Low-income residents of Texas County are eligible to utilize a service called the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) to help them find work.
Administered by MERS Goodwill in 33 Missouri counties, the program assigns participants to 501c3 not-for-profit agencies. MERS Goodwill SCSEP case manager Dianne Allen (whose office is in West Plains) said there are currently several openings in the counties she serves, including Butler, Carter, Howell, Oregon, Ripley, Shannon, Texas and Wayne.
Allen said SCSEP participants are currently placed in Texas County at the senior centers in Houston and Cabool, the Summersville Community Center, the Texas County Food Pantry in Houston and Ozark Action in Houston.
In the past, participants have been placed at Houston High School, Head Start and the University of Missouri Texas County Extension office in Houston.
“We provide training for older workers in different job responsibilities such as clerical, kitchen and general maintenance,” said Houston Senior Center director Bernadine Hohlt. “The individuals learn skills that can help them transition into a job, such as resume building, job interview skills, computer skills, office and clerical skills along with kitchen, cooking and food preparation skills. This job-training program helps fill the gap in volunteer positions and gives beneficial training to help older workers be able to rejoin the work force.”
The SCSEP is a federally funded program authorized by Title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965 to provide subsidized, part-time, community service work-based training. It is designed for low-income people age 55 or older who desire help finding a job.
The SCSEP has a long history of placing participants to assist with duties like customer service, reception, data entry, file maintenance, inventory, stocking, janitorial or whatever other services a host organization might need. Participants are usually required to work a scheduled 20 hours per week at a pay rate of $7.85 per hour, and may remain in the program for up to 48 months.
One of the primary goals of the SCSEP is to prepare participants to find permanent employment, either at the host organization or elsewhere. All expenses and liability are covered, so there is no cost to the host organization.
“It’s a great way for us to find reliable help at no expense to us,” Hohlt said.
The Houston Senior Center has two SCSEP participants: Susan Tayloe and Dorothy Taylor. Tayloe has been in the program for about two years and works with the center’s kitchen staff, while Taylor has been a participant for about three months, doing clerical and secretarial work at the center.
Taylor heard about the SCSEP while volunteering at the Texas County Food Pantry.
“They’re teaching me so many things, and I get paid while I learn,” she said. “How can you beat that?”
Qualifying organizations not involved with SCSEP are encouraged to join the program.
“We are always interested in signing up new agencies to work with our program to assist our seniors with all sorts of training which will assist them in obtaining employment,” Allen said.
A skills assessment and an Individual Employment Plan (IEP) define and focus the training goals for each participant. Most participants are assigned a variety of tasks that give them both recent experience to record on their resumes and the confidence of having more up-to-date skills.
•Placement Services
The ultimate goal of the SCSEP is to prepare and transition each participant into permanent employment. The IEP for every participant includes a requirement that they actively search for a job. A job developer is assigned to each participant to provide assistance with the job search, resumes and interview coaching.
• Supportive Services
The SCSEP can provide a variety of supportive services, including a training wage for the time a participant spends at their host organization, along with assistance with education, clothes, counseling and other items needed for work.
MORE ABOUT THE SCSEP
For more information about the Senior Community Service Employment Program, call Dianne Allen at 314-791-9320 or email her at dallen@mersgoodwill.com.