N.H. Admin. Code § He-W 637.09

Current through Register No. 50, December 12, 2024

Section He-W 637.09 - Initial Assessment

(a) An individual shall participate in an initial assessment interview with department staff:

(1) During the eligibility determination process for TANF financial assistance or financial assistance for unemployed parents;

(2) Whenever an individual volunteers for NHEP; or

(3) Whenever the status of the individual changes from exempt to mandatory participation in NHEP.

(b) Participation in an initial assessment interview shall be required for any NHEP participant who:

(1) Is 18 years of age or older; or

(2) Has not completed high school or the equivalent, and is not attending school.

(c) For the initial assessment, the NHEP participant shall provide written and verbal information on skills, prior work experience and employability for the purposes of:

(1) Determining the need for any immediate assistance or services;

(2) Determining if the individual is required to participate in NHEP-related services or activities; and

(3) Immediate placement into the labor market.

(d) The referred NHEP client shall complete an assessment interview with the NHEP representative.

(e) During the assessment interview, the NHEP client shall provide the following:

(1) The client's employment history, including:

a. Work experience;

b. Start and end dates;

c. Reasons for leaving; and

d. Hourly wages;

(2) The client's employment and/or training preference, including:

a. What the client would like to do for work;

b. Whether the client is interested in education or training and what type; and

c. The client's availability for full-time or part-time work;

(3) The client's skills and abilities, including:

a. Highest grade level completed;

b. Skills acquired from work, training or hobbies;

c. Related employment, education or training information;

d. Past participation with an employment or training agency;

e. Aptitude or literacy tests taken in the past; and

f. Difficulties in reading and/or writing;

(4) Potential barriers to immediate employment or employment preparation, including:

a. Need for child care assistance, transportation or other support services needs;

b. Health problems that would prevent NHEP participation; and

c. Immediate issues or family circumstances, including serious problems dealing with children, that need to be resolved prior to participation; and

(5) Any other factors that should be considered before making referral to a NHEP activity.

(f) Factors to be considered by a NHEP representative in order to determine referral of a participant to an activity pursuant to RSA 167:85 shall be:

(1) The type and level of the participant's marketable skills considering:

a. The demand for the participant's marketable skills in the local labor market; and

b. The demand in the local labor market for vocationally specific or technical proficiency skills and the extent to which the participant has obtained these skills;

(2) The participant's work experience history;

(3) The participant's educational history;

(4) The participant's work habits and behaviors;

(5) The participant's aptitude and motivation;

(6) Insofar as possible, the participant's job interests and preferences;

(7) The extent of support services needed by and available to the participant;

(8) How the referral might effect other activities in the employability plan, including time limit requirements for a specific activity to which the NHEP client might be referred;

(9) The coordination of the activity with other required or necessary activities, including community activities and activities mandated by another agency;

(10) The evaluation of training and post secondary activities that utilizes the fewest program resources that will lead to employment in the shortest timeframe and at a wage sufficient for the participant to be independent of financial assistance; and

(11) The screening for serious and substantial personal barriers, including physical or mental impairments, disabilities of clients and/or their children and reasonable accommodations, substance abuse, past felony convictions, intimate partner violence, low literacy and learning disabilities.

(g) In addition to the criteria in (f) above, the following conditions shall be met for a referral to a training or post secondary education activity:

(1) The participant lacks the skills that will be obtained in the training or education;

(2) Job opportunities are currently available in the local labor market in the referred field of education or training and immediate employment following training or post secondary education is expected; and

(3) The participant has appropriate work habits and behaviors or can be reasonably be expected to develop such behaviors within the training or educational program.

(h) The department shall be the payor of last resort, and all available funding options shall be explored prior to approving the participant in a training or educational program.

(i) In addition to the criteria in (f) above, the following conditions shall be met for a referral to work experience and community service program activities:

(1) The participant lacks the skills necessary for paid employment;

(2) The participant lacks significant work experience; and

(3) The participant needs to develop appropriate work habits and behaviors.

(j) In addition to the criteria in (f) above, participants who report serious and substantial personal barriers as described in He-W 637.01(k) , shall be referred to interim activities specified at RSA 167:91,III(a) -(e) .

(k) In addition to the criteria in (f) above, participants who lack a high school diploma or the equivalent and are not required to participate in basic educational activities, shall be referred to basic educational activities when:

(1) The participant requests referral to this activity;

(2) The participant is meeting participation requirements pursuant to RSA 167:85; and

(3) The referral is specified on the employability plan.

N.H. Admin. Code § He-W 637.09

(See Revision Note at Chapter Heading He-W 600) #6446, eff 2-1-97; paragraphs (a)-(c) EXPIRED: 2-1-05; paragraphs (d)-(f) amd by #8269, eff 2-1-05; paragraphs (a)-(c) amd by #8740, INTERIM, eff 10-13-06, EXPIRED: 4-11-07; paragraphs (a)-(c) & (f)-(k) amd by #8869, eff 4-19-07

The amended version of this section by New Hampshire Register Number 6, eff. 2/1/2023 is not yet available.