Wisconsin Works (W-2)
Barrier Screening Tool
Overview
The Barrier Screening Tool (BST) is a set of questions that W-2 participants are asked to complete during a meeting with a W-2 agency worker. The BST is designed to help W-2 agencies gather information about medical, emotional and learning needs that may prevent a participant from successfully moving into the workforce. Answering the questions is voluntary. Participants cannot be sanctioned or found ineligible for W-2 based on their decision to decline to answer the questions.
Why is the Barrier Screening Tool (BST) important?
The W-2 time limits necessitate that employment barriers are identified and needs are addressed early on in an individual’s participation in the program. The BST screening process takes some of the guesswork out of determining the level of service a participant needs. When the BST is properly administered, the Financial Employment Planner (FEP) is able to:
- Use the results of the screening process to refer individuals who are at-risk of significant personal barriers to appropriate service providers for a formal assessment.
- Apply the information obtained through the formal assessment to the development of the participant’s Employability Plan. This may include:
- Obtaining needed medical treatment or counseling;
- Receiving needed services from other providers in the community; and
- Ensuring participants have the necessary accommodations to successfully engage in W-2 work training and ultimately unsubsidized employment.
Participants with Special Needs
The first half of the BST gathers information about the participant’s ability to engage in day-to-day activities in a work setting, in his or her home life and in the community. An additional set of questions helps determine if the participant is in need of any services for domestic violence.
The participant’s answers to the BST are assigned a score. This score establishes whether the participant could benefit from a more detailed formal assessment by a professional such as a medical provider, a psychologist or a vocational rehabilitation provider.
Family Members with Special Needs
The second half of the BST gathers information about other family members in the participant’s household, such as a spouse or a child with special needs. The answers help the FEP determine if special consideration must be given for the family member’s needs when assigning the participant to work, training or other activities.
More information about the BST.