1. (a)

   1. (1) Case management is the process of coordinating and brokering the multiple services needed to achieve progress toward self-sufficiency.
   2. (2) Case management will provide the participant with sufficient information on what to expect regarding changes and challenges in the world of work.
   3. (3) The Program Eligibility Specialist will serve as a point of contact for participants and a point of accountability for the agency.
   4. (4) The Program Eligibility Specialist has the overall responsibility for working with the participant from initial interview until case closure.

2. (b)

   1. (1) The Arkansas Work Pays Program focuses on post-employment services that are designed to provide job retention and advancement for employed post-Transitional Employment Assistance (TEA) participants.

   2. (2) Post-employment services are an essential tool in preventing participants from returning to TEA by helping them:

      1. (A) Keep their current jobs;
      2. (B) Gain skills for a career;
      3. (C) Move toward better jobs; and
      4. (D) Become self-sufficient.
   3. (3) The intent is to provide services that will help participants increase their earnings and retain their jobs so they can advance.

3. (c)

   1. (1) Program Eligibility Specialists will build relationships with participants and assist them by guiding, supporting, and encouraging them to:

      1. (A) Be accountable;
      2. (B) Set goals; and
      3. (C) Make good decisions.

   2. (2) The Program Eligibility Specialist will also provide participants with the following resources, as appropriate, to aid them in achieving their goals:

      1. (A) Developing a career advancement plan;
      2. (B) Identifying career ladders, either with:

4. (i) The participant’s current employer; or

   1. (ii) Another employer or industry;

      1. (C) Referral to Career Pathways Training Initiative;
      2. (D) Referral to other Temporary Assistance for Needy Families initiative providers;
      3. (E) Job search assistance through the Arkansas JobLink system;
      4. (F) Career counseling;
      5. (G) Working with employers to develop advancement strategies;
      6. (H) Removing specific barriers;
      7. (I) Coordinating work supports (e.g., childcare, Medicaid, employment expenses, supportive services);
      8. (J) Pursuing educational and/or training activities that develop or expand a participant's job expertise; and

      9. (K) Referral to other appropriate service providers in the workforce development system available through the Arkansas Workforce Centers.

         1. (d) Case management services will be provided as long as the participant is Arkansas Work Pays Program-eligible, and up to twelve (12) months after the Arkansas Work Pays Program case has been terminated due to earnings in excess of the federal poverty level.

5. (e) Note.

   1. (1) Staffings are not required on Arkansas Work Pays Program cases.
   2. (2) However, cases will be reviewed/reevaluated every six (6) months to determine continued eligibility.

6. (f) Every six (6) months, the following criteria must be met:

   1. (1) There must be an eligible child in the home; and

   2. (2)

      1. (A) The participant’s gross earned income plus other countable income must be below the one hundred fifty percent (150%) federal poverty level for the family size.
      2. (B) See FPL calculations in 20 CAR § 503-1510, work verification.

7. (g)

   1. (1) Every year, based on the anniversary date of the case, the following criteria must be met: All adults who are not exempt from drug screening and testing requirements must submit a completed drug assessment questionnaire.
   2. (2) Refer to 20 CAR § 503-1508.

8. (h) The Program Eligibility Specialist will also review the work documentation each month to determine if there is a need to update the budget.

   1. (i)
   2. (1) An update to the budget is only necessary if there has been a significant change in income.
   3. (2) A significant change is one in which the new wage is equal to or exceeds one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the current federal poverty level for the family size and is not based on a temporary fluctuation such as overtime, seasonal bonus, etc.
   4. (3) See 20 CAR § 503-403 for more information about significant changes.

Codification Notes: “FPL” means federal poverty level.