1. Title IV-E
Stipend Obligations
Part-Time Students

2. Contents Employment Obligation Requirements (slide 3)
Verifying & Tracking Employment (slides 4-5)
Job Search Requirements (if applicable) (slides 6-12)
Job Search Support (slide 9)
Job Search Reporting (slides 10-12)
Special Circumstances (slides 13-19)
CalSWEC Petitions & Appeals Processes (slide 15)
Changing Employment (slide 17)
Time off (slide 18)
Monetary Obligation (slide 19)

3. Outline of Employment Obligation Requirements
BSW or MSW Pathway
Part-Time Student
MSW
3-Year Part-Time Student
Student must fulfill a work commitment of 6 months for every 15 units of support provided.
Student must fulfill a 2-year work commitment.
Within 6 months of graduation student must return to work at
Public Child Welfare or tribal agency (if employee).

4. Employment Verification & Tracking
The first business day after graduation is the start date for working off your employment obligation obligation.
In order for us to track your employment obligation progress, print out the Employment Verification Form:
You complete Part A
Your HR completes Part B and keeps a copy in their file
Mail the original back to the IV-E office:
CSU, Chico
School of Social Work
Title IV-E Program
c/o Melissa Cheatham
400 West First Street
Chico, CA
This form will serve as a consent for release of information so we can communicate with your HR about your employment status.
We check your employment status directly with your HR every 6 months until your employment obligation is complete.

5. Employment Verification & Tracking, Continued
We will contact you and/or your employer during your obligation period to verify that you are fulfilling the work requirement
(6 months of continuous full-time employment for every 15 units of support provided for Pathway students or 2 years of continuous full-time employment for MSW three-year students)
We submit information and updates about your employment status to CalSWEC
We calculate your obligation progress and project a completion date based on what your HR reports to us regarding your employment
If there are interruptions in your employment (unpaid medical leave, maternity leave, etc.) we recalculate your completion date accordingly

6. Employment Search
Should you need to search for new qualifying employment…
Within the first 6 months of employment search, you are required to search only within 75 miles of your home address
Must apply to every open position (and participate in all tests and interviews) at a level appropriate to a new worker in Child Welfare, and accept the first position offered to you
If unable to secure employment within 6 months and within a 75-mile radius, you must extend your search statewide for 6 months

7. Employment Search, continued
If you are still unable to secure employment within these 12 months after beginning your job search, you must then request a waiver and provide satisfactory documentation of a comprehensive employment search, in order to receive permission to seek employment in a nonprofit agency serving IV-E clients (see Petitions and Appeals Process section)
If approved, you will receive an additional 6 months to search for employment.
After graduation or when you begin a new search (due to job loss, etc.) you must report your job search status using the Title IV-E Graduate Employment Search Form once monthly until you secure employment (see Job Search Reporting section)
To demonstrate an adequate search, you must have had applied to all available jobs at a level appropriate to a new worker in Child Welfare in your 75-mile radius (or statewide)

8. Outline of Employment Search Requirements
Within six (6) months of graduation and/or beginning new job search
Within six (6) to twelve (12) months of graduation and/or beginning new job search
Within twelve (12) to eighteen (18) months of graduation and/or beginning new job search
Must return to work at agency (if employee) OR
Search for qualifying work within a 75 mile radius of Student’s home
Search for employment within the state of California.
If, within 12 months, Student does not secure employment within the state, Student may apply for a waiver to search for employment in a non-profit agency within the state.
If waiver is granted to search for employment at non-profit agencies, Student may have up to 6 months to do this search.
If Student does not secure employment during this time, Student may apply for a waiver of employment obligation requirements at 18 months after graduation.

9. Job Search Support
Remember, YOU are responsible for finding qualifying employment. We encourage you to look for job postings and check your resources regularly.
Contact the Title IV-E office and ask to get put on our weekly job listing . We continue to assist you with your job search by sending weekly s, listing qualifying employment, consisting of Merit and non-Merit jobs.
CalSWEC’s central office will send information about counties that are hiring, and we will forward this to you via .
CalSWEC also has an employment section on their Facebook page at or follow on Twitter at
Merit System Services (MSS)
MSS will provide information for their 30 affiliated counties about which counties are hiring and any other important information.
Check for listings on county websites that are not affiliated with MSS.
Chico State Career Center
Contact Ken Naas for help with resumes and interview tips or

10. Job Search Reporting
You report to us monthly regarding your job search status by updating and ing a Graduate Employment Search Form
the completed and updated form on the first business day of each month
You must keep and submit all documents pertaining to your job search
Confirming s
Appointment cards
County letters or any other documentation
We report to CalSWEC regarding your job search
CalSWEC requires us to rate your job search according to your proven effort (“Substantial Efforts”, “Adequate Search”, or “Needs Improvement”)

11. Graduate Employment Search Form

12. Be thorough in your reporting!
County or Agency: Enter name of county or agency you applied to
Merit System County? Y/N?: Answer Y or N if it is or isn’t a MSS county
Classification: Enter position or job title applied for
Application Date: Enter due date for application and date application was submitted
Agency Contact Info: Enter name of contact person at agency, their phone number, and address
Response from County: If response received, summarize the correspondence from the county, including correspondence through , response card, letter in mail, notification of testing date, location, and time. If no response received, you will follow up and report the outcome of that follow up in the Comments/Explanation box. (These are the types of documentation that you will need to submit when you submit your monthly Graduate Employment Search Form.)
Test Score: Enter test score, if available
Place on list: If name was placed on list, enter placement number
Notice from county: Enter how the county notified you regarding interview date, include the time and location
First interview date: Enter date of interview
Second interview date: Enter date of second interview
Job offer? Y/N: Enter Y or N
Hire date: If hired, enter hire date
Comments/Explanation: Add any relevant comments/explanation here
Plan for Follow Up: Explain your plan is to follow up with this application

13. Special Circumstances…
What if …
I have a delay in completing the employment obligation? (medical leave, maternity leave, etc.)
I need an extension of time to complete the employment search?
I want to change jobs prior to completion of the employment obligation?
I want to permission to seek employment with a non-profit agency?

14. Petitions and Appeals
While CalSWEC and the CSU, Chico Title IV-E Program anticipate that you will be able to complete your program successfully and begin your career in child welfare services, challenges may arise due to personal circumstances or changes in the job market. The Petition and Appeal processes are designed to resolve these challenges. Read the Title IV-E Student Contract carefully. It provides the basic obligations the University program has to you and you have to the program. Because it is an agreement you sign, the Contract is the controlling document in any disagreement arising between you and the program.
If you choose to petition, please contact Melissa Cheatham at for complete instructions and petition documents.

15. CalSWEC Petition and Appeals Processes
For special circumstances that deviate from your contract and delay and/or hinder you from completing your employment obligation, you will follow the Petition and Appeals Processes. Request this form via from the IV-E office.
You will be given a due date to return the form.
Your Project Coordinator will review and come to a conclusion regarding your request
If you are not satisfied with the decision made by the Project Coordinator, you can use the CalSWEC Appeals Process and Form
CalSWEC’s decision on the Appeal is final
SAMPLE
Please contact Melissa if you need to initiate the petition process.

16. You need to initiate the Petition Process when… Examples:
You need an extension of time to complete employment search
There is any delay in completing your employment obligation
switching from full-time to part-time employment
medical leave
maternity leave
You want a waiver of agency, CDSS, or tribal employment requirement and permission to seek a non-profit job
You want permission to accept a particular non-profit job
You want permission to change job prior to completion of employment period requirement
You want permission to modify or be relieved of any contractual obligation

17. Changing employment…
If you need/want to change employment (from one county to another county) before your obligation is complete, follow these steps:
Request a CalSWEC Petition Form from the IV-E office
Complete and return the Petition Form
Complete a new Employment Verification Form, signed by the county you are leaving, and mail to the IV-E office
Complete a new Employment Verification Form to your new employer and mail to the IV-E office

18. Time off…
Vacation Time and Sick Time off are accrued through employment and can be used toward completing your employment obligation.
Unpaid Medical Leave or Maternity Leave or any other unpaid interruptions in your employment will not be counted toward your employment obligation. We will recalculate your completion date accordingly.
You also need to submit a Petition Form.
Keep us updated and stay in good communication with us!

19. Monetary Obligation…
Should you have to go into monetary obligation in lieu of employment obligation, for whatever reason, contact the IV-E office ASAP
See the Monetary obligation Agreement
Reasons you might enter monetary obligation:
No longer working
No longer working in a qualifying position
Voluntarily leaving a position
Declining a job offer
Other circumstances that don’t comply with your contract

20. Forms Graduate Employment Search Form Employment Verification Form
Most forms can be located here at our Title IV-E Forms and Links site:
Forms you will find on the site:
Graduate Employment Search Form
Employment Verification Form
Contact Melissa for petition/appeal forms

21. Keep us in the loop! Communicate!
Keep us updated about
Changes in your employment status
Address change
Phone number change
change, etc.
, call, or stop by anytime!
If you’re having problems or have concerns regarding your employment that could affect your obligation, get in touch with the IV-E office ASAP
If at any time you are unsure of what form(s) you need or what the steps are, contact the IV-E office and we will walk you through the steps and make sure you have the right forms.
We are here to help and support you through the end of your monetary or employment obligation! 

22. Title IV-E Contacts Melissa Cheatham –
Job Search, Employment Verification & Tracking
Monetary Repayment
Petitions and Appeals
(530)
Meka Klungtvet-Morano –
General concerns, issues, etc.
(530)
Chelsea Cornell –
(530)