WorkFirst HandBook

Employment Services

4.5 WorkFirst Career Services Program

The WorkFirst Career Services Program section includes:

4.5.1 What is the WorkFirst Career Services Program?

The WorkFirst Career Services Program is for employed adults who exit WorkFirst or State Family Assistance (SFA) and are working at least 30 hours or more per week. The program provides:

The Employment Security Department (ESD) administers the WorkFirst Career Services program. ESD will send out program enrollment information (system generated) to all parents who exit WorkFirst and are determined fully program eligible at the time of exit. Program enrollment letter.

4.5.2 What role does the WorkFirst Partnership play in the Career Services Program?

The WorkFirst Partnership informs each parent, from the time of application for WorkFirst assistance to exiting WorkFirst, of the services available through the Career Services Program.

4.5.3 Who is eligible for the WorkFirst Career Services Program?

To qualify, the parent must enroll with the Employment Security Department within the first two months after the month that WorkFirst cash assistance/SFA ends. The parent must also:

Each parent in a two-parent family may qualify for their own cash payments, cash bonuses and services as long as they meet the conditions above.

4.5.4 What employment services are available through the WorkFirst Career Services Program?

The WorkFirst Career Services Program provides wage progression and job retention services, as well local resource information. Specific types of services and information may vary by WorkSource office but should include:

WorkSource staff will specifically discuss job retention, career planning, and connecting to community resources with each parent. Staff will use the WorkFirst Career Services Planning Guide during these discussions and give the guide to the parent at the end of the interview. Staff will enter in the “Career Services” note type in SKIES that the WorkFirst Career Services Planning Guide was given to the parent.

4.5.5 How do parents enroll in the WorkFirst Career Services Program?

Parents who want to enroll in the WorkFirst Career Services Program must report in person to their local ESD WorkSource office with personal identification and employment documentation. Employment documentation must be:

WorkSource staff will use the parent's employment documentation and the eligibility list in the SKIES system to verify program eligibility. If eligibility cannot be verified in SKIES, staff should confirm with the parent what month they exited TANF. If the parent is in an eligible month for program enrollment and not on the eligibility list, staff should call the WorkSource Operations Division, WorkFirst Administrative Unit to verify program eligibility.

WorkSource staff will use the self employment formula in Chapter 8.2.3– “What is the Self Employment Formula” to determine if a parent meets the 30 hours per week work requirement for enrollment in the program.

4.5.6 How is employment documentation processed?

WorkSource staff will process employment documentation as follows for all parents being enrolled in the WorkFirst Career Services Program:

  1. All parents who are on the “Career Services Potentially Eligible List” in SKIES that are being enrolled into the program must provide employment documentation which can be used to determine they are working the required hours per week. Employment documentation must meet the requirements contained in paragraph 4.4.5 above.
  2. WorkSource staff will:
  3. Employment documentation will be retained locally by month of enrollment for each program quarter. Documentation will be retained on site for one quarter past the quarter in which it was obtained. Documentation will then be sent to archives for the time necessary to retain the documentation for at least 30 months.
4.5.7 What cash payments and bonuses are available to WorkFirst Career Services enrollees?

Parents working 30 hours per week may receive up to $650 in basic needs payments and bonuses over the six-month period starting with the first month following the month in which they exited WorkFirst /SFA.

Eligible Month Basic Needs Payments & Bonus Amounts Description of Payments and Bonuses
Month 1 – 6 $50.00 a month Monthly basic needs payments begin once you enroll.
Month 1 or 2 $150.00 One-time enrollment bonus when you sign up for the program.
Month 4 & 6 $100.00 month 4
$100.00 month 6 		Bonus for completing the WorkFirst Career Services assessment and employment planning interview.
4.5.8 How long can a parent receive WorkFirst Career Services benefits?

WorkFirst Career Services cash benefits are available during the six months following the parent's WorkFirst exit. The parent no longer qualifies for WorkFirst Career Services cash benefits if we learn the parent:

4.5.9 What other services are parents eligible for?

Parents who are enrolled in WorkFirst Career Services may also qualify for WorkFirst post-employment services that could include:

4.5.10 What happens if a parent is no longer working 30 hours per week?

If the Employment Security Department learns the parent is no longer working 30 hours per week, they will provide the parent a letter giving 10 days notice of program termination. Program staff will close the WorkFirst Career Services case at the end of the month in which the 10 day notice ends. The letter will tell the parent how to request an administrative hearing if they disagree with this decision. WorkFirst Career Services 10 Day Notification of Termination Letter – Working less than 30 hours per week.

If the parent wants an administrative hearing, they can mail their request to the Office of Administrative Hearings or WorkSource staff can forward it for them. The Office of Administrative Hearings staff will arrange for ESD staff to attend the hearing if necessary and determine if benefits should be continued.

Employment Security staff will be available to help the parent find employment or increase their hours of employment. If a parent finds a new job or increases their hours to 30 hours or more per week before the end of the termination month, they will remain eligible.

4.5.11 What happens if a parent is approved for WorkFirst/SFA cash assistance while receiving WorkFirst Career Services?

Automation will alert ESD staff when a WorkFirst Career Services enrollee starts receiving WorkFirst /SFA cash assistance. The Employment Security Department will automatically send a letter to the parent and close the WorkFirst Career Services case at the end of the month in which WorkFirst cash assistance starts. The letter tells the parent how to file an administrative hearing if they disagree with this decision. Returned to WorkFirst cash assistance termination notification letter

4.5.12 What is the Administrative Hearing Process?
  1. Parents have the right to request an Administrative Hearing when:
    1. Terminated from the program and do not believe they should have been.
    2. An overpayment occurs and they do not agree that they were overpaid.
  2. When a parent's enrollment in the program is ended early for any reason other than loss of contact (check returned to ESD Administrative unit), the parent will be notified of their right to an Administrative Hearing. The notification will provide the parent the information they need to request an Administrative Hearing, including the 10 calendar day deadline.
  3. Parents who inform a WorkSource staff member in person that they are no longer working the required number of hours each week will be given a completed 10-day notice of program termination. Parents may complete the bottom portion of the notice and they can mail the Fair Hearing Request to the address provided on the form or request staff forward their request to the Administrative Hearings Office. Staff will enter in the “Career Services” note type in SKIES that a 10 day notice of termination was given.
  4. Parents may call the ESD WorkFirst Administrative unit at 1-800-339-3981 if they have questions regarding their termination from the program.
  5. Requests for Administrative Hearings will go directly to the Office of Administrative Hearings. The DSHS Administrative Hearings Coordinator will contact the ESD Administrative Unit for any needed information or if an expert witness is required.
4.5.13 How are overpayments processed?
  1. Parents deemed overpaid because they received continued benefits will receive a “Client Overpayment Notice.” The ESD Administrative Unit will process the notice of overpayment.
  2. Notice of overpayments will provide the parent the right to an Administrative Hearing.
  3. Repayments of overpayments should be sent to: the Office of Financial Recovery, P O Box 45862 Olympia , WA 98504-5862
  4. The Office of Financial Recovery will collect overpayments if not repaid.
4.5.14. WorkFirst Career Services Program – Step by Step
  1. WorkFirst partners will:
    1. Market the program to all WorkFirst parents while they are enrolled in WorkFirst activities.
    2. Remind parents about enrolling in the program within two months of exit if they are working 30 hours or more per week in unsubsidized employment.
    3. Remind parents to bring in employment documentation when enrolling in the program.
  2. DSHS will:
    1. Inform parents throughout their enrollment in WorkFirst and at the time of exit, if possible, how to access services available through the WorkFirst Career Service program.
    2. Ensure parents' employment information is recorded at time of exit.
    3. Provide imaging services for employment verification documentation.
  3. ESD staff will:
    1. Use the “Potentially Eligible List” in SKIES and employment documentation to determine eligibility for parents reporting for enrollment in the WorkFirst Career Services Program.
    2. Call the WorkFirst Administrative Unit if clarification on eligibility is needed.
    3. Make a copy of employment documentation of those parents on the Potentially Eligible List in SKIES that are being enrolled in the program. Give originals back to the parent. Ensure the employment documentation is retained for 30 months as outlined in paragraph 4.5.6.
    4. Enroll parents in SKIES under the Career Services program ensuring the mailing address is correct.
    5. Inform eligible parents about automatic monthly basic needs payments and the importance of notifying ESD about any address change.
    6. Encourage parents to take advantage of WorkSource Services and to come in to the WorkSource office as their schedule will allow. And if they come in during the 4th and 6th month they can earn bonus payments.
    7. Enter into SKIES, as appropriate, the service for the Career Services Guidance 4 th month or 6 th month to initiate the $100 bonus payment for parent who come into the office during either of those months.
    8. Inform parents when program eligibility ends for Career Services cash payments. Stress that employment services through the WorkSource office are continually available even after exiting the Career Services Program.
    9. Provide employment counseling, and support services as appropriate. Using the Career Services – Career Planner discuss job retention, career planning, and community resources. Provide the parent a copy of the Career Planner and document in the “Career Services” note type that the parent received the Career Planner.
    10. Provide parents a 10 day notice of program termination if they report that they are no longer living in the state or they are no longer working at least 30 hours per a week and instruct them on where to mail the notice of program termination if they do not agree.
    11. Forward the 10 day notice of program termination to the Office of Administrative Hearings if requested by the parent.
    12. Document in the “Career Services” note type in SKIES that the 10 day notice of program termination was given.
    13. Provide services to help parents regain full time employment so program enrollment continues.
    14. Call the ESD WorkSource Operations Division – WorkFirst Administrative Unit if automation problems occur or when a parent reports that they did not receive a payment. Warrants must have had 10 delivery days to reach the parent before calling the WorkFirst Administrative Unit for assistance. Staff will verify the correct address, make address changes as necessary in SKIES and document in the Career Services notes in SKIES what the old address was and the date the change was made
    15. The ESD WorkFirst Administrative Unit will:
    16. Assist with eligibility questions.
    17. Assist with payment resolution.
    18. Process returned warrants.
    19. Reinstate parents in the program.
    20. Initiate Overpayment documentation.
    21. Provide information needed for Administrative Hearings.
    22. Answer program question from the public, participating parents and the WorkFirst partnership.

Resources

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