5.2.2  Informal Assessment Inventory

The WWPWisconsin Work Programs Informal Assessment Driver Flow covers the following assessment categories related to an individual’s ability to become employed and remain employed:

·        Languages

·        Work History

·        Participation in Other Work Programs

·        Education History

·        Post-Secondary Education

·        Military Service

·        Housing

·        Transportation

·        Legal Issues

·        Participant Barriers

·        Child and Youth Supports

·        Family Barriers

The WWP Informal Assessment Driver Flow also includes a Non-Custodial Parents page that provides an opportunity for applicants and participants who are noncustodial parents (NCP) to discuss their role as a mother or father, and share basic information about the custodial parent and their child(ren) . In addition, the NCP Referral page is intended to help the W-2Wisconsin Works worker determine if the agency could offer services to help the NCP of the applicant or participant’s child(ren).

While moving through the WWP Informal Assessment Driver Flow, the W-2 worker must gather information about the applicant or participant's personal strengths, work styles, interests, and skills that may help the individual in their search for employment or that may be further developed through activities assigned in the EPemployability plan. The W-2 worker must work with the applicant or participant to identify resources that will address any unmet needs identified during the informal assessment process.

In addition to the information gathered through completion of the WWP Informal Assessment Driver Flow, the following inventory must be covered as part of the informal assessment A process to gather information about an individual and his or her family 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 placement of a participant on the W-2 employment ladder; •Need for further career assessment and planning; •Need for vocational evaluation; and •Need for a formal assessment of any disabilities or other employment barriers by a qualified assessing agency or individual. process and reviewed with each W-2Wisconsin Works applicant or participant at application and as a part of ongoing case management.  

·        Personal strengths, interests and goals;

·        Job skills (including transferable skills);

·        Job readiness (including work preferences, history, applications, interviews, and contacts);

·        Recent job search efforts;

·        Results from Career Assessment A broad spectrum of assessment tools that W-2 agencies, applicants, and participants use to obtain greater awareness about how an individual’s work styles, skills, and interests can be used to define a career path, assign meaningful activities, highlight strengths, identify training needs, and match the individual to employment opportunities that evaluate work styles, skills, and interests;

·        Current neighborhood environment and schools;

·        Household budgeting/money management strategies;

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

·        Other needs or barriers identified by the participant that impedes his or her ability to participate in W-2 activities or find and retain a job.

Because these additional informal assessment inventory items are not eligibility requirements, the FEP must never delay eligibility determination and initial placement because one of these items is pending. The placement decision must be made using the best available information during the application timeframe. (See 1.4.4)  

If an applicant is new to W-2 or is re-applying and does not have the Job Readiness page completed in WWP, the job readiness assessment must be scheduled within 30 days of application and completed within 30 days of placement.  If a current participant does not have the Job Readiness page completed in WWP, the job readiness assessment must be scheduled within 30 days of an EP review and completed before the next EP review.  

If an applicant is new to W-2 or is re-applying and does not have the Career Assessment page completed in WWP, the career assessment must be scheduled within 30 days of application and should be completed within 30 days of placement.  If a current participant does not have the Career Assessment page completed in WWP, the career assessment must be scheduled within 30 days of an EP review and should be completed before the next EP review.  

Informal assessment must also include observations by the worker about the individual’s ability to follow through on assigned activities and/or perform job search. When an applicant or participant 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 activities being assigned and the need for additional supportive services.

History: Release 24-07; Release 20-03; Release 19-02, Release 17-01.