Job Readiness Training, Workforce Development and Outreach, Education and Advocacy for Mature Workers
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Job Readiness Training, Workforce Development and Outreach, Education and Advocacy for Mature Workers
- 1. Senior Services Job Readiness Training, Workforce Development and Outreach, Education and Advocacy for Mature Workers
- 2. Today’s Presenters: • Patricia Wilkins, Vice President Workforce Development • Barbara Rykaczewski, Director Quality and Procedures • Bryan Dalton, Director Training • Jenna Holzberg, Illinois Senior Services Program Manager
- 3. •National Able Network History •Define Workforce Development •Provide an overview for developing and implementing successful project plans •Outcomes… Next steps
- 4. National Able Network® is a nonprofit agency working to serve individuals, families and communities by bringing together qualified job seekers and businesses.
- 5. Our Mission… “Preparing Today’s Communities to Meet Tomorrows Challenges.” *Education *Employment *Opportunities
- 6. National Able Network® was founded in Chicago in 1977 by a grant from The Chicago Community Trust to advocate for, and promote employment opportunities for seniors. Today, Able serves businesses in all major sectors and helps job seekers of all ages, skills and income levels.
- 7. National Able Network Programs Adult Basic Education Services Senior Community Service Employment Program Seniors Having Information For Tomorrow Trade Adjustment Act Able Staffing Resources Workforce Investment Act Veterans Forward Universal Job Readiness Training (JRT) Able Career Institute
- 8. Seniors Having Information for Tomorrow (SHIFT) SHIFT is a comprehensive training program for unemployed or retired adults focusing on improving self-sufficiency. The Seniors Having Information for Tomorrow (SHIFT) is funded by a private grant from The Retirement Research Foundation
- 9. Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) SCSEP is a community service and work based training program for older workers. Authorized by the Older Americans Act, the program provides subsidized, community service-based training for low-income persons 55 or older who are unemployed. The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is funded by a U.S. Dept. of Labor grant administered by National Able Network®
- 10. Service Areas • Illinois • Indiana • Maine • Massachusetts • New Hampshire
- 11. SCSEP was established in 1965 as Title V of the Older Americans Act • SCSEP is the only federally funded training and employment program for mature workers in the United States. • 43,809 mature workers will receive and provide SCSEP services throughout the United States during the 2013 program year. • 2013 funding $424,804,974 - 5% reduction from 2012
- 12. What is Workforce Development?
- 13. Definition Workforce Development is - a term used to describe employment initiative services offered by agencies and government programs.
- 14. Workforce Development Is… • Collaborative economic development approach • Designed to enhance a region's economic stability and prosperity • Focuses on people, community and businesses • Holistic approach • Seen as a solution to issues of social equity
- 15. Workforce Development and Mature Workers Many mature workers are staying in the workforce longer for various reasons: • • • • • Necessity - finances Americans are living longer Health Care Benefits Stay actively engaged New career or skills
- 17. Barbara Rykaczewski, Director of Quality Assurance SERVICE INTEGRATION
- 18. Objectives • Define “Service Integration” • The need for service integration • Service integration goals and projects • Accomplishments and results
- 19. Service Integration Improving service delivery to clients through coordination of efforts, resources, and knowledge
- 21. Able’s Service Integration History Reason for Service Integration Task Force • Feeling budget crunch • Clients using multiple resources within agency • Sharing of job leads • Access to Subject Matter Experts • Knowledge/processes/forms
- 22. Able’s Representation Senior Community Service Employment Program Seniors Having Information For Tomorrow Workforce Investment Act Veterans Forward Trade Adjustment Act Able Staffing Resources Able Career Institute Universal Service Job Integration Readiness Team Training Training Team
- 23. With Guidance from: • • • • Vice President of Workforce Development Vice President of Workforce Services Vice President of Veterans and Business Development Chief Operating Officer Input also from Chief Executive Officer & CEO, Grace Jenkins
- 24. Logistics Meetings Work plan with actionable outcomes and due dates Quarterly expanded staff meetings
- 25. Ultimate Goal To improve service delivery to clients through coordination of efforts, resources, and knowledge
- 26. Action Steps • Provide clients with a stronger, holistic approach to address their barriers to employment • Utilize agency resources in collaborative manner so as to maximize agency impact on client • Address agency challenges and issues related to communication • understanding and sharing between the different programs • help agency staff to have a more complete understanding of the agency • Better integrate services of remote offices and locations
- 27. Project: Program Knowledge All Able staff know about all the programs offered and basic eligibility criteria • Create an Able program information at a glance “cheat sheet” • Inform staff and make information available • Ensure document is current on a regular basis • Learning tool: Able Puzzle • Take-away: Referral tool
- 28. Project: Initial Assessment • “Program-ready participant” assessment • Definition of “program-ready” • Questions to determine program readiness Learning tool: Participant scenarios
- 29. Project: IEP Development • Guiding principles for development of: Individual Employment Plan (IEP) • Best Practices Guide • Examples of “good” and “bad” IEPs Learning tool: IEP Writing
- 30. Activity: Client Scenarios • What services can your program provide to this client? • What services are there in the community that the client could benefit from?
- 31. Benefit to Client • Access to added resources • More support/opportunities to address barriers • Access to Subject Matter Expert (SME) • More seamless service
- 32. Benefit to Agency • Leveraged resources • More seamless service • Better performance • Breaking down silos among service providers
- 33. Challenges • Buy-in • Getting credit, sharing territory • Old habits are hard to break • “Too busy” syndrome
- 34. Results • Increased co-enrollment • Increased cohesiveness throughout agency • Better service delivery to participants • Stronger grant proposals
- 35. Some Examples of Service Integration Universal Client Application Call Center Job Readiness Training
- 36. Establishing Your Own Service Integration Task Force • Know your network • Identify common goals • Identify resources available to share • Establish MOUs/linkage agreements • Create and stick to work plan • Re-evaluate and readjust regularly
- 37. Bryan Dalton, Director of Training JOB READINESS TRAINING @bryankdalton
- 38. Objectives • Describe the importance of Job Readiness Training (JRT) • Explain how JRT pertains to those seeking employment • Explore how JRT can contribute to self-sufficiency and quality of life • Provide an overview of JRT as it pertains to our agency • Share some JRT outcomes
- 39. Why the Need for Job Readiness Training • The job search process has changed • Accessing opportunities require technology • Everyone can benefit from learning about technology • JRT provides seniors with information contributing to: • Employment • Retention • Self-sufficiency • Quality of life
- 40. Job Readiness Training for Job Seekers Developing an Effective Job Search Plan Resume and Cover Letter Development Preparing for the Interview Mock Interviews How to Effectively Complete an Online Job Application Introduction to Social Media Providing Exceptional Customer Service Harmony in the Workplace Making a Great Impression on the Job Job Readiness Training was named most promising practice by the Department of Labor
- 41. Developing an Effective Job Search Plan Networking Elevator Speech Basic Resume Occupation Goal
- 42. Resume and Cover Letter Development Computer Eye Human Eye • • • • • Research Key words Targeted Accomplishments Not dated
- 43. Preparing for the Interview Prepare for all types of interviews
- 44. Mock Interviews
- 45. How to Effectively Complete an Online Job App • Understanding the how and why • The must haves before starting • Helpful computer skills to use • General tips and cautions
- 46. Introduction to Social Media • What is it • How people are using it socially • How it find a job using it
- 47. Providing Exceptional Customer Service • External Customer Service • Internal Customer Service • Best practices and how to deal with difficult customers
- 48. Harmony in the Workplace • Benefits of harmony • Methods to promote harmony • Stress management • Time management • Working in cross-generational teams
- 49. Making a Great Impression on the Job • Workplace communication etiquette pertaining to verbal, written and nonverbal communications • Adherence to job description and to company policies and procedures • Work habit and attitude tips
- 50. For Self-Sufficiency and Quality of Life • Access to technology • Learning about available resources and how to find them • Exposure to eLearning (genealogy, scrap booking, etc.) • Practice communication and interpersonal skills • Class gatherings and interactions • Social Media: Virtual Communities
- 51. Activity from: Developing an Effective Job Search Plan NETWORKING
- 52. Within the Context of National Able • Geographic and rural outreach • Budget cuts • Blended training • Live Virtual • Classroom • Self Guided
- 53. Special Considerations in the Virtual World
- 54. Some Outcomes Attendance Pilot Year Customer Satisfaction Remote Year Two Classroom
- 55. A short video produced and edited by Jenna Holzberg SUCCESS STORY
- 57. Jenna Holzberg, Illinois Senior Services Program Manager SENIOR AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
- 58. Workforce Development & the Mature Worker Workforce Development Program Model: • Job Readiness Training • Skills Training • On-the-job Training • Client Services Assist in finding one’s path to employment
- 59. Workforce Development & the Mature Worker Senior Community Service Employment Program • Also known as SCSEP or the Title V Program National Able Network has been funded to administer the SCSEP Program for over 30 years, during this time the program has gone through different changes.
- 60. Workforce Development & the Mature Worker • In pursuit of other program options…. The Retirement Research Foundation & Seniors Having Information For Tomorrow (SHIFT)
- 61. Seniors Having Information For Tomorrow Is a workforce development program for mature workers which provides clients: Job Readiness Training Workshops Supportive Services Job Search Assistance Client Services Job Placement Assistance
- 62. Seniors Having Information For Tomorrow Year One Selfsufficiency (program year 2011) Year Two (program year 2012) Enteredemployment
- 63. Seniors Having Information For Tomorrow Year Three (program year 2013) Entered-employment and employment retention Pilot Program: Senior Ambassadors
- 64. Senior Ambassadors What is a Senior Ambassador? How does this fit into a workforce program for mature workers?
- 65. Senior Ambassadors Interested in creating other learning and training opportunities for program clients outside of the traditional workforce development program model
- 66. Senior Ambassadors The concept of “Senior Ambassadors” came out of our direct client service experience in the Job Readiness Training.
- 67. Senior Ambassadors Definition: Senior Ambassadors are advocates and educators. They are trained and educated about different social issues that are relevant to peers in their communities. Mission: To provide clear, straight-forward information about these social issues, share resources and facilitate referrals to community based (partner) organizations.
- 68. Discussion What are the other things that we can identify that are issues relevant to seniors that can be incorporated into this Senior Ambassador model?
- 69. Senior Ambassador Training Objective Understanding the Affordable Care Act
- 70. Training of Senior Ambassadors How were the Ambassadors identified? • Current SHIFT Program clients • Relevant IEP goals
- 71. Training of Senior Ambassadors • Training and education of program staff on the Affordable Care Act. • Identify information relevant for Ambassador outreach activities. “The Culture of Coverage” Introduce a new health culture to Illinoisans who have traditionally been excluded from coverage.
- 72. Training Material • Online tutorials from the Assistor Training • Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services • www.illinoishealthmatters.org http://marketplace.cms.gov/exploreresearch/talking-about-themarketplace.pdf http://visualizingreform.illinoishealthmatters.org/uninsured#39, 95|-86,01|7|-1|4|Gender
- 73. Training Material – Online Resources
- 74. Training Material – Online Resources
- 75. Training Material Tablet Computers • Exposes Ambassadors to new technology • Additional tools and resources in outreach efforts.
- 76. Practice Sessions • Created a list of “talking points” • Mock interactions, discussion & presentations • Mini-presentations at Able program orientations • Regular Ambassador meetings • Identify areas where they may need clarification on information • Discuss challenges
- 77. Tracking Success of Senior Ambassadors Ambassador outreach efforts contextualized within a structured and defined Affordable Care Act enrollment project. • Center for Economic Progress • In-Person Navigator Grant • National Able Network’s Call Center
- 78. Tracking Success of Senior Ambassadors Senior Ambassador Outreach Able Call Center In-Person Navigator Ability to track Ambassador referrals from initial point of contact through registration with Center for Economic Progress
- 79. Senior Ambassadors Skills Developed, Lessons Learned & Outcomes
- 80. Skills Developed How does this translate into marketable skills for one’s job search? Communication Public Speaking Networking Skills transferable to the professional fields of: Sales Customer service Social service case management Community outreach Training and education
- 81. Skills Developed
- 82. Lessons Learned • Challenges with rollout of www.healthcare.gov • Negative responses • Pushback Shared teaching and learning moments for the Senior Ambassadors
- 83. Lesson Learned Unexpected interest and enthusiasm from program clients What will be our next Senior Ambassador project? • Medicaid/Medicare • Health and Wellness • Volunteerism • Identity Theft/Scams • Elder Abuse Awareness
- 84. Outcomes
- 85. Questions?
- 86. Conclusion and final thoughts • Mature workers are staying in the workforce longer • Lack of senior-friendly, workforce development programs • Meeting the needs of a growing mature population requires a comprehensive integrated service approach
- 87. Stay tuned and check us out @ www.nationalable.org
Editor's Notes
- Successful project plans training service integration pilot programs tracking outcomesSI internally and within a communityOutcomes…putting into practice
- Able programs follow a consistent process flow with our programs and the clients we serve, the Universal Job Readiness Training at the center. For our presentation today, we will be focusing on our Senior Programs and our clients.Each year, National Able Network® serves more than 90,000 clients and hundreds of businesses with employment training and job placement assistance. For todays presentation, we will be focusing on our Senior Programs SCSEP AND SHIFTOn a typical day, Able receives more than 2,000 inquiries from job seekers and employers
- The first program is SHIFTA comprehensive training program, focused on older adults who may or may not qualify for SCSEP
- Able’s second program focused exclusively on seniors is SCSEP with goals of enhancing/upgrading job skills of the mature adult for job placement and assisting in developing a path to self sufficiency.Services available through the SCSEP program for assisting older workers are:Community Services - the program provides over 40 million community service hours to public and non-profit agencies, allowing them to enhance and provide needed servicesParticipant Services - Individual Employment Plan (IEP) development, orientation, community service placement, training specific to community service assignment, other training as identified in the IEP, supportive services, wages, fringe benefits, annual physicals, assistance in securing unsubsidized employment, and access to local American Job Centers, formerly known as One-Stop Career CentersAble provides these services in Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire
- Able’s second program focused exclusively on seniors is SCSEP with goals of enhancing/upgrading job skills of the mature adult for job placement and assisting in developing a path to self sufficiency.Services available through the SCSEP program for assisting older workers are:Community Services - the program provides over 40 million community service hours to public and non-profit agencies, allowing them to enhance and provide needed servicesAble provides these services in Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire
- Able’s second program focused exclusively on seniors is SCSEP with goals of enhancing/upgrading job skills of the mature adult for job placement and assisting in developing a path to self sufficiency.Services available through the SCSEP program for assisting older workers are:Community Services - the program provides over 40 million community service hours to public and non-profit agencies, allowing them to enhance and provide needed servicesAble provides these services in Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire
- What is workforce development and how does it impact mature workers and the senior population?Brainstorm with workshop participants…ideas of workforce development?
- Basic definition
- considering participants many barriers and the overall needs of the region and the participant jointly…involves collaborative efforts with training, employment and wrap around services
- Labor force participation among older workers has been on the upswing over the past decade—reflecting a number of factors, including better heath, changes in kinds of work and work patterns, and shifts in employer pensions from defined benefit to defined contribution and a decline in employer-provided retiree health insurance. These factors may be particularly important for the traditional "early retirement" group, ages 62-64.Second, the current pattern could reflect declines in the value of retirement assets. With the shift away from defined benefit and towards defined contribution pensions like 401(k)s, changes in financial markets have a more direct effect on many workers’ retirement savings. With a smaller nest egg, older workers may thus have decided that they cannot yet afford to retire.Today, a confluence of factors is prompting America to change the way it thinks about age and work. The economic downturn, shifting perceptions of retirement, increased workplace flexibility and the aging of the "baby boom" generation are all contributing to people working longer. Fastest growing population
- The primary reason mature workers are returning to the workforce is to address self sufficiency needs. Self sufficiency means different things to different people. Able has developed programs that address self sufficiency needs through service integration:Training; employment; subsidized and unsubsidized programs, supportive servicesCould be all depending on the individual, could be one could be someThis is what led Able to service integration
- Collaboration of service providersCoordination of effortsMaximization of resourcesSharing of knowledge and expertise
- Service integration is built by those around the table. It can be shaped into whatever your clients need. This is very important: The SI efforts do not have to be contained within an agency…..it can be coordinated among service providers in an area or community. In Able’s case, we have many different programs and resources in-house, but the concept would work just as well among individual agencies in a community or service area.
- With reductions of funding across the board, we were looking for a way to maintain a level of service to our clients with less resources. SI was a way for us to pool resources and maintain that level.Some clients were accessing resources throughout the agency anyway, so this was a way to coordinate case management and supportive servicesSMEs: Being able to coordinate and talk to someone who is very familiar with the unique challenges that clients of a certain demographic (such as mature workers or veterans) face is very important to smart service delivery. Helps break down barriers to employment.Knowledge: sharing of info, learning from others, not reinventing the wheel, best practices – all lead to smoother service delivery
- Able’s SI team has representation from all programs in the agency
- Meetings are every other week moving to monthlyCreate clear-lines of communications re: mutual clients and programmatic newsQuarterly expanded executive staff meetings to ensure management team hears programmatic news and about SITF projects.
- Based on definition I gave in the beginning of my presentation
- Utilizing agency resources – includes job placement, employer leads, knowledge, etc.
- The first step of SI was to make sure that staff knew about all programs in agency so that we could start sharing resources.Referral tool: Once staff were familiar with all the programs available, our goal was to increase cross-agency referrals and co-enrollments in an efficient and consistent manner. Both referrals w/i Able, as well as to outside agencies. Needed a tracking tool:To make sure clients weren’t falling through the cracksTo track the success of SI and to report to funders leveraged resources
- It was important for co-enrollments and referrals that participants were being assessed similarly at intake. Needed to see if applicants were going to be successful in the program they were applying for, or if they need additional assistance from another program to address barriers that may prevent them from being successful. Give examples – go to another provider and then down the road it can be determined that they are now ready for our program
- The IEP development was a reaction to an agency wide request for additional training/guidance on IEPs, as well as internal audit results documented by the Quality Assurance department. This is also in line with SI mission, because it will ensure that co-enrolled participants have IEPs that have been written with a similar philosophy/guiding principle.Best practices guide: pooled knowledge, not having to reinvent the wheelLearning tool: builds upon “program ready participant activity” – uses same scenarios and asks staff to write an IEP for the person.
- If you are currently a CS provider, what type of services your program can provide, workforce development, etc.Write out scenario(s)15 minutesAsk for info from different sectors
- SME: someone who is an expert in the population and that can address specific concerns of those in that demographic (vets, seniors, etc).More seamless service: client doesn’t care about what program they are enrolled in – they just care that they are getting help. Able becomes less of an alphabet soup of programs and more of a place to be helped.By doing this activity, what other benefits do you see?
- Silos – MOUs, not reinventing the wheel
- Stronger grant proposals – can show leverages resources more easily
- Call center knowledgeable about all programs, and ensures clients are being referred to all programs that they may be eligible for. Takes legwork off of client. Really talk about the purpose of the call center, and the staffing .Central point of contactStaffingTrainingIn the center of all our programs is Job Readiness Training, which benefits all clients. And Bryan will tell us more about that.
- Resources: knowledge base, not reinventing the wheel“Getting the credit”
- Within the field of workforce development, there are many common and often duplicated methods in workforce service delivery. Job Readiness Training, classroom or skill specific training, on-the-job training and case management services. Virtually all workforce development programs are based around these service delivery methods. The success of workforce programs are measured by performance outcomes resulting from these methods (percent of enrolled clients completing training, number of supportive service referrals, entered employment placement, employment retention). These workforce service delivery methods do work. When used together, they provide a comprehensive system of program services that allow clients to find their path to employment or self-sufficency .
- Through the Senior Community Service Employment Program, also known as the Title V Program, National Able Network (Able) has been providing these same workforce services to seniors for over 30 years. About three years ago, SCSEP received a drastic reduction to its funding. Having received stimulus monies for a brief bit of time, SCSEP funding was, at the federal level, reduced by 45%. As a result, the number of eligible individuals that SCSEP could provide services to was also dramatically reduced.
- In response to this dramatic change in SCSEP funding levels, Able began pursuing additional funding options that would help to reach then large number of seniors who are eligible but unable to receive SCSEP/Title V Program services. In Program Year 2010, through a grant from the Retirement Research Foundation, Able began offering the Seniors Having Information For Tomorrow Program, also known as the SHIFT.
- SHIFT is mature worker focused workforce development program which provides its clients with job readiness training workshops (as described previously by Bryan Dalton), extensive supportive services, client services ( case management)and job search/job placement assistance. Essentially, SHIFT was designed to follow the same workforce development service model as other workforce programs.Total enrolled/served: 60 clientsJRT: remote with classroom discussions and activities utilizing the workbookSupportive Services: emergency rental assistance, car repairs, medical bills, dental and vision assistance (basically anything that is getting in the way of someone conducting a focused and successful job search).Client Services: in-depth assessments and IEPsJob Search Assistance/placement assistance: job clubs and special presentations from senior friendly employers.
- Over the past three program years, SHIFT has gone through different changes. The first year (Program Year 2011), Able focused on addressing challenges and issues of self-sufficiency by enrolling “higher barrier” applicants. Individuals who had been out of the workforce for five years or more, who had very limited or no computer skills, limited English skills, or who did not have a high school diploma or GED. Working with these individuals, we helped them to define realistic employment goals and, through referrals to our community partner agencies, connect them with the services that they needed to become stable and self-sufficient. The second year (Program Year 2012) we were focused on entered employment and changed our recruitment plan to focus on individuals who had more recent employment histories, unemployed/retired for no more than two years, and whose barriers to employment could be realistically addressed within the timeframe of the program year. This program model proved successful. We were able to meet our goals of training completion, entered employment and a higher number of program clients were active and engaged with program services for the entirely of the program year.
- Because of this success, Able has continued is focus on entered employment with SHIFT for this third program year (Program Year 2013). In addition, the SHIFT Program has incorporated a pilot project, a program within a program entitled Senior Ambassadors; which is what I will be taking some time to discuss with you today.
- For this third program year, we were interested in creating other learning and training opportunities for SHIFT Program clients outside of the traditional workforce development program model. Opportunities that would still provide important skills development and benefit someone’s job search and employment goals.
- The concept of “Senior Ambassadors” came out of our direct client service experience in the Job Readiness Training. During SHIFT Program Year 2012, we noticed how well the clients responded to the JRT classroom and workbook activities focused around group discussions. During these activities, SHIFT clients were actively sharing and learning from each other with respect to their job search experience and activities. They were building relationships with each other and truly enjoying the reciprocal teaching-learning experience.
- Senior Ambassadors are advocates and educators. They are seniors who are trained and educated about different social issues that are relevant to peers in their communities. Their purpose is to provide clear, straight-forward information about these social issues, share resources and facilitate referrals to community based (partner) organizations.Senior Ambassadors are seniors helping other seniors. Their role is to assist their peers (other seniors) in alleviating different challenges, struggles or barriers that they are facing. To assist their peers in achieving self-sufficiency.
- As explained, the concept of “Senior Ambassadors” is to provide training and education to mature workers [seniors] about different social issues that are relevant to peers in their communities. For this program pilot, we decided to provide education and training to our Ambassadors around the Affordable Care Act. However, as you can imagine, the different training topics for Ambassadors could be endless.
- The current Senior Ambassadors were identified through currently enrolled SHIFT Program clients from this program year and last program year. SHIFT client’s IEP goals were reviewed and those who had goals related to employment in social services, case management or education were then contacted and asked if they would be interested in participating in this project.
- In order to provide appropriate education and training to the Ambassadors about the Affordable Care Act, we ourselves needed to become knowledgeable about this new health care law. Fortunately there have been many different training seminars available to those interested in the law and for organizations that have become approved In-Person Navigator/Enrollment Counselor sites.Myself, Barbara Ryka, Carolyn McDaniel and Gabrielle Bell all went through a “Illinois Assisters Training Program” offered through the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace which consisted of a half-day of online (remote) workshops, a 2 day in-person training and successfully passing a knowledge-based exam. This training was developed for all Assisters including in-person counselors, navigators and certified application counselors navigating the new health care options through the Marketplace and Medicaid.From this training experience, we were able to pull out the information that would be appropriate and relevant for the Senior Ambassadors to know when doing their education and outreach activities. It is important to note that the mission of the Senior Ambassadors is to provide basic education and public awareness about the Affordable Care Act. Therefore, it was not necessary to train them on the intricate details of the different health care plans, income requirements or tax credits.Their training was structured around the basic concept of the “Culture of Coverage” which is aimed to, “introduce a new “health culture” to Illinoisans who have traditionally been excluded from coverage. Raising awareness of the Affordable Care Act, specifically about why it is important for everyone to have health insurance. Why it is important for an individual, a family and a community to have access to affordable health care coverage.
- The Senior Ambassador training plan for the Affordable Care Act consisted of some of the same online material that was utilized for the Assistor Training, such as online tutorials about Health Insurance Market Place 101 and Ethics &Confidentiality. In addition, we utilized resources available through www.cms.gov (Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services) and www.illinoishealthmatters.org. http://marketplace.cms.gov/exploreresearch/talking-about-the-marketplace.pdf Provides information of how to talk about The Marketplace and the Affordable Care Act. Illustrating the “do’s” and “don’ts” in generating conversations about the topic.http://visualizingreform.illinoishealthmatters.org/uninsured#39,95|-86,01|7|-1|4|Gender Provides an interactive map illustrating how the Affordable Care Act will impact the uninsured within the state of Illinois, specifically within the city of Chicago. Utilizing this tool, the Ambassadors were able to see what neighborhoods would be most impacted by the health care law. This then allowed them to establish their own targeted outreach plan. Ambassadors were then able to brainstorm different agencies or institutions within their communities where they can begin conducting outreach efforts. The types of outreach activities that have been discussed have ranged from attending their monthly aldermanic ward meetings to share this information, speaking at their different religious institution’s services, tabling at a community center
- In addition to these resources, the SHIFT Program had the opportunity to incorporate new technology into the training and education plan of the Senior Ambassadors. In order to assist with their public outreach and education efforts, all Ambassadors have been provided with tablet computers. Through the use of these tablets, the Ambassadors are exposed to and become proficient in using new technology (tablet computers) and provides them additional tools and resources to use when speaking with the public and peers in their communities.
- The goal of the Senior Ambassador training plan was to provide them with the information that they needed to become knowledgeable about what the Affordable Care Act means and why it is important. As a group, they worked together to identify their main talking points and then conducted mock interactions, discussion and presentations to practice speaking publicly about the information. This helped us to then address any questions that they had with the content or clarify to them any inconsistencies with the information they were sharing. The Ambassadors have been conducted brief presentations about the Affordable Care Act at different National Able Network program orientations. This has proven to be a tremendously helpful component of the training process because it has allowed the Ambassadors to share this information to a real audience of people; who have real questions and concerns about how the healthcare law. After each of these mini-presentations, we discuss how their presentation went and what they learned from the experience so as to improve for the future. Every two weeks the Senior Ambassadors and program staff meet as group to discuss lessons learned from presentations conducted at Able program orientations or other presentations they have done among friends and family. This process has allowed the Senior Ambassadors to identify areas where they may need clarification on information, discuss challenges that they have encountered with people being receptive to the information and brainstorm ways to address these challenges.
- In order to measure any outcomes and gage the success of the Ambassador outreach efforts, National Able Network needed to contextualize their education and outreach efforts within a more structured and defined ACA enrollment project. The Center for Economic Progress (CEP), one of Able’s partner agencies (and roommate), have been award by the State of Illinois an Affordable Care Act In-Person Navigator grant.CEP has been tasked to enroll 1,700 individuals in the Chicagoland area between October 1st 2013 through March 31st 2014. In support of their enrollment efforts, National Able Network’s Call Center is responsible for conducting the follow up phone calls of all interested persons, initially contacted by CEP, and scheduling them up for enrollment appointments with CEP Navigators.
- The Senior Ambassadors fit into the process seamlessly by providing additional “boots on the ground” in the outreach, education and enrollment efforts. All interested individuals who interact with Senior Ambassadors are then referred to the Able Call Center, where they are then tracked through the process of initial referral through enrollment. This process allows us to specifically document and track the affect of the Senior Ambassador’s outreach efforts.Please understand that at this point in time, we do not have any outcomes to report. It was important for us, the program staff, to ensure that the Ambassadors were confident with the information and tools available to them before they begun their outreach efforts. The ACA Ambassadors trainings and observed presentations were conducted from mid-September through the end of November. As of December 1st, the Senior Ambassadors have just begun their community outreach efforts. We continue to meet every two weeks to discuss their progress, identify any challenges and lessons learned so as to improve success.
- As explained earlier, the Senior Ambassador project is placed within the larger workforce development program of SHIFT. All individuals involved in SHIFT have come to Able seeking assistance in securing employment. All these individuals have worked with SHIFT Program staff to identify their barriers to securing employment; such as outdated or limited professional skills, gaps in their employment history, etc. Participating in the Senior Ambassador project has provided these six (6) SHIFT clients the opportunity to develop their communication and public speaking skills. They have learned how to review a large body of information and identify the important key information points necessary to highlight during outreach presentations and/or one-on-one discussions. Working together to identify the agencies and institutions which are stakeholders in their communities and then determining how to approach these various stakeholders has developed their networking skills. Which they can then utilize in their own job search networking efforts. For some of the Senior Ambassadors, this is the first time that they have been exposed to the practice of being an educator. The skills utilized and developed during this Senior Ambassador experience can be transferable into jobs within fields of: sales, community outreach, training/education, social service case management or community liaison.
- The primary challenge to this project has been the very well documented and discussed issues with the rollout of healthcare.gov. As a consequence of this, the Senior Ambassadors were confronted with more push back from the public than they had initially anticipated. This did provide us the opportunity to have “teaching and learning moments” during our Senior Ambassador meetings to brainstorm ways to address these outreach challenges. The Ambassadors were able to share with each other their different experiences with negative responses and help each other identify ways to work through these discussion/outreach roadblocks.
- When the Senior Ambassador pilot program was presented to Able’s Illinois Senior Services clients (SCSEP & SHIFT) the response and interest was overwhelmingly positive…to a point that it actually became negative. Many of our program participants/clients were upset about not getting selected to be Senior Ambassadors.” This pilot program obviously tapped into an unexplored or unrealized interest of many of our clients who are very interested in learning about broader social issues that affect them and providing this information to their peers within their own communities. It has been stressed to all Able Senior Services clients that the Senior Ambassador project will continue to be available to other interested participants and that we are looking towards them to steer the direction of the next cohort of Senior Ambassadors by identifying other topics of interest for mature workers. Through our yearly Customer Satisfaction surveys conducted to all SCSEP and SHIFT clients, we inquire what other topics or issues of relevance to seniors would they be interested in learning about. The feedback that we have received has ranged from: [INSERT DIFFERENT LEARNING TOPICS]healthcare.gov rollout challenges, how did that effect the Ambassador outreach- Prevalence of scams around ACA enrollment
- We are still in the beginning stages of seeing how the Senior Ambassador outreach will expand ACA enrollment efforts. We will continue to be tracking these efforts through the end of this program year. In addition to this, we will be monitoring unsubsidized employment placements from those involved in the Senior Ambassador project as well as all clients enrolled within the SHIFT Program. We look forward to reporting our outcomes and findings to our funder, the Retirement Research Foundation, and to our colleagues and peers in workforce development and aging community.
- An article written by Northeastern University researchers for Senior Services America (2008) illustrates the demand imbalance of SCSEP eligible individuals versus those enrolled in the program. When this research was conduct in 2007, it was estimated that 9.158 million seniors were eligible for SCSEP with only 87,061 individuals were served by SCSEP programs across the entire nation (A. Sum et. al 2007). (http://ssai.is.production.wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com/2013/06/identifying-the-nationalpool-2008-08.pdf)]Collaboration is a necessity to ensure quality services are provided to meet the needs of clientsInnovation is necessary…thinking outside of the boxGrowing number of older adults who need to work beyond “retirement age”Senior population fastest growing population – meeting these needs
- We are still in the beginning stages of seeing how the Senior Ambassador outreach will expand ACA enrollment efforts. We will continue to be tracking these efforts through the end of this program year. In addition to this, we will be monitoring unsubsidized employment placements from those involved in the Senior Ambassador project as well as all clients enrolled within the SHIFT Program. We look forward to reporting our outcomes and findings to our funder, the Retirement Research Foundation, and to our colleagues and peers in workforce development and aging community.