TITLE: / CWES BULLETIN 08 - 01 /
AREA: / CalWORKs Social Work Unit Pilot Project for 2nd Non-Compliance Job Club Clients (1888 CWES Office only)
REFERENCE: / None
DATE: / January9, 2008
TO: / CWES Staff
FROM: / Denise Boland, Interim DEBS Administrator

Background:

On November 5, 2007, CalWORKs Social Work Unit pilot project for 2nd Non-Compliance Job Club clients for 1888 CWES Office was implemented. Intake staff and the CalWORKs Social Work Unit are working together to service clients who have been referred to Job Club for a 2nd time but failed to show.

The objectives/goals of the pilot are: Increase the Job Club show rateof clients who “No Show” to Job Club for the 2nd time, identify barriers that may prevent clients from successfully participating in their assigned activity, and decrease the number of Job Club sanctions.

Rationale: Professional outreach services in the home may help assess the clients living circumstances, identify client barriers, identify needed client services and help mobilize the client into actions towards self-sufficiency.

Rule: An aided adult in a CalWORKs Assistance Unit (AU) must participate in Welfare-To-Work (WTW) activities and cooperate with CalWORKs Employment Services (CWES), unless exempt. CWES will assist the client to cooperate and utilize the numerous supportive services available and work with the adult client to develop a WTW plan. When a client fails or refuses to cooperate with CWES, without good cause, the client will be financially sanctioned.

Program Terminology

Non-Compliance - When a CWES worker discovers that a client is not participating in his or her WTW activity or is not meeting CWES program requirements, the county must begin the noncompliance process to determine if the client has a good cause for not participating. A financial penalty will be applied with 20 days of the CWES workers discovery.

20-Day Rule-A client who is not participating with WTW program requirement has a right to a compliance period that shall not exceed 20 business days.

21st Day - this is the day the Sanction is initiated. The non-complying adult’s portion of the family’s grant is removed, until the sanctioned is lifted.

NA 840 - a Notice of Action form used to notify the client of the non-compliance and to schedule a cause determination appointment for nonparticipation.

WTW 32 - Welfare-to-Work Compliance Plan must be signed by the client when no good cause is determined. It includes participation requirements, start and end dates of participation and other rights and responsibilities to avoid a sanction.

Two Parent Households - If one parent is sanctioned, the 2nd parent must increase their participation hours, unless there is good cause. If both are sanctioned then both must comply.

The outcomes of the pilot areto:

  • Increase the Work Participation Rate
  • Close gaps between activities of Job Club and first activity of the WTW Plan
  • Improve utilization of staff resources
  • Improve client services
  • Help eliminate all identified barriers to employment.

CWES Program Outcomes / Social Work Outcomes
  1. Compliance Plan completed by client
/ 1.Client returns to program with or w/o continued social work assistance. No barriers to participation.
  1. Good Cause/Exemption Determined
/ 2.Client has barriers that interfere with participation. A good cause or exemption is determined.
  1. Client is sanctioned. *
/ 3.Client declines services of any type.
4. Client cannot be reached or located.

*Note: If the client’s case is sanctioned, the case is transferred to a closed case # D9JO. Continued efforts are made by the Administrative Unit (D9G) to re-engage the client and lift the sanction.

Key Points

  • CalWORKs recipients are required to participate in Welfare-to-Work activities as a condition for cash assistance.
  • Social Workers will make home visits to clients home in an attempt to identify the barrier(s) the client maybe facing, which resulted in the clients No Show to Job Club (2nd time).
  • Social Workers will assist to resolve the identified barrier(s) with the client, and attempt to reengage the client to the program via the CWES worker (ET).
  • Social Workers will continue working with the client to ensure a successful re-engagement into an employment related activity, while concurrently stabilizing or resolving the identified barrier(s).
  • Social Workers will terminate social work involvement when client’s barriers have been eliminated; the problem area is no longer considered an interference with their employment activity; the client refuses to cooperate with the social worker, employment technician, or CalWORKs program requirements, or the client cannot be located.
  • The JC-NONC 2nd No Shows averages 6 to 7 clients weekly.
  • Social workers must communicate outcomes of their client contacts to avoid unnecessary sanctioning.

Worker Steps (Time Sensitive Actions)

  1. The SWS receives a weekly copy of the list of clients who failed to show to Job Club, for a 2nd time. The list will be sent via email (Tuesdays) by Intake Unit Supervisors and stored in the shared drive. The list will include the following client information:

Job Club Start Date (NOSH Date)*(green columns)

Client Name (last name, first name)

SSN#

Assigned ET Worker #

Case #

2nd Non-Compliance Y or N

Non-Compliance Participation Notice (NA840 or NA845) Mail Out Date

Non-Compliance End Date (20th Day Rule)

GC Reason

Sanctioned (21st day or failed plan date)

Assigned Social Worker Name (green columns)

Barriers (Y or N) (green columns)

JC Show Date

Comments

  1. The case is assigned to the CWSW, (by the SWS), within two days following receipt of the No Show list (located in the shared drive).(Example: SWS receives the list on Tuesday and the case is assigned a social worker by Thursday).
  1. The social worker will begin the assessment process by obtaining some history on the client via CalWIN and/or through the assigned ET. (Contacting the ET prior to contacting the client, for updates on the case).
  1. The assigned social worker contacts the client by phone and/or home visit* to re-engage, the client within 10 days following assignment. (This is 10 working days from the No Show Date). * The social worker should follow-up with a Home Visit to assess the clients living situation, if the social worker is unable reach the client via telephone or the social worker determines a HV is not indicated due to client’s verbal commitment to follow through.

Example of the 10-Day Rule for Social Workers: The client is a No Show for the 2nd time at Job Club on 11/5/07. The NONC process begins. The NOA 840 (Sanction of Mandatory Participation) is mailed out.11/06/07). The social worker MUST make contact with the client AND provide feedback to the CWES worker (ET), NO LATER THAN, 11/19/07 (Within 10 working days).***Time Sensitive***

  1. Once contact is made between the social worker and the client, the social worker provides outcome of the phone call (PC) or home visit (HV) by entering comments/outcome in CalWIN*, immediately following the HV or PC with client.

*Note: If the social worker identifies barrier(s), that maybe interfering with the client’s participation in the program,that warrant an exemption or good cause, additional steps in the CalWIN documentation are needed.(Refer to section CalWIN Documentation for Social Workers).

  1. Once the information is entered into CalWIN by the social worker, the ET takes necessary steps per social workers outcomes. (Refer to the list of potential outcomes on page 2 of this document).
  1. The social worker terminates social work activity when objectives are met

CalWIN Documentation Steps for Social Worker

Comment regarding employment BARRIERS and social work outcomes, should be documented in CalWIN and the unit’s database. Refer to the Case Comments in CalWIN for Social Workers Handout.

Note: When selecting the comment TYPE from the drop down field select NON-COMPLIANCE to record case comments.