Section 2665.40  Allowable Programs and Activities

a)         The following are the authorized programs and associated activities for the Illinois Welfare-to-Work Block Grant Program.

1)         Job Search/Job Readiness Program includes:

A)        job search, which means a structured search for a job, including counseling, job seeking skills training, and information obtained individually or in a group setting; and

B)        job readiness assistance, which consists of classroom or group activities designed to help an individual obtain and maintain employment.  Under TANF, job readiness services and job search activities contain a combined service limit of four consecutive weeks, or six weeks total in a 12 month period.

2)         Job Placement Services Program involves the direct placement of the participant in an unsubsidized position.  Allowable Activities include:

A)        unsubsidized private sector employment, which means employment in the private sector not financed from federal or State funds; and

B)        unsubsidized public sector employment, which means employment in the public sector not financed from federal or State funds for Welfare-to-Work purposes.

3)         Work Testing Program, which is no more than a 30-day fully subsidized trial period during which the employer can observe the WtW participant in a work setting, and the participant can test his/her job readiness skills while receiving support services and counseling.  The employer is expected to hire the client upon completion.  Work Testing may be repeated if necessary but participants are limited to a total of six months subsidized employment during participation in this program.  Allowable Activities include:

A)        subsidized private sector employment, which means employment in the private sector partially or fully supported by federal or State funds, limited to six months in length; and

B)        subsidized public sector employment, which means employment in the public sector partially or fully supported by federal or State funds, limited to six months in length.

4)         Community Service Program involves unpaid service at a public or private, not-for-profit work site.  Allowable Activities include:

A)        community service programs, which are unpaid work assignments with public or private, not-for-profit employers, organizations and governmental agencies; and

B)        providing child care services, which means provision of child care services for an individual participating in a community service program.

5)         Paid Work Experience Program involves paid, subsidized service at a public or private, not-for-profit worksite, limited to six months in length.

6)         On-The-Job Training Program (OJT), which is training at a private or public sector worksite provided to a participant who has been referred to and hired by the employer.  OJT occurs while the participant is engaged in productive work that provides knowledge and skills essential to the full and adequate performance of the job.  OJT may be sequenced with, or accompanied by, other types of training such as classroom training or literacy training.  OJT placements are limited to six months in length, unless participation is less than 500 hours in duration.

7)         Post Employment Educational Program includes, but is not limited to, basic educational skills training, occupational skills training, or English as a second language training.  Allowable activities include:

A)        vocational education training, which means classroom or other group training activities whose purpose is to increase or develop the vocational skills of a participant;

B)        job skills training directly related to employment, which means individual, classroom, or other group training activities developed to help employed participants remain on the job or enable them to upgrade existing skills;

C)        education directly related to employment for individuals with no high school diploma or GED, which means educational activities developed to help employed participants, who lack a high school diploma or GED, retain a job; and

D)        satisfactory school attendance for individuals with no high school diploma or GED, which means satisfactory school attendance, as determined by the SDA in cooperation with the local school system.

8)         Post Employment Job Retention Services Program, which means any post-employment services that are not educational in nature, including:

A)        work regimen acclamation, which means the process of getting a participant to understand what work he/she is to perform; who will provide instructions and work orders; the starting, break, meal and stopping times; when his/her first and subsequent paychecks will be received; procedures for leaving the work area for personal, telephone or other purposes; and other work rules not provided by the employer;

B)        stress coping, which means the application of remedies to remove or ease the personal stress experienced by participants in their work environment. This stress may be brought on by interactions with others while working, or by the participant's changed role as a parent, partner, or friend, or by the humbling experience of following orders of a boss or being hazed by other workers, or by a personal attitude brought to the workplace by the participant or another worker;

C)        job loss intervention, which means interceding actions of arbitration and remediation with either or both the participant and employer at a time when the participant is at risk of losing or leaving his/her job or when the process of employment departure is occurring, or providing support and articulation of the learning embedded in the experience at a time immediately following a job loss occurrence;

D)        personal support, which means the delivery of supportive services needed to remove or ameliorate barriers to continued employment of the participants. This group of actions ensures that there is no gap in service delivery to overcome personal barriers; that is, participant access to the service is not restricted, the service is the most appropriate resolution and service delivery is timely, as needed; and

E)        job enhancement, which means activating the delivery of services, both supportive and educational, needed to solidify continued employment of the participant in his/her job and start the building of a foundation of advancement.  This activity includes the acquisition of tools for the participant to become more proficient in his/her work or gain acceptance by his/her peers; the acquisition of skills needed to enhance work performance; and the acquisition of additional skills, knowledge and abilities for promotional opportunities.

9)         Support Services Program, which means any support activities necessary to allow the participant to obtain or retain employment that are not provided for through the Illinois Department of Human Services, including:

A)        child care, which means client services to ensure that dependent children are properly cared for during the period of time client is in training or at work;

B)        transportation, which means services provided to a client to permit his/her participation in training or work by ensuring he/she has the ability to make the trip from his/her residence to the training/employment site and child care site if necessary, and back.  Assistance may include the cost of public transportation or mileage reimbursement;

C)        other supportive services, which means services that are necessary and made available to participants eligible for training under this Act, but who cannot afford to pay for such services, to enable them to participate in a program under this Act and to aid in their retention in a job gained through participation;

D)        financial counseling, which means financial counseling services provided to clients to enable them to participate in a training program under this Act or to retain employment gained through such participation;

E)        personal counseling, which means personal counseling services provided to clients to enable them to participate in a training program under this Act or to retain employment gained through such participation;

F)         rent assistance, which means assistance provided to participants to maintain or obtain adequate shelter for themselves and their families while they are receiving employment, training or other supportive service; and

G)        substance abuse treatment, which means treatment for drug and alcohol abuse to the extent that such services are not medical and not otherwise available to the participant, such as, services performed by those not in the medical profession, including counselors, technicians, social workers, and psychologists, and services not provided in a hospital or clinic, including 24 hour care programs.  Substance abuse treatment may be considered non-medical.

b)         No Welfare-to-Work Administrative Agency or sub-contractor may itself operate a  program  serving  WtW  clients  solely  to  provide  job  readiness, placement or post-employment services.