7.2.4.3 General CMJ Participant Circumstances

To be placed in a CMJ position, an individual must meet all the following:

Be willing to work (all W-2 applicants are presumed willing to work);

Have a recent or steady employment history; and

Not have barriers to work that cannot be addressed within 30 days through W-2 services.

When considering recent or steady employment, the FEP must consider the types of work performed, duration of any job, and reasons for leaving the job. If the applicant’s employment history is consistent with some long-term employment, a CMJ placement is appropriate.

The FEP must conduct an informal assessment to determine whether barriers to maintaining employment can be addressed with W-2 services and resolved within 30 days.

See Chapter 9 for more information on barriers that the W-2 agency can address through W-2 services.

Individuals who have more significant barriers, such as family crises, legal issues, housing instability, or serious physical or mental impairments, that cannot be resolved within 30 days are not appropriate for CMJ.

If the FEP identifies barriers that can be addressed through W-2 services so that the individual is ready for immediate employment, the barriers and the services to address those barriers must be documented on the appropriate WWP Wisconsin Work Programs pages.

EXAMPLE 1 : Maria applied for W-2 and met with the Resource Specialist. She did not have child care available when she applied, so she was not assigned up-front activities. When Maria later met with her FEP, she reported that she now had certified child care for her two children, ages 3 and 4. Maria’s informal assessment indicates that she has a high school diploma, no reported barriers to employment, and recent work history that has prepared her for entry-level jobs in the local labor market. Based on the results of the informal assessment, Maria’s FEP determines that Maria is job-ready and appropriate for a CMJ placement.

EXAMPLE 2 : Hussein applied for W-2 and completed an informal assessment with his FEP. The assessment showed that Hussein has a high school diploma, a welding certificate from a local technical college, and five years of experience working at a machine company. However, Hussein has been unemployed for the past year after a work related injury to both knees. Although his employer-covered physical therapy treatment has ended, Hussein reports ongoing knee pain and is unsure if he can return to physically demanding work. Based on the results of the informal assessment and the concerns about his physical limitations, the FEP places Hussein in a W-2 Transition (W-2 T) placement and refers him for a vocational assessment to help determine next steps. His FEP also reaches out to the DVR worker who they have referred people to previously, to understand how DVR can support Hussein.