The Job Search and Job Readiness Assistance activities are limited to 240 hours for single parent households and 360 hours for two-parent households for the previous 12-month period. This activity is allowed for four consecutive weeks, with every fifth week “off”. The consecutive weeks begin as soon as the recipient has an hour of participation in this activity for a federal week. In cases where the recipient is in the activity for less than the four week period, the “consecutive week” counting starts over when he/she starts the activity again.
This is core activity for recipients can also be used to meet non-core work participation requirements.
Example: John is in job search for weeks 1, 2, and 3 and then does not job search for week 4. If he begins this activity again, the consecutive week counting starts over.
NOTE: If the Temporary Assistance (TA) recipient engaged in a Job Search or Job Readiness Assistance activity does not participate for their required participation hours, the Job Search/Job Readiness hours are reported to the Federals in an “other” category and not count toward the allowable 240 or 360 hours.
Temporary Assistance (TA) recipients engaged in Job Search look for suitable jobs by making contact with potential employers. The recipient presents himself/herself to a prospective employer as available for work. The prospective employer ordinarily employs persons in areas of work that meet suitable work requirements for which the TA recipient is reasonably qualified by means of experience, training, or ability.
TA recipients placed in job search are ready to begin employment. Recipients are assigned to Job Search in weekly increments. Job Search may be assigned for two weeks if the recipient demonstrates a difficulty with transportation. Due to the limited allowable hours, the Missouri Work Assistance (MWA) case manager should maintain weekly contacts to monitor progress with recipients participating in this activity.
Countable hours for Job Search include:
Temporary Assistance (TA) recipients engaged in Job Readiness activities involves preparing a TA recipient to seek, obtain, and maintain employment. As with job search, every fifth week is “off”. This activity is used in a way that is most beneficial to the recipient.
Example: The TA recipient is in a Job Readiness class and is not progressing with the skills needed to obtain employment. It may be more beneficial to place him/her in a Community Service Program or Alternative Work Experience Program (AWEP)/Community Work Experience Program (CWEP) position to gain the needed skills.
Countable hours for Job Readiness include:
All activities require documentation of the number of hours the Temporary Assistance (TA) recipient was engaged in the activity.
The MWA Job Search Log documents:
Documentation should be returned and reviewed weekly, but in rare cases may be returned bi-weekly.
A countable hour is equal to an hour completing one of these activities. After documentation is obtained, the hours are entered under the Job Search Assistance service on the Participation Hours Verification or the Mass Participation Hours Verification screen in the MWA System. The documentation is placed in the paper file.
The MWA Assessment Verification form documents:
Verification of one contact on the log is completed by:
If the Missouri Work Assistance (MWA) case manager believes there are contacts on the MWA Job Search Log that are inaccurate, review more than one contact. Actual hours are not recorded for any falsified contacts. The MWA case manager should contact the employer as a last resort. Contacting the employer can be an inconvenience for the employer who may receive several phone calls for verification and may these contacts may negatively impact the employer’s perception of the recipient.
A countable hour is equal to a paid hour being assessed. After documentation is obtained, the hours are entered under the Job Search Assistance service on the Participation Hours Verification or the Mass Participation Hours Verification screen in the MWA System. The documentation is placed in the paper file. Case notes are entered indicating which hour(s) of this activity are assessment hours.
The MWA Assessment Verification form documents:
A countable hour is equal to an hour being assessed. Completion of on-line assessment forms can be verified by log-in and log-out times. After documentation is obtained, the hours are entered under the Job Readiness Assistance service on the Participation Hours Verification or the Mass Participation Hours Verification screen in the MWA System. The documentation is placed in the paper file. Case notes are entered indicating which hours of the Job Readiness Assistance service are assessment hours.
The MWA Attendance Log documents:
NOTE: Signed documentation from the instructor or the MWA case manager leading the workshop or class containing this information can replace the MWA Attendance Log.
After documentation is obtained, the hours are entered under the Job Readiness Assistance service on the Participation Hours Verification or the Mass Participation Hours Verification screen in the MWA System. The documentation is placed in the paper file.
A written statement from a licensed medical, mental health, or other social work professional regarding the TA recipient’s ability to participate in work or work-related activities is required when:
NOTE: The statement must include duration of treatment and the number of hours the TA recipient is required to participate. If a written statement is not available, get a verbal statement containing this information and enter the information on the “MWA Attendance Log” form. After documentation is obtained, the hours are entered under the Job Readiness Assistance service that are followed by a MH (Mental Health), PT (Physical Therapy), or SA (Substance Abuse) on the Participation Hours Verification or the Mass Participation Hours Verification screen in the MWA System. The documentation is placed in the paper file.
NOTE: The statement must include duration of treatment and the number of hours the TA recipient is required to participate. If a written statement is not available, get a verbal statement containing this information and enter the information on the “MWA Attendance Log” form. After documentation is obtained, the hours are entered under the Treatment and Support service that is followed by a MH (Mental Health), PT (Physical Therapy), or SA (Substance Abuse) on the Participation Hours Verification or the Mass Participation Hours Verification screen in the MWA System. The documentation is placed in the paper file.
The Job Search and Job Readiness Assistance activity allows for holidays and excused absences. However, as stated in Section 0270.035.00 Holidays, to qualify for holidays the participant would normally participate that day.
It is the participant’s responsibility to provide a listing of employers he/she intended to visit for Job Search and verification the employer was closed due to the holiday. Assume a reasonable amount of hour(s) the recipient would have spent at that employer job searching and record.
It is the participant’s responsibility to provide information on the workshops, treatment, etc. in which he/she was scheduled to participate for Job Readiness and the scheduled duration. The case manager records the “normal class time”.
Supervision for Job Search is the responsibility of the Missouri Work Assistance (MWA) case manager and takes place when the case manager and recipient have their follow-up visit. The case manager reviews and verifies at least one employer contact per MWA Job Search log.
Supervision for Job Readiness is provided by the instructor leading the class or workshop. When the assessment is self-directed at the office, supervision is the responsibility of the case manager review of log-in/log-out times, or case manager/other office personnel monitoring.