4.2 Informal Assessment

4.2.1 Informal Assessment Inventory

Contractors must conduct informal assessments when creating and updating the EP. The purpose of the informal assessment under the Program is to gather information about the individual to determine the:

• Individual’s ability to become employed and remain employed.

• Services and activities necessary for the individual to become employed and remain employed.

• Appropriate match for the SJSubsidized Job (see 6.0).

Individuals being assessed should be asked if they have any limitations on the type of work they can perform or the hours they are available. Unless they voluntarily identify limitations (such as limits on the weight they can lift, visual limitations, hearing loss or other disabilities the individual may feel are relevant to the type of work s/he can perform), all individuals being assessed should be presumed to be physically and mentally able to work (with or without accommodations the employer may be legally obligated to provide) in any job available through the program. Contractors should be provided with enough information about job requirements to make a personal decision whether the Contractor The entities under contract with DCF to administer the TJ and TMJ contracts. believes the individual can perform the activities that will be required.

Work sites that have established selection criteria for job applicants such as minimum visual acuity, ability to distinguish colors, ability to hear sounds, lifting requirements, etc. may, in their sole discretion, apply those same criteria to any individual in the Program referred to the work site. The Contractor may engage in assessment activities to determine whether an individual meets the minimum skills and experience the work site requires of unsubsidized workers, such as minimum reading or math comprehension, experience using equipment or a license or certificate. The Contractor may not use any disability screening or assessment tool to identify an individual’s disabilities, and the Contractor may not make any decision that an individual has an actual or perceived disability that disqualifies the individual from any employment with any work site.

It is critical to recognize that unlike W-2 the Program does not provide services, therapies and treatments to address physical or mental disabilities or Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA). The Contractor may engage in assessment activities to identify barriers for the purpose of assuring services are appropriate to become employed and remain employed (see 4.2.1). Using disability assessment tools to restrict employment opportunities or referrals on the basis of disability, however, is expressly prohibited.

4.2.1 Informal Assessment Inventory

Contractors must use the TJ The Transitional Jobs program in Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Douglas, Dunn, Florence, Forest, Iron, Jackson, Juneau, Kenosha, Langlade, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Pierce, Polk, Price, Racine, Rock, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Taylor, Walworth, Washburn, and Winnebago counties. and TMJ The Transform Milwaukee Jobs program in Milwaukee County. Informal Assessment Driver Flow to gather information about individuals’ personal strengths, work styles, interests, and skills that may help them in their search for employment or that may be developed further through activities assigned in the EP. In addition, contractors must work with individuals to identify resources that will address any unmet needs identified during the informal assessment process that may affect their ability to become employed or stay employed.

In addition to the information gathered through completion of the TJ and TMJ Informal Assessment Driver Flow, the following inventory must be covered as part of the informal assessment process and reviewed with each individual when developing the initial EP and as part of ongoing case management.

• Personal strengths, interests and goals;

• Job skills (including transferable skills);

• Recent job search efforts;

• Results from career assessments that evaluate work styles, skills, and interests;

• Access to social supports (e.g., family members, church, friends); and

• Other needs identified by the individual that may affect their ability to become employed or stay employed.

Informal assessment must also include observations by contractors about an individual’s ability to follow through on assigned activities and perform job search. When an individual is having difficulty completing assigned activities, this may be an indication of underlying barriers to employment and should result in further conversations with the individual about the appropriateness of the activity assignments and the need for additional supportive services.

History: There are no previous versions of this policy.