NORTH DAKOTA

PARENT EMPLOYMENT PILOT PROGRAM (PEPP)

Goal:Promote parental responsibility by addressing unemployment and underemployment of noncustodial parents.

Strategic Plan: Supports Strategies 1, 2, 6, 8 of the National Child Support Strategic Plan.

Description:The Parental Employment Pilot Project (PEPP) is a cooperative effort between the Job Service of North Dakota (JSND) and the District Court, and the Department of Human Services' Badlands Human Service Center along with its TANF and CSE divisions. The project began operation in March 2005.

The Court and the CSE program refer unemployed/underemployed obligors to JSND where the case manager assesses each for job readiness and identifies impediments to employment. The assessment will determine whether referrals will be made to employers and/or to the Badlands Human Services Center for appropriate assessment and treatment in alcohol, drug, mental health or vocational rehabilitation.

Additionally, the case manager monitors and informs the court about treatment undertaken or referrals to employment that were made in the case.

Results:In July 2005, the local CSE administrator met with the local employment security agency (JSND) to review the PEPP program implementation during the program's first four months of operation. It was determined that a solid communication base was in place between the participating programs and with the local court.

The referral process from the court to the CSE program and to the JSND program is working well. As of July, 2005, 20 individuals were referred to PEPP, 19 by the court and one by CSE. Of these, ten are or have been employed since the referral. When the caseworker at JSND thinks that an individual is not cooperating, a referral is made back to the CSE office. There were 9 referrals for noncompliance, including one for the second time. This is a higher rate on noncompliance than we expected. Once the word gets out that one must participate or go to jail for contempt of court, it is expected that the compliance rate will improve.

The local court suggested that a compliance hearing be scheduled as soon as CSE becomes aware of a noncompliant individual. This would emphasize the consequences of noncompliance.

Ultimately, we expect a case manager to oversee a caseload of about 40 obligors. The obligors are expected to either find or improve their employment, thereby increasing the frequency and number of payments made in support of their children. Additionally, the courts will have another option for working with recalcitrant obligors, thereby reducing confinement time from contempt findings.

Location:PEPP is operational in a rural part of the state where a pool of 900 obligors owe arrears. After four months of operation, the results are so encouraging that PEPP will be instituted in another judicial district.

Funding: PEPP is funded by the TANF program, although WIA funding is also potentially available.

Assessment and treatment by the Badlands Human Service Center would be supported by a mix of Federal and state funds. These would include Vocational Rehabilitation funds, Medicaid, and Alcohol and Mental Health Block Grant and Social Service Block Grant funds.

Replication Advice:It is very important for all entities (WIA, TANF and CSE) and the local offices for each program to understand the purpose and the intended gain for each of their customers. The initial project was developed in Dickerson. A similar project began in Grand Forks in January, 2006 utilizing the materials developed in the initial project.

Contact:

Mike Schwindt,

Child Support Director

Phone: (701) 328-3582

Email: soschm@state.nd.us