8.3 Community Jobs

Revised August 19, 2024

Legal References:

• RCW 74.08A.320
• WAC 388-310-1300
• WAC 388-450-0050

The Community Jobs section includes:

• 8.3.1 What is Community Jobs?
• 8.3.2 Who needs Community Jobs?
• 8.3.3 What is Career Jump?
• 8.3.4 Who needs Career Jump?
• 8.3.5 Partner roles in Community Jobs
• 8.3.6 Community Jobs with Stacked and Barrier/Issue Resolution Activities
• 8.3.7 How do Commerce contractors calculate homework hours when they are the contractor of record?
• 8.3.8 Community Jobs and Domestic Violence
• 8.3.9 CJ Individual Development Plan (IDP)
• 8.3.10 CJ and Support Services
• 8.3.11 Start of CJ Employment
• 8.3.12 Budgeting CJ Income
• 8.3.13 Hold Process
• 8.3.14 Worksite Placement
• 8.3.15 Worksite Supervision
• 8.3.16 Reporting
• 8.3.17 Stacking CJ with Part Time Job Search
• 8.3.18 Community Jobs - Step-by-Step Guide
• 8.3.19 Re-referrals to the Community Jobs Program - for DSHS Staff Only

The Department of Commerce contracts with local community-based organizations to provide and manage the Community Jobs and Career Jump Programs for WorkFirst participants.  The provisions in WFHB 1.2.2 to add additional hours don’t apply to the Community Jobs or Career Jump Program.   

8.3.1 What is Community Jobs?

Community Jobs (CJ) is a WorkFirst (WF) activity providing participants with paid, temporary subsidized employment.  CJ gives participants the opportunity to gain experience in an employment setting while increasing their income, skills and self-confidence. CJ also provides participants with opportunities to build references, develop networking connections, and demonstrate their work skills directly through employment by performing jobs within their chosen field.  The worksite opportunities are nonprofit, tribal, and government agencies.  Commerce recognizes local ordinances that mandate a higher minimum wage. 

Full-time CJ is a paid work experience of up to nine (9) months, combining twenty (20) hours per week in a temporary subsidized job (considered employment) with twenty (20) additional hours per week of a combination of stacked activities and issue resolution (considered preparing for work). Commerce contracted staff provide case management to help participants to resolve barriers or learn to self-manage barriers that might affect the ability to obtain and keep employment.  A participant may participate for an additional three months with the Department of Commerce's (Commerce) documented approval.

Part-time CJ is available to single parents with a child under the age of six (6).  Part-time CJ is paid work experience of up to nine (9) months, which combines twenty (20) hours per week in a temporary subsidized job (considered employment) with three (3) hours per week of life skills (LS), coded barrier removal (such as mental or physical health, chemical dependency, and family violence), or a combination of LS and barrier removal. The following stacked activities may be used only if the participant would not benefit from life skills:

• High school equivalency
  • Use the GE component for participants twenty (20) years of age or older
  • Use the HS component for participants nineteen (19) years of age or younger
• High school completion
  • Use the BE component for participants twenty (20) years of age or older
  • Use the HS component for participants nineteen (19) years of age or younger
• Basic Education and Skills enhancement (JT)
• English as a Second Language (ES)

  Note:  The stacked activity cannot be Job Search (JS) in the first three (3) months of enrollment.   

  A Community Jobs enrollment:

• Creates a bridge to unsubsidized employment
• Allows the individual to gain marketable skills while providing support to address barriers
• Increases a participant's income and gives them access to the Earned Income Tax Credit
• Makes training available and addresses skill attainment
• Helps individuals come to terms with their child support obligations
• Provides intensive support, mentoring and engagement
• Pays the state or local minimum wage, whichever is higher

8.3.2 Who needs Community Jobs?

Full-time CJ may be an option for participants who:

• Are currently working on barrier/issue resolution and are ready to combine issue resolution with work in a supportive setting.
• Are ready to learn to self-manage issues that affect the ability to obtain or keep employment.
• Aren't viable candidates for placement through Job Search.
• Are open in WF sanction and are interested in curing the sanction.
• Are ready and able to be employed full-time thirty-two (32) to forty (40) hours per week within nine (9) months of the CJ enrollment.
• Are able to participate full-time forty (40) hours per week right now.
• Have childcare and transportation plans in place.
• Have demonstrated workplace behaviors that adversely affect the participant's ability to fully engage in Job Search.
• Have participated in other activities without success.
• Don't currently hold an unsubsidized job unless these hours are minimal and career progression is unlikely.  Commerce Headquarter will approve these on a case-by-case basis. 

Part-time CJ may be an option for participants who:

• Are single parents with a child under the age of six (6).
• Are not viable candidates for placement through Job Search.
• Are open in WF sanction and are interested in curing the sanction.
• Are ready and able to be employed at least part-time twenty (20) hours per week within nine (9) months of the CJ enrollment.
• Are able to participate twenty-three (23) hours per week.
• Have childcare and transportation plans in place.
• Are managing known barrier removal issues (such as mental or physical health, chemical dependency and family violence).
• Don't currently hold an unsubsidized job.

8.3.3 What is Career Jump?

Career Jump is a subset of Community Jobs, which offers participants an opportunity to gain paid work experience with an employer that has agreed to hire them at the end of their program. At the negotiated transition date, the participant will transition to the employer's payroll and the employment opportunity will be compensated above minimum wage, thirty-two (32) or more hours per week and will include wage progression and benefits comparable to other employees.

8.3.4 Who needs Career Jump?

Career Jump may be an option for participants who:

• Have completed vocational educational training or obtained their HSD/GED.
• Have an identified occupation or industry for which they would like employment.
• Are ready and able to be employed full-time thirty-two (32) to forty (40) hours per week within three (3) months of the enrollment.
• Are able to participate full-time thirty-five (35) to thirty-eight (38) hours per week.
• Need recent work history to increase employability.
• Have childcare and transportation plans.
• Don't currently hold an unsubsidized job unless these hours are minimal and career progression is unlikely.  These will be approved on a case-by-case basis by Commerce Headquarters. 
• Have an identified employer willing to hire them at the end of the training period.

8.3.5 Partner roles in Community Jobs

CJ participants are engaged in more than one activity at a time specifically identified to meet their individual needs. This is a multi-partner effort. Partners include, but are not limited to, Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Employment Security Department (ESD), State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) and Commerce. It is important to keep the participant moving steadily toward independence from WorkFirst. One way to do this is to ensure smooth transfers from one activity to another.

8.3.6 Community Jobs with Stacked Activities and Barrier/Issue Resolution Activities

Community Jobs (CJ) contractors will create an Individual Development Plan (IDP) for full-time CJs with the participant to increase their ability to get and keep a job that will include:

• Up to eighteen (18) hours per week of stacked activities; and
• Up to ten (10) hours per week of barrier/issue resolution activities.  For more information on the IDP, please see 8.3.9.  This section details the stacked activity options when available and appropriate.    

Community Jobs (CJ) contractors will create an Individual Development Plan (IDP) for part-time CJs with the participant to increase their ability to get and keep a job that will include stacked activities as identified in 8.3.1. 

Career Jump contractors will arrange for fifteen (15) to eighteen (18) hours per week of stacked activities and create an Individual Development Plan (IDP) with the participant designed to increase the participant’s employability. This section details the stacked activity options when available and appropriate excluding Barrier/Issue Resolution and Voluntary/Community Service Activities.

• Training to meet the needs of a specific employer,
• General training that prepares a participant for employment, or
• Literacy/language instruction when it explicitly focuses on skills needed for employment.

Note:  In the event job skills training classes are not available through the community and technical college system, contractors may directly provide such services or connect the participant with a community-based provider.

Life Skills training is a structured training that provides an up-front introduction that prepares participants to participate in activities effectively and to meet the demands of everyday life and employment. These trainings are locally designed and operated to maximize available resources to best serve the participants within the community, and it may or may not be employment related or completely address and resolve family issues. Life Skills training may include such topics as:

• Self - awareness
• Attitude
• Balancing work and personal life
• Money management
• Stress and anger management
• Time management
• Communication skills to include basic computer skills
• Appropriate standards for dress and participation

• Resume development
• Interviewing techniques
• Contractor directed job hunting
• Scheduled job club meetings, and/or,
• Peer and professional mentoring activities

Voluntary Community Service is an opportunity for participants to volunteer in family-centered activities with their child’s school, childcare, HeadStart, ECEAP, Boys & Girls Clubs, adult care facility, etc.  Court-ordered community service also qualifies for participation as long as it is unrelated to the CJ worksite job.  Voluntary community service hours can't exceed the maximum allowed under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

If the subsidized job ends and the participant hasn’t found unsubsidized employment, the participant should be referred back to the DSHS Case Manager to complete a review and referral for other appropriate activity or consider an additional Community Jobs activity.

Monitoring and Reporting Participation and Progress

All stacked activity components must be supervised daily and attendance records must be maintained. If the education/training co-enrollment activity is provided by a WorkFirst partner the appropriate component must be coded with the provider's contractor code. That provider is responsible for reporting participation and progress (if applicable) in eJAS.

All activities must be documented in the IDP with specific details regarding schedules and monthly progress updates.

Community Jobs:

The Commerce contractor will determine the employment barriers and activities, up to 10 hours per week, that are needed to assist participants in obtaining and maintaining unsubsidized employment.  These activities are requirements within the participant's IDP, but are not coded as eJAS components.  However, if there are stacked activities such as mental or physical health, chemical dependency, or family violence and coded as an “X” component, the WFPS/WFSSS will monitor and report participation and progress of these stacked activities. 

If a WF partner provides the co-enrolled activity, code the stacked activity (up to 18 hours per week) with the provider’s contractor code.  The WF partner must:

• Supervise all stacked activity components daily,
• Maintain attendance records, and
• Enter participation and progress in eJAS.  See Monitoring Participation chapter 3.7.

The remaining 3 hours per week, in a part-time CJ Program, will focus on stacked activities and coded barrier removals as listed in 8.3.1.  These activities may be requirements within the participant’s IDP.  The WFPS/WFSSS will monitor and report participation and progress if the stacked activity is mental or physical health, chemical dependency, or family violence.    

The WF partner must document all contracted activities in the Individual Development Plan (IDP) with specific details regarding schedules and monthly progress updates.

8.3.7 How do Commerce contractors calculate homework hours when they are the contractor of record for education-stacked activities (JT, GE, HS, BE, ES)?

Commerce Contractors will use the Education & Training Homework Requirements Worksheet to determine and report actual hours including homework. The Commerce Contractor will:

• Obtain a completed Education & Training Homework Requirements Worksheet from the education provider for each class a participant is attending
• Verify the participant's weekly homework expectation
• Notify the Case Manager to create the education component for the total scheduled class hours.  The IDP will include language requiring the participant to complete all assignments such as homework
• Collect classroom attendance logs to report actual hours of classroom participation
• Use the homework requirements from the Education & Training Homework Requirements Worksheet to add additional weekly homework hours to the actual hours reporting
  • Homework hours may not exceed the number of scheduled class hours
  • Partial weeks within a month must be prorated
  • Homework hours can be claimed if a student was absent from the class as long as they remain enrolled that entire month. If a student drops out and is referred back during the month only one hour of homework time for each hour they actually attended class can be documented as participation
• Keep a copy of the completed Education & Training Homework Requirements Worksheet in the participant's file with their attendance records

8.3.8 Community Jobs and Family Violence

If participants are working on resolving or coping with family violence and are also participating in Community Jobs, Commerce Contractor staff should:

1. Support participants in meeting participation requirements, considering the safety of participants and their families.
2. Assist in developing appropriate work activities for the participant that don't put the participant at further risk of family violence, make it more difficult for the participant to escape family violence or penalize them for being family violence survivors.
3. Consider and discuss with the participants the effects of sharing information related to family violence with employers and co-workers, considering what other employees may need to know to safely support the participant, and provide briefings to the placement site if participants have given their informed consent.
4. Review whether the Contractor has exhausted all options for addressing the specific barriers to participation in getting and keeping a job.
5. Outline the requirements of the CJ Program. Let participants know that there are people who can help them work through whatever emerges as they work through the program.
6. Refer the participants back to the Case Manager with recommendations if they don't or can't follow through with the requirements of the CJ Program and you have done all you can do to assist.
7. Never record participants' actual street address(s) in WF records if they participate in the Address Confidentiality Program (ACP). CJ staff must use the ACP mailing address as shown in the Client Demographics Screen in eJAS in place of the participants' actual street address for mailing purposes and in place of an employer's name and address on employment screens. Hourly wage and other non-disclosing information may be entered and updated.
8. Discuss with the participant that information they disclose concerning family violence will be recorded in the system and WorkFirst staff will have access to them. Reassure participants that the information is kept highly protected among WF partners for whom a signed release has been received. Also assist them in making contact with WorkFirst staff for the purpose of connecting with workers or community partners who may assist in  resolving or coping with family violence issues.

8.3.9 CJ Individual Development Plan/Worksite Agreement

The Contractor will work with the participant to develop an Individual Development Plan (IDP) in eJAS and worksite agreement. The IDP will detail all aspects of participants' activities while in the CJ Program to include employment information like work location and schedule, education co-enrollments, barriers and barrier management plans, details of all co-enrollment activities, progress updates, and various program reviews. All contracted activities of the CJ Program should be included in the IDP so the participant has a full understanding of their program expectations, activities, and accountability. If they are not participating in all activities detailed in their IDP, they may be sanctioned for non-participation.

CJ participants are required to sign their initial IDP that is developed with their Commerce contractor.  Whenever their program expectations or requirements change, the Commerce contractor will update the IDP.  Anytime an update is made to the IDP regarding a change in the program expectations or requirements, the Commerce contractor will either have the participant sign the most updated plan, or they will get verbal approval from the participant.

• If verbal approval is received, the contractor will enter an eJAS case note under the ‘Participation’ note type. The eJAS ‘Participation’ case note will document the specific program expectation or requirement that changed as well as the date the participant verbally agreed to the plan. A copy of the verbally agreed upon plan will then be sent to the participant by the Commerce contractor, which will also be noted in the case note.
• If the participant is present to sign the updated IDP, the Commerce contractor will provide a copy of the signed IDP to the participant and maintain a copy in their files.

The IDP can be updated by the Contractor; WorkFirst staff have access to view the IDP by opening it from the link on the participant's main screen in eJAS.

The host worksite administrator and the contractor must sign a worksite agreement. A copy of the signed worksite agreement must be on file with the contracting agency.

Work assignments must have a position description that clearly details the work schedule, duties, and transferable skills being obtained. The worksite supervisor and the participant must sign the position description. Copies of the signed agreement must be provided to the participant, the worksite supervisor and maintained in the participant's file.

Note: If the participant is involved with the ACP (Address Confidentiality Program), don't enter the worksite information. The Contractor will enter "ACP" instead of the actual worksite name.

8.3.10 CJ and Support Services

Prior to authorizing Support Services for a CJ participant, WF partners should access eJAS to ensure the guidelines for each category have not been exceeded. Support Services will then be authorized.

8.3.11 Start and End of CJ Employment

CJ Subsidized Employment Begins

Participants are expected to make first contact with the contractor within five (5) business days of the referral with a childcare and transportation plan. Contractors will attempt to contact participants by telephone, email if available, or direct face-to-face meeting if the contractor is on-site at the time of referral. First contact is defined as an actual face-to-face meeting between the contractor and the participant.  Contractors will enter case notes when they attempt to engage participants.

If contact isn’t made within five (5) business days, the contractor will reject the referral on the sixth (6th) business day.

Contractors will meet with the participant to review the participant’s IRP, develop the Individual Development Plan (IDP) and determine additional activities (stacked and barrier/issue resolution).

Contractors will provide program orientation to participants regarding program policies and expectations.

Parents should be placed on a worksite within ten (10) business days from the First Contact meeting when they started their IDP. If participants aren’t able to be placed within ten (10) business days, the contractor will continue placement efforts and clearly document their efforts and reasons for delay in eJAS.  The start date of a participant's CJ Program begins on the first (1st) day on the paid CJ worksite (considered enrollment). The Contractor will enter this date in the Actual Start Date column of the Contractor Caseload Screen.

Parents can be placed into Life Skills training or begin contractor provided stacked activities while waiting for placement in a work site.

Once the Contractor confirms the participant has started CJ employment and is receiving wages, they will complete the following fields on the eJAS Employment screen:

• Employment Code: P (part-time, twenty {20} hours)
• Subsidized Code: C (Community Jobs)
• Insurance Code: 01
• Start date/effective date: First actual date on payroll
• Hourly wage and hours per week
• Job Code (click on the Question Mark symbol on the eJAS screen for Job Code help list)
• Employer Information: Use the host worksite's name, address, etc.  (Note:  If the participant is involved with the ACP, don’t enter the worksite information.  The Contractor will enter “ACP” instead of the actual worksite name.)
• Job Type: select the CJ Program or Career Jump Sub that the participant is involved in

CJ Subsidized Employment Ends

The Contractor will enter the following information in the Employment Screen except when Career Jump transitions to unsubsidized employment with same worksite:

• Enter the actual end date (last day at the worksite),
• Complete the termination code,
• Enter the termination date, and,
• Enter the effective date of the termination

When a Career Jump transitions to unsubsidized employment at the same worksite, the Commerce contractor will update the following in the Employment Screen (and any other section where applicable):

• Employment Code: FT
• Sub Code: N (Not Subsidized)
• Insurance Code: Choose the code that reflects what the employer offers
• Hourly wage and hours per week
• Start Date/Effective Date: The date the client transitioned to the employer’s payroll
• Job Type: Unsubsidized Employment
• Benefits: Identify the benefits the client will be receiving

WorkFirst staff will complete the following:

• Contractor Data Maintenance pop up screen, and
• Actual End Date field (with the appropriate component completion code).

If the participant doesn’t find unsubsidized employment by the end of the Community Jobs program, they should be referred back to the DSHS Case Manager to complete a referral for full-time Career Scope activities or other appropriate activity.

8.3.12 Budgeting CJ Income

When the CJ employment begins, the Case Manager follows the procedure in the CSD Procedures Handbook - Communication to Financial from Social Services to enter CJ income type and the anticipated gross income amount on the ACES EARN Screen. These entries will automatically set up the:

• $500 Family earnings disregard
• 50% wage expense disregard,
• Second (2nd) and fifth (5th) month review alerts, and
• Ninth (9th) month end of placement alert

Please note: The first (1st) month the participant receives their first CJ paycheck(s), the CJ paycheck(s) is disregarded for WorkFirst/SFA. Example: participant begins working at CJ worksite on 9/16/2013 and receives first (1st) paycheck(s) on 10/10/2013 and 10/25/2013. The income is disregarded for the month of October. The start date the worker will enter for the month of October is 10/1/13.

In the ongoing month (the month the participant will receive their first {1st} CJ paycheck), the start date is the first of the month the participant receives the check. The worker must make sure to properly code the income and the hours in the ongoing months.

To capture the historical CJ hours, after the ongoing month is updated, the worker will go into a minimum of two (2) historical months (unless the participant was placed on the job site less than two {2} months ago). The worker will update the ACES EARN screen using:

• The income code 'CJ'
• A start date of the first of the historical month
• The same budgeting method as the ongoing month
• The same number of hours entered in ongoing month
• Income of $0.01 - Do not enter actual income for the historical months - it is critical that you must enter 0.01 to minimize overpayments. Ignore (IG) any BEGs created by entering historical information.
• Appropriate valid value (ES, WS, CC or OT)

ACES will generate an alert #413 in the second (2nd) and fifth (5th) months of participation to notify the user that a review is due. An alert (#414) is generated in the beginning of the ninth (9th) month of CJ participation. Confirm when the CJ job will actually end in the ninth (9th) month and enter that date in the end date field, removing the income.

8.3.13 Hold Process

If a participant starts on the CJ worksite and a situation arises that requires them to be temporarily removed from the CJ Program, a case staffing should be held with the WF partners.

Reasons for a temporary hold could include:

• Child Care
• Drug & Alcohol Assessment/Short term
• DSHS Requested
• Emergency Travel
• Family Emergency
• Homeless/Housing Needs
• Legal Issues - Other Including Jury Duty
• Legal Issues - Short Term Incarceration
• Long Term Jury Duty
• Medical Illness
• Pending Assessment
• Pregnancy
• Short-term Training
• Temporary Unsubsidized Employment (this reason shouldn't be used for a hold for Career Jump)

The CJ contractor will refer the participant back to DSHS and create a hold in the IDP. Once the hold issue has been resolved, the participant should resume their CJ Program.

8.3.14 Worksite Placement

Participants will be placed in a work activity no later than 10 business days of first contact. Initial activities can include workplace training and orientation directly related to the worksite. Examples of the training may include safety, workplace competencies, customer service, basic computer skills, work specific skills, etc. Worksite placements will support the participant’s career goal.

Contractors will establish worksites and ongoing worksite management to include:

• Worksite Agreements
• Worksite Supervisor Training
• Position Descriptions
• IDP
• Bimonthly Attendance Reporting
• Monthly Evaluations
• Monthly Participation Documentation

8.3.15 Worksite Supervision

Worksite supervisors are required to provide an employee evaluation for every participant on a monthly basis. Contractors will report information from the evaluations on monthly participation and progression updates via eJAS.

Worksites will be supervised on a daily basis. The worksite supervisor must maintain daily attendance records. If a participant does not show up for work, the absence must be reported immediately to the contractor.

8.3.16 Reporting

Worksite supervisors will submit attendance records every two weeks to the contractor. Contractors will report attendance issues using the "Immed" column on the Contractor Caseload Screen:

After two absences (regardless of whether they are excused or unexcused) in one calendar month, the WorkFirst partner/provider will:

• Send an immediate notification to the Case Manager.
• Keep the activity open.
• Contact the participant and case manager as part of the Continuous Activity Planning (CAP) process to discuss next steps, including if it is appropriate to refer the client back and close the activity.

This allows the participant to remain in the activity while the service provider, case manager and participant have an opportunity to discuss whether participation in this activity is appropriate.

If it is decided that the activity is not appropriate for the participant, the WorkFirst partner/provider will refer the participant back to DSHS.

• Monthly participation reports will include attendance documentation for stacked activities in the actual hours reporting screens in eJAS.
• Monthly evaluations will be entered in the IDP that will include information from the worksite supervisor regarding the participant's progress at the worksite.
  • Every two months the evaluation information will contain specifics regarding skill progression.

One month prior to the end of the program (eighth {8th} or second {2nd}) the contractor will include their suggestions for next steps at completion of the program. This will provide the Case Manager information when they meet with the participant, resulting in a smooth transition between programs with minimal interruption in participation.

8.3.17 Stacking CJ with Part Time ESD Job Search

Full-time Community Jobs Program

When the CJ Contractor decides a participant is within four (4) weeks of being job ready and would benefit from ESD jobs search, the participant's CJ component can be stacked with a part time job search component coded to ESD, providing it does not interrupt or conflict with the participant's completion of other stacked activities. If the scheduled end date of the CJ component is more than four (4) weeks away, the CJ component will be backed down to end in four (4) weeks from the referral to part time job search. The participant will be transitioned to full time job search at the end of the four (4) week CJ-JS period. 

This will also assist in transitioning participants to full-time Career Scope (JS) activities who complete the full nine (9) month CJ program without finding unsubsidized employment.

If during the fourth 4th week of part-time job search it does not appear the participant is ready to accept employment, a CAP can be done to identify a different activity or to continue in Community Jobs.

The Contractor will:

1. Determine the hours of the part time job search, between ten (10) to fifteen (15) hours per week.
2. Contact the Case Manager who will create the referral.
3. Update the participant's IDP to reflect the new stacked activity.
4. Document the actions taken in eJAS notes, including:
   • Whether the participant's issues have been resolved,
   • Communication has occurred with the Case Manager and the participant,
   • The referral is being made to part time job search,
   • The amount of job search hours recommended,
   • The new CJ end date if the CJ end date is being adjusted.

At the end of the four (4) weeks of part-time job search, the participant will transition to full time job search if they have not obtained unsubsidized employment.

The Case Manager will:

1. Create the RI component to complete the referral for part time Career Scope activities.
2. Change the end date of the CJ component to four (4) weeks out, if the CJ end date is longer than four (4) weeks away.
3. Document actions taken in eJAS notes.

8.3.18 Community Jobs - Step-by-step guide

1. WorkFirst staff will:
   
   1. Refer the participant to the Contractor using the CJ component code and CJ IRP template.
   2. Enter the CJ component code for twenty (20) hours for nine (9) months.  (Note:  For part-time CJ referrals, update the IRP template to require twenty-three {23} hours instead of forty {40} hours.)
   3. Advise the participant they:
      1.  Must meet with the Contractor within five (5) business days.
      2. Need to bring valid employment identification to the meeting with the Contractor. (The most common types of employment ID include driver's license or state identification card and social security or U.S. Permanent Resident Card.)
   4. Authorize support services for engagement with the CJ program.
   5. Refer participant to Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) authorizing workers to apply for childcare subsidy as needed.
2.    Upon receipt of the CJ referral, the Contractor will:
   
   1. Review the participant’s eJAS file for program eligibility.
   2. Attempt to contact the participant to arrange the First Contact meeting.
   3. Accept the referral and complete the First Contact note with the specific details of the meeting, if First Contact is made within five (5) business days.
      1. Reject the referral on the sixth (6th) business day if First Contact is not made within five (5) business days, unless the meeting has been rescheduled two (2) to three (3) days after the fifth (5th) business day.
3. During the First Contact meeting for full-time CJ, the Contractor will:
   
   1. Develop an initial IDP with the participant outlining their specific program activities including any pre-placement activities.
   2. Develop a host worksite for the participant.
   3. Identify and arrange for up to ten (10) hours per week of participation activities to resolve barriers or in employment related activities. These activities are not coded components in eJAS. 
   4. Develop action plans to address barriers.
   5. Develop stacked activities up to eighteen (18) hours per week.

6. Notify the Case Manager of all stacked activities via e-message so the Case Manager can create the appropriate component codes to support the activity.

4. During the First Contact meeting for part-time CJ, the Contractor will:
   
   1. Develop an initial IDP with the participant outlining their specific program activities including any pre-placement activities.
   2. Develop a host worksite for the participant
   3. Develop stacked activities for three (3) hours per week. Stacked activities may include:
      • Life Skills (LS)
      • Basic education (JT)
      • High school equivalency (GE for participants twenty {20} years of age or older.  HS for participants nineteen {19} years of age or younger)
      • High school completion (HS for participants nineteen {19} years of age or younger.  BE for participants twenty {20} years of age or older)
      • Skills enhancement (JT)
      • Job Search (Only after three (3) months of the stacked activities and the participant can no longer benefit from those stacked activities.  See 8.3.1 for more information about stacking activities with part-time CJ.)
      • English as a Second Language (ES)
   4. Notify the Case Manager of the stacked activities via e-message so the Case Manager can create the appropriate component codes to support the activity.
5. During the First Contact meeting for Career Jump, the Contractor will:
   
   1. Develop an initial IDP with the participant outlining their specific program activities including any pre-placement activities.
   2. Develop a host worksite for the participant.
   3. Identify and arrange for fifteen (15) to eighteen (18) hours per week of stacked activities and notify the Case Manager of all stacked activities via e-message so s/he can create the appropriate component codes to support the activity. 
6. Once participation begins at the worksite, the Contractor will:
   
   1. Enter the date the participant started at the worksite in the Actual Start Date column of the Contractor Caseload Screen.
   2. Create an Employment Screen in eJAS with the worksite information, and
   3. Update the participant's IDP to reflect the worksite information and requirements.
7. Once the Contractor enters the Actual Start Date, the Case Manager will:
   
   1. Fix the discrepancy between the Scheduled Start Date and Actual Start Date on the Component/Contractor/IRP Update Screen by changing the Scheduled Start Date to match the Actual Start Date and the End Date to be nine (9) months from the Actual Start Date.  This will ensure the component will remain open for the correct timeframe. 
   2. Document in eJAS whether the client is receiving state or local minimum wage and notify others as needed.
   3. Enter CJ wage information into eJAS and ACES. See EA-Z Manual for CJ income budgeting information.
   4. Refers participant, if appropriate, to the local Division of Child Support office to discuss a possible modification of his/her support order.
8. Upon notification of the stacked activity, the Case Manager will create the appropriate component with the provider's contractor code and number of hours per week. Updating the additional component does not require updating the IRP as the IRP already requires the individual to participate 40 or 23 hours a week and the specific activities are captured in the IDP.  
9. For the duration of the Community Jobs program, the Contractor will:
   
   1. Update the IDP monthly, regarding all activities and progress.
   2. Enter monthly status reports in eJAS between the first (1st) and tenth (10th) of the following month on the previous month’s activities.
      • Participation reporting will include attendance documentation in the eJAS actual hours reporting screens.
      • Progression reporting will be entered in the IDP that will include information from the worksite supervisor monthly evaluations of the participant’s progress at the worksite. (Note:  Skills progression reporting is entered every two {2} months.)
   3. Maintain attendance records for all activities.
   4. Ensure the IDP details full-time participation for full-time CJ (forty {40} hours a week) or Career Jump thirty-five (35) to thirty-eight (38) hours a week and part-time participation twenty-three (23) hours a week for part-time CJ.
   5. Provide support services related to the participants work activity and document in eJAS.
   6. Send an immediate notification in eJAS to the Case Manager upon two (2) excused or two (2) unexcused absences in a calendar month. Please refer to section 8.4.4.4- Reporting.
   7. Enter case notes into eJAS.  Document issues related to the work activity.  Contractors will attempt to resolve worksite issues with the participant.  Contractors will involve the Case Manager immediately when issues arise that the Contractor is unable to resolve or the issue isn’t related to work but is affecting the participant’s ability to participate. 
10. Two (2) weeks prior to the completion of a participant's CJ Program (or anytime the participant leaves the CJ Program), the Contractor will:
    
    1. Initiate the final review of the CJ enrollment with the participant and the Case Manager, recommending next steps to move them into unsubsidized employment.
    2. Close or update the CJ worksite Employment Screen as applicable.
    3. Enter the date and select the "reason" code on the Contractor Caseload Screen to electronically refer them back to DSHS.
    4. If they have obtained unsubsidized employment, the Contractor will create a new Employment Screen with the new information; or update the current worksite with unsubsidized employment information.
    5. Complete the Exit Section and close the IDP.
    6. Send an e-message to the Case Manager notifying them that the participant is no longer enrolled in the program. 
11. Upon completion of the CJ Program, the Case Manager will:
    
    1. Close the CJ component and the contractor code by entering the actual end dates in the Actual End field in the Component/Contractor/IRP Update screen.
    2. Update the CJ wage information (when CJ ends) in eJAS and ACES.
    3. Initiate the final review of the CJ enrollment with the participant and the Case Manager, recommending the next steps to move the participant to appropriate Career Scope services if the participant hasn’t obtained unsubsidized employment.
    4. Review and refer the participant to the next appropriate activity that will lead to self-sufficiency.

Hold Process

Note:  Before the Hold Process begins, a CAP must be conducted with the Contractor, the Case Manager and the participant.  The below steps apply to the Hold Process when it is planned to last longer than one (1) week.  If the participant is being placed on a short-term hold that is one (1) week or less, the Case Manager will decide if the participant should be referred back.  If there is agreement that the components should not be referred back, the Case Manager will enter a case note to document this agreement. 

1. Upon agreement with the WF partners to place the participant on hold, the Contractor will:
   
   1. Electronically refer the participant back to DSHS by entering the date and selecting the "Issue Resolution" reason code.
   2. Complete the Hold section of the IDP.
   3. Close eJAS employment screen.
2. The Case Manager will:
   
   1. Close the CJ component and the contractor code by entering the actual end dates in the Actual End field in the Component/Contractor/IRP Update screen (if applicable).
   2. Refer to appropriate activity and component while in Hold status (If applicable)
   3. Follows the procedure in the CSD Procedures Handbook - Communication to Financial from Social Services to remove CJ income type on the ACES EARN Screen.
3. Upon agreement with the WF Partners to return them to the CJ Program, the Case Planner will:
   
   1. Close the active Hold component (if applicable)
   2. Repeat Steps one (1) and six (6) above to create CJ component referral.
4. Upon receipt of the CJ referral, the Contractor will:
   
   1. Repeat Steps two (2), three (3) or four (4) and five (5) above to accept the participant back into the CJ Program.
   2. Complete the Hold section in the IDP.
   3. Re-evaluate current IDP and update.
   4. Connect the participant back to a worksite.

Note: WF attendance requirements apply.

Resources

Related WorkFirst Handbook Chapters

• 3.3.1 Individual Responsibility Plan
• 3.3.2 Stacking Activities
• 3.7 Monitoring Participation
• 6.5 Family Violence
• 7.3 Basic Education, Skills Enhancement, & High School/GED
• 8.1 Paid and Unpaid Employment -- Overview

Forms & Other Resources

• E-AZ Manual - Special Income Chapter
• The Department of Commerce
• Education & Training Homework Requirements Worksheet (used by Commerce contractors)
• CJ Re-enrollment Checklist (for staff use only)
• Partner and Worker Roles in Community Jobs Desk Aid
• Commerce WorkFirst Programs Desk Aid