Intensive Case Management

INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT

DESCRIPTION Intensive Case Management (ICM) provides closely supervised, directed job search activities and intensive case management assistance to participants. The purpose of this component is to provide an intensive and supportive relationship between the participant and the GROW Case Manager that results in the participant's employment. ICM services are available as follows: When a participant completes an assignment and is waiting for the scheduling of the next assignment (other than ICM). Concurrently with any other activities which combined add up to 20 hours per week. Once all other required components have been completed and until time limits expire. KEY POINTS ICM services are available to cover any gap of time of one week or more, occurring when a participant completes a GROW activity and is waiting for the following activity (other than ICM) to be scheduled. ICM services are also offered when all other required components have been completed. ICM referrals can be made from the time the General Relief case is approved and until the participant becomes employed or the remaining time on aid expires. ICM does not replace other GROW activities. Participants are required to participate in JSPC, Fastrak, Education/Training, and other activities according to established procedures. However, participants will be assigned to ICM immediately after completion of these assignments, in order to eliminate any down-time in-between components. GROW participants are required to participate in ICM for 20 hours per week as an ongoing activity during any period of time that they are not required to participate in any other GROW activity Participants assigned to other activities less than 20 hours per week, may participate concurrently in ICM. Participants will be scheduled for a Case Manager appointment within two days from completion of any other GROW assignments. Participants will receive instructions from their Case Manager for ICM participation, including form ABP 85 to document job searching activities. Participants will sign the ABP 1463 –ICM (this form has been revised to reflect these new procedures). At the time of this appointment, participants will also be scheduled for the next GROW activity, at which time, they will no longer be required to participate in ICM until this new activity is completed. ICM may be the participant's only activity, or it may be performed concurrently with another activity (e.g., Education/Training, Supportive Services, Non-Custodial Parent, Youth, One-Stop or part-time employment). For ICM participants who are also employed part-time and/or concurrently enrolled in another activity, the combined activities cannot exceed 20 hours. ICM's effectiveness is dependent on the Case Manager's and Job Developer’s role in motivating participants to participate in and successfully complete the activity. Case Managers/Job Developers provide participants with intensive one-on-one (or small group) employment counseling to identify and help remove barriers. ICM provides Case Managers the opportunity to explore with the participant the possibility of barriers that may preclude him/her from obtaining employment, including evaluating whether the participant needs mental health, domestic violence, substance abuse or medical evaluation referrals. During the participant’s first ICM appointment, the Case Manager provides the participant with a “practice” application to determine whether he/she is able to complete a job application on his/her own. Based on the results, the Case Manager may suggest that the participant enrolls in literacy classes or will assist him/her in completing a master job application for future reference. Some participants will need more encouragement than others. Supportive phone calls may be needed to encourage participants to continue looking for work. Participants are to be referred to Job Developers and are required to visit the Resource Center daily as part of their job seeking efforts, except when meeting with their Case Manager and when otherwise directed by their Case Manager or Job Developer. Exceptions to the above can be made when participants are scheduled to attend job fairs, recruitments, job interviews or similar events. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in noncompliance status. When visiting the Resource Center, participants are required to sign-in and accomplish the following tasks: Work with Job Developers to be connected with prospective employers by matching their skills, education and work history . Check job lead board for available job openings for which they might qualify. Check for job offers in local newspapers. Make phone calls inquiring about potential job opportunities. Follow up with prospective employers on applications submitted and/or interviews. Network with other participants. Other services include referrals to job fairs, supervised job searches, reinforcement of job skills learned in Job Skills Preparation Class (JSPC) and assistance with resumes and applications. As part of ICM services, the participant can be assigned to JSPC (only once), One-Stop, Youth or Non-Custodial Parent as a concurrent activity. Participants must inform their Case Manager of any reason(s) that might preclude their participation in ICM, within three days from signing the ABP 1463 Welfare-to-Work Plan/Activity Assignment. The participant's participation is tracked/entered on the GROW system by the GROW Case Manager. Participants who find employment of at least 20 hours per week during ICM are no longer required to participate in GROW. However, they may request Post- Employment Services if they remain on aid. For participants who fail to participate in or to complete ICM, the GROW system will automatically initiate noncompliance and schedule a pretermination hearing with the Case Manager. CASE MANAGER DUTIES Refer participants to appropriate GROW assignments according to established procedures. Additionally, refer participants to ICM during any down-time in between components to keep them engaged in GROW activities throughout their time limits. Ensure that participants understand their obligation to participate in ICM at all times, unless they are actively participating in another GROW assignment. Meet with the participants in ICM at least every two weeks. Inform the participants of their requirement to participate in ICM for 20 hours per week whenever they are not required to participate in other GROW activities. Contact participants on the business day prior to their appointments to remind them of these appointments. Advise participants that ICM services are available until employment is found; until they are required to participate in another GROW component; or until their time on aid expires. Remind them at each visit about time limits, and advise them of the number of days they have left on aid. Advise participants that they must visit the Resource Center daily unless otherwise directed by the Case Manager/Job Developer to participate in other job searching activities that meet the 20 hour per week participation requirement, i.e., attend a job fair, attend an onsite recruitment at another facility, attend prescheduled job interviews. Check Resource Center sign-in sheet daily to track participation. Explore reasons why the participant has been unsuccessful in obtaining employment, and if necessary, make mental health, domestic violence, substance abuse or medical evaluation referrals according to established procedures. Reinforce/enhance activities learned in JSPC (e.g. dress for success, resumes, applications, etc.). Review resumes and related documents to ensure they are accurate, timely and effective. If they are not, provide assistance in revising or updating the information. Have the participants complete a "test" job application to ensure that they are able to fill out job applications appropriately. If the participant is unable to complete this test application, the case manager should: Determine if the participant might benefit from a literacy referral and/or; Refer to the Job Developer for assistance in completing a master application to use as a model in order to properly fill job applications during job searching activities. Provide referrals to job fairs and other recruitments along with map/directions. Provide information about upcoming on-site employer recruitment visits, if any. Refer to WorkSource centers as appropriate, providing map/directions. Assess for any existing barriers to employment and make appropriate supportive services referrals. Complete/Update the ABP 821, GROW Case Manager Checklist. Provide ABP 85, Job Search Assignment form for the participant and advise that directed job searches require completion of the ABP 85 as verification of search. Explain and have the participant sign the ABP 1463, Welfare-to-Work Plan Activity Agreement. Authorize work-related expenses, as appropriate, including transportation for job searches for the upcoming month. Manually schedule a return Case Manager appointment within two weeks, but no later than the last business day prior to commencement of participation in another GROW component. At the return Case Manager appointment, review all job searches to ensure participant is actively engaged in this activity, randomly select at least five job searches, ask what the results were, and annotate ABP 85. Reschedule the participant for another Case Manager appointment within two weeks, but no later than the last business day prior to the start date of another GROW component. Provide another ABP 85, and repeat intensive case management procedures. Refer those participants who do not participate in or complete ICM to the Hearing Liaison for a pretermination hearing. At the pretermination hearing: If there is good cause for not participating/completing, return the participant to the activity. If the participant dropped out without good cause (and this is the first instance of noncompliance), return the participant to the activity. If this is the 2nd or subsequent instance of noncompliance without good cause, the participant must be sanctioned according to established procedures. RESULTS Upon assignment to ICM, the outcomes should be: The participant understands his/her responsibility to participate in ICM any time he/she is not required to participate in another GROW component and after completion of all other components until time limits expire. The participant understands that he/she must visit/use the Resource Center daily unless otherwise directed by the Case Manager/Job Developer in order to participate in job searching activities. The participant is aware of the number of days he/she has remaining on aid. The participant was motivated to continue looking for work. The participant received an ABP 85 to verify job searches. The participant and Case Manager signed the ABP 1463-ICM. Supportive services referrals were initiated as needed. The component assignment screen was completed on the GROW system. Work-related expenses were authorized as appropriate, including transportation for the upcoming month.

GROW Home \| Case Management Guidelines Updated July 2006