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Vermont TANF State Plan Renewal October 1, 2024 through December 31, 2027 3

Case Management and Employment Services

The Reach Up Program uses a coaching model of case management to provide services to participating families. A case manager is assigned to each participating family as soon as the family begins to receive financial assistance. Using coaching methods and the Goal, Plan, Do, Review/Revise (GPDR/R) goal achievement framework, DCF provides participating families with services, including assessment and coaching, information, referrals, and assistance in the preparation and implementation of a Family Development Plan (FDP), with the goal of helping the family reach their goals and, if applicable, find meaningful employment. DCF contracts with entities with special expertise to provide job coaching and job development services.

Assessment

Adults enrolled in Reach Up participate in an initial assessment and the Goal, Plan, Do, Review/Revise (GPDR/R) process of setting family-driven goals and following through on the tasks necessary to achieve those goals. Assessments may also include tests, other standardized evaluations, and referrals to other professionals. Using the assessment results, each adult participant sets goals that support the family’s well-being.

Family Development Plans

Every participant must have an FDP. The FDP charts and documents each family’s participation in the Reach Up services component. The FDP sets forth each adult participant’s employment, family and individual goals, the plan and schedule of activities the participant identifies as necessary to attain the goal, and the specific FDP requirements the participant must fulfill to avoid sanctions. Development of the FDP begins when a family applies for Reach Up financial assistance.

Support Services to Participating Families

Support services are services needed by the family to overcome limitations and barriers to obtaining and maintaining unsubsidized employment and to improve the participant’s prospects for job placement and retention. DCF determines the full range of support services needed by each family and includes the service plan in the FDP. Some support services are provided directly by DCF, and others are provided by community-based organizations.

DCF exercises its authority under this plan to enter into contractual agreements with community-based organizations to provide job preparation, work, and support services consistent with the goals of the program. Examples of support services include childcare, transportation, career counseling, job search assistance, vocational rehabilitation, homelessness prevention and housing assistance. Services must be identified in the FDP and determined by the commissioner to be necessary and appropriate to achieve the purposes of the Reach Up Program. Specific services provided are explained in more detail in the latter part of this section.