Purpose

This letter transmits rules governing the Comprehensive Case Management and Employment Program (CCMEP) that will be effective March 24, 2016. This transmittal contains ten rules. Eight rules are new and two are amended as follows:

• Office of Human Services Innovation has seven new rules governing administration of CCMEP under a new division of the Ohio Administrative Code:

• 5101:14-1-01 CCMEP: Definitions
• 5101:14-1-02 CCMEP: General
• 5101:14-1-03 CCMEP: Program Plan
• 5101:14-1-04 CCMEP: Assessment and Individual Service Strategy
• 5101:14-1-05 CCMEP: Individual Opportunity Plan and Activities
• 5101:14-1-06 CCMEP: Program Exit and Follow-Up Services
• 5101:14-1-07 CCMEP: Primary Performance Measures

• Office of Workforce Development has one new rule describing eligibility requirements for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Youth and Young Adult Program:

• 5101:10-3-01 WIOA Youth and Young Adult Program: Eligibility Requirements

• Office of Family Assistance has two amended rules governing the Ohio Works First (OWF) program:

• 5101:1-3-11 OWF: Appraisals, Assessments and Self-Sufficiency Contract
• 5101:1-23-50 OWF: Learning, Earning and Parenting Program

Background

On June 30, 2015, Governor Kasich signed House Bill 64, the state's biennial budget, into law. Section 305.190 of the bill establishes a framework to transform the network of human service and workforce programs to find a new way to work for low-income Ohioans. This framework starts first with 16- to 24-year-olds, where early intervention can have the greatest impact. The state is pushing traditional program boundaries by integrating components of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program with the WIOA youth employment program to create a better-coordinated, person-centered case management system.

Effective July 1, 2016, CCMEP will be the statewide operational framework used to deliver integrated, comprehensive case management and employment services across Ohio's 88 counties. CCMEP takes a coordinated, holistic approach to stabilizing individuals and families by addressing the myriad of factors that may be contributing to poverty and unemployment, including health, housing, education, transportation and child care. In conjunction with supportive services, the program will provide access to employment and training services, including career counseling, job placement and services to facilitate job retention.

By leveraging the strengths of both the workforce and human services systems, CCMEP seeks to improve employment and education outcomes for low-income youth and young adults by helping recipients overcome barriers to employment and develop the skills local employers seek.

Populations Served

The primary effect of CCMEP is to combine funding from TANF with funding from the WIOA youth program in order to serve low-income youth through a single comprehensive case management system. Initially, individuals in the following population groups who receive services through TANF- and WIOA-funded programs will be required to participate:

• OWF work-required recipients ages 16 to 24;
• WIOA low-income in-school and out-of-school youth ages 16 to 24; and

Additionally, two groups will be eligible to volunteer for the CCMEP program:

• OWF recipients ages 16 to 24 who are not work-required; and
• Individuals ages 16 to 24 receiving Prevention, Retention and Contingency benefits and services (TANF-funded non-assistance).

Overview of Program Requirements

Lead Agency (5101:14-1-02)

No later than May 16, 2016, each board of county commissioners is required to designate a single lead agency to be responsible for administering the program and meeting performance goals established by the state. The lead agency may be the county department of job and family services (CDJFS) or the workforce development agency that serves the county.

A single lead agency is necessary to ensure accountability for program performance and results. Responsibilities of the lead agency include submitting a plan for administration of CCMEP to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), coordinating activities and services with the other local participating agency (i.e., CDJFS or workforce development agency), determining eligibility for WIOA youth and ensuring that TANF funds are expended for allowable purposes.

Partnerships (5101:14-1-02)

Regardless of which agency is chosen as the lead agency, successful implementation of CCMEP will require strong partnerships and collaboration between the CDJFS, the workforce development agency and the local workforce development board. This will include joint policy development (to reduce/eliminate duplication of effort and improve service delivery), establishment of processes for client referral, cross-training of staff and community outreach efforts.

Workforce development boards are responsible for developing the local workforce area plan, engaging employers, providing program oversight, negotiating performance measures and procuring service providers. Lead agencies must work in conjunction with their local workforce development board to align CCMEP with area priorities for workforce development, in-demand jobs and business engagement, particularly for the youth and young adult populations served by CCMEP.

CCMEP Plan (5101:14-1-03)

No later than May 31, 2016, each lead agency is required to submit a written plan to ODJFS establishing processes and procedures for administering CCMEP in accordance with state rules and federal laws and regulations. The plan template is included in the transmittal of these rules as JFS-03001.

Plan requirements include describing the process for referring individuals to CCMEP, a plan of communication between local participating agencies (CDJFS or workforce development agency) to verify participation in CCMEP activities for OWF participants, the process for ensuring dual eligibility of individuals co-enrolled in TANF and WIOA, the frequency with which the agency will engage with participants and a description of supportive and follow-up services.

Co-Location of Services (5101:14-1-01)

Lead agencies will be required to co-locate employment, training and supportive services at a location accessible to CCMEP participants. Co-location of services may occur at the OhioMeansJobs Center that serves the county. Co-location of services supports improved coordination and integration of TANF and WIOA services by offering a common entry point for individuals to access services without the burden of having to visit multiple addresses. In addition, when staff in different programs work in close proximity, they can more easily share knowledge and offer streamlined service delivery.

Comprehensive Assessment (5101:14-1-04)

CCMEP creates a combined service delivery and case management infrastructure across the TANF and WIOA programs. Several key program components are intended to bring standardization between programs and across counties in order to create a common client experience. These include an individual opportunity plan and a comprehensive assessment tool.

Lead agencies are required to use a standardized, comprehensive assessment tool to identify employment and educational barriers of CCMEP participants, as well as non-employment and education-related needs. The assessment meets the requirements of the WIOA objective assessment and includes questions relating to occupational skills, prior work experience, employability, interests, aptitudes, supportive service needs and developmental needs. The assessment process should include administration of the assessment by a qualified caseworker and a basic skills assessment using a tool chosen by the lead agency. The comprehensive assessment form is included in this rules package as JFS-03003.

Individual Opportunity Plan (5101:14-1-05)

The comprehensive assessment will be used to determine the activities and services that should be included in an individual opportunity plan appropriate to each person's unique needs. The plan must include short- and long-term education and employment goals, including identification of a career pathway, achievement objectives and appropriate supportive services to achieve the plan goals. The individual opportunity plan is included in this rules package as JFS-03004.

For OWF work-eligible CCMEP participants, the individual opportunity plan will replace the self-sufficiency contract and failure to comply with activities in the plan without good cause may result in a sanction (see rule 5101:1-3-11).

The centerpiece of CCMEP will be ensuring clients have access to caseworkers who are qualified and trained to conduct interviews, use the assessment tool and work with clients as they make progress toward their plan objectives. Caseworkers should engage individuals in a dynamic conversation about their current situation, aspirations and barriers, and collaborate with them to develop an individual opportunity plan with meaningful goals and objectives. The goals of the plan should be oriented towards CCMEP primary outcome measures including employment, job retention, earnings growth and credential attainment.

Program Services (5101:14-1-05)

Lead agencies must make available to CCMEP participants the following 14 specific core youth elements of WIOA:

• Tutoring, study skills training, instruction and dropout prevention
• Alternative secondary school services, or dropout recovery services
• Paid and unpaid work experience (with an academic and occupational education component)
• Occupational skill training
• Education offered concurrently with workforce preparation activities
• Leadership development opportunities
• Supportive services
• Adult mentoring
• Follow-up services for not less than 12 months
• Comprehensive guidance and counseling
• Financial literacy education
• Entrepreneurial skills training
• Labor market and employment information
• Activities to prepare for and transition to post-secondary education and training

In addition, lead agencies must make available supportive services that are customer-focused and meet the needs and circumstances of the individual in order to help participants address barriers to employment.

Follow-Up Services (5101:14-1-06)

Job retention is an important primary outcome measure for CCMEP. All participants must receive some form of follow-up services for a minimum of 12 months. The type and intensity of follow-up services may differ for each participant. Follow-up services may include regular contact with the participant's employer, including assistance in addressing work-related problems, assistance in securing better paying jobs, career pathway development and/or adult mentoring.

Minimum Hours Requirement (5101:14-1-05)

CCMEP participants must commit to participating in the program for a minimum of 20 hours per week. Time spent in activities, case management, homework, travel time, etc., may be considered part of those hours.

Intensive Case Management (5101:14-1-05)

Lead agencies have flexibility to determine which clients need intensive case management based on the comprehensive assessment. Lead agencies may prioritize populations for intensive case management, such as transition-age foster youth or individuals with multiple barriers that require alcohol or drug addiction treatment or mental health counseling. For individuals in intensive case management, caseworkers are required to engage with them at least once every 14 days. (For all other participants caseworkers must engage with the participant at least once every 30 days.)

Caseworkers and Case Management

Caseworkers are key to the success of CCMEP. Understanding clients' complex problems and helping them build a path forward is a human-resource-intensive activity. High-quality interactions between caseworkers and clients are critical to identifying barriers and helping individuals become work-ready. CCMEP caseworkers must have appropriate qualifications and training, as well as manageable caseloads, to perform their jobs effectively. As part of CCMEP implementation, ODJFS will develop best practices for case management, including recommended caseworker qualifications and a training curriculum.

Performance Measures (5101:14-1-07)

CCMEP strengthens accountability by establishing a single lead agency in each county responsible for meeting common performance goals for youth and young adults served through the program. CCMEP's effectiveness will be measured by improved employment and education outcomes for low-income youth, as opposed to process or participation measures focused on attendance in activities. By focusing on outcomes, CCMEP supports an individualized, person-centered approach.

Primary outcome measures for the program largely mirror those prescribed in WIOA for the youth and young adult program. These include job entry, youth placement, credential attainment, median earnings and job retention. Skills gain / educational progress is the only WIOA youth measure that is not a primary outcome for CCMEP. Lead agency performance standards will be established in accordance with WIOA by an annual negotiation process established by ODJFS.