§ 335-A — Assessments and employability plans for certain recipients in households without dependent children

§ 335-a. Assessments and employability plans for certain recipients in\nhouseholds without dependent children. 1. To the extent resources are\navailable, the social services official shall, within a reasonable\nperiod of time not to exceed one year following application and not to\nthe exclusion of the assessment requirements of section three hundred\nthirty-five of this title, conduct an assessment of employability based\non the educational level, including literacy and English language\nproficiency; basic skills proficiency; supportive services needs; and\nthe skills, prior work experience, training and vocational interests of\neach participant. This assessment shall include a review of family\ncircumstances.\n 2. (a) Based on the assessment required by subdivision one of this\nsection, the social services official, in consultation with the\nparticipant, shall develop an employability plan in writing which shall\nset forth the services that will be provided by the social services\nofficial and the activities in which the participant will take part,\nincluding supportive services and shall set forth an employment goal for\nthe participant. To the extent possible, the employability plan shall\nreflect the preferences of the participant in a manner that is\nconsistent with the results of the participant's assessment and the need\nof the social services district to meet federal and state work activity\nparticipation requirements, and, if such preferences cannot be\naccommodated, the reasons shall be specified in the employability plan.\nThe employability plan also shall take into account the participant's\nsupportive services needs, available program resources, local employment\nopportunities, and where the social services official is considering an\neducational activity assignment for such participant, the participant's\nliability for student loans, grants and scholarship awards. The\nemployability plan shall be explained to the participant. Any change to\nthe participant's employability plan required by the social services\nofficial shall be discussed with the participant and shall be documented\nin writing.\n (b) Where an assessment indicates that a participant who is not\nsubject to the education requirements of this title has not attained a\nbasic literacy level, the social services official shall encourage and\nmay require the participant to enter a program to achieve basic literacy\nor high school equivalency or to enter such educational programs in\ncombination with other training activities consistent with the\nemployability plan.\n 3. A local social services official shall, pursuant to department\nregulations developed in consultation with the department of education\nand the department of social services or its successor agencies, use\ndesignated trained staff or contract with providers having a\ndemonstrated effectiveness in performing assessments and developing\nemployability plans to perform assessments and develop employability\nplans.\n 4. Each applicant for or recipient of public assistance as described\nherein must participate in an assessment as required by the social\nservices district in accordance with the conditions of this section.\nApplicants who fail or refuse to participate with the requirements of\nthis section shall be ineligible for public assistance. Recipients who\nfail or refuse to participate with the requirements of this section\nshall be subject to the sanctions set forth in section three hundred\nforty-two of this title.\n 5. A social services district shall assign participants to activities\npursuant to their employability plans to the extent that supportive\nservices including transportation are available.\n 6. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent a social\nservices official from providing an assessment more detailed or\ncomprehensive that the requirements set forth in this section.\n