TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION NOTICE No. 31-97
Employment and Training for America's Homeless: Final Report on the Job Training for the Homeless Demonstration Program
To announce the publication and distribution of Employment and Training for America's Homeless: Final Report on the Job Training for the Homeless Demonstration Program.
Questions, comments or suggestions should be addressed to Tom NaSell at 202-219-5782 x123.
Background: The Job Training for the Homeless Demonstration Program (JTHDP) was authorized under Section 731 of the McKinney Act (Public law 100-77). Under this legislation, the U.S. Department Labor (DOL) was authorized to plan, implement, and evaluate a job training demonstration program for homeless individuals. The resulting JTHDP, administered by DOL's Employment and Training Administration (ETA), represented the first comprehensive federal program specifically designed to provide employment and training services (and a wide range of other support services) for homeless individuals and to assist them in securing employment. The demonstration effort was launched in September 1988 with a series of grants to 32 locally operated demonstration sites across the nation. JTHDP was implemented over four phases, each somewhat distinct, building upon the experiences of the previous phase. Phase one was an "exploratory phase," designed to test the feasibility of the demonstration effort, help shape the direction of future phases, and develop a methodology for the evaluation. Phase two provided sites considerable flexibility in designing their service delivery strategies, selecting program participants, and determining which services participants received and how services were sequenced. Building on what was learned during JTHDP's initial phases, DOL/ETA announced a new initiative for JTHDP in November 1990. In accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) negotiated between DOL and HUD, during Phase three sites were required to establish a comprehensive housing assistance strategy. With the demonstration effort drawing to a close, the fourth phase emphasized "partnering" of JTHDP sites with local JTPA programs, as well as the continuation of projects in their localities after the demonstration effort concluded. A major emphasis of the final phase was on broadening and enhancing effective delivery of services to the homeless by the current Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Title II-A service delivery system. This report is two-fold: (1) to analyze the results of the JTHDP and (2) to draw out lessons learned from the demonstration that can help guide future efforts at providing comprehensive and cost-effective services to address the problem of homelessness in the United States. Particular emphasis is placed on the lessons learned with regard to providing employment and training services. However, there is a wide spectrum of other types of housing and support services that are needed to effectively help homeless individuals and families make the transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency. This particular report is designed to address the following major questions: -- Who did JTHDP serve? -- How did JTHDP grantees serve program participants? -- What were the key program linkages? -- What were the outcomes for participants and costs related to serving these participants? -- How successful were JTHDP sites in "partnering" with the JTPA service delivery system? -- Were JTHDP sites able to continue serving homeless individuals at the conclusion of the demonstration effort? Distribution: Copies of this report have been sent under separate cover to all addressees. Additional copies are available through the Office of Policy and Research, Dissemination Unit, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N5637, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210, telephone number: 202-219-7664 x119.
All State JTPA Liaisons All State Worker Adjustment Liaisons All State Employment Security Agencies All One-stop Career Center System Leads
David Henson Director
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration