Section 441.93.5. Assessment.

The purpose of assessment is to provide an evaluation of the FIP applicant or participant family that furnishes a basis for the PROMISE JOBS worker to determine:  (1) family members’ employability and educational potential, so that participants can make well-informed choices; and (2) the services that will be needed for the family to achieve self-sufficiency, so that the worker can provide appropriate guidance.

         93.5(1) Initial assessment. All persons referred to PROMISE JOBS shall complete an initial assessment, which shall be used to develop the initial FIA. The PROMISE JOBS worker shall meet individually with FIA-responsible persons who are referred to PROMISE JOBS to develop the FIA.

            a.                Self-assessment. The participant may either fill out Form 470-0806, Self-Assessment, before the meeting or fill the form out during the meeting with assistance from the PROMISE JOBS worker. The results from self-assessment shall be used to assist in identifying the applicant’s needs.

            b.                Scope of initial assessment. The initial assessment meeting, at a minimum, shall review the family’s financial situation, family profile and goals, employment background, educational background, housing needs, child care needs, transportation needs, health care needs, family-size assessment and the participant’s wishes regarding referral to family planning counseling, and other barriers which may require referral to entities other than PROMISE JOBS for services.

        93.5(2) Additional assessments. Additional assessments may include, but are not limited to, literacy and aptitude testing, educational level and basic skills assessment, evaluation of job interests or job skills, occupation-specific assessment or testing, or an evaluation of past pertinent information. An additional assessment may be used by mutual agreement between the PROMISE JOBS worker and the participant as a tool and to help explore possible FIA development. For a specific additional assessment to be required, completion of the assessment must be specified in the FIA.

            a.                Additional information on applicants. If information identified during the initial assessment indicates that further information is needed to help the participant and PROMISE JOBS worker identify appropriate FIA activities and level of involvement, the applicant shall complete additional assessments as determined by the PROMISE JOBS worker. Completion of this assessment may be the first step in the initial FIA.

            b.                Medical examination. The PROMISE JOBS worker may require a person to complete a medical examination before including a particular PROMISE JOBS activity in the FIA when a participant specifies or exhibits any condition that might jeopardize successful participation in the program. The worker shall ask the health practitioner to indicate to the best of the practitioner’s knowledge whether the person is capable of completing the FIA activity or continuing with appropriate employment.

            c.                Rehabilitation assessments. At any time during the assessment process or as more information is revealed, a referral may be made for professional assessments in physical health, mental health, substance abuse, or other rehabilitative services.

            d.                Additional information on participants. Assessments may be completed or redone at any time throughout the development and duration of the FIA if the information is needed to help the participant and the PROMISE JOBS worker make decisions concerning the type or level of the participant’s involvement in PROMISE JOBS activities.

         93.5(3) Postsecondary educational evaluation. Participants who wish to include postsecondary education in their FIA shall complete an educational evaluation to determine the likelihood of success.

            a.                Request for education resulting in a vocational certificate or certificate of completion. Vocational certificate or certification of completion training programs offer short-term training in a specific vocational area. Examples include, but are not limited to: nurse aid certification, training to receive a commercial driver’s license, training in information technology, health care services, and child care services. The PROMISE JOBS worker shall determine the likelihood of success using the following types of tools or information:

             (1)             A review of information from past training situations,

             (2)             Past job performance in comparable positions,

             (3)             Basic skills tests,

             (4)             Career-specific assessments,

             (5)             A specific standardized test, or

             (6)             Other key historical information.

            b.                Request for education resulting in an associate or baccalaureate degree. The PROMISE JOBS worker shall determine the likelihood of academic success through an educational evaluation. The evaluation may include use of the following types of tools or information:

             (1)             Standardized assessments in reading comprehension, math, and writing skills, such as GATB (General Aptitude Test Battery), Kuder Skills Assessment, or CASA (Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment) system;

             (2)             Occupation-specific skills assessments;

             (3)             Interest inventories;

             (4)             Current or past grades; and

             (5)             Other pertinent historical information.

            c.                Documenting educational evaluation results. When a participant has requested education to be included in the FIA, the PROMISE JOBS worker shall document:

             (1)             What formal assessments were completed, if any, and what the results were;

             (2)             What other information was reviewed;

             (3)             How the evaluation information was used by the PROMISE JOBS worker in either approving or denying the inclusion of education in the participant’s FIA; and

             (4)             Whether the request is approved or denied. If the request is denied, PROMISE JOBS shall issue Form 470-0602, Notice of Decision: Services, to the participant as required in paragraph 93.10(1)“b.”

         93.5(4) Substituting or supplementing an assessment.

            a.                Substituting assessment information. If the FIA-responsible person’s mental status, physical status, and life situation have not changed significantly, comparable assessment information completed with another agency or person within the past two years may be used instead of performing new assessments.

             (1)             Examples of agencies or persons that may complete comparable assessment information include, but are not limited to, the department of workforce development, Head Start, public housing authorities, child welfare workers, vocational rehabilitation services, an educational institution or testing service, or family development services.

             (2)             The FIA-responsible person may authorize PROMISE JOBS to obtain these assessment results by signing Form 470-0429, Consent to Obtain and Release Information.

            b.                Supplementing assessment information. In order to ensure that the family investment agreement activities do not conflict with any case plans that have already been established for the family, the FIA-responsible person may:

             (1)             Supplement assessment information, and

             (2)             Establish communication between the PROMISE JOBS worker and other agencies or persons.

            c.                Use of key historical information. When key historical information, such as a review of the participant’s job history or past training outcomes, relays a clear picture of the participant’s skills and abilities, a formal, standardized educational assessment may not be needed.

             (1)             If a participant is currently enrolled in or has been enrolled in comparable training or an academic program in the past two years, the evaluation of the participant’s performance, including grades received, may be substituted for a formal, standardized educational assessment.

             (2)             When using historical information as an indicator of future success, changes in the participant’s mental status, physical status, life circumstances, and motivation shall be given consideration.

         93.5(5) Assessment after FIP cancellation or limited benefit plan. FIP participants who previously participated in either a basic or additional assessment and then were canceled from FIP or entered a limited benefit plan may be required to complete an assessment again when the PROMISE JOBS worker determines that updated information is needed for development or amendment of the FIA.

         93.5(6) Participants with FaDSS services only. For participants with FaDSS services as the only activity in their FIA, the PROMISE JOBS worker shall use information provided by the FaDSS worker to help assess when a participant is ready to participate in other PROMISE JOBS activities. The PROMISE JOBS worker may require additional assessments to be completed if more information is needed to decide the type or level of the participant’s involvement in other PROMISE JOBS activities.

         93.5(7) Documenting participation. The participant shall provide documentation of participation in assessments as described at subrule 93.10(2). Persons who miss any portion of a scheduled assessment may be required to make up the missed portion, based on worker judgment and participant needs.

         93.5(8) Supportive payments allowed. Except for assessment activities that occur on the same day as orientation, persons participating in assessment activities are eligible for payments for transportation and child care needed to allow the scheduled participation as described at rule 441—93.11(239B). When make-up sessions are required, the participant shall not receive an additional transportation payment, but necessary child care shall be paid.

         93.5(9) Failure to complete assessment. Participants who do not complete assessments that are written into their FIA shall be considered to have chosen the limited benefit plan unless they have good cause. Procedures at 441—93.14(239B) shall apply.