Cunningham Township
General Assistance Program:
Community Work and Training Program

The Cunningham Township Community Work and Training Program is designed to preserve and improve the work habits and skills of clients for whom jobs are not otherwise immediately available and to provide training and experiences for clients who lack the skills required for such employment as is or may become available.

A GA client who is able to work but not currently employed, or is employed but for less than 100 hours per month must be registered for employment with the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) and participate on a monthly basis in the Township's Community Work and Training Program.

The program involves three components:

  • Workfare
  • Employment Readiness and Training
  • Education

Assignments are individually-tailored to the interests, needs, and reasonable employment goals of the client. For this reason, it is possible that a particular individual's monthly assignment will consist of a combination of components instead of only one component.

WORKFARE

Clients may be assigned to "workfare" under circumstances which include but are not limited to:

1) the client has been out of the workforce for an extended period of time and wants and/or needs to experience what it feels like to be in a working environment, or

2) the client has skills and/or interests which could be built upon at a particular workfare site.

The client reports to the specific workfare site as assigned by the township and works a set number of hours (currently 36 hours) per month. Completion of the assignment is a prerequisite for receiving benefits the following month.

Workfare sites include but are not limited to:

  • Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District ("MTD")
  • City of Urbana
  • Prairie Center for Substance Abuse
  • A Woman's Fund
  • Champaign County Health Care Consumers
  • Champaign County Nursing Home
  • Eastern Illinois Food Bank
  • Senior Services of Champaign County
  • TIMES Center (formerly called the Men's Emergency and Community Day Shelter)

EMPLOYMENT READINESS AND TRAINING

Programs within the Employment Readiness and Training component have the potential for benefiting any client who is unemployed and needs to find employment regardless of whether that client has secured a high school diploma or GED.

It is often possible to participate in an employment readiness program concurrent with GED class. Clients are assigned to a program with the goal of enhancing job search skills and training. Completing this requirement requires registering and attending required classes in accordance with a schedule set by the township and/or training program.

Programs in this component include but are not limited to:

  • Workforce Preparation Center
  • JTPA Job Club
  • Urban League programs

Participation in this component may be limited to the duration of the particular program.

EDUCATION

Clients may be assigned to the Education component for reasons which include but are not limited to:

1) the client has not secured a high school diploma or GED, or

2) the client has secured a high school diploma or GED but whose education level, upon testing, is not at the level of a high school graduate, or

3) the client can no longer work at a previous profession as determined by a source found to be acceptable by the Supervisor's Office.

Programs in the Education component include but are not limited to:

  • Urbana Adult Education
  • Parkland College -- Adult Education
  • Parkland College -- Vocational Training
  • Other acceptable vocational or technical schools

A time limit may be imposed if satisfactory progress is not made or if the duration of the program exceeds one year.

BASIC GUIDELINES OF THE COMMUNITY WORK AND TRAINING PROGRAM

Clients who are assigned to work, education, or training projects are required to accept the assignment as a condition of eligibility for assistance. However, an assignment will be waived when:

  • there is an unreasonable degree of risk to the client's health and safety, or

  • the client is not physically or mentally competent to perform the specific work or participate in the specific program, or

  • the assignment is not within reasonable distance of the client's home (specifically, commuting time would represent more than 25% of the client's total work time), or

  • it is determined that the client would be better served by participating in a rehabilitative treatment program, such as a substance abuse treatment program.

Workfare absences: If the client fails to report for a valid reason, the client is to make up days lost within a month and during the current month if possible. If not possible, the days are to be made up during the subsequent work period.

If the client does not report to the assignment within 3 days of the start date and does not have a valid reason, the client's benefits will be terminated and a 3-month sanction will be imposed. If the client reports to the assignment on the start date but misses any subsequent day of work without a valid reason, the client's benefits will be terminated and a 3-month sanction will be imposed.

Absences from Employment Readiness, Training, and Education Programs: If the client is absent without a valid reason for 3 or more days (either consecutive or non-consecutive) in a month-long time period, the client's benefits will be terminated and a 3-month sanction will be imposed.

An exception to the above rule may be made if participation in any program is not possible due to missing one or more days; in that case, if the client is absent for even one day without a valid reason, that client's benefits will be terminated and a 3-month sanction will be imposed.

CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Report to your assignment on time.

  • Report to the assignment every day that you are scheduled.

  • Cooperate with fellow workers or classmates and your supervisor or instructor.

  • Never use alcoholic beverages or drugs at the work site or in class or before reporting to either.

  • Follow all policies and procedures established at the work site or in the classroom.

  • Contact the work site or your instructor AND THE TOWNSHIP when you are ill or otherwise cannot report to your assignment on any day for which you are scheduled to be there.

WORK SITE RESPONSIBILITIES

  • The client cannot replace a regular employee.

  • The client cannot be required to work at a work site more than 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week.

  • The work site must not present an unreasonable degree of risk to the client's health and safety.

  • The work site must provide adequate training and supervision.

TOWNSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

  • The township must provide written notice at least 24 hours in advance of the date, time, and location of the work site.

  • The township must provide transportation if needed.

  • The township must provide worker's compensation insurance.


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Cunningham Township Supervisor's Office
205 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois   61801
Phone:   (217) 384-4144     Fax:   (217) 367-7063
E-mail:   ctso@prairienet.org
URL: http://www.prairienet.org/cunningham-township