Conciliation is a period during which the case manager tries to resolve barriers to the individual's participation. The ultimate purpose of conciliation is to use resources to remove social, economic, physiological, and psychological barriers to participation in the program.
EXAMPLE: When a need for social services is identified as the reason for not participating, the case manager works with the participant to plan and initiate activities directed toward removing barriers, including family counseling, medical services, psychological evaluations, and referrals to other community services and agencies.
The conciliation period may last up to ten calendar days. During the ten day conciliation period evaluate if the participant meets an exemption or temporary exclusion. When the barrier to participation is resolved and the individual is willing to participate, consider conciliation successfully achieved. In some circumstances the conciliation period may extend past ten calendar days. The case manager should examine each individual's situation to determine the need for an extended period. At the conclusion of the conciliation period the SSP should be reviewed and revised, if necessary.
If a participant in a Work Activity component experiences a personal crisis that prevents continuation in that activity, evaluate the length of time the individual will be out of the component. Determine whether to remove the individual from the component or to exempt or exclude him/her temporarily to allow time to resolve the issue. To ensure services are not lost, continuity is provided, and the individual can continue the employability process, it may be necessary to continue providing child care.
When an individual subsequently and for the same reason refuses to participate, schedule a face-to-face interview prior to imposing a sanction. The face-to-face interview provides an opportunity to discuss lifetime limits and barriers to participation and to ensure the individual understands what is going to happen as well as why it is happening. The face-to-face interview may occur in the office, during a home visit, or other sites. Participants may request that a disinterested third party attend this meeting.
If conciliation is required for a different reason, the conciliation process begins again on the date the non-compliance is discovered.
The case record must present clear and concise history of the participant's entire relationship and interaction with the program. This is especially critical for cases entering conciliation because the case record constitutes primary evidence to support the final case disposition.
Place the individual in Conciliation (Component 11) in the JOBS system, and send a Conciliatory Letter (IM-303) on the same day. Use whatever options are available to remove barriers to participation. If the participant fails to respond to the IM-303, continue attempts to schedule a conciliation meeting. Only when all efforts to overcome the participant's barriers have been exhausted should sanctioning procedures begin.