WorkFirst HandBook

Paid & Unpaid Employment

8.3 Community Jobs

The Community Jobs section includes:

8.3.1 What is Community Jobs?

Community Jobs (CJ) is a full time (40 hours per week), WorkFirst (WF) activity that provides parents with paid, temporary employment. CJ is a paid work experience of up to six months, which combines 20 hours per week in a temporary subsidized job (considered employment) with 10 hours per week of training or education and 10 hours per week of issue resolution (considered preparing for work). With the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development's (CTED) approval, a parent may participate for an additional three months. CJ gives these individuals the opportunity to gain experience in an employment setting while increasing their income, skills and self-confidence. CJ is a one-time program, however exceptions may be made through CJ Contractors (CJCs) and CTED. CTED administers the CJ Program statewide and local contracting partners deliver direct services.

A Community Jobs enrollment:

8.3.2 What is Career Jump?

Career Jump offers CJ parents an opportunity to gain paid work experience with an employer that has agreed to hire them at the end of their CJ Program. This program is a subset of CJ. Career Jump places the parent in a job where their earnings are paid by the CJ program for up to 256 hours. At the negotiated transition date, the parent will transition to the employer's payroll and the employment opportunity will be compensated above minimum wage, 32 or more hours per week and will include wage progression and benefits comparable to other employees. The parent will be provided with support services and retention services, as needed, to assist them in retaining their job for an additional 90 days.

8.3.3 Who needs Community Jobs?

CJ may be an option for parents who:

8.3.4 Partner roles in Community Jobs

CJ parents are engaged in more than one activity at a time specifically identified to meet their individual needs. This is a multi-partner effort. Partners include, but are not limited to, Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Employment Security Department (ESD), State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) and CTED. It is important to keep the parent moving steadily toward independence from WorkFirst. One way to do this is to ensure smooth transfers from one activity to another.

CJCs work to stack a CJ enrollment with training or specialized services to reduce or manage barriers to employment.

8.3.5 Community Jobs and Stacked Activities

During the Community Jobs Program the CJC will arrange for the stacked activities. A minimum of 10 hours must be education or training to include GED, Basic Education, ESL, or job skills training. When available, education components should be co-enrolled with the local community or technical college. Education/training can also be provided by other resources when the community or technical college is not a viable option. Job skills training must provide job skills required by an employer to provide a parent with the ability to obtain employment or to advance at the workplace. Job skills training can include training to meet the needs of a specific employer or it can be general training that prepares a parent for employment. This can include literacy/language instruction when it is explicitly focused on skills needed for employment.

All education/training components must be supervised daily and attendance records must be maintained. If the education/training co-enrollment is provided by a WorkFirst partner the appropriate component must be coded with the provider's contractor code. That provider is responsible for reporting participation and progress (if applicable) in eJAS. See Monitoring Participation chapter 3.9.

In the event Job Training services are not available through the Community and Technical College system, contractors may directly provide, or contract for, s uch services .

If no educational activities are available or the stacked activity is less than 10 hours per week, work hours can be increased up to a maximum of 30 hours per week.

The remaining 10 hours per week will focus on employment barriers and activities to assist parents in obtaining unsubsidized employment. These activities are not coded as eJAS components; they are requirements within the parent's IDP.

All activities must be documented in the Individual Development Plan (IDP) with specific details regarding schedules and progress updates.

If the subsidized CJ job ends and the parent has not yet found unsubsidized employment, the parent should be referred back to DSHS for the WorkFirst Program Specialist (WFPS) or WorkFirst Social Worker (WFSW) to complete a referral to ESD for full-time employment services. The Individual Responsibility Plan (IRP) should be changed to show employment services for 40 hours per week.

8.3.6 Community Jobs and Domestic Violence

If parents are working on resolving or coping with family violence and are also participating in Community Jobs, CJ staff should:

  1. Support parents in meeting participation requirements, considering the safety of parents and their families.
  2. Assist in developing appropriate work activities for the parent that does not put the parent at further risk of family violence, make it more difficult for the parent to escape family violence or penalize them for being family violence survivors.
  3. Consider and discuss with the parents the ramifications of sharing information related to family violence with employers and co-workers, considering what other employees may need to know to safely support the parent, and provide briefings to the placement site if parents have given their informed consent.
  4. Review whether the CJC has exhausted all options for addressing the specific barriers to participation in getting and keeping a job.
  5. Outline the requirements of the CJ Program. Let parents know that there are people who can help them work through whatever emerges as they work through the program.
  6. Refer the parents back to the WFPS with recommendations if they do not or cannot follow through with the requirements of the CJ Program and you have done all you can do to assist.
  7. Never record parents' actual street address(s) in WF records if they participate in the Address Confidentiality Program (ACP). CJ staff must use the ACP mailing address as shown in the Client Demographics Screen in eJAS in place of the parents' actual street address for mailing purposes and in place of an employer's name and address on employment screens. Hourly wage and other non-disclosing information may be entered and updated.
  8. Discuss with the parent that information they disclose concerning family violence will be recorded in the system and the WFPS/WFSW will have access to them. Reassure parents that the information is kept highly protected among WF partners for whom a signed release has been received. Also assist them in making contact with the WFPS/WFSW for the purpose of connecting with workers or community partners who may assist in coping with or resolving family violence issues.
8.3.7 CJ Individual Development Plan

The CJC will work with the parent to develop an Individual Development Plan (IDP) in eJAS. The IDP will detail all aspects of parents' activities while in the CJ Program to include employment information like work location and schedule, education co-enrollments, barriers and barrier management plans, details of all co-enrollment activities, progress updates, and various program reviews. All details of the CJ Program should be included in the IDP so the parent has a full understanding of their program expectations, activities, and accountability. If they are not participating in all activities detailed in their IDP, they may be sanctioned for non-participation.

CJ parents are required to sign their IDP whenever their program expectations or requirements change. CJCs provide a copy of the signed IDP to the parent and maintain a copy in their files.

The IDP can be updated by the CJC; WFPS/WFSWs have access to view the IDP by opening it from the link on the parent's main screen in eJAS.

8.3.8 CJ and Support Services

Prior to authorizing Support Services to a CJ parent, WF partners should access Support Services in eJAS to ensure the guidelines for each category have not been exceeded. Support Services will then be authorized.

8.3.9 Start of CJ Employment

Parents should be placed on a worksite within 10 business days from the First Contact meeting when they started their IDP. The start date of a parent's CJ Program begins on the first day on the paid CJ worksite (considered enrollment). The CJC will enter this date in the Actual Start Date column of the Contractor Caseload Screen.

The following fields on the eJAS Employment screen will be completed by the CJC once the CJC confirms the parent has started CJ employment and is receiving wages:

When the CJ enrollment ends:

The CJC will enter the following information in the Employment Screen:

The WFPS/WFSW will complete the following:

8.3.10 Budgeting CJ Income

When the CJ employment begins, the WFPS enters CJ income type and the anticipated gross income amount on the ACES EARN Screen. These entries will automatically set up the:

Please note: The first month the parent receives their first CJ paycheck(s), the CJ paycheck(s) is disregarded for WorkFirst/SFA. Example: parent begins working at CJ worksite on 9/15/2006 and receives first paycheck(s) on 10/10/2006 and 10/25/2006. The income is disregarded for the month of October.

ACES will generate an alert #413 in the 2nd and 5th months of participation to notify the user that a review is due. An alert (#414) is generated in the beginning of the ninth month of CJ participation. Confirm when the CJ job will actually end in the 5th month (and double check in the 9th month for cases will be in CJ longer than six months) and enter that date in the end date field, removing the income.

8.3.11 Hold Process

If a parent starts on the CJ worksite (either Classic or Career Jump) and a situation arises that requires them to be temporarily removed from the CJ Program, a case staffing should be held with the WF partners.

Reasons for a temporary hold could include:

Once the hold issue has been resolved, the parent should resume their CJ Program.

(Please note: the Hold process does not apply to Career Jump parents who have transitioned to the employers' payroll.)

Agency/worker roles in Community Jobs

WF Program Specialist

  • Refers to CJ Contractor using the CJ component code and IRP template.
  • Creates the CJ component for 20 hours per week.
  • Ensures cash aid and pre-enrollment support services are provided.
  • Ensures that the parent has child care and a transportation plan.

Community Jobs Contractor

  • Receives electronic referral.
  • Reviews the parent's eJAS file for program eligibility, including previous referral and engagement in the CJ Program. If previous CJ involvement, contact CTED to obtain approval to re-engage/re-enroll the parent.
  • Makes first contact with parent within 5 business days from date of the referral.
  • Accepts or rejects the referral within 6 business days of the date of referral.
  • Enters the First Contact information.
  • Creates an initial IDP during the First Contact meeting.
  • Ensures that the parent signs the IDP.
  • Develops a subsidized job.
  • Enters the Actual Start Date in the Contractor Caseload screen when the parent begins at a worksite.
  • Creates the Employment Screen in eJAS.
  • Acts as the employer of record and provides CJ wages.
  • Provides support services during CJ enrollment.
  • Arranges for full time participation (40 hrs per week) in the IDP.
  • Identifies and arranges for a minimum of 10 hours per week of stacked education or job skills training activities.
  • Notifies WFPS/WFSW of the stacked education/training activities, hours and provider for eJAS coding.
  • Monitors attendance, participation and progress for all co-enrollment activities. Documents progress in the parent's IDP.
  • If the CJC is also the provider for co-enrolled education activities the CJC will report attendance and participation via the actual hours reporting screens in eJAS.
  • The CJC will identify and arrange for an additional 10 hours per week of barrier management or employment related services. The activities will be documented in the IDP and not coded in eJAS.
  • Update the IDP on a monthly basis
  • Enter case notes throughout the parent's CJ program.
  • Close the IDP and CJ Employment Screen when the parent is no longer enrolled in the program.
  • Electronically refer the parent back to DSHS via the Contractor Caseload Screen

Community and Technical Colleges

  • WF Foundation Basic Skills
  • GED
  • ESL
  • Other WF training options including Job Skills Training

Other Service Providers

  • May be part of stacked services to resolve difficult issues (like family violence, medical issues, and/or additional training opportunities)

 

8.3.12 Community Jobs – Step-by-step guide
  1. The WFPS will refer the parent to the CJC using the:
    1. CJ component code and CJ IRP template,
    2. Enter the CJ component code for 20 hours for 12 months.
    3. Advise the parent that they must meet with the CJC within five business days.
    4. Advise the parent that they need to bring valid employment identification to the meeting with the CJC. (The most common types of employment ID include driver's license or state identification card and social security or U.S. Permanent Resident Card.)
    5. Authorize support services up to the time of the CJ referral.
    6. Authorize needed full time child care.
  2. Upon receipt of the CJ referral, the CJC will:
    1. Attempt to contact the parent to arrange the First Contact meeting
    2. If First Contact is made within 5 business days, the CJC will accept the referral and complete the First Contact note with the specific details of the meeting.
      1. If First Contact is not made within 5 business days, the CJC will reject the referral on the 6 th business day.
    3. During the First Contact meeting, the CJC will develop an initial IDP with the parent outlining their specific program activities including any pre-placement activities.
      1. Develop a host worksite for the parent
      2. Develop stacked education/training activities for at least 10 hours per week .
      3. Contractors may directly provide, or contract for, Job Training services when such services are not available through the Community and Technical College system and document the justification in eJAS case notes.
      4. Contractors will need to notify the WFPS of additional education activities via e-message so the WFPS can create the appropriate component codes to support the activity.
      5. If educational activities are not available or the stacked activity is less than 10 hours per week, work hours can be increased up to a maximum of 30 hours per week and document the justification in eJAS case notes .
      6. Contractors will need to notify the WFPS of any work hours over 20 via e-message so the WFPS can update the component hours.
      7. Develop action plans to address barriers.
      8. Identify and arrange for 10 hours per week of additional participation activities to resolve barriers or in employment related activities. These activities are not coded components in eJAS.
      9. Job Search should not be coded as a co-enrollment activity while enrolled in the CJ program.
    4. Once the parent begins at the worksite the CJC will:
        1. Enter the date the parent started at the worksite in the Actual Start Date column of the Contractor Caseload Screen.
        2. Create an Employment Screen in eJAS with the worksite information, and
        3. Update the parent's IDP to reflect the worksite information and requirements.
  3. Once the CJC enters the Actual Start Date in the Contractor Caseload Screen, the WFPS will:
    1. Fix the discrepancy between the Scheduled Start Date on the Contractor Caseload Screen and the Actual Start Date on the Contractor Caseload Screen by changing the Scheduled Start Date to match the Actual Start Date. This will remove the black triangle from the Contractor Caseload Screen that explains that the Scheduled Start Date does not match the Actual Start Date. It will also remove the exception from DSHS' Client Accountability Report (CAR.)
    2. Enter CJ wage information into eJAS and ACES. See EA-Z Manual for CJ income budgeting information.
    3. Refers parent, if appropriate, to the local Division of Child Support office to discuss a possible modification of his/her support order.
  4. Once the CJC identifies the stacked education/training activity they will notify the WFPS/SW of the specific activity, provider and number of hours per week. A minimum of 10 hours per week of education or training activities will be coded in eJAS. The remaining 10 hours of activities will be documented in the IDP but not coded components in eJAS.
  5. Upon notification of the stacked activity, the WFPS/SW will create the appropriate component with the provider's contractor code and number of hours per week. Creating the additional component will generate an IRP for that activity.
  6. For the duration of the 6-month CJ placement, the CJC will:
    1. Report attendance for any stacked activities with their contractor code as the service provider.
    2. Report progress for GED, High School Completion or Basic Education activities if coded with their contractor code as the service provider.
    3. Maintain attendance records for all activities.
    4. Ensure the IDP details full-time participation (40 hours a week).
    5. Send an immediate notification in eJAS to the WFPS upon 2 excused or 2 unexcused absences in a calendar month. Please refer to section 8.4.4.4– Reporting.
    6. Update the IDP monthly, regarding co-enrollment activities and progress.
    7. Enter case notes into eJAS.
  7. At the completion of a parent's CJ Program (or anytime the parent leaves the CJ Program), the CJC will:
    1. Initiate the final review of the CJ enrollment with the parent and the WFPS, recommending next steps to move them into unsubsidized employment.
    2. Close the CJ worksite Employment Screen.
    3. Enter the date and select the “reason” code on the Contractor Caseload Screen to electronically refer them back to DSHS.
    4. If they have obtained unsubsidized employment, the CJC will create a new Employment Screen with the new information; or update current worksite with unsubsidized employment information.
    5. Complete the Exit Section of the IDP.
  8. Upon completion of the CJ Program, the WFPS will:
    1. Close the CJ component and the contractor code by entering the actual end dates in the Actual End field in the Component/Contractor/IRP Update screen.
    2. Update the CJ wage information (when CJ ends) in eJAS and ACES.
    3. Initiate the final review of the CJ enrollment with the parent and the WFPS/WFSW, recommending the next steps to move the parent to full-time (40 hours) employment services.
    4. Refer the parent to ESD for employment services using the RI referral code with 40 hours.
    Hold Process
  9. Upon agreement with the WF partners to place the parent on hold, the CJC will:
    1. Electronically refer the parent back to DSHS by entering the date and selecting the "Issue Resolution" reason code.
    2. Complete the Hold section of the IDP.
    3. Terminate the CJ worksite (if applicable.)
    4. Close eJAS employment screen.
  10. The WFPS will:
    1. Close the CJ component and the contractor code by entering the actual end dates in the Actual End field in the Component/Contractor/IRP Update screen (if applicable).
    2. Refer to appropriate activity and component while in Hold status (If applicable)
    3. Reinstate his/her WorkFirst grant (if applicable).
  11. Upon agreement with the WF Partners to return them to the CJ Program, the WFPS will:
    1. Close the active Hold component (if applicable)
    2. Repeat Steps 1, 3 and 5 above to create CJ component referral.
  12. Upon receipt of the CJ referral, the CJC will:
    1. Repeat Steps 2 and 4 to accept the parent back into the CJ program.
    2. Complete the Hold section in the IDP.
    3. Re-evaluate current IDP and update.
    4. Connect the parent back to a worksite.

Once the parent is re-engaged from the Hold, steps 7 through 10 above should be followed.

Note: WF attendance requirements apply.

Resources

Related WorkFirst Handbook Chapters
Forms & Other Resources

For more information about the WorkFirst HandBook, contact Olga Walker, WorkFirst Program Manager.