IEP/ISS Procedure (Updated 12/2/2021)

 

7/22/2020 IEP/ISS Webinar Recording:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/8347203514951100935

(You will need to "register" to view the webinar.)  The webinar PowerPoint is also attached for download.

NOTE: The LINK for the recording to IEP/ISS Webinar conducted on 3/9/2021 can be found under the Career Coaching Webinar Series Section under Session #4.

New Updates as of 12/2/2021 are in the Steps to Developing an IEP/ISS section section highlighted in red.

PURPOSE

An Individual Employment Plan (IEP) for Adult and Dislocated Workers or Individual Service Strategy (ISS) for Youth is required to be developed upon enrollment and provision of individualized services. This document establishes the guidelines and requirements under the Workforce Innovation Opportunities Act (WIOA) Title I program. All service contractors through the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership must jointly develop an IEP or ISS for each customer by a Workforce Development Representative and the customer.

REFERENCE

WIOA sec. 134(c)(2)(A)(xii)(II); WIOA § 680.170

BACKGROUND

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires that all Adult, Dislocated Workers, and Youth customers are provided assessments and an Individual Employment Plan (IEP) or an Individual Service Strategy (ISS), depending on the program for customer. The IEP/ISS is an individualized career service that is jointly developed by the Workforce Development Representative and the customer. It is both a form and an on-going service strategy plan developed with a culmination of comprehensive assessments to identify the employment and/or educational goal(s). The plan must identify employment goals for Adult, Dislocated, and Youth or education for Youth, achievement objectives, and the appropriate combination of services needed to achieve the overall goal(s).

The development of the IEP/ISS must be completed after the Objective Assessment Summary (OAS) and the Career Exploration (if applicable).  The IEP/ISS shall be recorded in Career Connect, printed, signed and dated by a Workforce Development Representative and the customer. The original copy with signature will be filed in customer’s physical file and a copy will be provided to customer.

The IEP/ISS is a living document, and it is to be reviewed on a regular basis and updated whenever a change is made to the customer’s plan; any changes must be mutually agreed by the customer and Workforce Development Representative. All updates will be recorded in Career Connect, a new form with signature is required only when the goal itself has changed or being updated.

CREATING INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYMENT PLAN (IEP)/INDIVIDUAL SERVICE STRATEGY (ISS)

1  STEPS TO DEVELOPING AN IEP/ISS

   Before developing an IEP/ISS, the following steps must be completed.

1. A WIOA Application indicating eligibility for one of the following grants: Youth, Adult, or Dislocated Worker must be competed
2. The Objective Assessment Summary (OAS) must be completed in Career Connect. Please see the Help Desk for this procedure (LINK: https://workforceboard.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360045946171-NEW-Objective-Assessment-Summary-OAS-Procedure).
3. If applicable, Career Exploration must be conducted by the participant to identify possible career paths, employment and/or education goals. Please see the Help Desk for this procedure (LINK: https://workforceboard.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360057850792-NEW-Career-Exploration-Procedure).
4. UPDATE! If applicable, complete the Skills Inventory Worksheet (SIW). Please note that the SIW is only required under the following circumstances:

• All customers who have been approved for training must have the SIW completed by a Career Coach.
• All new Career Coaches must use the SIW until the Site Director determines the IEP/ISS are acceptable.

5. A WIOA Participation (first service) must be entered. Participation/Service examples are as follows:
   • Comprehensive and Specialized Assessments (1A/1D 207) or
   • Workforce Info/LMI/Targeted Occupational Profiles (1A/1D 224, 1Y 433) or
   • Career Planning (1A/1D 202, 1Y 404) or
   • Develop Individual Service Strategy (ISS) (1Y 413)

2  S.M.A.R.T.E.R STRATEGY

AII IEP/ISS shall have at least one open goal with at least one open objective for all customers with an active participation. IEP/ISS should be written with a S.M.A.R.T.E.R objective:

 3  IEP/ISS CONTENT:

The IEP/ISS plan shall contain the following components:

• Goal(s)
• Objectives
• Dates
• Signatures

 4   GOALS

The WIOA program is designed to help customers who are registered in the Adult, Dislocated, and Youth program reach their employment and/or educational goal. The goal is set based on the program and required in order to complete the plan successfully, see Table 1. Program Goals.

Table 1. Program Goals

a.    Employment Goal

The employment goal is determined as a result of comprehensive assessment consisting of an interview, evaluation, and/or specialized testing. The goal is based on the customer’s career desires. It is a Workforce Development Representative’s role to guide the customer based on assessment results, labor market information, career pathways, work experience, trainings, special skills, interest and other viable information to guide the customer to making the correct career choices.

Any Occupational Training (ITA) or remedial training necessary to meet employment goals should be included as objectives under the employment goal.

b.   Educational Goal (Youth Only)

An educational goal should be linked to an employment goal. The goal is to have the youth continue or return to school and achieve post-secondary education or advanced occupational training (non-ITA). The ISS should identify services to maintain regular school attendance, counseling, tutoring, and/or career options, as well as dropout prevention and recovery strategies that will lead the youth to completion of their educational goal.

4.1   GOAL TERM

Each goal should be limited to a defined time period identified collaboratively to achieve the customer’s goal(s).  Goals are defined as short, intermediate, or long term:

Table 2. Goal Terms

4.2   GOAL DESCRIPTION

A Goal Description should be short and focused on the industry, career, or education of established goal attempted to achieve. Examples:

1. Obtain Full-time, sustainable employment in Manufacturing or Welding; Retail or Cashier
2. Enter post-secondary education at a 2 year-college or 4 year- college in Nursing or Associates

5  OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the plan break down the larger goal (employment and/or educational) into shorter steps to reach the established goal(s). Effective objectives will include established (start) dates and projected end/review dates of achievement, in which they should be reviewed and updated when needed. (See list of Pre-defined objectives, pg.14)

Objectives should be closed upon completion with a successful or unsuccessful outcome. Objectives can be added       throughout customer’s active status in program if any new goals or added services are needed that were not discussed (IEP/ISS process)

Objectives must be justified in the Comments section of the IEP/ISS. The explanation should explain why the objective is necessary:

6  REVIEW AND UPDATE

In an effort to recognize that the customer is on track with their current plan or if any changes are needed,  the IEP/ISS should be reviewed on a regular basis, no less than quarterly, and may be reviewed more frequently when career and supportive services are being provided.

Projected end dates of a goal or review dates for objectives should be frequently monitored by Workforce Development Representative to ensure that time-frames are being met. If dates need to be changed to reflect lesser time or extended time, make appropriate changes in Career Connect. (Updated IEP/ISS form with signature is not necessary for this process)

The IEP/ISS must be updated when necessary to reflect any goal changes from the initial plan. The update should be done jointly with the customer. The changes are necessary to address the customer’s needs and update the plan to focus on the new goal.

The following steps are necessary when there is a review or update in plan:

1. If there are no changes/updates to the IEP/ISS, enter a Case Note with subject “IEP/ISS Review”. Clearly state that the account/file has been reviewed, the customer is on track with plan, and no changes or updates are being made.
2. If changes/updates have been jointly agreed upon with customer, make modification of plan in Career Connect, IEP/ISS section. Add new Goal
3. Enter a Case Note with subject “IEP/ISS Review/Update”.
4. Print update IEP/ISS form, both Workforce Development Representative and customer sign document. Provide a copy to customer and file original copy in customer’s physical file.

IEP/ISS CAREER CONNECT PROCESS

The Individual Employment Plan (IEP)/Individual Service Strategy (ISS) record is used to list a customer’s goals, objectives, and services provided in relation to the WIOA program. This guide will provide step-by-step instructions on how to complete an IEP/ISS for the customer who is registered as an Adult, Dislocated Worker, or Youth customer.

1  Plan

1. Under Customer’s Portfolio, Click Staff Profiles on to open link options. Select Plan

1. Under Plan tab, Click on Create Individual Employment Plan/Service Strategy

2.  Under Plan tab, Click on Create Individual Employment Plan/Service Strategy

3.  In the Plan Tab, staff can enter or select information as follows:

Note: A customer may have only one plan open at any given time. The Create IEP/ISS button does not display again once an IEP is created for the individual.

 

Table 4. Plan Tab

2  Goal

4.  Click on Add New Goal

5.  Enter the individual’s desired goal for the Individual Employment Plan or Individual Service Strategy. Goals must be added before objectives. The New Goal screen is like the following example (see Table 5, pg.8)

From the Goal screen, enter or select information as follows. Complete required fields marked with a red asterisk *. Select options from the drop-down lists or checkboxes:

 Table 5. Goal Tab

6.  After you save the goal, the Goals screen will refresh with the added goal with a link to Edit or Delete (as shown below). Proceed to the Objectives tab by clicking Next or by clicking the Objectives tab. Here you can add objectives that go with the goal.

3  Objective

7.  Under the objectives tab, you can select Add new objective or Select pre-defined objectives

8.  To create a new objective, click the Add new objective link to enter a related objective for the individual. The predefined objectives for your system are valued in a look up table.

Recommendation: Search pre-defined objectives before creating a new objective. Most of the objectives have been added to table.

Table 6. Objectives Tab

Example of how the objectives will appear in Career Connect after entering all the objectives for the plan

4   IEP Open/Print

1. In the Services Tab, click Finish, the screen will return to the Plan tab and display the Open status of the IEP Plan as shown in example below.

10.  Select Display/Print, from the Action column in the Individual Employment Plan. Print the form. Review form with customer. Must be signed by Workforce Development Representative and customer. Provide a copy to customer and file the original in customer’s physical file.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

A.   Example Assessment Snapshot, Case Note and IEP Development: 

The following are example scenarios for each program by using the comprehensive and specialized assessments to complete a case note and selecting appropriate objectives and services to be considered for the customers IEP/ISS.

B. Pre-Defined Objectives

Examples of how services can be tied to objectives, use the most appropriate career and training services being provided to the customer.

 C.  14 Youth Service Elements 

Local programs must make each of the following 14 services available to youth participants. These services may be provided at agency or provided as a referral through a partner organization. (https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL/TEGL_21-16.pdf)