PAES APPRAISAL PERIOD
Any CAAP
client who enrolls in the PAES program, and is not otherwise exempt (as noted
in item I, below), must complete a 3-month Appraisal Period.
During the
Appraisal Period, the participant is engaged in Work Experience, which consists
of attending 12 weekly 3½-hour Group Employment
Preparation sessions (GEPs) and performing Work Assignment or a qualifying
substitute (e.g., employment) for 3 months.
Sometimes, participation in an approved activity may preclude participation
in GEPs. After successful completion of
GEP-8 or 3 months in an approved activity, the case is transferred to an
Employment Specialist, who works with the participant toward a
mutually-agreed-upon Employment Plan, and maintains the case for as long as the
participant remains in PAES in non-exempt status.
I. Participants Exempt from the Appraisal Period
Some
participants may be exempted from the Appraisal Period.
A. Appraisal Period Exemptions
The following Participants are
transferred directly to the PAES Welfare-to-Work section:
1. The Participant is attending Vocational
Training
Participants
who are engaged in a Vocational Training program, which has
been approved by the designated Employment Specialist Supervisor, are exempted from IGEP/GEPs and are to be transferred directly to PAES
Welfare-to-Work.
Use
Form 2525, Request for Approval of CAAP
Client’s Training, to request approval for the Vocational Training
program. See Sec. 91-8, item II for more
information regarding Vocational Training programs.
2. The Participant has already Graduated from GEPs
If
a client enrolling in PAES had previously graduated from GEPs, the case is transferred immediately to the PAES
Welfare-to-Work section (U5). The
worker takes the following actions:
a. Intake
and Carrying Workers have at their disposal several resources to determine
whether the Participant has already graduated from GEPs. They can check either:
1) the
case record for the salmon-colored
GEP graduation certificate or a copy
of the certificate, or
2) the
graduation report on either:
a) the
O drive (O:\GEPS\GEPS GRADUATION [MONTH OF UPDATE] [YEAR OF UPDATE]), or
b) the
CAAP section of the DHS Intranet.
or
3) the
binder located on the resource table in the interview Area.
b. Flag the case record for transfer to an Employment
Specialist.
c. If
the participant claims to have graduated from GEPs, but there is no certificate or copy in the case
record, or the client's name is not included on the GEPs graduation report, schedule IGEP for the participant.
1) PAES Clerical staff will research the
participant’s history prior to the IGEP session.
2) If the participant has graduated, PAES Clerical staff will
notify the assigned worker to transfer
the case to PAES Welfare-to-Work.
3) Upon
notification from clerical staff that the participant has graduated from GEP,
the worker will transfer the case to
PAES Welfare-to-Work.
4) Clerical
staff will notify the participant of
the worker change.
Note:
If the Participant has not graduated from GEPs and he does not meet one
of the other GEP exemption requirements listed here, he should be scheduled for
PAES Appraisal Period activities, as appropriate.
3. The Participant was previously assigned to an
ES.
Workers
are instructed to check the Special Characteristics Box on CDS: a letter
"E" under the "M" signifies that a Participant had been
previously assigned to an ES.
An
alternative to verifying previous assignment to an ES is to check the WCTS
screen and make sure the Participant was with a PAES Employment Specialist for
more than three working days.
4. The Participant has verification of current
participation in GED preparation or ESL classes.
Each
case sent to the PAES Welfare-to-Work section on the basis of GED Preparation
must include a current Form 2174, Vocational Training/(V)ESL/GED
Verification. The form must have been
completed and signed by a school representative, indicating that the client is
attending the program regularly, and maintaining satisfactory progress.
Until
such time as the approved form is in the case, indicating satisfactory academic
progress and attendance, the client must continue to meet other employability
requirements.
All
clients in GED preparation should be coded with a "J" PEC code on
CDS.
5. The Participant is receiving zero-grant due to
excess earnings.
This
individual's case is transferred to a Retention Specialist in the PAES
Welfare-to-Work section.
B. Temporary Exemptions
A
PAES Participant may be exempt from participating in the employment services
portion of PAES on the basis of either a verified, temporary disabling
condition (TDC), or he is 55 years of age or older and chooses to be exempt.
At
such time as the TDC has been relieved or the individual who chose to be exempt
on the basis of age now choses to participate in the employment services
portion of PAES, a new Form 2601, PAES Participant Agreement is completed and
the individual may be enrolled in
GEPs and specific Work Experience activities,
as appropriate.
II. Participants Excused from IGEP/GEPs
Some
Participants do not attend GEP, but are enrolled in an approved activity for 3
months at the end of which time they will be transferred to the PAES
Welfare-to-Work section.
A. IGEP/GEPs Excused Participants
A
PAES Participants is excused from IGEP/GEPs if he is participating in an
approved work-related activity (i.e., work or treatment) and either:
1. There
is a verified conflict in the
participant’s schedule which precludes GEPs participation.
-
2. The approved activity is scheduled for more than 16.5 hours per week. (Participants may not be required to engage in more than 20 hours of Work Experience activities per week.)
For example: a participant is employed or in a treatment program and the hours either conflict with GEP session times or would put the total number of hours over 20 per week.
Note:
Participants who reside in a Halfway
House and who may not leave the premises until completion of the Halfway
House program are to be maintained by the Carrying Worker until they complete
both the program (usually six months) and GEPs.
The Halfway House Program is considered to be an Appraisal Period
activity. The client should be scheduled
for IGEPs and other appropriate Appraisal Period activities upon completion of
the Halfway House program, unless he has already been employed for 3 full
months while in the PAES Appraisal Period (in which case the participant should
be transferred to the PAES Welfare-to-Work section immediately upon completion
of the program).
B. Procedure
to Excuse a Participant from IGEP/GEPs
1. The
worker enters the appropriate PEC on the CDS Person Detail Screen for the activity in which the
participant is engaged in lieu of GEPs.
Enter the PEC beginning and end dates as usual.
2. The
worker completes a CDS W282T screen to create a Tickler for the activity with
an end-date for 3 months in the future. The
tickler information will appear on the DSS 608 report as a reminder to the
worker of when to transfer the case.
3. When
the participant has completed 3
continuous months in the approved activity, the case is transferred to PAES.
4. If the participant's circumstances change during the 3-month
period and the new activity or change to the ongoing activity does not conflict with
GEPs participation, the worker enrolls
the participant in GEPs if the change occurs within the first 2 months of the Appraisal Period.
IMPORTANT:
If
the change occurs after the first 2
months of the Appraisal period, the worker does not enroll the participant in GEP, but maintains the case and
transfers it to an Employment Specialist at the completion of 3 months in the
Appraisal Period.
Note:
on a case-by-case exception basis, an individual may also be excused from GEPs
if he informs his trainer that he has already been exposed to a similar
curriculum. This exception must be
agreed upon by the PAES Training Unit Supervisor and the PAES Section Manager.
III. The Appraisal Process
A. Eligibility Worker
The
Eligibility Worker ensures that all the proper steps have been taken when a
CAAP client chooses, and is determined eligible for, PAES.
1. Explaining the Program
The
Eligibility Worker explains:
a. The requirements of attending GEPs and
participating in a Work Assignment.
b. The purpose of GEPs, which is to provide
participants with additional life skills and job-readiness skills to help him prepare for work. The GEP curriculum includes:
1) Exploring
the World of Work
2) Making
Good Career Decisions
3) Self-Assessment of Skills
4) The
Job Application
5) Interviewing
Techniques
6) Job
Retention & Advancement
7) Time
Management
8) Money
Management
c. Participation in Employment Plan activities will not begin
until after graduation from GEPs.
However, a participant whose work-related activities excuse him from GEPs (see item II, A, above) will be assigned to a PAES
Employment Specialist after the
completion of 3 months' participation in those activities during the PAES
Appraisal Period.
NOTE: If a
GA client in the CAAP Carrying Section requests PAES and is eligible for that
program, the client may apply for an Expedited Program Change (see Section
97-2.1).
2. Checking
Eligibility
The EW
ensures that the individual is enrolled in appropriate Appraisal Period
activities unless he falls under one of the exempt categories.
3. Scheduling IGEP
The worker will schedule an IGEP session
for the participant. (Sec. 93-7, IV, F,
also provides information on scheduling IGEP)
IGEP
sessions are scheduled every Friday; however,
there are no IGEP sessions on the last
Friday of the month or on a Friday
holiday. If the next Friday is the
last Friday of the month or a holiday, the IGEP must be scheduled for the
Friday following that.
a. The participant must attend an IGEP session prior to beginning the 12-week GEP program.
The
worker schedules the participant for the session using the current logbook.
1) Intake Workers
schedule the IGEP on the Friday following the week in which Final Intake
occurs.
2) Carrying Workers
schedule the IGEP on the Friday following the week the PAES participant’s
status changes from exempt to non-exempt.
b. Participants are scheduled for one of the IGEP sessions held at
SPECIAL
SESSION: The
c. The
worker schedules the IGEPs even if the participant claims to
have already attended IGEP/GEP
sessions.
1) The
worker checks the appropriate box on Form 2601, PAES Participant Agreement, indicating the participant has already
attended some GEPs.
2) PAES
Clerical staff will research the participant’s history to determine whether any
of the 12 GEPs have been completed.
3) Prior
to the start of IGEP, PAES Clerical staff will call the names of any
participants who have completed any GEPs, and schedule them into the next
appropriate session. For example, a
participant who has completed GEP-1 will be scheduled for GEP-2.
NOTE:
Participants who were scheduled for IGEP because of Remedy, or because they
claimed they graduated GEP but there was no certificate in the case record,
will also be called by clerical staff prior to the start of IGEP and scheduled
appropriately.
IMPORTANT: If GEPs 8 or
above has already been completed, the case must be transferred to the PAES
Welfare-to-Work Section according to item IV, below.
4. Scheduling Work Assignment
As
a major component of Work Experience, the participant must be engaged in a Work Assignment, or qualifying
substitute.
NOTE: See Section 95-3 for information on Work
Assignments and Section 93-7, II, B, 1, for Final Intake procedures and
instructions.
a. The
worker schedules the participant for
an Evaluation at Glide Memorial Church,
where the participant will receive a Work Assignment for 8 hours per week. (See Sec. 93-7, IV, D for instructions on
scheduling Evaluations.)
b. Participants
may engage in a qualifying substitute
for the Work Assignment. Qualifying
substitutes include, but are not limited to:
1) Alternative
Work Assignment (Sec. 95-3, II)
2) Job
Search due to a medical restriction (Sec. 95-4)
3) Employment
4) Special
Program (Sec. 95-5)
5) Non-residential
treatment programs not listed in the Special Programs chart, Sec. 99-11. (Sec. 95-5, item II.)
NOTE:
If the participant requests an activity not listed above as a substitute, the
worker should consult with the Supervisor to determine whether the activity may
be approved as a qualifying substitute.
6. Filling Out Form 2601, PAES Participant
Agreement
The
worker completes Form 2601, PAES Participant Agreement, checking
all appropriate boxes and the participant
signs the form to indicate agreement with the requirements. The participant is given the original; the
yellow copy is filed in Section IV of the 6-part case record, or the right side
of the 2-part case record.
B. Participants
Participants
arriving for their IGEP/GEP session check-in with Reception on the first floor, at the PAES entrance of
Participants
will be instructed to go to the second floor and check-in at the PAES Reception
desk.
1. At
IGEP:
a. Participants
will be called into the session by the PAES Trainers.
b. If
a participant is more than 10 minutes
late for the session, it is considered a no-show. The participant
will not be allowed to enter the GEP session and will be rescheduled.
c. If
a participant has not been called
for the session because his name was not on the list of attendees,
he must show his copy of Form 2601 to the Training Unit Clerk so the necessary
arrangements can be made.
d. Any
participant who has been assigned to
attend IGEP because he has already attended some GEP sessions (but has not
graduated) or because he is remedying a GEP failure, will be called by the
Training Unit Clerical Staff 5 minutes before the start of the session and scheduled into the next appropriate GEP
session. (For example, if the
participant has attended GEP-1, he or she will be scheduled into GEP-2.)
e. Any
participants who have been
identified by PAES Clerical staff as having already attended GEP sessions will be called by clerical staff 5
minutes before the start of the session and scheduled into the next appropriate GEP session. (For example, if the participant has attended
GEP-1, he or she will be scheduled into GEP-2.)
2. At GEP:
a. Participants
will be called into the session by the PAES Trainers.
b. If
a participant is more than 10 minutes
late for the session, it is considered a no-show. The participant
will not be allowed to enter the GEP session and will be rescheduled.
C. PAES Trainer
Trainers answer questions about, and prepare
participants with the basic soft skills necessary to succeed in PAES.
1. At
IGEP
The Introductory Group Employment
Preparation (IGEP) session is a one-time, one-hour orientation session designed
to briefly outline the 12 weeks of Group Employment Preparation (GEP) sessions,
and to enroll participants in their first GEP session.
a. Call the participants from the lobby
and escort them into a classroom.
b. Pass around the pre-printed participant sign-in sheet. The sheet is given to PAES Clerical staff
once it is completed by the participants.
c. Explain the GEP program and answer any questions participants may have.
d. Schedule the participants for GEP-1 at the end of the IGEP session.
1) If there are more participants attending the IGEP than can be accommodated in GEP-1, the Trainers will give homeless participants priority and schedule them for GEP-1 first.
2) The
Trainers will make a list of the participants who have addresses and were not
scheduled for GEP-1 and give the list to PAES Clerical staff. Clerical staff will schedule GEP-1 for the
participants and notify them by mail. (See item III, E, 1, f, below.)
2. At
GEP:
GEPs is a 12 week, 3 1/2 hour per week, job
readiness/life skills program that helps participants prepare for full-time
employment.
a. Call the participants from the lobby
and escort them into a classroom.
b. Pass around the pre-printed participant sign-in sheet. The sheet is given to PAES Clerical staff
once it is completed by the participants.
E. PAES Clerical Staff Responsibilities
PAES Clerical Staff have different
roles at IGEP and GEP.
1. At
IGEP, PAES Clerks:
a. Maintain the IGEP scheduling log on
the first floor.
1) Log sheets for the current IGEP are removed each Monday, or first work
day of the workweek, before 8:00 a.m.
2) New log sheets for scheduling the following Friday’s sessions are inserted.
NOTE: If the following Friday is the last Friday of the month or a holiday, log sheets for the Friday two weeks away or the first Friday of the month are inserted.
3) Future log sheets are maintained in the same manner as current log sheets.
b. Prepare IGEP sign-in sheets for the participants to complete at IGEP, based on the names listed on the log sheets.
c. Research the history for any participants marked on the log sheets as having attended any GEP sessions, already graduated from GEPs, or attending IGEP for Remedy.
1) 5 minutes before the IGEP session is called by the Trainers, call the names of any participants who have already attended some GEP sessions.
2) Schedule the participant into the session number after the last session the participant attended (e.g., GEP-2 if the participant has already attended GEP-1).
3) Inform the participant that it is not necessary to stay for IGEP and give the participant the appropriate session schedule.
4) If the participant has already graduated from GEPs or completed GEP-1 through 8, call the participant’s name 5 minutes before IGEP and:
a) Inform the participant that the case will be transferred to an Employment Specialist.
b) Inform the assigned worker that the participant has already graduated from GEPs or completed GEP-1 through 8, so that the case can be transferred to PAES from Carrying immediately.
d. Follow-up with any IGEP scheduling conflicts.
1) Collect Form 2601, PAES Participant Agreement, from any participants who arrived for IGEPs but were not called in for the session because their name was not on the list of participants scheduled for the session.
a) Admit any participants whose form shows they were scheduled for the session, whether or not their names appear on the log sheet for that session.
b) Refer any participants who do not have the form and whose names are not on the log sheets back to their assigned worker.
2) After all the Form 2601, PAES Participant Agreements are collected from the participants who were not on the attendee list for the IGEP sessions, clerical staff will make copies of the forms and return the originals to the participants.
3) Copies of any forms showing that the participant was scheduled for the session, but not scheduled on the log sheet by the worker, will be given to the CAAP Carrying Section Manager. The Section Manager forwards the forms to the unit supervisors for follow-up with their workers.
e. Collect the IGEP participant sign-in sheets once they have been completed and make sign-in sheets for GEP-1.
f. Schedule GEP-1 for any participants in the IGEP who were unable to be scheduled by the Trainers due to lack of available space in the next GEP-1.
1) A list of participants with addresses who were not scheduled for GEP-1 will be given to clerical staff by the Trainers.
2) PAES Clerical staff will schedule a GEP-1 for the participants as soon as possible.
2. At GEP sessions, PAES Clerks:
a. Maintain the GEP-1 scheduling log.
1) Log sheets for GEP-1 are removed each Monday, or first work
day of the workweek, before 8:00 a.m.
2) New log sheets for scheduling the following sessions are inserted.
3) Future log sheets are maintained in the same manner as current log sheets.
b. Prepare GEP sign-in sheets for the participants to complete at GEP, based on the names listed on the log sheets and track Participant attendance at each GEP session.
c. Follow-up with any GEP scheduling conflicts and reschedule clients who miss 1 GEP session.
d. Collect the GEP participant sign-in sheets once they have been completed and make sign-in sheets for the following GEPs.
e. Schedule upcoming GEPs for any participants who were unable to be scheduled by the Trainers due to lack of available space in the next GEP session.
3. Appraisal Period Failures:
IGEP and GEP session failures are treated differently.
a. IGEP
Sessions are scheduled for 1:30 p.m., 2:45 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. start
times. If a participant is more than 10
minutes late to the session, it is considered a no-show. The participant will not be allowed to enter
the class and will be rescheduled.
1) When a participant fails to show for an IGEP, PAES Clerical staff:
a) Review the sign-in sheets on the Monday following the IGEP.
b) Prepare Form 2636, PAES Missed IGEP/1st GEP for participants who were listed on the IGEP schedule, but who did not attend the session.
c) Prepare a no-show transmittal list and attach copies of the Forms 2636.
d) Deliver the transmittal list and the Forms 2636 within 3 work days to the CAAP Carrying Section Manager, who will distribute copies to the Eligibility Supervisors. Supervisors will distribute copies to the workers whose participants missed the session.
2) Upon receipt of the Form 2636 for an IGEP failure, the worker takes the following actions:
a) Discontinues the participant for failure to attend IGEP, using discontinuance code 034 and Form 2632, Notice of Proposed Action for PAES Participant Agreement Failures.
b) If the participant shows good cause for not attending the IGEP, reschedules the IGEP by adding the participant's name to the scheduling log.
c) The participant may Remedy the failure by attending an IGEP. The worker:
(1) Schedules another IGEP for the participant by adding the participant's name to the scheduling log.
(2) Completes Form 2313, Remedy Contract.
b. GEP
Sessions are scheduled for 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. start times. If a participant is more than 10 minutes late
to the session, it is considered a no-show.
The participant will not be allowed to enter the class and will be
rescheduled.
1) If a participant misses
GEP-1:
a) PAES Clerical staff will deliver Form 2636, Missed IGEP/1st GEP, to the workers, following the same
process as for missed IGEP.
b) The worker discontinues
the case using discontinuance code 039
and Form 2632.
c) If the participant establishes Good Cause for the failure, the
worker schedules the client for the next GEP1 in the GEP1 binder on the first
floor.
d) If a PAES Participant fails to attend GEP1 and applies for Remedy,
the worker completes the Remedy Contract, Form 2313 (Rev. 10/01), scheduling
him for another GEP1, and signs him up for the next available GEP-1 session in
the GEP-1 Binder.
2) If a participant misses two sessions
of GEP 2 through 12:
Participants may miss one session of GEP-2 through GEP-12 without being discontinued
for the failure; however, they must make up the session in order to graduate
from GEP and in order to be assigned to an Employment Specialist after
completion of GEP-8. Participants
reschedule through Training Unit Clerical Staff when they attend the next GEP
session.
a) PAES Clerical staff sends Form 2638, PAES Missed GEPs, to the worker to notify the worker of the two
misses.
b) PAES Clerical staff sends a transmittal
list to the appropriate Section
Manager and each Supervisor,
notifying them of participants in the units who have missed two GEPs.
c) The worker discontinues the case using discontinuance code 040 and Form 2632, Notice of Proposed Action, PAES Participant Agreement Failure.
d) If the participant establishes Good Cause for missing the sessions, the worker assigns the Participant to IGEP and completes the Remedy Contract.
e) If Good Cause is not established, the participant may Remedy the failure. (Note: a failed Remedy, without Good Cause, may not be Remedied.)
(1) The worker schedules an IGEP for the participant, and
(2) Completes Form 2313, Remedy Contract.
(3) Signs him up for the next available IGEP session in the IGEP binder.
If a proposed discontinuance is being rescinded for a failure other than a second missed GEPs, the worker is to remind the participant that ongoing GEPs participation is required and any missed GEPs must be completed before the participant can graduate.
IV. Case Transfer to PAES Employment Specialist
When the participant has completed GEP-1 through GEP-8, the case must be transferred from the CAAP Carrying unit to the PAES Welfare-to-Work section, where it will be maintained by an Employment Specialist.
The transfer process is completed by both CAAP and PAES Clerical staff.
A. PAES Clerical staff track the participants’ attendance
1. Cases will not be transferred until GEPs 1 through 8 have been completed.
2. PAES Employment Specialists or CAAP Carrying Workers will be notified if any sessions from GEP-9 through GEP-12 are missed. (See item II, B, for instructions regarding Missed GEPs.)
B. After the participant has completed all GEP sessions through GEP-8, PAES Clerical staff will send a case transfer request to the EW, Unit Supervisor, Section Manager and CAAP Principal Clerk. Cases are to be transferred to the PAES Welfare-to-Work section as soon as possible.
C. The CAAP Carrying Unit Clerks collect the case records.
For Rejection Rights regarding PAES, see Section 97-7.5, item II, PAES Rejection Criteria.
D. The PAES Principal Clerk assigns the cases to PAES Employment Specialists. CAAP Clerical staff transport the case records to the PAES Principal Clerk through the CAAP Principal Clerk.
E. The PAES Principal Clerk will track the cases to be transferred from CAAP to ensure they arrive in PAES.
If cases aren’t received by the time the participant has completed GEP-10, and the case is not being held in CAAP Carrying for a valid reason, a memo will be sent to the CAAP Carrying Section Manager.
F. PAES Clerical staff create or obtain PAES service folders.
1. Clerical staff file all applicable paperwork in the case records.
2. Case records and service records are distributed to the Employment Specialist Supervisors, who review the records and distribute them. Under specific circumstances, Unit Supervisors can also reject a case.