SENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM

State Contact: Debbie Bennett
Department of Social & Health Services
P.O. Box 45600
Olympia, WA 98504-5600
Telephone: 360.725.2557
E-mail: Deborah.Bennett@dshs.wa.gov

AARP Foundation
Contact: Steve Cook
6 South Second Street, Suite 1109
Yakima, WA 98901
Telephone: 509.853.3410
Email: scsmcook@aol.com

Goodwill Industries, Inc.
Contact: Paul Spears, Program Manager
Tacoma Goodwill SCSEP Program
Longview Goodwill
1030 15th Avenue
Longview, WA 98632
Telephone: 360.501.8342
Email: pspears@tacomagoodwill.org

Website: http://tacomagoodwill.org/

National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA)
Contact: Donavan Lam
1511 Third Avenue #914
Seattle, WA 98101-1626
Telephone: 206.624.1221
Email:donavan@napca.org

Website: www.napca.org

Federal Website: http://www.doleta.gov/seniors

Participation: 1,410 participants were served by the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009, between the state and three national grantees. 141 of the enrollments were possible due to funds received under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Who is Served: Program participants must be at least 55 years old and have a family income no higher than 125 percent of the federal poverty level (about $13,500 for one person). Enrollment priority is given to those over age 60, veterans, and qualified spouses of veterans. Those who live in rural areas, are members of a minority group, have limited English-speaking skills, are disabled, homeless or Native American, also have priority status. Overall, those who have the greatest economic needs and the lowest employment prospects are given priority.

Program Description: SCSEP is a community service and work-based training program for older workers. It was authorized by Congress in Title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965 to provide subsidized, part-time, community service work-based training for low-income people age 55 or older who have poor employment prospects. Through this program, older workers have access to the SCSEP services as well as other employment assistance available through WorkSource, the state’s one-stop career centers.

Other Program Characteristics:

Community Services–The state and national SCSEP grantees provide over 2.5 million hours of community service hours to public and nonprofit agencies, allowing them to enhance and provide needed services. In the state fiscal year, almost 16,000 of these community service hours were paid for with ARRA funding.

Participant Services–Individual Employment Plan (IEP) development, orientation, community service placement, training specific to community service assignment, other training as identified in the IEP, supportive services, wages, fringe benefits, annual physicals, assistance in securing unsubsidized employment, and access to WorkSource, the state’s one-stop career centers.

Program History: The Washington state Department of Social and Health Services – Aging & Disability Services Administration (DSHS-ADSA) manages the state SCSEP plan and administers grants. DSHS-ADSA subgrants with Area Agencies on Aging, local WorkSource centers, and other community-based organizations to operate local projects throughout the state. DSHS-ADSA coordinates with stakeholders, the workforce development system, the Aging & Disability Network and three national grantees to develop the state plan. The three national grantees operating in Washington State are AARP, Goodwill Industries, and the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA).

Planning Cycle: Four-year state plan; annual grant cycle.

Outcome Measures: The SCSEP Performance Goal definitions were revised to include common measures as a result of the 2006 Older American Act amendments. The SFY2008 common measures performance goals for all grantees in Washington were:

SFY2009 Performance Goals	AARP	Goodwill	NAPCA	WA State
Common Measure Entered Employment	55.3%	44.6%	40.7%	45.2%
Common Measure Retention	64.2%	70.9%	69.3%	64.0%
Common Measure Average Earnings/yr	$7151	$6798	$6470	$6517
Percent of Agregate Goals Achieved*	102.58%	102.25%	102.67%	97.34%

* National Grantee Percent of Aggregate Goals Achieved are from nationwide results

Funding and Regional Division: The DSHS-ADSA SCSEP grant covers the state of Washington, with the exception of Pierce County, and is divided regionally by the 13 Area Agency on Aging Planning and Service Areas. The AARP Foundation SCSEP grant provides services in the Northwest, North Puget Sound, North Central, Northeast, and Southeast regions of the state. Goodwill Industries, Inc. serves the Coastal, South Puget Sound, Southwest, and South Central regions of the state. NAPCA serves Asian Pacific Islander individuals in King and Pierce counties only.

Non-Federal Funding (Washington DSHS-ADSA only): $208,287 (July 1, 2008–June 30, 2009). Sources: DSHS-ADSA and local match from subgrantees (does not include national grantees).

Federal Funding (Washington DSHS-ADSA only): $1,524,108 (July 1, 2008–June 30, 2009) Older American Act Title V Funding and $350,475 (February 17, 2009–June 30, 2009) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funding, both administered by the U.S. Department of Labor (does not include federal funds for national grantees).

Statutory Authority: Section 503 of the 2006 Older American Act Amendments, P.L. 109-365, October 17, 2006; American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-05); RCW 74.36.100.