Client Handbook

Download the SonomaWORKS Client Handbook

All SonomaWORKS clients receive this Client Handbook. It includes an overview of the program.

Client Handbook

Jump to: SonomaWORKS and You
Working Toward a Better Future
Who Must Participate?
Who is Exempt?
What to Expect
Hours of Required Participation
SonomaWORKS Activities
Welfare to Work Plan
Supportive Services
Satisfactory Participation
Good Reasons for Not Participating
What Happens if You Do Not Participate
What You Can Do if You Do Not Agree
Post-Aid Services
Your Worker

SonomaWORKS and You


The SonomaWORKS Program is designed to help you find a job to support yourself and your family. As part of this process, it is important that you define your financial and personal goals. What do you see for yourself and your family in the future? Can you already “see” yourself in a job that supports your family? Does that job offer medical benefits? Does your future include planning to move to another home, owning a home, or buying a new car? Do you hope to have opportunities for job training or education? With the help of the SonomaWORKS Program, you can find answers to these questions and others you may have, and begin to determine your plan for achieving your goals.

SonomaWORKS has programs and services available to support you and your family as you work toward your goals. Our partners from local agencies and schools are ready to assist you to upgrade your skills or learn new skills so you can get the job that will lead you and your family to financial independence. But that’s only part of the picture. You must make a commitment to participate fully in the SonomaWORKS Program. You must become engaged in the process of defining your career goals, developing a plan to reach those goals and taking responsibility for following that plan. And finally, you must become an advocate for your own self-sufficiency.

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Working Toward a Better Future

In Sonoma County, the CalWORKs program is called SonomaWORKS. Its purpose is to assist you to prepare for work, help you find a job and become self-sufficient. SonomaWORKS was designed with you in mind. It’s not just another government program. It offers much more.

  • As a SonomaWORKS participant, you will be assigned an Employment and Training Specialist, referred to in this Handbook as your “specialist,” and an Employment and Training Counselor, referred to as your “counselor.” Your specialist is responsible for determining your eligibility for the Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) Program (cash aid). Your counselor will help you develop a Welfare to Work Plan and progress through program activities until you are employed and on your way to self-sufficiency. If you are exempt from participating in the SonomaWORKS program, you may be referred to an eligibility worker who will be responsible for your cash aid program.
  • Mental Health and Substance Abuse Counselors and Domestic Violence Victim Advocates are available on site to assist you. If you have legal problems, your counselor may refer you to one of our other service providers at no cost to you.
  • SonomaWORKS provides help with essential supportive services such as childcare, transportation, and work or training related expenses while you are participating in the SonomaWORKS program.
  • There is a lifetime, cumulative, 48-month time limit for all adults (18 years or older) for the receipt of cash assistance. This limit applies to aid received from any county or state. The 48-month time limit does not apply to children.

Through SonomaWORKS, everyone can win. You can gain a job and a better future. Employers can gain skilled employees. It’s up to you. Your efforts will result in positive changes for yourself and your family.

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Who Must Participate?

Mandatory Participants: Your eligibility worker or specialist will let you know if you must participate in SonomaWORKS when you apply for TANF, when your TANF eligibility is redetermined, or when you have a change in your exemption status. If you are a TANF recipient, and you are not exempt, you must participate in SonomaWORKS activities. You are called a “mandatory” participant. As a mandatory participant, you must help you and your family achieve self sufficiency by:

  • Keeping all appointments made with anyone connected with SonomaWORKS.
  • Agreeing to and signing a Welfare to Work Plan within ninety days after being approved for TANF and meet the requirements of that Plan.
  • Keeping your current earnings and job.
  • Providing proof of satisfactory progress in your assigned activity.

Volunteers: Even if you are exempt from participation in SonomaWORKS, we encourage you to volunteer. Contact your SonomaWORKS eligibility worker or specialist. You can exit SonomaWORKS at any time without losing your TANF grant, if you are still exempt from program participation. When your exemption ends, you will become a mandatory SonomaWORKS participant.

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Who is Exempt? (Does not have to participate in SonomaWORKS)

You are exempt from SonomaWORKS participation if you are:

  • Are under 16 years old and not a custodial parent.
  • Are 60 years or older.
  • Are 16, 17, or 18 years old and attend school (not college) full time, unless you are in school as one of your SonomaWORKS activities or you are a custodial parent.
  • Are disabled and the disability is expected to keep you from working or participating in a SonomaWORKS activity, as long as you are getting the medical help you need. Your disability
    must be expected to last at least 30 days.
  • Are pregnant and a doctor states that you cannot work or participate in SonomaWORKS activities.
  • Are required to stay at home to care for someone in the household who is unable to care for her/himself and it keeps you from working or participating in a SonomaWORKS activity on a regular basis.
  • Are the parent (or other caretaker relative) of a child six months of age or younger and are personally providing care for the child, with the following considerations:
    • You may be exempt for this reason only one time.
    • If you received the above exemption and give birth to or adopt another child, you may be eligible for an exemption of up to 12 weeks.
    • If you are a teen parent required to participate in the Cal-Learn program, this exemption does not apply.
    • If you are the non-parent caretaker relative of a child who is a dependent or a ward of the court, or a child at risk of placement in foster care, and the County decides that taking care of the child keeps you from working or participating in a SonomaWORKS activity on a regular
      basis.
  • Your worker will discuss other potential exemptions as appropriate.

Your eligibility worker or specialist will ask for proof when you claim any of the above exemptions. Your eligibility worker or specialist can review your situation at any time. Even though you are exempt, the exempt time may count towards your 60-month federal participation limit.

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What to Expect

Appraisal/Eligibility Determination

After the SonomaWORKS Orientation, you will meet with a specialist for an appraisal to review your skills, abilities, education and work history. During the appraisal, your specialist will determine whether you are eligible for cash aid through the TANF/SonomaWORKS Program. In order to qualify for TANF/ SonomaWORKS, your children must show a need due to the absence, death, incapacity or unemployment of a parent.

Your specialist will review your situation and application. They will need to review documents such as birth certificates, proof of pregnancy, bank statements, car registrations, verification that school-age children are attending school, and proof that children under the age of six have received all age-appropriate immunizations. You may be referred to other agencies and be asked to bring back proof that you went to those agencies.

Once your specialist has looked over your paperwork, you'll be asked to sign a Statement of Facts. This is a legal document, so be sure you understand the application before you sign it. Your specialist will determine if you qualify for cash assistance and will mail you a Notice of Action (letter from the County) telling you the amount of aid for which you have been approved, or that aid has been denied and the reason for the denial. Your specialist will also determine if you are required to participate in the SonomaWORKS program.

Job Search

Following the appraisal, most participants will be assigned to four weeks of job search activities. Job search will take place at a nonprofit agency in your community. The job search time period may be extended if the county and you agree that it would be beneficial to you.

The following participants will not be required to participate in Job Search after the Appraisal, but may ask to do so:

  • A person who is working in an unsubsidized job or is participating in an approved Self-Initiated Program (SIP – see explanation below) if the job search schedule would keep them from working or participating in their SIP.
  • A teen parent required to participate in the Teen Parent program or a custodial parent age 19, without a high school diploma or GED.
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Assessment

If you did not find a job during job search or you did not attend job search, you will meet with a counselor for an in depth assessment of your abilities, interests, work history, and education to determine an employment goal that will help lead you to self-sufficiency. The assessment may include vocational testing or workshops designed to help you identify your goal. Your counselor may ask you to do some research about the local labor market demand for your job goal. With your counselor, you will develop a Welfare to Work Plan, which will include a series of activities and services to help you reach your employment goal.

Self-Initiated Program (SIP)

If you are enrolled in an educational or training program at the time of your appraisal, you may be considered to be in a Self-Initiated Program (SIP). Your counselor will make the determination. If your SIP is not approved, you have until the end of the current semester to complete the steps required to have your SIP approved or to complete your education/training program. State law does not allow SonomaWORKS to support education for degrees beyond the Bachelor’s level.

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence happens when a person hurts or threatens to hurt someone from a past or present intimate relationship.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, please let your specialist or counselor know. You can meet with the SonomaWORKS Domestic Violence Victim Advocate. She can put you in contact with organizations that provide shelter, counseling, and legal assistance to victims of domestic violence. If your domestic violence situation is a barrier for you in reaching self-sufficiency, your specialist or counselor may also change the following SonomaWORKS requirements for you:

  • Extend time limits on receipt of cash aid.
  • Reduce work requirements.
  • Postpone certain verifications, such as school attendance.
  • Suspend paternity establishment, and/or child support cooperation.

Your confidentiality will be protected if you identify yourself as a victim of domestic violence. If you want to discuss how we can help you to get out of a harmful situation, please speak with your counselor or specialist. Our highest concern is for you and your children’s safety.

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Hours of Required Participation

Your SonomaWORKS counselor will determine how many hours you are required to participate, as determined by the definitions below:

One-Parent Families: If you are the adult in a one-parent SonomaWORKS family and you are not exempt, you will have to participate in your assigned activity or activities for at least 32 hours a week. Note that 20 hours of this time need to be in a core activity.

Two-Parent Families: If you are an adult in a two-parent SonomaWORKS family, and are not exempt, you and/or the other parent will have to participate in your assigned SonomaWORKS activities for at least 35 hours a week. Note that 30 hours of this time need to be in a core activity with one of the parents doing a
minimum of 20 core activity hours.

Note: The hours of participation requirements do not apply if you are participating in the Cal-Learn Program.

Participating in More Than One Activity at a Time: You may be scheduled to participate in more than one activity at the same time if it is consistent with your Welfare to Work Plan and the activities can be scheduled together. The time in these activities are added together to meet your participation requirement.

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SonomaWORKS Activities

SonomaWORKS offers many activities. It is not likely you will participate in every activity. You and your counselor will select your activities based on your needs, interest, skills and abilities, work history and schedule.

At least 20 hours (30 hours if 2 parent family) of your Welfare to Work time must be spent in “core” activities. The following activities meet this definition:

  • Community Service: Is an opportunity to learn basic skills, enhance existing job skills and provide a needed service to your community. You will gain job training and experience while developing community contacts and meeting prospective employers. Community Service is available to individuals living in remote areas of Sonoma County who are unable to attend other activities.
  • Job Search & Job Readiness Assistance: Normally includes a 4-week program, Job Search & Job Readiness will help you learn job seeking and interviewing skills, understand employer expectations, and learn skills designed to enhance an individual’s capacity to move toward self-sufficiency.
  • Self-Employment: SonomaWORKS may allow participants who are self-employed a short period of time (no more than three to six months) to develop their business and earn a wage (after expenses are allowed) equal to minimum wage multiplied by the number of hours the participant is required to meet. If after the short period of time, minimum requirements are not met, you must participate in other work activities.
  • Unsubsidized Employment: Includes paid employment where the wage is not subsidized.
  • Vocational Training: Includes, classes offered by colleges, community colleges, adult schools, regional occupation centers or programs, and private schools. Training is limited to 12 months. After attending 12 months of vocational training, any additional vocational training is considered a non-core activity.
  • Work-Study: Work experience that takes place on a job site, which provides wages, college financial assistance or college credits.

Your remaining hours of participation can be in “non-core” activities that also help you become self sufficient. The following are activities that you may participate in as “non-core”:

  • Adult Basic Education: Includes reading, writing, arithmetic, high school proficiency, GED, English as a Second Language (ESL).
  • Education Directly Related to Employment: Education directly related to and needed to obtain or retain employment.
  • Job Skills Training Directly Related to Employment: Includes training or education for job skills required by an employer.
  • Vocational Training: After attending 12 months of vocational training, any additional vocational training is considered a non-core activity.
  • Mental Health, Substance Abuse or Domestic Violence Services: Services are available on-site for SonomaWORKS participants and, in some cases, their families, if necessary to obtain and retain employment.
  • Reappraisal: If you have not found a job after finishing all Welfare to Work Plan activities, you will see your counselor for a reappraisal. At the reappraisal, you and your counselor will determine if special circumstances prevented you from reaching your goal. If so, your plan will be extended or changed.

Your Employment & Training Counselor can answer any questions about the hours you are required to participate and what activities you will need to meet the “core activities” requirement.

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Welfare to Work Plan

You and your counselor will work together to determine your career goal and develop a plan to reach it. Your Welfare to Work Plan will list your goal, the activities you agree to participate in to reach your goal, and the services you will receive.

Sometimes plans are written in stages with a series of goals that lead to self-sufficiency. Your plan may evolve as you go through the program. Other plans are written in one or two meetings.

Once you sign your Welfare to Work Plan, you are committed to it. You are required to notify your counselor before you change the activities listed on the plan or enroll in activities that are not in the plan. If you enroll in activities or classes that are not included in your plan, SonomaWORKS may not support your new activity. Your counselor will help you review your Welfare to Work Plan, including:

  • SonomaWORKS Rights and Responsibilities Agreement tells you about SonomaWORKS. It outlines our responsibilities to you and your rights and responsibilities as a participant. This agreement applies as long as you are in SonomaWORKS.
  • This SonomaWORKS Handbook. Read this book and keep it handy so that you can refer back to it as needed.
  • Your Welfare to Work Plan outlines the steps that you will be taking and the services you will receive under SonomaWORKS. Read all of the parts of your Welfare to Work Plan carefully. If you have any questions, be sure to ask your counselor. Both you and your counselor will sign an activity agreement for each activity in your plan. In order to remain in good standing with SonomaWORKS, you must continue to participate for the appropriate number of hours, moving from one activity to another, until you get a job and become self-supporting.
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Supportive Services

SonomaWORKS will pay for certain supportive services needed while you participate in your activities if other funding sources are not available for these expenses, SonomaWORKS will help you arrange and pay for the supportive services described below:

  • Childcare: If childcare is necessary for you to participate in SonomaWORKS activities, SonomaWORKS will pay for childcare for each child who is 12 years old or younger and included on your TANF grant. Also, the program may pay for childcare for a child who lives with you but is not on your TANF grant, if not having childcare would keep you from participating or getting a job. You can choose the kind of childcare provider you want, including a childcare center, relative, friend, or neighbor. We cannot pay for childcare provided by somebody who is on your TANF grant, or who is the child’s legal guardian or the child’s parent, or by someone who is under 18 years old. Payments can be made to licensed childcare providers and, in some cases, to persons who are not licensed. If your provider is not licensed, unless your provider is your child’s aunt, uncle, or grandparent, he or she must apply for TrustLine registration. If TrustLine registration applies to your situation, you will be given more information. We cannot pay more than the normal rate for childcare in the area where you live. We will only pay the provider. We do not reimburse you for childcare costs you have paid, or for childcare that occurred more than thirty days prior to the date you requested childcare. A full explanation of the SonomaWORKS Child Care policies is contained in the SonomaWORKS Child Care Parent/Provider handbook.
  • Alternative Payment Program: Once you are working steadily, have started training or you leave aid, we will transfer your childcare services to the local Alternative Payment Program. Your childcare provider does not have to change once you go to work or transition off aid. If you still need help with your childcare costs after you are no longer receiving cash aid, you may be eligible, depending on the amount of your income and your family’s situation, to continue to get help from the Alternative Payment Program.
  • Transportation: SonomaWORKS will pay reasonable transportation costs for you to participate in your SonomaWORKS activity, to accept or keep a job, and to travel to and from childcare as needed. The program will reimburse you at the same rate as the least costly form of public transportation, unless there is no public transportation available. In that case, if you use your own vehicle, you must have a valid driver’s license to be reimbursed. If you are using public transportation, you may receive bus passes. Advance payments (gas vouchers and bus tickets) are available, if considered appropriate.
  • Work or Training Expenses: SonomaWORKS will purchase items, such as books, tools, and special clothing if needed for participation in your SonomaWORKS training and educational activities or to obtain employment. If you have expenses that you want SonomaWORKS to cover, contact your counselor. Your counselor will ask you to get an estimate from the vendor with the exact cost of the item. Do not purchase the item until you have discussed it with your counselor.
  • Personal Counseling: If you need personal counseling to help you participate in SonomaWORKS, mental health counselors are available for you on-site. Your counselor can also provide referrals to places in your community that may be able to help you.
  • Advance Payments: If you qualify for SonomaWORKS supportive services payments, and you need your supportive service payment before you begin your work activity, talk with your counselor or specialist.

Note: If SonomaWORKS provides you with supportive service payments to help you participate in the program and you do not participate, do not provide proof of satisfactory attendance when requested, or do not provide proof that you purchased the item we made payment for, the supportive service payment is considered an overpayment. If SonomaWORKS pays more for childcare, transportation, or work/training related costs than necessary for you to participate in SonomaWORKS, you may have to pay SonomaWORKS back.

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Satisfactory Participation

Attendance: When you sign your activity agreement, you agree to go to your activity and provide proof of attendance by signing and submitting attendance reports. You must submit your signed attendance sheets in order for SonomaWORKS to be able to pay for your supportive services and to verify you are meeting participation requirements.

Satisfactory Progress: SonomaWORKS uses the standards of each educational institution to determine satisfactory academic progress.

Completion of Activity: SonomaWORKS expects you to fully participate in your activities and to complete all assignments. If you are unable to attend or complete your activity, or if you want to change your activity, notify your counselor immediately.

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Good Reasons for Not Participating

You may have a good reason for any of the following:

  • Not signing your Welfare to Work plan.
  • Not taking part in one of the SonomaWORKS activities that you agreed to in your activity assignment.
  • Not accepting a job offer or job referral, quitting a job, or reducing your earnings. Some reasons may be personal and others may be related to the assignment.


Examples of reasons related to activity assignment or job:

  • Discrimination at the job or training because of age, sex, race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation or marital status.
  • Travel to work or training from your home is more than two hours round-trip by car, bus or other transportation, or more than two miles round-trip if you have to walk because other transportation is not available. The limit on travel and mileage does not include time or mileage to take family members to and from school or to and from other care providers.
    NOTE: If you do not take a job or participate in as assigned activity because of this reason, you will have to participate in Community Service.
  • The job requires more daily or weekly hours than is normal or customary or have not been paid for work hours you completed.
  • Conditions at the job or training violate health and safety standards or could cause you serious injury or death.
  • The job or work activity does not provide Workers’ Compensation Insurance.
  • Accepting a job or work activity would interrupt or interfere with an approved education or training assignment, except work experience or community service.
  • Accepting a job or work activity would cause you to violate the terms of your union membership.
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What Happens If You Do Not Participate

As you know, participation in SonomaWORKS is mandatory for all TANF applicants and recipients. Exemptions are listed in the section entitled, “Who is Exempt”.

If for any reason, you do not do what SonomaWORKS requires, the following steps will be taken:

Cause Determination: If you do not meet SonomaWORKS requirements, you have the right to explain why you did not. Your counselor or specialist will determine if your reason is valid. See “Good Reasons for Not Participating.” If you have a good reason for not doing what SonomaWORKS requires, your counselor will try to help you so that you can meet the requirements.

Compliance: If you do not meet SonomaWORKS requirements, your counselor or specialist will send you a notice. You will have 20 calendar days after the date of the notice to meet with or call your counselor or specialist to explain the reasons you were not able to meet the requirements or to sign a Conciliation Plan, if you do not have a reason. If you meet the Conciliation Plan’s requirements, no penalties will be applied.

Financial Sanctions: If you are a mandatory participant (see Who Must Participate), your family’s cash
aid will be lowered if you fail or refuse to meet SonomaWORKS requirements without a good reason, and do not resolve the problem by signing and completing a Conciliation Plan.

If a financial sanction is applied to your case, you will be removed from the TANF grant, but your children will still get aid. This means your grant amount will be reduced. If your family is a two-parent family getting cash aid because of unemployment, there are special rules for financial sanctions. If the parent who must participate in SonomaWORKS causes a financial sanction, both parents will lose their cash aid. The parent who did not cause the sanction can keep his/her cash aid if he or she participates in SonomaWORKS, is exempt, or has a good cause for not participating.

If you are sanctioned, your family’s aid will be lowered until you meet the requirements of SonomaWORKS.

Non-participating Volunteers: Individuals who are exempt from participation (see “Who is Exempt”) may choose to volunteer to participate in SonomaWORKS. If you volunteer for the SonomaWORKS program, but fail to meet SonomaWORKS requirements without a good reason, you will not be able to participate.

Your Child’s School Attendance: If your child is required to attend school, you must show proof that your child is attending school regularly. If your child has unsatisfactory attendance (unless he or she is eligible to participate in the Cal-Learn Program), your family’s TANF grant will be lowered.

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What You Can Do if You Do Not Agree

There are two actions you can take if you do not agree with decision or actions related to your case.

State Hearing: If you disagree with any county decision regarding a SonomaWORKS penalty, your status (standing) in SonomaWORKS, your SonomaWORKS activity or your SonomaWORKS supportive services, you can ask for a state hearing. Your counselor or specialist will help you file for a state hearing if you want one. You can request a rehearing after the state hearing decision is reached if you don’t agree with the
decision and want to pursue it further.

  • If you file for a state hearing before the date of the county’s proposed action, the change will not be applied pending the hearing decision.

If you file for a state hearing for any other county action, different rules apply. The hearing rights form explains those rules and is contained on the back of every notice of action. A complete explanation of your state hearing rights is contained in Publication 13, Your Rights Under California Welfare Laws.

Independent Assessment: If you do not agree with the results of your Assessment or Welfare to Work plan, someone who is not a SonomaWORKS representative will review your Assessment and do another one, if necessary. The results of this independent assessment will be used to set up your Welfare to Work plan. If you have an independent assessment done, penalties will not be applied while you await the results of the review, if applicable.

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Post-Aid Services

If you have stopped receiving TANF/SonomaWORKS and are working, you may be eligible to participate in some SonomaWORKS activities, and receive case management and supportive services for up to 12 months from your date of discontinuance. Help with childcare costs may be available for up to 24 months from the date you stop receiving TANF/ SonomaWORKS. These services are available to help you keep your job and/or advance to a better job, so that you are able to support yourself and your family.

Your Worker

While you are getting cash aid and in SonomaWORKS activities, you have several different workers assigned to your case. It is very important to understand your different workers’ roles so that you can contact the correct person. Contacting the correct worker will help you get the services and information you need more quickly. Below is a list of the different kinds of workers and an explanation of their roles in your case.


Employment & Training Specialist (ETS) at Application

  • Determines your initial eligibility for cash, food and medical assistance based on information you report and eligibility rules.
  • Determines whether you must participate in SonomaWORKS and sets up your first activity and supportive services.

Ongoing Employment & Training Specialist (ETS)

  • Determines correct cash aid, Food Stamps and medical benefits based on your QR 7 Status Report and annual redetermination.
  • Makes changes to your aid amount based on information you report and eligibility rules.

Ongoing Eligibility Worker (EW)

  • Works with you if you are exempt from SonomaWORKS.
  • Determines correct cash aid, Food Stamps and medical benefits based on your QR 7 Status Report and annual redetermination.
  • Makes changes to your aid amount based on information you report and eligibility rules.

Employment & Training Counselor (ETC)

  • Works with you to develop your Welfare to Work Plan along with your ongoing activities in SonomaWORKS.
  • Approves supportive services you may need to participate.
  • Monitors your participation in assigned activities.
  • Helps with Post Aid services you may need when you go off cash aid.
  • Works with you on exemptions and good cause requests.
  • Connects you to other services you and your family may need.
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