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

whether the individual is eligible to receive assistance from the adult, dislocated worker, or youth programs; b. Outreach, intake (including worker profiling), and orientation to information and other services available through the One-Stop Delivery System; c. Initial assessment of skill levels including literacy, numeracy, and English language proficiency, as well as aptitudes, abilities (including skills gaps), and need for supportive services; d. Labor exchange services, including: (1) Job search and placement assistance, and, when needed by an individual, career counseling, including: (a) Provision of information on in-demand industry sectors and occupations (as defined in sec. 3(23) of WIOA); and (b) Provision of information on nontraditional employment; and CareerSource Okaloosa Walton April 30, 2016 65 | P a g e  (2) Appropriate recruitment and other business services on behalf of employers, including information and referrals to specialized business services other than those traditionally offered through the One-Stop Delivery System; e. Provision of referrals to and coordination of activities with other programs and services, including programs and services within the One-Stop Delivery System and, when appropriate, other workforce development programs; f. Provision of workforce and labor market employment statistics information, including the provision of accurate information relating to local, regional, and national labor market areas, including: (1) Job vacancy listings in labor market areas; (2) Information on job skills necessary to obtain the vacant jobs listed; and (3) Information relating to local occupations in demand and the earnings, skill requirements, and opportunities for advancement for those jobs. g. Provision of performance information and program cost information on eligible providers of training services by program and type of providers; h. Provision of information, in usable and understandable formats and languages, about how the local area is performing on local performance accountability measures, as well as any additional performance information relating to the area's One-Stop Delivery System; i. Provision of information, in usable and understandable formats and languages, relating to the availability of supportive services or assistance, and appropriate referrals to those services and assistance, including: child care; child support; medical or child health assistance available through the State's Medicaid program and Children's Health Insurance Program; benefits under SNAP; assistance through the earned income tax credit; and assistance under a State program for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and other supportive services and transportation provided through that program; j. Provision of information and assistance regarding filing claims for unemployment compensation, by which the Career Center must provide meaningful assistance to individuals seeking assistance in filing a claim for unemployment compensation. (1) Meaningful assistance means: (a) Providing assistance on-site using staff who are well-trained in unemployment compensation claims filing and the rights and responsibilities of claimants; or (b) Providing assistance by phone or via other technology, as long as the assistance is provided by trained and available staff and within a reasonable time. CareerSource Okaloosa Walton April 30, 2016 66 | P a g e  (2) The costs associated in providing this assistance may be paid for by the State's unemployment insurance program, or the WIOA adult or dislocated worker programs, or some combination thereof. (c) Assistance in establishing eligibility for programs of financial aid assistance for training and education programs not provided under WIOA. Individualized Career Services CareerSource Okaloosa Walton Board must ensure that Individualized Career Services are made available if determined to be appropriate in order for an individual to obtain or retain employment. These services include the following services, as consistent with program requirements and Federal cost principles: a. Comprehensive and specialized assessments of the skill levels and service needs of adults and dislocated workers, which may include: (1) Diagnostic testing and use of other assessment tools; and (2) In-depth interviewing and evaluation to identify employment barriers and appropriate employment goals; b. Development of an individual employment plan, to identify the employment goals, appropriate achievement objectives, and appropriate combination of services for the participant to achieve his or her employment goals, including the list of, and information about, the eligible training providers (As described in § 680.180); c. Group counseling; d. Individual counseling; e. Career planning; f. Short-term pre-vocational services including development of learning skills, communication skills, interviewing skills, punctuality, personal maintenance skills, and professional conduct services to prepare individuals for unsubsidized employment or training; g. Internships and work experiences that are linked to careers (as described in § 680.170); h. Workforce preparation activities; i. Financial literacy services (As described in sec. 129(b)(2)(D) of WIOA and § 681.500); j. Out-of-area job search assistance and relocation assistance; and k. English language acquisition and integrated education and training programs. CareerSource Okaloosa Walton April 30, 2016 67 | P a g e Follow-up Services Follow-up Services must be provided, as appropriate, including: counseling regarding the workplace, for participants in adult or dislocated worker workforce investment activities who are placed in unsubsidized employment, for up to 12 months after the first day of employment. (4 ) Competitive Selection of OSO: Describe the steps taken or to be taken to ensure a competitive process for selection of the one-stop operator(s). WIOA §121(d)(2)(A). The CareerSource Okaloosa Walton Board operates under a direct service delivery model approved by the CareerSource Florida Board. The CareerSource Okaloosa Walton Board chose to provide Direct Services primarily for four reasons: a. To Streamline Service Delivery by eliminating management layers and focusing more resources on delivery of services; b. Cost Savings that eliminated duplicative costs for senior management, audit costs, financial processing services for participants, procurement costs, dual software licenses fee, insurance and other overhead costs; c. To be able to respond more quickly and effectively to dynamic changes in the labor market and funding fluctuations; d. The Direct Services Model selected by the Board is clear, well defined, and allows maximum decision making at the Center level while clearly delineating expectations for performance and accountability. In the six years of providing Direct Services, the CareerSource Board has been able to respond much more quickly to changing labor market conditions. The Board was able to respond quickly and effectively during the recession, increased ARRA funding, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The CareerSource Board was also able to respond quickly to take advantage of other funding opportunities. The Direct Services Model also allowed the Board staff to implement new policies and new special projects in a minimum amount of time. The Board was also able to “gear up” and “gear down” staffing to accommodate the time-limited, one-time ARRA funding opportunities for businesses and unemployed workers. The CareerSource Okaloosa Walton Board recently received approval for the modification to its Plan to renew its request for a waiver to allow the Board to continue to operate as One-Stop Operator and to provide direct core and intensive services. With the approval of the extension, the Board will continue to operate one full-service Career Center in Ft Walton Beach; a CareerSource Connecting Center in DeFuniak Springs; and, offer services to rural customers through its CareerSource Mobile Business Center. CareerSource Okaloosa Walton April 30, 2016 68 | P a g e The Organizational Structure of the management staff shows that the Executive Director is the sole person responsible and accountable to the Board of Directors for the delivery of services. The Executive Director reports to the CareerSource Okaloosa Walton Board who has delegated authority to the Board Chair and the Executive Committee to act on their behalf. The Chair and/or Executive Committee have the option of bringing any topic to the attention of the full Board of Directors. The Operations Organizational Structure shows the Executive Director has delegated authority for day-to-day operations management to the Chief Operating Officer (COO). The COO has authority and responsibility for all programs and services provided through the CareerSource One-Stop System. A Center Manager is in place for each Center with the authority and responsibility for the delivery of all services in the Career Center to include the services that are provided by staff of the CareerSource Board, Department of Economic Opportunity, and other CareerSource One-Stop System partners. The COO will provide direct supervision to the Center Managers. All staff located within a One-Stop Center, including Department of Economic Opportunity staff, and any other contracted Service Providers, will report to the CareerSource Center Manager for day to day operations. Staff training and professional development will be ongoing; any needed corrective actions will be taken to meet the identified inadequacies of the system and/or specific staff. New staff is required to complete a specific “New Hire Training Plan” with a required sign off by the Chief Operating Officer. Probationary periods will be effectively used to provide training, supervision, and evaluations to ensure only trained, qualified and competent staff will be retained. The COO with support from the Center Mangers and Program Coordinators assists with the initial training, refresher updates, monitoring for compliance and performance, and recommends any needed corrective actions. Competitive Process for Awards to Service Providers The CareerSource Board may elect to competitively procure components of services or special projects if the Board deems it to be in the best interests of effective and efficient delivery of services. The CareerSource Board process for awards for service providers will be as follows: The CareerSource Board believes in and practices open and full competition in order to procure the best services possible at a reasonable price. The process includes