Revised on: November 15, 2021
Legal References:
This WorkFirst Handbook (WFHB) section describes how to use the Pathway Development Tool. It covers:
The Pathway Development Tool (PDT) is an eJAS tool used to conduct WorkFirst comprehensive evaluations and social service assessments. The PDT provides a snapshot in time of what’s going on with a participant, their family, and their individual circumstances. It’s used to gather information on what activities will be most helpful to the participant and aids in developing their Individual Responsibility Plan (IRP).
The PDT is divided into various sections and topics to support a conversation between staff and participants to determine the best engagement pathway. It’s designed to allow WorkFirst staff the flexibility to select a starting topic when engaging the participant in discussion, and for the conversation to flow based on family needs and goals. The PDT includes the following sections:
Tracking Information
The first section allows staff to track specific information, including:
Personal Pathway Details
This section summarizes participant responses captured in the Personal Pathway, for participants who choose to complete one. This information, when available, is used by WorkFirst staff to determine which topic to begin with in the PDT. For more information on how to use this information while completing a PDT, please see WFHB 3.2.2.3 and 3.2.2.4.
Topics
This section includes topic categories for staff to discuss with the participant. Each topic subsection includes the following:
Below are all topics included within the PDT:
TOPIC | DESCRIPTION & ITEMS OF NOTE |
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Family |
Explores the family’s current situation and what services or supports are needed, and/or what exemptions or deferrals may be appropriate. Includes the following subsections:
For the subsections based on child(ren) age – staff only complete subsections relevant to the family. Example: A participant has two children (ages 6 months and 5 years old). The worker reviews the general 'Family,’ ‘Child 0-12 months,’ and ‘Child 2-5 Years’ subsections to complete the 'Family' topic section.
Example: A participant is pregnant and has two children (ages 2 and 5 years old). The worker reviews the general ‘Family,’ ‘Pregnancy,’ and ‘Child 2-5 Years’ subsections to complete this ‘Family’ topic section. The conversation on both children is documented in the ‘Child 2-5 Years’ subsection.
|
Employment & Work Experience | Current employment circumstances and work history/experience. |
Education & Training | Education and training experience, along with related goals and interest in pursuing this as an engagement activity. It includes a field to capture the participant’s highest grade level completed. |
Financial Literacy |
Financial literacy services and supports can provide families with the tools for a smoother transition from a benefit-based income to a wage-based income, and keep them from unknowingly entering into financially devastating credit arrangements. It is an essential element to a family achieving financial stability, self-sufficiency, and economic mobility. NOTE: WorkFirst staff ask the participant if they would like a referral to money management training available in their local community. This is considered a life skill and is not a mandatory activity. Staff can find a list of resources that provide financial literacy programs at the Washington Department of Financial Institutions - Statewide Financial Education Class Calendar and the Washington Asset Building Coalition website.
|
Family Violence | Includes mandatory script and questions to support screening participants for family violence. See WFHB 6.5 for support in conducting these screenings with families. |
Substance Use | Explores whether a referral to social services for a chemical dependency assessment and support is needed. See WFHB 3.2.1.8 and Chapter 6 for additional information. |
Emotional Health | Explores whether a referral to social services to assess and support the participant's emotional health and mental well-being is needed. See WFHB 3.2.1.8 and Chapter 6 for additional information. |
Medical/Health | Explores whether a referral to social services to assess and support the family’s health circumstances, or if deferral/exemption is appropriate. See WFHB 3.2.1.8 and Chapter 6 for additional information.
NOTE: When a participant voluntarily provides information about HIV/AIDS/STD issues that could interfere with WorkFirst activities, use this section to document that information. The HIV/AIDS/STD note type is also available (see WFHB 1.6.4).
|
Housing | Opens up a discussion on the family's housing situation. Supports determining how their housing situation may impact the participant's engagement in activities |
Transportation | Examines what the participant’s current means of getting around is. Opens up a conversation on what type of transportation support services are needed for activity engagement. |
Legal Issues | Explores any legal issues the participant is facing that could affect activity engagement and/or employment opportunities. |
Other Agencies | Allows staff to discuss and document agencies or programs the participant is already engaged with. |
Navigation
This section, nested in the Topics list, supports WorkFirst staff in having a discussion with the participant on engagement pathway options. It includes:
The goal is for WorkFirst staff to do thorough comprehensive evaluations at the initial intake for participants approved or likely to be approved for TANF (see WFHB 3.2.1.8). This allows WorkFirst staff to engage participants in services that make sense based on the family’s circumstances, strengths, desires, and goals.
WorkFirst staff use any information gathered from the Personal Pathway to guide which topics to start with during the comprehensive evaluation. Information collected during the financial intake is also used as launching points during the PDT discussion - supporting a fluid and meaningful conversation with the participant, and avoid them needing to re-tell their story.
There are many topics that are legally required to be covered during the comprehensive evaluation. Required topics are bolded in the Topics table in WFHB 3.2.3.2. They're marked with an asterisk [*] within eJAS. It should be the goal of staff to touch upon all topics included in the PDT, leveraging a participant’s Personal Pathway Details to drive the conversation.
After each Topic section is reviewed, information documented, and indicators, strengths, needs/interests and referrals selections made, WorkFirst staff must save the section before moving to the next topic. Once all topics are reviewed with the participant, WorkFirst Staff must complete the Navigation section by:
Once the Navigation section is complete, WorkFirst staff finalize a PDT by marking Tool Verified as Complete and selecting save. See WFHB 3.2.3.8 for additional support in using the PDT Navigation section.
Social Service Referral Option:
For participants who require a Pregnancy to Employment assessment or have an urgent/emergent issue, an immediate referral to social services is available. The WFPS may start the PDT and complete as much as possible prior to transitioning the participant to a WFSSS.
In these situations, the WFPS will use information obtained during the financial eligibility portion of the interview as a jumping off point to further discuss the family’s circumstances. At the point that the WFPS determines an assessment is needed, the WFPS documents all information shared up to that point, saves and pends the PDT before transitioning the participant to a WFSSS. The WFSSS will review, discuss, and complete the PDT as part of completing their assessment, and then develop the IRP.
If during the conversation with the participant, it’s clear an urgent or emergent issue exists, WorkFirst staff use the Customer-Driven Severity Scale to determine if an immediate offer of referral to social service staff is needed. This tool supports discussion by allowing the participant to make the decision on whether their issue is urgent or emergent. No medical verification is required to make an initial referral for assessment.
If the during the comprehensive evaluation, the participant indicates possible issues (e.g. chemical dependency or mental health) that may affect their ability to fully engage in employment and training activities, referral to social services may still be necessary (Issue Resolution pathway). For these referrals, medical verification is requested and obtained from the participant prior to the WFSSS engaging with the participant and/or determining who should carry the case.
While it isn’t mandatory to refer for a chemical dependency or mental health assessment if the participant is in treatment, staff should consider and offer a social service referral. This allows the participant to explore the situation with a WFSSS and receive additional information to develop a more effective IRP.
The PDT also supports WFSSS in completing social service assessments. Three key PDT features support seamless assessments:
For additional information and support in conducting social service assessments, see WFHB 5.1 & Chapter 6.
The PDT Navigation section supports staff in discussing with the participant engagement pathway options and developing the IRP. WorkFirst staff review the summary of indicators, strengths, needs/interests, and referrals and work with the participant to determine what activities to engage in. Refer to WFHB 3.2.1.10 for guidance on engagement pathways, and WFHB 3.3.1 for guidance on IRP development.
Once an engagement pathway has been agreed to, WorkFirst staff indicate what activities the participant is engaging in by checking boxes under the WorkFirst Activities referred to area of the Navigation section, and documenting the discussion in the free form text field.
WorkFirst Staff must do an annual update of a participant’s comprehensive evaluation and social service assessment. eJAS notifies staff when mandatory screenings are required (annual family violence and family planning screenings). If it has been over a year since a PDT was completed at the time of these annual screenings, staff complete a new PDT with the participant. The family planning and family violence screenings are accessible through the Family and Family Violence topic sections of the PDT.
NOTE: The PDT copy over feature is only available for up to 12 months.When using the copy over feature, WorkFirst Staff need to select this option when they first enter the PDT (before hitting save). eJAS recognizes once the family violence and family planning screenings have been completed and no longer displays a notification on the Client Main Page.
For participants who are in non-compliance sanction and wish to reengage in the program, or who left TANF and then return to the program, staff are required to complete a new comprehensive evaluation with the participant, using the PDT. This includes households that were terminated from TANF due to non-compliance sanction (see WFHB 3.5.3).
For participants who had a PDT done within the last 12-months, the PDT copy over feature can be used so staff can build off the last conversation with the participant. Staff who use this function must review/update all topic sections with the participant and complete the Navigation section based on the conversation. If a PDT on file is older than 12-months, or there isn’t one on file, WorkFirst staff must complete a new PDT with the participant.
WorkFirst staff offer a referral to First Steps for pregnant dependent minors (see WFHB 5.1.17).
CSD staff must follow the policy for mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse, neglect or child rape in the EA-Z Manual, Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting when a participant reports a pregnant minor dependent child. Under the mandatory reporting policy:
Using the PDT to complete a comprehensive evaluation at financial intake, WorkFirst staff:
The WFPS may not be able to complete the comprehensive evaluation at the intake appointment if:
If the participant can’t complete the comprehensive evaluation immediately following financial intake:
Using the PDT to complete a social service assessment, WFSSS: