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NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance- TA and SNAP Employment Policy Manual

Section 385.6 – Page 6 Rev. 4/2025 Districts are strongly encouraged to use WTWCMS to enter assessment and plan information as recommended in 11-ADM-06. The use of WTWCMS will simplify data entry and will support improved reporting capabilities. Data identifying that the assessment and/or employment plan have been completed is sent from the WTWCMS to the Welfare Reporting and Tracking System (WRTS) data base for reporting and tracking purposes. The benefits of utilizing WTWCMS allow for quick and easy access to client information among staff, as needed. When case maintenance is required, updates/changes can be made as needed to family composition, work history, child care needs and other supportive services. By using WTWCMS, all staff will see the latest updates. Failure of an individual to comply with completing an assessment may result in non-compliance proceedings and/or sanction as indicated in 385.11 and 385.12. An applicant who fails to comply with assessment requirements shall be ineligible for public assistance. A recipient who fails to comply with assessment requirements shall be subject to the provisions of sections 385.11 and 385.12. While conducting an assessment with a TA applicant or recipient, districts are required to consider whether the individual may be a candidate to receive voluntary parental, infant, and early childhood home visiting services. If they are eligible for such services and an appropriate home visiting program is available, the district worker should encourage participation and, if the client is interested, provide information and a referral. Districts must include the activity of home visiting in the individual’s Employment Plan (EP) and hours the client self-attests for participation in home visits shall count towards the individual's work requirement hours as part of the job search and job readiness work activity definition. If an individual who is participating in a home visiting program fails to comply with the activity, the district is not permitted to initiate a conciliation or impose a sanction, as the activity is voluntary. Employment Plan Based on the assessment, a written employment plan should be developed in consultation with the individual and should reflect the individual’s preferences whenever possible, consistent with the assessment. The employment plan is composed of seven sections and addresses all of the required plan elements including the supportive services the district will provide, the work activity assignment(s) and the individual’s employment goals. Additionally, the LDSS-4978 New York State Employment Plan includes a section to summarize an individual’s challenges and barriers as determined through the employment assessment and describes how the barriers are to be addressed. The Outcomes and Client Activity Assignment(s) sections of the employment plan record the actions taken once the employment assessment and employment plan have been completed, including recording why an individual’s preferences could not be accommodated, if applicable. Districts may choose to use the LDSS-4978 New York State Employment Plan, a locally developed plan or the WTWCMS or NYCWAY employment plan functions to facilitate the use of information collected through the employment assessment to develop appropriate