Development of the Individual Responsibility Plan (IRP)

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Development of the Individual Responsibility Plan
(IRP)

• Agency for Workforce Innovation
• Statewide Training
• Spring 2005

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Statutory Requirements

• 45 CFR Part 261.11 (Assessment)
• Initial assessment of the skills, prior work
  experience, and employability of each recipient
  who
• Is at least age 18, or
• Who has not completed high school/GED and is not
  attending secondary school
• Within 30 days of becoming eligible for Cash
  Assistance

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Statutory Requirements

• 45 CFR Part 261.12 (IRP Requirements)
• Identify an employment goal and a plan for moving
  immediately into private sector employment
• Describe the obligations of the participant
• Designed to lead to career advancement
• Describe the services to be provided by the case
  manager
• TANF State Plan, Section 2.13

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Assessment

• Areas to consider
• Work history
• Will work history or references be a problem?
• Is training needed?
• Is there a job market for the participants
  current job skills?
• Education
• Summary of prior education and training?
• Date education or training was completed?
• Current educational status?
• Is job testing needed or recently completed?

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Assessment (Continued)

• Housing
• Rents or owns their home?
• Lives with others?
• Subsidized or unsubsidized?
• Transportation
• Does the participant have a car? (Yr/model)
• Does the car need repairs?
• Does the participant have a valid drivers
  license? Auto insurance?
• Is public transportation available?

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Assessment (Continued)

• Child Care
• Is child care available?
• Has a referral been made?
• Does participant need help finding child care?
• Does child have special needs?
• Special needs of the family
• School discipline problems?
• Geographic location?
• Alcohol or drug addiction?
• Medical or health problems?
• Domestic violence issues?
• Personal Support
• Family, friends, church or other organizations?

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What is an IRP?

• Contract or agreement between the participant and
  the case manager that does two things
• Outlines what the participant must do to look for
  work or prepare for work that will lead to
  self-sufficiency through required participation
  in the Welfare Transition (WT) Program, and
• Outlines what the case manager will do to help
  the participant become self-sufficient

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IRPFocus on Individual

• As the name implies, it should be developed
  specifically for each individual participant
• Steps to Self-Sufficiency should be clearly
  stated and easily understood, even if the steps
  are mini-steps
• Be as detailed as necessary, depending on the
  individual participant

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The IRP

• Should be developed jointly by the participant
  with the case manager to
• Describe the participants responsibilities,
  activity requirements and authorized support
  services
• Keep the participant moving towards
  self-sufficiency
• Document the action steps the participant has
  agreed to do

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The IRP

• Should
• Describe the case managers responsibilities,
  such as providing a child care referral or
  transportation voucher
• Describe the consequences for failure to follow
  their plan
• Loss of support services
• Sanction

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When is an IRP Done?

• Should be
• Initiated within 30 days of receiving the New
  Case, Reopen or Transfer Alert
• Based on initial assessment findings
• Should be updated if
• A change affects the existing IRP (such as
  homelessness, domestic violence, etc)
• New activities, training or services are
  approved, or
• Nearing completion of an activity or training to
  ensure continuous participation

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Where Do You Begin?

• Think of it as a trip (questions you might ask
  yourself)
• Can you drive, or do you have to fly?
• Can you stay with friends or relatives, or will
  you have to make hotel reservations?
• What type of clothes are needed?
• How much will it cost?
• Will you be traveling during the high season or
  the low season?
• How early do you have to make reservations?

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What Did You Overlook?

• Your destination?
• You cant make plans or reservations until you
  know where you are going
• If you dont know where you are going you can
  drive all day but you wont know whether you got
  there or not
• So, where do you begin developing the IRP?
• Identify an employment goal

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Employment Goal

• Be specific example, Pediatric LPN
• Examples of Employment Goals found in OSST
• Job Search
• Find a career
• Find employment with benefits
• To start her own small business
• To get a fulltime job

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Barriers to Self-Sufficiency

• Identify barriers which are preventing the
  participant from reaching their goals and
  becoming self-sufficient
• Examples
• Lacks marketable skills
• Primary language is not English
• Lack of child care and/or transportation
• Substance abuse
• Criminal record

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Identify Barriers
Click the Add button under Needs and Barriers
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Enter Barrier/Need Detail and Save
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Go to Steps to Self-Sufficiency
Need has been identified
Click on the Hyperlink
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List the Steps to Self-Sufficiency

• Associate the steps with the barriers
• Example
• Needs computer skills (Barrier or Need)
• Steps to Self-Sufficiency
• Provide voucher for Basic Computer Keyboarding
  class scheduled to begin 5/10/04 at Seminole
  Community College
• Register for Basic Computer Keyboarding class by
  4/26/04
• Attend class on a regular basis
• Provide documentation of attendance within five
  calendar days after the end of each month to case
  manager
• Call case manager at 407-555-1212 immediately if
  unable to attend class to report your reason

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Enter Steps Associated with Need or Barrier
Indicate who is responsible for the step
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Summary Provided as Steps are Entered
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Detailed Description of Steps
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IRP Wizard
Identify sections to be included on the printed
IRP and click Continue
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IRP Completion and Update Date
Date the IRP was initiated
Last date the IRP was updated or changed
Click View to Print to print a copy for the
case manager and the participant to sign
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IRP Employment Goals
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Barriers, Countable Activities and Support
Services
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Steps to Self-Sufficiency
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Are we Required to Use the IRP in OSST?

• Regions may use their own IRP forms
• Copies must be retained in the case file
• Must be signed by the participant and the case
  manager
• The IRP Completion/Last Plan Update section must
  be completed in OSST

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Alternative Requirement Plan (ARP)

• Provides a means for addressing barriers to
  self-sufficiency while an individual is deferred
  from the work requirements as a result of
• Domestic Violence
• Medical Incapacity
• Alcohol, Substance Abuse or Mental Health Issues

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Alternative Requirement Plan (Cont)

• Identifies objectives or action steps that will
  lead to self-sufficiency or barrier resolution
• Objectives or action steps must be consistent
  with the participants documented limitations

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Developing the ARP

• Factors to consider when determining the
  appropriateness of alternative activities
• The ongoing safety of the participant and the
  children (domestic violence related)
• The goal of self-sufficiency
• Specific activities required to enable the
  individual to fully participate in work
  activities
• Is it reasonable based on documentation received
  (medical verification, collateral contacts, etc.

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Summary

• The IRP/ARP is a living document that is
  constantly being changed and updated
• Should be developed and updated based on the
  individuals needs, barriers, circumstances
• Should be viewed as a map to economic
  self-sufficiency

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For Additional Information

• Contact
• Diane.Parker_at_awi.state.fl.us
• Norm.Cushon_at_awi.state.fl.us
• Erica.Mott_at_awi.state.fl.us