Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) Succeeds with Seamless Implementation Across All Levels

by Jim Carter, Ph.D., Senior Consultant, Learning Designs, Inc.
 
To achieve the goals of the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) program, it must be successfully implemented across the federal, state, local, and interpersonal levels. A breakdown at any point prevents meeting the goals of aiding individuals in their journey back to the workforce, ensuring integrity of unemployment services, and reducing utilization of resources. Thus, all workforce staff responsible for delivery of RESEA may benefit from a review of key concepts emphasized across levels of implementation.
 
Federal Level
Since 2005, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has made significant accomplishments towards planning, developing, delivering, evaluating, and updating RESEA. Not surprisingly, DOL continues to show strong support for RESEA to accomplish the major goals of reducing unemployment insurance utilization (UI) by increasing employment, strengthening UI integrity, aligning with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and serving as an entry point to other partners.​¹ On the federal level, the DOL has provided a pathway for implementation that highlights the importance of collaboration, integration with other workforce efforts, and utilization of evidence-based strategies.²⋅³
 
State Level
By providing individual states with flexibility, RESEA grants allow for variation in terms of how states identify program participants, establish outreach efforts and goals, and integrate services with other statewide initiatives. As a result, implementation approaches across states can be tailored to their demographics, industries, and market demands. For example, the State of Texas updated and integrated their RESEA model with the Goals in Texas: Jobs Over Benefits (GiT:JOBS) initiative.⁴ Several states have embraced the use of multimedia technology (e.g., Arizona, Arkansas, California, and others) to offer online virtual orientations that prepare RESEA participants for initial meetings. Finally, many states have also integrated behavioral insights to successfully promote increased attendance at scheduled RESEA meetings.⁵   
 
Local Level
At the local level, workforce agencies develop unique and innovative procedures to meet the more specific needs of their communities. For example, many boards focus on developing partnerships with local employers, educational and vocational training institutions, and community organizations to provide targeted support services (e.g., transition from military to civilian life) that align with regional needs and opportunities.⁵  These implementation efforts require ongoing awareness of local resources and market trends, as well as the development and maintenance of professional relationships with other agencies and staff, to ensure that referrals and recommendations remain current and valid. Local agencies also focus on staffing and staff training to fulfill federal and state requirements. Thus, at the local level, a great deal of effort is focused on executing the details of implementation.
 
Interpersonal Level
Because RESEA is ultimately implemented on an interpersonal level between the case managers and participants, workforce staff require specialized knowledge and communication strategies to effectively capitalize on claimants’ participation and affect the desired outcomes.  Not only should staff be informed about all applicable, federal, state, and local RESEA policies, but they also need interpersonal skills related to enhancing participant engagement, providing personalized feedback and recommendations, and addressing barriers. This combination of staff knowledge and skills can enhance optimization of the guidance and resources offered to job seekers.⁶⋅⁷ If participants become confused, overwhelmed, withdrawn, dismissive, defensive, or oppositional, outreach efforts are less likely to be put into action. Thus, the person-to-person interaction skills may be a critical piece of the RESEA implementation puzzle.
 
In conclusion, the success of RESEA implementation depends on integrated efforts at the federal, state, local, and interpersonal levels. All participating workforce agencies are encouraged to assess and bolster staff knowledge and capabilities required at all levels as part of their commitment to supporting individuals in their pursuit of gainful employment. By leveraging evidence-based strategies, targeted interventions, and collaborative partnerships, RESEA can continue to play a vital role in helping individuals navigate a seamless pathway to reemployment and economic stability.
 
Citations
1. Parton, B (2024) Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Funding Allotments and Operating Guidance for Unemployment Insurance (UI) Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) Grant – Training and Employment Guidance Letter No. 11-23. US DOL Website, Employment and Training Administration.
2. Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment Grants (RESEA) – Facilitating Employment and Increasing Program Integrity (2024) US DOL Website, Employment and Training Administration.
3. Chief Eval Office, Office of the Assist. Secretary for Policy, US DOL (2023) Always Learning Something New: How Building a Culture of Evidence, Evaluation, and Learning Leads to Program Improvement (2023) Webinar, Abt Global.
4. Robinson, S. (2023) Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment: RESEA GiT:JOBS Initiative. Presentation at Texas Workforce Commission Conference, Houston, TX.
5. Chief Eval Office, Office of the Assist. Secretary for Policy, US DOL (2022) RESEA Program Strategies: State and Local Implementation. Abt Associates.
6. Britt, E. et al. (2018) Motivational Interviewing to promote employment. J of Employment Counseling, 55, Wiley.
7. Darling, M, Lefkowitz, J., Amin, S., Perez-Johnson, I., Chojnacki, G., & Manley, M. (2017) Practitioner’s Playbook for Applying Behavioral Insights to Labor Programs. Washington, DC: Mathematica Policy Research.