It takes time and effort from a well-connected and knowledgeable leader, an engaged team member or two with the time to coordinate connections between programs/partners, and points of contact within each program/partner with time set aside to help. Both Maricopa and El Paso get this group together regularly (every 1 – 2 weeks) to coordinate services and funding, identify solutions, solve problems and remove barriers encountered by working through specific cases. This results in a joint case management approach

It is important to have members of this team that have time set aside to implement new solutions, rather than making it “other duties as assigned”. El Paso found it difficult to find the extra time to create new solutions until they were able to dedicate two staff members to this work. When other staff/partners saw they had help with the new solutions and action items, it was less overwhelming and significant progress was made. It also provided an “owner” to call to get support, organize the approach for cases, and connect job seekers with employment

Extra funding always helps, but the services can be provided with little to no extra funding. An effective braiding of funds from Head Start, TANF, SNAP, Wagner-Peyser, WIOA, LIHEAP, Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), special sources such as grants and Child Care and Development Block Grants (CCDBG), etc., can support the needed services.

 

• Leveraging partners’ existing solutions, services, and relationships saves time/money and increases the buy in of those partners to FCE activities

• Many of Maricopa’s initial job seekers were TANF clients. When they get a job, TANF covers their child care. In El Paso, once they are a service recipient, they have a limited amount of time to get a job before they no longer have child care, so they are often very motivated to find a job

• WIOA funding can be used for almost any type of service, but it is limited and the support services money can be exhausted quickly. Using other funding source where available allows WIOA money to best be used where it can most help to achieve or keep employment An overview of the CCDBG program

• TRIO services available from a community college represents an example of another funding stream from an aligned program. They can provide additional case management services, resources, and data. However, this could represent a new and unknown approach for the WDB staff and can take significant time, effort, and improved communication to get to the point that they are effectively integrated



• Some specific programs provide the opportunity to braid unique funding. For example, El Paso leveraged an existing Certified Nurse’s Assistant to Registered Nurse pathway. The WDB paid for the training and other organizations paid for living expenses, child care, etc.

 

Enhancing the referral from partners and intake processes empowers the change to FCE. This includes gathering the information needed to identify barriers and ways to overcome those barriers, identifying immediate opportunities to help, such as basic needs assistance, and programs to sign up for as well as potential pathways to jobs

 

• This takes extra time with the job seeker up front . Some of the WDB Team may believe that it takes too much time, but after the process is working well, it saves time and achieves better outcomes. Maricopa and El Paso have examples of enhanced referral forms, basic needs assessments, and intake processes [ An example of referral form used in El Paso ]

• El Paso created a 3 page referral form that is shared across stakeholder groups and gathers the information those groups need. It tracks information about the job seeker, identifies the organization being referred to, provides information about the list of possible referrals, etc. They have found that the organization that has the strongest relationship with the job seeker is often able to best gather the information upfront. After the initial meeting, the form is emailed to start the referral process. They then share the file online so that the stakeholders can review and update it as services are provided or additional information obtained
• This creates some duplicate data entry with the official Workforce system, but it is worth the extra time. They have also had to develop solutions for unique cases, such as how to identify when a job seeker is returning for a second round of services
• This process is an enabler of joint case management, engaging people from multiple organizations and disciplines to work together and learn from each other. Examples from Maricopa include understanding each other’s service delivery model and leveraging home visitation to build a stronger relationship with the job seeker

• Maricopa modified their enrollment process to be family oriented rather than compliance driven. They leverage the Barriers to Success Inventory (BSI) as a needs assessment, and have included service locations and transportation options in the information available. They also create Individualized Family Development Plans with the job seeker.

• The intake process allows Maricopa to identify basic needs, triggering automatic checks to see if the job seeker is eligible for utility assistance. This improves service to job seekers, creating an opt out approach rather than an opt in one. If a job seeker is not eligible, but needs support, they have additional partnerships where they can register the job seeking for help. El Paso also found it effective to loosen restrictions on the use of utility assistance for WIOA participants

• Understand whether or not the job seeker has student debt that would prohibit them from taking courses at one of your local training providers. This disproportionately affects single mothers .



• Flexibility in support of job seekers is important in this process – this includes flexibility on location of meetings, including sometimes completing the intake over the phone or at a location of the job seeker’s choice. It also includes the intake person being ready to walk them through potential services provided, and to walk them over and introduce them to a new WDB/partner contact about a service ( a warm handoff is critical ) who them walks them back to the original intake person

 

Maricopa started their FCE work by involving only the services that were within their control. This allowed them to begin FCE work without the need of formal MOUs, contracts, or data sharing agreements. It also allowed them to work out processes and issues internally before involving external partners