employment activities pathway. Services recommended will be made objectively and consistently, based on program policy criteria. See “Criteria for Decision Making” when building an Employment Plan and making recommendation for employment pathway activities.
      1. ESD recommendations need to be as specific as possible, including when each of the recommended activities will be available, number of hours per week each activity is offered, days of week and time during the day (this applies to activities other than fulltime activities).
    2. Upon completion and documentation of the Employment Plan in eJAS the employment counselor will advise the parent to report back to their WFPS as instructed on their IRP.
  4. If the parent is unable to continue:
    1. Stop the evaluation process.
    2. Document the inability on the comprehensive evaluation.
    3. Document the specific reason in the appropriate eJAS case notes category.
    4. Refer the parent back to the WFPS.
DSHS

The WFPS and the parent determine the appropriate employment pathway activities using the information documented on the CE Employment Plan to develop the parent's IRP. The WFPS:

  1. Uses the criteria for developing an IRP and making referrals to employment pathway activities as outlined in “Criteria for Decision Making” document.
  2. Documents acceptance of recommendations or justification for partial acceptance or rejection of the recommendations from the CE Employment Plan in eJAS.
  3. Updates the IRP outlining the required activities and level of participation the parent must achieve.
  4. Closes the CE component and open the appropriate referral code in eJAS.

Resources

For more information about the WorkFirst HandBook, contact Kim Shidell, WorkFirst Program Manager.