Monthly Engagement and Participation to Meet Work Rules
To support progress towards a family’s goals and meeting program rules, DTA staff will have monthly contact with clients participating in Pathways to Work activities.
Participation forms will be generated by BEACON on the Monday before the last Saturday of each month for any client that is enrolled in an activity other than employment and has an active Pathways to Work Plan.
All clients enrolled in Pathways to Work activities are expected to confirm their monthly engagement or participation hours by the 10th day of the month following the month they participated in that activity.
For those subject to work rules, a monthly touchpoint must happen either by DTA recording the return of a participation form, client contact, or other acceptable proof. Community Service Participation forms will be completed by program or site staff.
DTA must enter the engagement or participation proof by the 18th of the reporting month. This information will be recorded in the Pathways Participation workflow.
Full Engagement Workers (FEWs) and Self Sufficiency Specialists (SSSs) will continue to be the primary point of contact for DTA’s Pathways to Work providers. Monthly check-ins with contracted/funded program staff will also support client engagement and retention in activities.
DTA will use the following forms to confirm ongoing engagement with clients participating in Pathways to Work activities, and to show work rules are met for the prior month through:
- Pathways to Work Participation form, where a client confirms their continued engagement for that Pathways to Work program’s expected hours
- Community Service Participation Form, where staff verifies the grantee’s volunteer hours at a community service site
- Employment hours from the Earned Income page, checked by BEACON monthly for those clients who are working
Participants may also show ongoing engagement in their activity through another touchpoint or by submitting another type of proof. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- phone or virtual contact with their FEW or SSS to confirm their month engagement in their Pathways to Work activity and progress on their goals; or
- submitting a letter from the program regarding their engagement, course transcript, or certificate of program completion; or
- information received from a provider confirming that the participant met the program’s engagement expectations.
Note: FEWs and SSSs will work with clients to create a Pathways to Work Plan with activities that meet the weekly hours to satisfy the work rules.
Clients who are engaged in multiple activities will receive a participation form for each program. Clients are expected to communicate progress and changes for each activity monthly, with FEWs and SSSs determining if a client is meeting the work rules based on all activities.
If a client returns a Pathways to Work participation form, but indicates they did not meet the participation expectations, DTA must follow-up to determine whether additional support is needed. If a client is subject to work rules, it must be determined whether they had good cause for the month being reported, and if it is expected to be a challenge to participate moving forward or if additional action is needed.
For any client who must meet the work rules but does not meet the engagement or participation requirements, staff must attempt to connect with the client, explore what challenges exist and strategies to stay engaged. (See FEW and SSS Reengagement Responsibilities).
Important: Clients who are not subject to work rules but participate as Pathways Volunteers are expected to have regular communication with DTA regarding their progress in their Plan. Those who are exempt may never be sanctioned for work rules.
Co-Case Management Expectations
FEWs and SSSs must have monthly contact with all funded and contracted providers, where they must ensure that any challenges with client enrollment, retention or reengagement are addressed.
Case managers and FEWs must also continue to work collaboratively to share information regarding a client’s participation, including available scanned documents, and changes that may affect a client’s ability to engage.
Staff must ensure that they communicate with clients reporting their own progress in activities, while also working closely with providers to support client engagement and retention in services. If a discrepancy exists between what a client reports as their participation and what is being reported by the provider, additional communication with the client is required. If unable to reach client by phone, a Telephonic Case Maintenance appointment must be scheduled to discuss their activity engagement.