Okaloosa County BOCC — April 19, 2016 — CareerSource Okaloosa 2016-2020 Plan for County Commissioners Review — reading text

eligible workers covered by a certification who are eligible for employment and case management services, including Basic and Individualized Career Services either through the TAA Program or through and in coordination with WIOA and Wagner-Peyser Programs. CareerSource Okaloosa Walton April 30, 2016 48 | P a g e  The CareerSource Okaloosa Walton Board, Executive Director and Board staff understands the requirement that merit employees at the regional level should be designated as TAA program staff. This requirement is also communicated to the Center Managers and the WIOA Adult and Dislocated Workers staff. The Chief Operating Officer is included as a member on the Rapid Response Team and will be able to ensure this requirement is in full compliance. d. Jobs for Veterans State Grants (JVSG) Programs. (1) Local Veterans' Employment Representatives (LVER) Program. Under 38 U.S.C. 4104(b), the LVER’s principal duties are to: (1) conduct outreach to employers in the area to assist veterans in gaining employment, including conducting seminars for employers; and, in conjunction with employers, conducting job search workshops and establishing job search groups; and (2) facilitate employment, training, and placement services furnished to veterans in a state under the applicable state employment service delivery systems. (2) Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program (DVOP). See duties below. e. Unemployment Compensation (UC) Program (Wagner-Peyser). Through the state’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) program, individuals, who have lost employment through no fault of their own and have earned sufficient wage credits, may receive UI benefits if they meet initial and continued UI eligibility requirements. CareerSource Okaloosa Walton administers a labor exchange system that has the capacity to meet the work test requirements of the state unemployment compensation system. In order to comply with the UI work test, a UI claimant must be able and available to accept suitable employment; and be actively seeking work. To ensure compliance with the state’s UI program, CareerSource Staff will: (1) Inform the Department of Economic Opportunity’s (DEO) staff if they become aware that a UI claimant fails to comply with the UI work test. (2) Report to DEO UI staff any issues they become aware of that could affect the claimant’s UI benefits, such as inability to work, lack of transportation, or other availability issues. (3) Provide access to a computer or telephone in the Career Centers for individuals who want to file a claim for UI benefits or may be responding to a UI inquiry. (4) Provide UI claimants access to a telephone, fax machine, and a location within the Career Centers where the claimant can participate in a telephone UI appeal hearing, if necessary. f. Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) Program (Wagner-Peyser). USDOL and participating states have been striving to address individual reemployment needs of UI claimants, and to prevent and detect UI improper CareerSource Okaloosa Walton April 30, 2016 49 | P a g e  payments, through the voluntary UI Reemployment and Eligibility Assistance Program since 2005. A new provision in the 2015 appropriation allows funds to be expended for both traditional UI Reemployment and Eligibility Assessments (REA) activities and for reemployment services. These activities are referred to collectively as the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA). The following services are required for all RESEA participants and will be provided by CareerSource Okaloosa Walton staff as part of intensive one-on-one service: (1) Orientation: RESEA staff must provide an orientation about all of the CareerSource Okaloosa Walton services with particular emphasis on accessing available labor market and career information. This activity code should be manually entered and resulted in EFM by the facilitator following the end of the orientation. Staff will use Activity Code: 101, Staff Assisted Orientation for this activity. (2) Initial Assessment: RESEA staff must conduct a one-on-one assessment interview with the RESEA participants to review their employability skills, strengths, weaknesses, and barriers. In additional to the assessment tools mentioned in this LOP, other tools may also be used such as Florida Ready to Work Credentialing Program, CHOICES360, ProveIt!, Barriers to Employment Success Inventory (BESI), etc. When using these assessments, staff should not set additional standards for participants to attain in order to be shown as successful completers. The only standards that may be used are those included with the assessment tool. Staff will use Activity Code 102, Initial Assessment for this activity. (3) Labor Market Information (LMI): RESEA staff must conduct a briefing on the Provision of Labor Market Information unique to the RESEA participant’s experience, skills and desired occupation. Staff will use Activity Code 107, Provision of Labor Market Information for this activity. (4) Employability Development Plan: RESEA staff must assist the participants with developing an Employability Development Plan (EDP) unique to their challenges, skills, and goals discovered during the initial assessment. The EDP should be thorough and complete as it provides a road map for the participant to follow. Staff will use Activity Code 205, Develop Service Strategies (IEP, ISS, and EDP) for this activity. g. Military Family Employment Advocacy Program (MFEA). The Military Family Employment Advocacy Program was established due to the recognition of the challenges that military families face on a daily basis, to include and not limited to frequent relocations, recurring deployments, and lengthy periods of separation. Florida legislature recognized these occurrences impact a military spouse’s ability to gain job skills and maintain a career. The purpose of the MFEA program is to develop and provide outreach services to engage job seeking military dependents in CareerSource Okaloosa Walton April 30, 2016 50 | P a g e  CareerSource services and to help educate the workforce community about the unique employment barriers faced by military family members. h. Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). CareerSource Okaloosa Walton includes the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) in both of the full services Career Centers. SCSEP is a community service and work based training program for older workers. The Program is authorized by the Older Americans Act, and provides subsidized, service-based training for low- income persons 55 or older who are unemployed and have poor employment prospects. Participants have access to both SCSEP services and other employment assistance through the CareerSource Okaloosa Walton One-Stop Delivery System. i. Employment Network and Ticket-to-Work Program (Social Security Administration (SSA)). The CareerSource Okaloosa Walton Board is an approved Employment Network (EN) and approved to operate the Social Security Administration (SSA) Ticket to Work Program. The Ticket to Work Program is a supportive, active, and resource rich path to employment for SSI and SSDI recipients. The Region offers the full menu of re- employment related services to SSI and/or SSDI beneficiaries who want to join or return to the workforce. Individuals who enroll in the Ticket to Work Program must: (1) Be 18 to 64 years old (2) Be Receiving SSI and/or SSDI Based on a Disability (3) Have a true desire and ability to return to work (4) Be motivated and capable of working on goals with Ticket to Work staff members (5) TTW provides a safety net to help SSI/SSDI recipients maintain benefits and work. j. Disability Program Navigator. CareerSource Okaloosa Walton has designated a Regional Disability Program Navigator (DPN) who oversees services addressing the needs of individuals with disabilities. Each Career Center has a designated staff member as a resource for matters concerning disabilities. The focus of the DPN is to address the needs of individuals with disabilities seeking training and employment opportunities through the CareerSource One-Stop System. The DPN provides expertise and serve as a resource person to the workforce investment system for individuals with disabilities, including Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability and blindness beneficiaries. The Disability Program Navigator has expertise regarding the One-Stop partner programs and services. CareerSource Okaloosa Walton April 30, 2016 51 | P a g e  k. Child Care Services. LWDA 02 enjoys close working relationship with the Okaloosa Walton Child Care Services. The LWDA 02 Executive Director serves on the WWCCS (ELC) Executive Committee. The mission of the WWCCS of the Coalition is to promote a collaborative school readiness and early childhood service system, to deliver an integration of cognitive, social/emotional and physical development experiences that increase children's opportunities for success. LWDA 02 supports the priorities of the WWCCS which are: o Increase child care capacity, as number of slots available for young children is severely limited. o Increase quality of subsidized school readiness services through training and technical assistance. o Utilize appropriate screening and assessment tools for subsidized child care in accordance with state statutes. o Increase outreach to unique populations, and increase community awareness of strategies for increasing child well being. Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program (DVOP) Veterans And Eligible Spouses With Significant Barriers To Employment (SBE) DOL has directed that DVOP staff must limit their activities to providing services to eligible veterans and eligible spouses who: a. Meet the definition of an individual with a Significant Barrier to Employment (SBE) as defined in the paragraphs below, or b. Are members of a veteran population identified by the Secretary under 38 U.S.C. 4103A (a) (l) (C) as eligible for DVOP services, as explained in separate guidance from DOL. The following paragraphs describe the criteria for having a significant barrier to employment: a. An eligible veteran or eligible spouse