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TulareWORKs
What is TulareWORKs?
TulareWORKs is a program designed to help you improve your way of life. This program is designed to help you find a job and/or prepare you to search for employment. During the time you are eligible for cash aid, you may receive services that will help you look for a job, job training, and you may also be eligible for other supportive services. Because TulareWORKs wants you to remain employed after you start working and leave cash aid, you will continue to be eligible for post-aid supportive services.
Where can I apply for TulareWORKs assistance?
There are several sites throughout Tulare County where you can apply for assistance. Click here for a pdf file of our locations.
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How long can I receive cash aid?
There is a 60 month (5 year) lifetime limit in which you are eligible for cash aid. This means that you may only receive cash aid for a maximum of five (5) years. Once the five (5) years are up you will no longer be eligible for cash aid. This is why it is important that you get a job as soon as possible!
What if I get a job within six months after I enroll in the program and I go off aid?
Because you only used six (6) months of your cash aid, you would still have 54 months of cash aid left. This can be to your benefit if you need cash aid again at some point in the future.
TopWill TulareWORKs help me find a job?
The program will work with you for the first 18 months in an effort to help you find a job or train you for one. If you do not get a job within the first 18 months, the TulareWORKs staff will continue to counsel you.
The TulareWORKs staff wants you to succeed. Experienced TulareWORKs staff members will work with you and counsel you during your enrollment period. TulareWORKs is here to help you, however, this is a two way street. There are requirements that you will have to meet. These will be outlined for you as you go through the program. We encourage you to use the TulareWORKs program as a way to improve your way of life.
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Do I have to participate?
If you are a cash aid recipient, you have to participate in the TulareWORKs program. As a participant, what are you required to do? You have to:
- Keep all appointments scheduled with or by your counselor.
- Meet all program requirements.
- Not quit your job or lower your earnings.
- Make progress in your assigned activity.
Remember, we are here to help you improve your way of life. You need to take advantage of services that are being made available to you. We have 18 months to help you in getting a job.
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If I am eligible for cash aid, can I receive benefits and still be exempt from participating in the TulareWORKs Welfare-to-Work Program?
Yes, but you would have to meet the following requirements:
- Be under 16 years of age, or older than 59.
- Be 16, 17 or 18 years old and in school (not college) full time, unless you are in school as one of your TulareWORKs activities, or if you are the parent of a child in your home.
- Have a disability that is expected to last at least 30 days that would keep you from participating in a TulareWORKs activity and you are trying to get the medical help you need.
- Are pregnant and a doctor confirms that you cannot work or participate.
- Have recently given birth to a child.
- Are the non-parent/caretaker of an at-risk child and TulareWORKs decides that taking care of the child will not allow you to participate.
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What happens after I apply for cash aid and am determined to be eligible?
The TulareWORKs staff will then take you through a series of activities. These may include:
- Orientation/Appraisal - you will be advised of the TulareWORKs services available, how the program works and our expectations. This is also an opportunity for you and the TulareWORKs staff to talk about problems or barriers you may have that could prevent you from participating. If there are barriers, the TulareWORKs staff will refer you to the appropriate services, helping you to overcome these barriers.
- Job Club - if both you and TulareWORKs staff agree that you are ready for a job, you will be assigned to Job Club. In Job Club the emphasis will be to find a job. There will be help with job leads, writing resumes, and completing applications, as well as practice interviews.
- Assessment - after orientation and appraisal, if both you and the TulareWORKs staff think that you are still not ready to get a job, you will go through the assessment process. We will complete an assessment to evaluate your interests, skills, and desires, and also to let the TulareWORKs staff know what types of services you need to become ready to work.
- Additional Activities - based on your assessment, both you and the TulareWORKs staff will agree on the activities that will get you ready to work. This will become your Welfare-to-Work Plan.
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What supportive services are available?
We will do as much as possible to make sure that you can participate in your approved Welfare-to-Work activity by providing you with the necessary supportive services. IMPORTANT: You must be participating in an approved Welfare-to-Work activity to be eligible for these services.
Supportive services include:
- Child Care - payments can be made for a child 10-years-old or younger who is either part of a TulareWORKs cash case, or is not part of a cash case, but lives with you under your care. You are responsible for choosing a child care provider and making the arrangements for child care payments. The County will not make child care payments to someone in your TulareWORKs case, or someone under 18 years old. If you choose a provider who is not licensed, finger-printing and Trustline registration will be required, unless your provider is the child's aunt, uncle or grandparent.
- Transportation - includes payments for public transportation or mileage reimbursement to offset gasoline and vehicle maintenance costs.
- Work or training related costs - payments for special clothing, tools or books for work or training can be made as necessary.
- Personal Counseling - if you need personal counseling to help you participate in TulareWORKs activities we will refer you to a Behavioral Health Assessor. The Assessor, in turn, can refer you to services available to assist you to overcome personal obstacles to employability.
NOTE: If the County pays more child care, transportation, work or training-related expenses than actually needed for you to participate, you will be required to pay the County back. However, you may not have to pay it back while you are a satisfactory participant if doing so would hinder your participation progress.
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What is a One Stop Service Center?
The One Stop Service Center makes it easier for you to receive services. A One Stop Service Center has many employment service agencies in one location. TulareWORKs is one of the participating agencies, along with EDD, the Employment Connection and others. Presently we have a One Stop Center located at 1055 W. Henderson in Porterville, with future centers planned for Visalia and Tulare.
If you go to a center for services, staff will be able to tell you of the services provided by the agencies at the center. Based on your needs, or requirements, you will be directed to the agency that will best serve your employment needs.
TopHow does the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) benefit an employer?
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a program that allows the employer who hires you to claim federal tax credits. This can give you an advantage because your employer will get a tax break in return.
When meeting with the TulareWORKs staff, make sure to ask about the WOTC. Your counselor will give you the forms you need to take to your job interview and will explain how WOTC works. Remind your counselor if they forget to mention WOTC. This is another tool that may help you get a job.
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What happens next?
The goal of the TulareWORKs program is to help you get a job before the end of your 18 months. If for some reason you did not get a job, and you want to continue receiving cash aid, you can do so by agreeing to participate in the Community Service Program.
The Community Service Program will place you at a work experience site to perform specific duties. These duties are usually related to the training you received, or your previous work experience. To continue to receive your cash aid, you will have to perform a specific number of hours of Community Service. Your TulareWORKs counselor will inform you about the number of hours required. You can continue to receive supportive services if you still need them.
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What happens after I have found a job?
You probably think that you are no longer eligible for supportive services, but we can still provide you with some services. You have invested time in getting a job and we want you to keep it. Contact your counselor if you think you still need our services. You can still be eligible for child care, transportation, counseling and other services, but you have to let us know.
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What if I'm teen-parent, receiving cash assistance and haven't graduated from high school? What do I do?
To enable you to graduate from high school or earn a high school equivalency certificate, HHSA has provided the Cal-Learn Program. This program is mandatory and structured with case management services for pregnant and/or parenting teens who are under the age of 19, on welfare cash assistance and have not graduated from high school. Cal-Learn is designed with incentives to keep you in school so that you can either graduate or earn your GED.
For more information about CalLearn:
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