This report explores mentoring as a tool for supporting the successful reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals within the context of a larger reentry strategy--in this case, the "Ready4Work" model. "Ready4Work" was a three-year national demonstration designed to address the needs of the growing ex-prisoner population and to test the…

The relationship between the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Program and vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs was reviewed. Focus was on the extent to which VR services are successful in returning SSDI beneficiaries to productive employment. The review was carried out in 10 states with widely varying practices in referring SSDI…

A survey of 27 states receiving federal supported employment grants was conducted. Results indicated that the number of participating individuals increased 157 percent during the 3-year study period; over 1,400 programs of supported employment were authorized by state agencies during this time; and the individual placement model remained the most…

The purpose of this forum was to examine critical issues in the implementation of supported employment from a variety of perspectives and to provide recommendations for future improvement. Eight invited papers and discussions were organized into four topics: issues related to time-limited funding; disabilities other than mental retardation;…

Wisconsin Works (W-2) is a time-limited employment assistance program that, in September 1997, replaced cash entitlements provided to low-income families under Aid to Families with Dependent Children. W-2 provides subsidized or unsubsidized placements for participants, based upon their level of preparedness for employment. Participants in both…

An evaluation was conducted to assess progress in implementing the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 (which sought to streamline the delivery of employment and training services) during its first full year ending in June 2001. Data were gathered through contact with 12 national associations representing state and local implementers, visits to…

The Worker Profiling and Reemployment Services (WPRS) was a program established in states by regulation of the federal government to profile Unemployment Insurance (UI) recipients who were most likely to exceed their time limits for UI and to give those recipients training in job search methods. The WPRS Policy Workgroup was established in January…

This publication, one of a series designed to help policymakers and TANF [Temporary Assistance for Needy Families] agency personnel, offers a baseline for understanding the challenge of serving persons who are being forced off welfare roles but who are hard to place in employment. The following topics are covered: (1) policy issues (who should be…

The Services for Transition to Independence through Education (STRIDE) project evaluated a model for providing comprehensive training and employment services to adults with mild handicaps, using existing vocational education classes and special needs support programs in a secondary vocational technical school in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Services…

This guide summarizes key principles drawn from successful programs for helping unemployed workers find new jobs and presents a systematic approach to help states plan and manage their worker readjustment efforts. The guide contains two major sections. The first section is an overview and summary that includes background on the dislocation…

This publication, one of a series designed to help policymakers and TANF [Temporary Assistance for Needy Families] agency personnel, offers an overview of programs providing publicly funded paid jobs in the public or nonprofit sector to TANF recipients, as well as of work experience programs in which recipients receive welfare payment in return…

In an effort to assess what progress states and localities are making in implementation of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, a study identified three issues of particular concern: (1) mandatory partners' participation in the one-stops; (2) job seekers' ability to receive enhanced choices for training; and (3) private-sector participation…

Research was conducted to find out the following: (1) whether welfare recipients with impairments (or their able-bodied parents, if they are children) were as likely to exit Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) as are their counterparts without impairments, and 2) the sources of income reported by leavers with and without impairments.…