Senior Community Service Employment Program

(6) The state’s strategy for continuous improvement in the level of performance for SCSEP participants’ entry into unsubsidized employment, and to achieve, at a minimum, the levels specified in OAA Section 513(a)(2)(E)(ii). (20 CFR 641.302(f))

In 2016, Congress amended the Older American Act giving new performance measures to SCSEP.  In  PY20-24, both the MD and SSAI SCSEP will continue to use existing, effective strategies to meet the performance targets for service level, most-in-need, and community service hours.  Below is a chart of the strategies that MDS and SSAI SCSEP will utilize to meet the following new SCSEP performance measures:

• The percentage of project participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the project. Strategies:
  • Both MD and SSAI SCSEP will focus on developing robust follow-up systems for connecting with exited participants to collect this performance data until such time as MD Labor succeeds in providing access to UI records to SCSEP providers.
  • To ensure the ability to contact participants after exit, both SCSEP programs will collect release forms from participants at initial orientation.
• The median earnings of project participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the project. Strategies:
  • Both MD and SSAI SCSEP will focus on developing robust follow-up systems for connecting with exited participants to collect this performance data until such time as MD Labor succeeds in providing access to UI records to SCSEP providers.
  • To ensure the ability to contact participants after exit, both SCSEP programs will collect release forms from participants at initial orientation.
  • Both SCSEP programs will continue to build their relationships with employers as a means of increasing their ability to collect earnings data from employers, in addition to following-up with exited participants.
• The percentage of project participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the 4th quarter after exit from the project. Strategies:
  • Both MD and SSAI SCSEP will focus on developing robust follow-up systems for connecting with exited participants to collect this performance data until such time as MD Labor succeeds in providing access to UI records to SCSEP providers.
  • To ensure the ability to contact participants after exit, both SCSEP programs will collect release forms from participants at initial orientation.
  • Both SCSEP programs recognize that this measure is applicable to all participants who have exited SCSEP, not just those that exited for unsubsidized employment.   Without access to UI data, successful attainment of this measure will mean that both programs develop follow-up contact touch points at regular intervals with exiters prior to the 4th quarter after exit.
• Effectiveness in serving participants. Strategy:
  • Both SCSEP programs in MD will implement the established annual participant satisfaction survey process to attain this goal.
• Effectiveness in serving host agencies. Strategy:
  • Both SCSEP programs in MD will implement the established MD Labor host agency satisfaction survey process to attain this goal.
• Effectiveness in serving participants. Strategy:
  • Both SCSEP programs in MD will implement the established MD Labor Employer Satisfaction survey process to attain this goal.
• Effectiveness in customer satisfaction. Strategy:
  • Both SCSEP programs in MD will strive to improve customer satisfaction including participants and host agencies by consulting with other State and National grantees on their best practices

Strategies for Continuous Improvement in Unsubsidized Placement Performance for MD SCSEP Participants

To maximize a participant’s opportunity to enter into unsubsidized employment, MD SCSEP intends to implement several strategies to improve placement performance, including:

• Educate and empower host agencies to value older workers and where possible, hire MD SCSEP participants;
• Encourage MD SCSEP participants to pursue and participate in community college courses and/or certificate training programs;
• Provide programmatic information sessions for local businesses and potential employers to increase awareness of the MD SCSEP brand in the counties within the service area; and
• Charge local MD SCSEP staff with cultivating relationships with local businesses as potential OJE partners in each jurisdiction.