Operations Issuance: 2023-10

Issuance Number: 2023-10

Date: June 29, 2023

To: WIOA Title I Adult and Dislocated Worker Service Providers and SDWP Staff

From: Daniella Molina, Manager of Career Center Training Services

Subject: Operations Manual Update: Chapter 4. Part 1 & Attachments

Purpose:

This operations issuance is to notify Workforce Partnership (SDWP) subrecipients of changes to the Operations Manual: Chapter 4, Part 1 – Title I WIOA At Program Activities. Updates to the chapter and attachments were made to align with federal, state, and local policy changes.

Summary of Updates

Below is a summary of updates. Subrecipient should review the referenced chapter and the attachments for details.

General Updates

Section I.C. Partner Portal (Salesforce)

  • Added: Reference to the Partner Portal as a required system for intake and case management.

Section I.D.6

  • Added CalJOBS Forms and Procedures Handbook as a reference

Section. F.1. WIOA Application Number

  • Added: The WIOA Application Number is used to match participants between platforms (CalJOBS, Partner Portal, Workforce eFile) and must be entered into each once obtained through the Title I WIOA Application.

Program Components

Section II. A. 1. Access and Locations

  • Added Orientation and Assessment requirement.

Section II. B. Referral Tracking

  • Added guidance around referral tracking.

Section II. C. Required Staff Positions

  • Added required career center staff positions.

Section II.F. Meetings Trainings & Reports

  • Clarification on II.F.1: Link to the QNR form is available in the Partner Portal.
  • Added II.F.2: Faces of Workforce submission requirements and guidance. Link to the Faces of Workforce form is available in the Partner Portal.

Section II. G. 1. VOSGreeter

  • Removed case requirement for virtual visits. Career Navigators were required to case note their virtual interactions, but this has not been the case since the career center transition. 

Section II. G. 2. ZenDesk

  • Updated ZenDesk language

Program Enrollment & Service Strategy

Section III.D. Objective Assessment Guidelines

  • Added: – SDWP encourages the use of Career Coach and/or My Next Move/Mi Proximo Paso (Spanish Version) to identify occupations of interest
  • Objective Assessment Process – Updated to provide clear guidance on process requirements in both the Partner Poral (including Program Match Finder) and CalJOBS.
    • The OA is to be completed in the Partner Portal; however, you must still document the OA activity in CalJOBS on the participant form and with any subsequent updates with additional activity codes.
    • Staff should not be filling out the OA in CalJOBS

Supportive Services

Section IV.C.1. Supportive Service Guidelines

  • Added: Staff may submit a request to exceed the cap ($1,000 per enrollment period). Approval is on a case-by-case basis and dependent on justification with direct linkage to successful completion of goal/outcome and budget availability.
    • Tier I: $600 for job search services
    • Tier 2: $1,000 for training services
  • Clarification: Related IEP Goal & Service (Activity)
    • The need for supportive services must be documented on the IEP under the specific goal/objective related to the results of the Objective Assessment (OA).
    • The supportive service activity must include a case note that details direct linkage to the related service activity or training provided AND the related goal/objective on the IEP.

Section IV.C.2. Equipment Purchases

  • Added: Policy and guidance on the purchase of equipment as a Supportive Service. These items should be expensed under “Participant Costs” and do not require tagging or recovery. There is a $450 maximum expense for equipment purchases, for which staff may request to exceed. Approval is on a case-by-case basis and dependent on justification with direct linkage to successful completion of goal/outcome and budget availability.

Section IV. C. 3 Food Purchases

  • Clarification and examples added for allowable food purchases as Supportive Services. All supportive services must link to an open training or employment activity code and a goal on the participant’s IEP.
  • Added: Groceries can be provided to ensure participants can participate in scheduled employment, training, or education activities, including as a barrier to those who are homeless or housing insecure.

Attachments

The following attachment was added:

  • Program Performance Attachment

 

Action:

Effective July 1, 2023, all WIOA Title I Adult service providers are required to follow the updated policies and procedures in the chapter indicated above. Subrecipients and staff are required to review the entire Chapter and Attachments.

Staff should attend the training regarding this issuance in July. A minimum of one staff from each career center is required.

SDWP Staff are diligently working to connect all the platforms used in WIOA Adult Programs and to streamline processes.

References:

  1. To access the chapters and their attachments, go to workforce.org and click on the collapsed menu icon located on the top right-hand side of the webpage.
  2. Click on “Operations Resources” section.
  3. Click on “Operations Manual” to see the list of chapters and operational issuances.
  4. Click on “Chapter 4.  Part 1: WIOA Title I Adult Program Activities | Attachments” to view the policy and attachments.