Local Operating Procedures

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Local Operating Procedures

• Building a Foundation

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Developing Local Procedures

• What are the governing authorities for the
  Welfare Transition (WT) program ?
• Federal Law
• Code of Federal Register (CFR)
• State Law
• Florida Statutes (F.S.)
• Florida Administrative Code (FAC)
• State Plan
• State guidance

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Federal Law

• Federal Law
• Provides general parameters and guidelines under
  which states must operate different programs
• For the WT program, it is 45 CFR
• It also provides the minimum requirements for
  program elements

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State Law

• State Law
• Uses federal requirements to set more specific
  standards and guidelines
• It lays the foundation for program administration
• It can also be more restrictive than federal law

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State Guidance

• State Guidance
• Uses State Law to provide more detailed direction
  and instruction relative to the program
• References both federal and state requirements
• Can be more restrictive than federal or State law

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Local Operating Procedures

• We often use the analogy that work activities are
  like a house in the WT program
• Core activities serve as the base of the house
• They can stand alone
• Dont need help to hold them up
• Core plus serve as the roof of the house
• Need the base (core) activities to hold them up
• If work activities are the programs house, the
  LOP is the foundation on which it is laid

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Local Operating Procedures
Core for teen parents without a high school
diploma/GED
1. Job Skills Training
2. Education Directly Related to Employment
3. Satisfactory Attendance HS/GED

• Unsubsidized Employment
• Subsidized Private Emp.
• Subsidized Public Emp.
• On-the-Job Training
• Work Experience
• Job Search/Job Readiness Assistance
• Community Service
• Vocational Education and Training
• Providing Childcare

Local Operating Procedures
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Local Operating Procedures

• Think of your RWB as another layer of the
  governing process
• Will what works for one region work for all other
  regions?
• Will processes that work for a large city also
  work for a rural area?
• Are all participants and their situations the
  same?

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Local Operating Procedures

• What issues might a rural area be dealing with
  that a big city may not encounter?
• Transportation
• No access to public transportation
• No access to taxis
• No access to shuttles
• No access to close neighbors with a vehicle

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Local Operating Procedures

• Transportation
• Do all case managers know whats allowed?
• Are transportation deferrals allowed in your
  region?
• If so, under what circumstances?
• Is there a limit on how long a participant can be
  deferred due to transportation issues?
• If so, what is that duration?
• What steps must the case manager take to try to
  eliminate the barrier?

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Local Operating Procedures

• Why do we need LOPs?
• They provide strict and specific program
  instruction
• They hold up the integrity of the regions
  processes
• They are written instruction on how the region
  runs its programs
• They eliminate process confusion

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Local Operating Procedures

• Why do we need LOPs?
• They are written documentation in the event of
• A request for supervisory review of a case
• A fair hearing with Department of Children and
  Families
• A grievance
• A law suit

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Supervisory Review

• Participants may request a supervisory review of
  their case if
• They feel their case is not being handled
  appropriately
• They feel they were treated unfairly
• They feel that they were unjustly denied a service

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Fair Hearing

• A participant may request a fair hearing
• If they feel action was taken on their case
  inappropriately
• Sanction
• Termination of services due to a sanction

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Local Operating Procedures

• Grievance
• A participant may file a grievance if (s)he feels
• Discriminated against
• Race or Ethnicity
• Age
• gender
• Treated unfairly
• Is not satisfied with the results of a fair
  hearing

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Local Operating Procedures

• Where do we start?
• Look at the program from beginning to end
• From applicant to transitional
• What program processes need to have LOPs?
• For which program elements am I requiring every
  case manager to follow the same rules?

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Local Operating Procedures

• Work Registration
• Initial Assessment
• Individual Responsibility Plan (IRP)
• Work Activities
• Documenting Hours of Participation
• Support Services
• Good Cause
• Domestic Violence

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Local Operating Procedures

• Work Registration
• Design a customer flow process
• How do you want applicants to flow from the
  front-desk through work registration?
• Think of every possible scenario and how staff
  should help applicants
• While it may not be possible to plan for all
  scenarios, LOPs provide a reference and guidance
  for program processes

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Local Operating Procedures

• Work Registration
• Recommended elements for the LOP
• What must the applicant complete for the work
  registration process to be successfully
  completed?
• Orientation/Overview
• Workshops
• Applicant job search
• Job matching
• Up-Front Diversion Screening process for
  appropriate candidates

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Local Operating Procedures

• It should also include
• The process for medically incapacitated
  individuals who cannot complete work registration
  
• When to provide support services to individuals
  who need services to complete work registration

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Local Operating Procedures

• Initial Assessment
• Your initial assessment LOP should identify
• The initial assessment tool program staff use
• How the tool assesses
• Work history
• Skills
• Employability
• This could be a locally developed form or a
  combination of forms and standardized tests like
  the TABE

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Local Operating Procedures

• Initial Assessment Tool
• How do you know when it was completed?
• Was it dated by the program participant?
• How do you know if it was reviewed?
• Was it dated by the program staff?
• Are any elements missing or left blank?

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Local Operating Procedures

• Initial Assessment
• The LOP should also include
• When supplemental assessments may be needed
• Assessing for hidden disabilities
• Is this contracted out or a preliminary in-house
  assessment?
• Assessing for possible mental health and
  substance abuse issues
• Assessing for possible domestic violence and need
  for services
• Are these general questionnaires?

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Local Operating Procedures

• Individual Responsibility Plan (IRP)
• The LOP for IRPs could include
• The process for developing the IRP
• When it must be completed
• How often the steps-to-sufficiency must be
  updated and signed
• The tool the RWB uses
• IRP Requirements

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Local Operating Procedures

• When must staff initiate the IRP?
• Who is required to sign the IRP?
• What must be included on the IRP
• Employment goals
• Educational goals
• Needs and Barriers
• Steps to Self Sufficiency

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Local Operating Procedures

• Individual Responsibility Plan
• It should also include
• How often the plan should be updated?
• Is the full plan updated or only the steps to
  self-sufficiency?
• Under what circumstances must the full plan be
  updated?
• Under what circumstances must the steps be
  updated?
• Provide examples and scenarios
• Provide a template to make it easier for staff to
  follow

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Local Operating Procedures

• Documentation
• Your documentation LOP should include
• How often documentation must be collected
• Weekly, bi-weekly
• Who must sign documentation for
• On-site job search
• Work sites
• Education time sheets

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Local Operating Procedures

• Documentation
• It should also include
• What information is required when a collateral
  contact is made
• What forms are acceptable for collateral contacts
• Data entry requirements
• Documentation must be received prior to entering
  data into the system
• Who is responsible for entering data in the
  system
• Deadline for entering data into the system once
  information has been received

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Local Operating Procedures

• Support Services
• Does your support services LOP include
• Processes for providing services to
• Applicants
• Mandatory participants
• Transitional customers
• Is transportation provided based on
• Mileage and participation
• Participation only

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Local Operating Procedures

• Support Services
• It should also include
• Processes for providing services to those
  completing alternative activities
  (non-traditional activities)
• Attending doctors appointments
• Physical therapy
• Counseling sessions

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Local Operating Procedures

• Good Cause
• Does your good cause LOP include
• What is good cause for noncompliance
• When documentation must be provided to support
  good cause
• The appropriate use of excused absences based on
  good cause
• The appropriate steps to take with the customer
  if good cause does not exist

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Local Operating Procedures

• Domestic Violence
• Does your domestic violence LOP include
• What staff must do if someone self-discloses
• Where to refer the participant if (s)he is
  requesting domestic violence services
• Is there a contracted entity in-house?
• Is it out in the community?

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Local Operating Procedures

• Domestic Violence
• Your domestic violence plan should also include
• What should be included in the participants
  safety plan
• What steps must be taken to ensure
  confidentiality
• What must be included in the system
• To learn more about domestic violence
  requirements for Floridas WT program, click here

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Local Operating Procedures

• Questions?
• Please contact the Welfare Transition Team
• at 866-352-2345.
• An equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary
  aids and services are available upon request to
  individuals with disabilities. All voice
  telephone numbers on this document may be reached
  by persons using TTY/TDD equipment via Florida
  Relay Service at 711.

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