Previous Policy - 8.8.3 Follow-Up Services

8.8.3 Follow-Up Services

Effective date: July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026

Examples of Follow-up services include, but are not limited to, the following:

Counseling Individuals About the Workplace;

Some examples include assistance with work-related problems, preparing for performance reviews, asking for a raise, updating their resume with new job duties, or working towards promotions or next steps on the career ladder.¹

Additional Career Planning and Counseling;

Additional Educational and Employment Opportunities Information;

Employer Contact (see Note below);

Participant Contact (see Note below);

Peer Support Groups;

Referral to supportive services;²
and

Follow-Up supportive services (for example: work-attire, tools, bus passes, child-care)³ DWD-DET recommends using the supportive services policy for examples of follow-up services (see Note below).

Note: The intent of the "Employer Contact" and "Participant Contact" service is to identify and/or address any current employment challenges and opportunities for advancement. Follow-up services must not be confused with follow-up status in ASSET. The collection of supplemental wage information, is not a follow-up service. Career planners must record the results of those attempts separately in ASSET Customer Notes and any information collected, must be entered in ASSET Follow-up Status. See the Supplemental Data Collection Recommended and Proven Practice for recommendations on how to best communicate with former program participants.⁴

Note: DOL provided the following guidance about providing supportive services during follow-up to adult and dislocated workers:

Supportive services by definition may only be provided to someone who is receiving other participant-level services. Supportive services are provided to enable individuals to participate in the WIOA program and receive services. This means that supportive services under WIOA are defined as those services provided prior to a participant exiting a program.

Follow up services by definition are provided after a participant is placed in unsubsidized employment and no longer needs participant-level services. These services are designed to help individuals retain employment, earn wage gains or advance within their occupation or career pathway. As such, follow up services may or may not be provided after exit, or after exit is determined, depending on the timing of placement into unsubsidized employment.

This means that the two distinctions between supportive services are the purpose and the timing of those services, but it is important to note that this means there may not be a difference in the nature of these services. A service that is substantively the same (e.g. a bus pass) may be categorized differently (for reporting purposes) if the purpose and timing of the provision changes. For example, transportation services like a bus pass can be both a supportive service or a follow up service. If provided as a follow-up services, it is intended to enable an individual to travel to their worksite and retain their unsubsidized employment and will be recorded as a follow up service (PIRL element 1503). However, a bus pass to attend training will be recorded in the MIS and reported as a supportive service and should be reported accordingly.

Many types of services may be both supportive services and follow up services, depending on the state and local area policy in place for services, which should be in place to define allowable services and expenditures. For example, a group counseling for mental health or drug addiction may be on the state's supportive services list as well as their list of allowable follow-up services, if the state chooses to offer that to support individuals placed in employment who may need additional assistance to retain their job.⁵

¹ WIOA Sec. 134(c)(2)(A)(xiii); TEGL 16-16, p. 16

² TEGL 19-16 p.19

³ DOL email 9/28/2023 provided guidance/explanation of how although supportive services cannot be provided during follow up, those same services may be provided, we must report them differently.

⁴ TEGL 26-16, p.12

⁵ DOL email 9/29/2023 stating many types of services may be both supportive services and follow up services, depending on the state and local area policy in place, which should be in place to define allowable services and expenditures.