416 SCSEP Policies and Procedures for Program Operations | HCBS-5300-MANUAL

An overview of the services provided to SCSEP participants from recruitment to unsubsidized employment and follow-up appear on the flow chart below:

The following sections describe the procedures for implementing each segment shown in the flow chart.

The sub-grantee must ensure that participant recruitment and selection follows DOL policies as outlined in 20 C.F.R. § 641.515(b) and § 641.520:

To ensure that these Requirements are achieved, the sub-grantees will:

The State SCSEP Director will monitor the achievement of recruitment goals during annual visits with the sub-grantee and during monthly teleconferences. At no time should vacancies exist in the program when funding is available to provide training opportunities for older workers.

To be eligible for participation in the SCSEP, an individual must meet each of the following criterions for age, income, place of residence, and eligibility to work:

The eligibility criteria described above apply to:

Definition of Family Income

“Family income” is defined as the sum of the amounts received from the income inclusions delineated in TEGL 12-06.

After calculating the annual family income, refer to the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services poverty income guidelines (aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/14poverty.cfm for the size of the family to determine if the income eligibility criteria are met. For example, if the family consists of a mother, father, and one dependent child, the income guidelines for a family of three should be used to determine income eligibility. To be eligible for SCSEP, the family income must not exceed 125 percent of the poverty level established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the size of the family.

DOL issues SCSEP Income Eligibility Federal Poverty Guidelines annually. These figures are to be used to determine the income eligibility of SCSEP applicants and participants. The 2014 Federal Poverty Guidelines for SCSEP can be found at wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=6525.

To assist the individuals with the greatest need, sub-grantees will follow enrollment guidelines when filling all SCSEP positions. Sub-grantees will give priority to “most-in-need” applicants, defined in 20 C.F.R. § 641.710, also at 42 U.S.C. § 3056p(a)(3)(B)(ii) and § 3056p(b).

Most-in-need participants are those who:

Within all of the priorities listed above, sub-grantees will give preference to persons with poor employment prospects.

A person with poor employment prospects, as defined in 20 C.F.R. § 641.140, is as an eligible individual who is not likely to obtain employment without the assistance of the SCSEP or some other employment and training program. Persons with poor employment prospects include, but are not limited to, individuals:

Sub-grantees will obtain and record the personal information necessary to determine eligibility for each individual. The information will be recorded on the Participant Form at the time of enrollment and each year at the time of recertification.

The sub-grantee is responsible for assuring that the information provided by the applicant is reasonable, reliable, and consistent with other statements made by the applicant. Refer to the SCSEP Data Validation Handbook to identify required documentation (www.scsep-help.com/Documentation/DataValidation.aspx) .

All applicants will be required to review and sign the SCSEP Participant Form at the time of enrollment. Once an applicant is deemed eligible, his or her enrollment must be properly documented. A list of intake forms follows. The latest versions of the forms are available at www.charteroakgroup.com/resources/scsep.shtml):

A chart of the Enrollment Procedures process and additional forms required for participant documentation at intake are included in the Appendix.

The program overview provided to SCSEP applicants is included in the DAS SCSEP Participant Handbook, which can be viewed at: www.odis.dhr.state.ga.us/5000_agi/Aging%20Directives%20Index.htm MAN 5300, Section 400, Chapter 402.

Sub-grantees must ensure that participant assessment complies with DOL policy outlined in 20 C.F.R. § 641.535(a)(2), (3) and § 641.550. The initial assessment provides the basic framework for the Individual Employment Plan (IEP). The comprehensive assessment process identifies a participant’s existing work skills and deficits, job preferences, and any barriers to employment. From the assessment, the sub-grantee can determine the appropriate employment, training, or service activities for each participant and describe each activity on the Individual Employment Plan (IEP).

All SCSEP applicants must be assessed within 30 days of application. The sub-grantee is responsible for designing and implementing an effective and comprehensive procedure to assess participants.

Guidelines for the participant assessment follow:

In addition, DAS requires sub-grantees to include in the assessment, at a minimum, the following:

Particular attention must be paid to the knowledge and skills the participant now possesses, the types of work the participant would like to do, and the knowledge and skills the participant needs to obtain a job in the occupational field of interest. This information provides the basis for the Individual Employment Plan (IEP), and should guide training and employment decisions.

Methods of assessment which sub-grantees may use include:

Assessment of participants is a continual responsibility of the sub-grantee. A formal re-assessment of each participant’s progress toward the goals set in the IEP is required at least once every twelve (12) months.

Based on the Participant Assessment, the sub-grantee will assign each participant to a community service assignment at an organization, referred to as a “Host Agency”. Participants must be assigned to a Host Agency as soon as possible but at least within 30 days of enrollment.

Procedures for selecting, assigning, and monitoring Host Agencies can be found in the DAS SCSEP Host Agency Handbook and Host Agency Agreement (see www.odis.dhr.state.ga.us/5000_agi/Aging%20Directives%20Index.htm MAN 5300, Section 400, Chapter 404 and Chapter 412.

Sub-grantees must ensure that participants receive formal orientation to the SCSEP program as outlined in 20 C.F.R § 641.535 through § 641.565). Orientation topics must include but not be limited to information on:

Additional detail about participant orientation is available in the DAS SCSEP Participant Handbook (www.odis.dhr.state.ga.us/5000_agi/Aging%20Directives%20Index.htm MAN 5300, Section 400, Chapter 402.)

Sub-grantees must ensure that preparation of Individual Employment Plans (IEP) complies with DOL policy outlined in 20 C.F.R. § 641.535(a)(2), (3), & § 641.550.

Sub-grantees will use the information gathered during the initial assessment to develop an IEP that includes an appropriate employment goal for each participant. IEPs must be completed jointly with the SCSEP staff person and the participant.

Additional detail about developing IEPs is available in the DAS SCSEP Participant Handbook (www.odis.dhr.state.ga.us/5000_agi/Aging%20Directives%20Index.htm MAN 5300, Section 400, Chapter 402.)

Sub-grantees must comply with participant reassessment as outlined in 20 C.F.R. § 641.535(a)(2)(ii).

Subsequent eligibility assessments may be made as necessary, but must be made no less frequently than two times during a twelve month period (including the initial assessment).

Sub-grantees must comply with 20 C.F.R. § 641.575 before rotating participants among Host Agencies. Host Agency Rotation policies must be approved by DOL. Currently, Georgia has no DOL-approved Host Agency Rotation Policy.

Additional information about Host Agency rotation is available in the section Reassignments in DAS SCSEP Host Agency Handbook (see www.odis.dhr.state.ga.us/5000_agi/Aging%20Directives%20Index.htm MAN 5300, Section 400, Chapter 404).

In addition to the training provided in a community service assignment, grantees and sub-recipients may arrange skill training, provided that the training complies with the policies outlined in 20 C.F.R. § 641.540. Training may be in the form of lectures, seminars, classroom instruction, individual instruction, online instruction, or on-the-job experiences (OJE). OJE training activities must be DOL-approved. Currently, Georgia does not have a DOL-approved OJE training policy.

Additional information about training is available in the section Employability Training in DAS SCSEP Participant Handbook (see www.odis.dhr.state.ga.us/5000_agi/Aging%20Directives%20Index.htm MAN 5300, Section 400, Chapter 402).

Sub-grantees must ensure that updates of Individual Employment Plans (IEP) comply with DOL policy outlined in 20 C.F.R. § 641.535(a)(2), (3), & 641.550.

Additional information about IEP Updates is available in the section Evaluations in DAS SCSEP Participant Handbook (see www.odis.dhr.state.ga.us/5000_agi/Aging%20Directives%20Index.htm MAN 5300, Section 400, Chapter 402).

Because SCSEP is not a permanent job, but a training program, it is essential that participants actively seek a permanent job during their training assignments. Sub-grantees are required to provide job search assistance for participants. Job search assistance can be coordinated through the collaboration between the SCSEP program and the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), as outlined in 20 C.F.R. § 641.210.

Additional information about IEP Updates is available in the section Participant Responsibilities in DAS SCSEP Participant Handbook (see www.odis.dhr.state.ga.us/5000_agi/Aging%20Directives%20Index.htm MAN 5300, Section 400, Chapter 402).

The goal for SCSEP is for the participants to find permanent, unsubsidized employment. The responsibilities of sub-grantees in assisting participants to obtain unsubsidized employment are outlined in 20 C.F.R. § 641.550. See also JOB SEARCH ASSISTANCE TRAINING and JOB DEVELOPMENT above.

Policies that provide guidance for participant follow-up and retention after obtaining unsubsidized employment are available in OAA OAA 502(c)(6)(A)(iv), 42 U.S.C. 3056 and OAA 518(a)(7), 42 U.S.C. 3056p(a)(7) (see www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/AoA_Programs/OAA/oaa_full.asp and www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/AoA_Programs/OAA/oaa.aspx).

Sub-grantees are required to provide follow-up documentation for participants who exit for unsubsidized employment for four quarters after the date of exit. All follow-up information must be entered in the SPARQ system by an authorized SPARQ user.

Procedures exist to provide mediation of problems encountered at host agencies or with the SCSEP project staff and to terminate participants from the SCSEP program. A copy of grievance and termination procedures must be provided to each participant during Orientation to the SCSEP program. The DOL-approved DAS SCSEP grievance and termination procedures are available in the DAS SCSEP Participant Handbook which can be viewed at www.odis.dhr.state.ga.us/5000_agi/Aging%20Directives%20Index.htm MAN 5300, Section 400, Chapter 402.