Located in:
Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)
Note: Below is information about the employment and training activities carried out under the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) (42 U.S.C. 9901 et seq.) that is included in the WIOA Combined State Plan. The complete CSBG State Plan is submitted directly to the Federal agency that administers that program and is collected under OMB Control Number: 0970-0382.
Where CSBG is included in the Combined State Plan, the State CSBG Lead Agency (as designated by the chief executive of the State under the requirements of section 676(a) of the CSBG Act (42 U.S.C. 9908(a)) will coordinate plans for employment and training activities under CSBG as part of a larger antipoverty and workforce development strategy.
As part of the Combined State Plan, the State CSBG Lead Agency must:
(a) Describe how the State and the eligible entities will coordinate the provision of employment and training activities through Statewide and local WIOA workforce development systems; and may
(b) Provide examples of innovative employment and training programs and activities conducted by eligible entities or other neighborhood-based organizations as part of a community antipoverty strategy.
Current Narrative:
(a) Louisiana’s Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program has established active partnerships to facilitate and encourage coordination between the state’s 42 Community Action Agencies (CAAs) and 15 Local Workforce Development Areas. Each CAA executes an annual sub-award agreement with the Louisiana Workforce Commission, which mandates adherence to CSBG assurances, including carrying out services and activities permitted under the CSBG Act and those outlined in the approved CSBG State Plan. Section 9.4 of the State Plan describes how the State and the CAAs coordinate the provision of employment and training activities through statewide and local WIOA workforce development systems.
Community Action Agencies are provided with ongoing technical assistance on strategies and best practices to increase collaboration with their local American Job Centers, such as semi-annual training conference sessions, webinars available through WorkforceGPS, and peer roundtable discussions with both Community Action Network and Workforce colleagues who have successfully engaged to improve outcomes for co-enrolled clients.
CAAs engage with community partners and align services with priority State initiatives, including education, training and employment initiatives in alignment with WIOA. Louisiana Workforce Commission encourages all Community Action Agencies to coordinate with their local American Job Centers to provide supportive services to co-enrolled clients throughout job training and up to the fourth quarter after exit. Louisiana CAAs bridge the gaps by providing supports such as expungements, rental/mortgage assistance, utilities, transportation, identifying documents, etc. These supports have have been the difference for many job seekers in securing and maintaining employment.
(b) All Community Action Agencies are encouraged to go beyond simply referring clients to their local American Job Centers. They routinely and actively partner to reduce barriers to employment and provide supportive services to those completing training and/or educational programs. Examples include the use of CSBG funds to assist individuals in obtaining/renewing a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card to acquire or maintain their employment, procuring a driver’s license, ID card, or birth certificate, filing for and being granted an expungement for resolved municipal or state criminal arrests or convictions to secure a job or promotion, or meeting basic needs such as housing, transportation, utility payments, and nutrition in order to support an individual in maintaining employment.
The expungement initiative was an innovative anti-poverty and employment activity which yielded great results. Since the inception of this initiative, LWC has held 23 expungement clinics across the State and provided resources to develop an expungement app, increasing access to good paying jobs and equal opportunity, resulting in:
- 2,715 individuals served
- 356 expungements granted
- 31 warrants recalled
- 4 driver’s license clinics
- 88 driver’s licenses reinstatement support
- $56,361 in retracted fines and fees
- 882 registered app users
The initiative has proven to be a tremendous success. Clinics are held at American Job Centers and Community Action Agencies, strengthening required WIOA partnerships and establishing new ones with legal services providers, law schools, and other community based organizations.
Several CAAs have executed memoranda of understanding with local workforce development areas to foster greater workforce development coordination. Additional CAA practices supported by the State are co-locating the CAA with a workforce agency to provide stronger collaboration and maintaining the practice of dual case management with workforce agencies to monitor customer needs and goals across a variety of categories. Partnerships and collaboration with Local Workforce Development Areas are enhanced by participation in ongoing CSBG State Association training conferences, providing the opportunity for interactive learning sessions and shared best practices.