A Temporary Assistance (TA) recipient is placed into the Community Service Program when an assessment determines that s/he is not yet ready for other core activities and may benefit from the soft skills that can be attained during this structured, volunteer program. The TA recipient with the Missouri Work Assistance (MWA) case manager completes the “MWA Community Service Participant Agreement”. The recipient is removed from the Community Service Program when s/he is ready to begin other activities. The Individual Employment Plan (IEP) is modified and the recipient must update his/her resume to reflect the volunteer experience and duties.
TA recipients who participate in a Community Service Program:
- Cannot fill existing unfilled position vacancies;
- Cannot receive a salary or any work or training expense provided under any provision of law;
- Are placed in the Community Service Program only if they cannot be placed in paid jobs or in addition to a paid job;
- Are not considered federal employees if they perform work in the public interest for a federal office or agency;
- Can never displace current employees;
- Are assessed by the case manager for basic soft skills needed;
- Are replaced by other TA recipients when the desired skills are gained; and
- Signs the “MWA Community Service Participant Agreement” which outlines the skills to be mastered and proposed time frame.
Refer to the MWA Community Service Participant Agreement for terms and conditions for participating in the Community Service Program.
A Community Service Program participant is not assigned to a position when:
- Any other TA recipient is on layoff from the same or any substantially equivalent job;
- The employer has terminated the employment of any regular employee, reduced the hours of an employee, or otherwise caused an involuntary reduction of its workforce in order to fill the vacancy with a Community Service Program participant; or
- A strike, lockout, or other bona fide labor dispute creates the employment opportunity.
Any recipient or employee who believes that s/he has been adversely affected by the placement of a Community Service Program participant shall be given the opportunity to grieve it through the following process:
- The recipient or employee, or an organization that is authorized to represent the recipient or employee, shall first attempt to remedy the alleged violation through a meeting with the employer within 30 days of the request of the meeting.
- If the complaint is not resolved, the recipient or employee may appeal to the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission. The Commission shall conduct a hearing and shall render a decision within 45 days of the hearing.
- If the recipient or employee is aggrieved by the decision of the commission, he/she may file a petition for review in the circuit court in which he/she resides within 30 days of the date of the decision.