8.8.1 Overview
Effective date: April 1, 2025
Follow-up services must be made available through the Adult Program and the Dislocated Worker Program.1 Follow-up services help maintain and advance the participant's accomplishments and may provide a pathway back into the program.
Follow-up services must be made available for at least twelve months to the Adult Program and the Dislocated Worker Program participants following their first day of unsubsidized employment,2 except for underemployed employment.
Note: WIOA categorizes follow-up services as one of the fourteen Youth Program Elements for the Youth Program.3 Career planners can locate Guidance on Youth Program follow-up services in Chapter 10.5.3 Descriptions of the 14 Youth Program Elements.
8.8.2 Purpose
Effective date: April 1, 2025
The purpose of follow-up services is to increase the likelihood of continued employment, retention, and earnings of a participant that has obtained unsubsidized employment.1 Therefore, DWD-DET has determined that "placed in unsubsidized employment" does not include placement in temporary or part-time jobs unless the employment relates to the participant's occupational goals as outlined in their Individual Employment Plan (IEP).
An example of a temporary or part-time job includes a job to help the participant complete the program/training identified on their IEP. The job may or may not be over 32 hours if it does not lead to economic self-sufficiency and is without benefits.
Follow-up services in the Title I Adult Program and the Dislocated Worker Program may begin immediately following placement into unsubsidized employment if the participant is expected not to receive any future services other than follow-up services.2
DWD-DET requires career planners to complete an IEP review before exit, to determine if the employment aligns with the participant's occupational goals and current career and training services progress. For example:
- Does the employment lead to economic self-sufficiency?
- Is the participant still engaged in the program?
- Are they currently receiving services, or are future services planned?
Based on the review, if changes are necessary, career planners must provide and document the IEP review in ASSET Services and the outcome in ASSET Customer Notes. Note: If the career planner cannot reach the participant, they must use the "will never start" completion code in ASSET and document the outreach attempt with an ASSET case note.
8.8.3 Follow-Up Services
Effective date: April 1, 2025
Examples of Follow-up services include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Counseling Individuals About the Workplace;
- Some examples include assistance with work-related problems, preparing for performance reviews, asking for a raise, updating their resume with new job duties, or working towards promotions or next steps on the career ladder.1
- Additional Career Planning and Counseling;
- Additional Educational and Employment Opportunities Information;
- Employer Contact (see Note below);
- Participant Contact (see Note below);
- Peer Support Groups;
- Referral to supportive services 2
and
- Follow-Up supportive services (for example: work-attire, tools, bus passes, child-care)3 DWD-DET recommends using the supportive services policy for examples of follow-up services (see Note below).
Note: The intent of the "Employer Contact" and "Participant Contact" service is to identify and/or address any current employment challenges and opportunities for advancement. Follow-up services must not be confused with follow-up status in ASSET. The collection of supplemental wage information, is not a follow-up service. Career planners must record the results of those attempts separately in ASSET Customer Notes and any information collected, must be entered in ASSET Follow-up Status. Note: See the Supplemental Data Collection Recommended and Proven Practice for recommendations on how to best communicate with former program participants.4
Note: DOL provided the following guidance about providing supportive services during follow-up to adult and dislocated workers:
Supportive services by definition may only be provided to someone who is receiving other participant-level services. Supportive services are provided to enable individuals to participate in the WIOA program and receive services. This means that supportive services under WIOA are defined as those services provided prior to a participant exiting a program.
Follow up services by definition are provided after a participant is placed in unsubsidized employment and no longer needs participant-level services. These services are designed to help individuals retain employment, earn wage gains or advance within their occupation or career pathway. As such, follow up services may or may not be provided after exit, or after exit is determined, depending on the timing of placement into unsubsidized employment.
This means that the two distinctions between supportive services are the purpose and the timing of those services, but it is important to note that this means there may not be a difference in the nature of these services. A service that is substantively the same (e.g. a bus pass) may be categorized differently (for reporting purposes) if the purpose and timing of the provision changes. For example, transportation services like a bus pass can be both a supportive service or a follow up service. If provided as a follow-up services, it is intended to enable an individual to travel to their worksite and retain their unsubsidized employment and will be recorded as a follow up service (PIRL element 1503). However, a bus pass to attend training will be recorded in the MIS and reported as a supportive service and should be reported accordingly.
Many types of services may be both supportive services and follow up services, depending on the state and local area policy in place for services, which should be in place to define allowable services and expenditures. For example, a group counseling for mental health or drug addiction may be on the state's supportive services list as well as their list of allowable follow-up services, if the state chooses to offer that to support individuals placed in employment who may need additional assistance to retain their job.
States and local areas are encouraged to create policies and procedures of when to provide supportive and follow-up services as well as what services are allowable.5
- 1 WIOA Sec. 134(c)(2)(A)(xiii); TEGL 16-16, p. 16
- 2 TEGL 19-16 p.19
- 3 DOL email 9/28/2023 provided guidance/explanation of how although supportive services cannot be provided during follow up, those same services may be provided, we must report them differently.
- 4 TEGL 26-16, p.12
- 5 DOL email 9/29/2023 stating many types of services may be both supportive services and follow up services, depending on the state and local area policy in place, which should be in place to define allowable services and expenditures.
8.8.4 Notification of Availability of Services
Effective date: April 1, 2025
DWD-DET requires that participants be made aware of the availability and the purpose of follow-up services at the time of IEP development and again when the participant gains unsubsidized employment.1 Notification examples include but are not limited to:
- Adding follow-up services as an action step on the initial IEP development for the participant to "remain in contact for 12 months following placement is unsubsidized employment." CEPT's action steps include "participate in follow-up services," which automatically populates when career planners open a new employment plan. The participant's acknowledged IEP is sufficient.
- Provide follow-up details in any program flyers, advertisements, or enrollment forms where the participant signs/acknowledges the receipt of information.
- 1 WIOA Sec. 134(c)(2)(A)(xiii) identifies follow-up services as one of the required WIOA career services and WIOA Sec. 134(c)(2)(A)(xii)(II) identifies the purpose of the IEP to identify the employment goals, appropriate achievement objectives, and appropriate combination of services for the participant to achieve the employment goals. Therefore, DWD-DET requires career planners to identify follow-up services to ensure the participants reach their employment goals.
8.8.5 Frequency of Contacts and Failed Contact Attempts
Effective date: April 1, 2025
Participants' need for and receptivity to follow-up services will vary. Career planners should determine if more frequent follow-up services are needed, based on the participant's individual needs and career goals, as documented in their IEP. DWD-DET requires that, at a minimum, career planners attempt to contact the participant at least once every three months for 12 months, starting from the date of gaining unsubsidized employment.
In circumstances where outreach has been unsuccessful, DWD-DET allows the career planner to cease attempts to provide the remaining follow-up services. However, career planners must document all contact attempts in an ASSET case note and the final attempt in ASSET Follow-ups. The note must include the contact method used, the date attempted, and if follow-up services will continue.
DWD-DET allows career planners to stop contact with the participant, including follow-up services, if they request any time they no longer wish to be contacted. Career planners must record the outcome and details in ASSET Customer Notes, including the details. For example, "the participant stated they are no longer interested in WIOA services and asked not to contact them again."
WDBs must establish a policy consistent with DWD-DET's guidance in this chapter that defines appropriate follow-up services, as well as requirements for identifying when to provide follow-up services to participants.1 Career Planners must ensure they are following their local WDB policy requirements.
8.8.6 Potential for Re-enrollment and Relationship to Exit
Effective date: April 1, 2025
If, at any time during the follow-up service period, a participant needs more follow-up services than what can be provided as follow-up services, they may re-enroll in the program. They may start services immediately if the episode is still open in ASSET. If a common exit has occurred in ASSET, the participant can reapply following the WIOA Title I Application Guidance.
As the date of exit is retroactive to the last service date, follow-up services may begin immediately following the anticipated last service date if the participant is expected not to receive any future services other than follow-up services. Follow-up services do not extend the date of exit in performance reporting.1
If a participant re-enrolls in the WIOA Adult Program or the Dislocated Worker Program during the 12-month Follow-up period, each participant's exit is considered a separate reporting periods of participation for purposes of calculating levels of performance.2 Follow-up services should stop when re-enrollment occurs. The career planner should add an ASSET case note with the details.
