MFIP Services

HIRED offers a number of programs for clients who are also recipients of support from the Minnesota Family Investment Program, the state’s welfare-to-work initiative. Clients are referred to HIRED by their counties, and eligibility varies by county and program.

Once a referral is made, HIRED helps each MFIP client identify existing skills and interests, document past work experiences, and create a strategy for actively seeking and holding a job. Through extensive follow-up workshops, training opportunities and in-depth counseling and job search support, HIRED tailors each client’s program to his or her individual needs.

MFIP programs are supported by Ramsey County Workforce Solutions, Hennepin County, Washington County, Dakota County and the Minnesota Department of Human Services using federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and state funds.

In addition to HIRED's other MFIP services, current programs include:

STEP
The Specialized Training and Experience Program (STEP) is a 10-week Ramsey County program that provides job placement services to Ramsey County MFIP participants. This program uses a variety of placement strategies to help work-ready participants find long-term employment. STEP partners with a broad range of employers to develop paid and unpaid "internships" in a range of occupations around Ramsey County. The program is designed to help MFIP participants in Ramsey County build skills, a current positive reference and adapt their job-seeking strategies to meet the changing needs of a competitive job market.

STEP is a 10-week, full-time program. Training begins with a 2-week orientation that ensures all participants have honed job-search skills adapted to the current job market. Upon successful completion of orientation, participants are assigned a business development coordinator with whom to develop a personalized program using the most appropriate placement strategies for each person's goals and background. These strategies are placement driven, including interviews with participating employers, personal goal and career planning and classroom-based training. On-the-job training through paid or unpaid "internships" use real work situations and support from the STEP staff to develop the skills needed for direct placement.

After completing the orientation, program participants are provided with transportation assistance for as long as they are in the program.

For more information about the STEP program, contact John Klem, program manager, at 651-999-5670 or by e-mail.

ARMHS
The Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services program (ARMHS) is a partnership between HIRED and the Ramsey County Mental Health Center to provide symptom management and recovery services for people with serious mental illness. The program is open to adult residents of Ramsey County. MFIP participants are eligible for enrollment in the program, but individuals do not need to be enrolled in MFIP to qualify for participation in ARMHS.

The ARMHS program provides individualized services to assist clients with mental health symptoms that inhibit independent living. For some clients, assistance with employment-related skills are an appropriate component of an overall treatment plan.

For more information about the ARMHS program, contact Gretchen Wartman, senior program manager, at 651-999-5646 or by e-mail.

Integrated Services Program in Washington County
HIRED’s Integrated Services Program (ISP) in Washington County uses an innovative model of integrated service delivery designed to stabilize families and improve the delivery of employment-related services. HIRED is working in partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Commonhealth Clinic, Human Services, Inc. and Washington County to provide multi-faceted services for clients, including healthcare, education, financial issues, housing and transportation. HIRED's goal is to bring all of these systems together and help families work through multiple barriers, find stable employment and, ultimately, become self-sufficient. ISP is open to a targeted group of Washington County clients who have been enrolled in MFIP for periods of 12-48 months and are vulnerable to a wide range of challenges that affect their ability to gain and hold employment.

“We look at all of the source of instability in our clients’ lives, and try to provide a truly integrated approach to help them take full advantage of all available resources to get themselves back on a stable footing,” says Kari Kraft, program manager.

MFIP clients referred to the Integrated Services Program typically work with several different case workers across the spectrum of social services, such as child protection workers, community corrections officers, school social workers, probation officers, as well as MFIP job counselors. Each service professional sees the client from his or her programmatic point of view, and doesn’t necessarily understand that these programs can make conflicting demands on the client. The ISP model attempts to coordinate and streamline services, so that clients can make progress in gaining some stability in his or her life, which will, in turn, allow more energy and attention for finding and holding stable employment.

For more information, contact Kari Kraft, program manager, at 651-275-8702, or by e-mail.

NorthPoint Gateway to Success
In late 2005, HIRED launched a new collaborative program in partnership with the NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center, the Urban League, Pillsbury United Communities, and Hennepin County Human Services, to provide integrated services for Hennepin County residents. The Gateway project is designed to address the complexities clients face when working with multiple social service agencies and case workers. Using the integrated services model provides a more balanced integration of family circumstances, social services, and the search for employment.

The program is staffed by a team of family facilitators who lead group workshops and work with clients to develop individual plans for addressing the full range of service needs. As with the Washington County ISP, the Gateway program assists clients in gaining some stability in their lives, which, in turn, allows more energy and attention for finding and holding stable employment. Gateway is open to MFIP residents living in Hennepin County.

For more information, contact Cynthia Wilson, senior employment coordinator, at 612-328-2547 or by e-mail.

Job Advance
Job Advance is a work experience program for Dakota County MFIP participants. The program, which begins with a 2-week orientation, places MFIP recipients in 10-week subsidized work experience positions with local employers. The goal of the program is to give clients work experience that will lead to a permanent position after the 12-week program has ended. For more information, e-mail John Klem.