Narrative: III. b. 7.

PRIORITY OF SERVICE FOR VETERANS The State Board, Maine Department of Labor and Local Workforce Development areas are jointly required to develop and issue a “priority of service to veterans” policy that applies “to every qualified job training program funded, in whole or in part, by the Department” for which they have direct oversight and responsibility. Board level area policy must adhere to 20 CFR 1010 dated December 19, 2008 and TEGL No 14–08 dated March 18, 2009, and incorporate veteran priority into current WIOA priority of service policy. Veteran’s priority of service definitions for covered and non–covered persons can be found at Priority of Service for Veterans and Eligible Spouses: Final Rule (http://www.dol.gov/vets/). The State Board, Maine Department of Labor and Local Workforce Development area service providers are responsible for developing strategies and implementing the veterans’ priority of service as defined and required by 38 U.S.C 4215(b) and 20 CFR Parts 1001 and 1010. Maine’s one–stop system is the core mechanism that will support, expand and maintain services to the veteran population throughout the State. Eligible veterans or eligible spouses with significant barriers to employment as defined in Veterans’ Program Letter (VPL) 03–14, Section 5, will receive “top priority.” Priority of service applies to Workforce Investment Act Adult, Dislocated and Youth Grants, National Emergency Grants, Demonstration Grants, Trade Adjustment Assistance, Wagner–Peyser, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and other core programs funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and administered in Maine by the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL). Maine Department of Labor and one–stop providers will take the necessary actions to ensure that priority of service opportunities are clearly visible and articulated to all customers who engage in one–stop services. At a minimum, “priority of service to veterans” will include adherence to and implementation of the following guidelines: Outreach/Recruitment: • Inclusion of information regarding veterans’ priority of service in printed materials targeted to customers and employers; • Inclusion of information regarding veterans’ priority of service in presentations made to customers and employers; • Addition of veterans’ priority of service information to service providers, Maine one–stop centers and Department of Labor web sites; and • Pro–active recruitment of veterans by targeted contact strategies or other strategies that focus on employers as well as job seeking veterans, particularly when the region is not in compliance with veterans’ priority of service performance measures. Notification: • Addition of a veterans’ priority of service rights statement to the complaint procedures provided to a Veteran customer; and/or • Addition of a veterans’ priority of service rights statement to the signature portion of the WIOA (or other covered) program paper intake forms or applications; • Inclusion of information regarding veterans’ priority of service at front desk reception areas, as well as in universal access information center locations; • Provision of the opportunity for veterans and eligible spouses to make known their veteran status; and • The Maine Job Bank job notification system will inform eligible veterans of job opportunities first and on a more frequent basis than all other registrants Intake/Registration for Services: • Written policies to establish that service providers who receive WIOA funds for employment and training programs will be required to identify covered persons at the point of entry to programs and/or services, so that veterans and eligible spouses can take full advantage of the priority of service; and • Written policies and procedures to ensure veterans and eligible spouses understand their entitlement to priority of service and the full array of employment and training services available. Policies will address eligibility requirements that veterans and eligible spouses must meet in order to gain entry into programs and be provided applicable services. Eligibility for Services: • Written policies and procedures to ensure veterans and eligible spouses meet the statutory eligibility requirements applicable to the specific employment and training program; • Written policies and procedures to ensure veterans and eligible spouses are given priority of service where statutory or mandatory priorities are in effect and particularly, where Local Area service providers have instituted mandatory priorities due to limited funds; • Written policies and procedures to ensure that veterans and eligible spouses receive access to services or resources earlier than non–covered persons, or before a non–covered person, if resources or services are limited; and • Written policies that target special populations of veterans including Special Disabled Veterans, Campaign Badge Veterans, Disabled Veterans, and eligible spouses when services or resources are limited. To determine whether veterans are receiving priority of service in core programs funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and administered by Maine Department of Labor, several measurements will be incorporated. Benchmarks will be established to provide a baseline to measure the impact of priority of service to covered participants: one will benchmark the covered participants using prior program year data. Many veterans face difficult labor market transitions, particularly upon reentering civilian life and may require specialized employment and training services to boost their job prospects. Veterans Employment and Training Services (VETS) and Maine Department of Labor have established effective program designs that include other providers such as the Togus Veteran’s Rehabilitation program. Additionally, veterans with more severe adjustment difficulties may require counseling, social services, and more in–depth support from specialists who are more familiar with their needs. Maine’s Local Veterans Employment Representatives (LVERs) are delegated the authority to generate the “Quarterly Reports on Services to Veterans.” Nonetheless, the responsibility for the content of such reports remains with one–stop center managers. These reports focus on compliance with Federal law and regulations with respect to special services and priorities for veterans. As new US Department of Labor and Maine Department of Labor veterans programs are introduced and implemented, the veterans’ team and Wagner–Peyser staff will assist in delivering these services and programs to veterans. Delivery of services through the one–stop system to veterans and eligible spouses is standardized to ensure that no veteran or eligible spouse is turned away without receiving some level of service. Stationed in key one–stop centers, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program specialists and Local Veterans Employment Representatives work exclusively with veterans and eligible spouses to facilitate their access to all programs and services for which they are eligible under the priority of service policy. These specialists provide one–on–one assistance that includes case management, assessment, planning, advocacy, job development, job matching, referral to other state and federal programs and follow–up. As veterans and eligible spouses may be referred to any available employment and training service open to the general public regardless of funding source, it is important that all one–stop center staff establish and maintain effective working relationships with one–stop system partners and service networks. These relationships will strengthen coordination of interagency efforts to help support veteran service initiatives. Veterans’ priority of service language will be integrated into financial and nonfinancial working agreements and Memoranda of Understanding with other organizations to ensure Maine’s workforce development system is “Keeping the Promise!”