The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is a community service and work-based job training program for older Americans. Authorized by the Older Americans Act, the program provides training for low-income, unemployed seniors. Participants also have access to employment assistance through American Job Centers.
SCSEP participants gain work experience in a variety of community service activities at non-profit and public facilities, including schools, hospitals, day-care centers, and senior centers. The program provides over 40 million community service hours to public and non-profit agencies, allowing them to enhance and provide needed services. Participants work an average of 20 hours a week and are paid the highest of federal, state or local minimum wage. This training serves as a bridge to unsubsidized employment opportunities for participants.
Participants must be at least 55, unemployed, and have a family income of no more than 125% of the federal poverty level. Enrollment priority is given to veterans and qualified spouses, then to individuals who are over 65, have a disability, have low literacy skills or limited English proficiency, reside in a rural area, are homeless or at risk of homelessness, have low employment prospects, or have failed to find employment after using services through the American Job Center system.
Program Overview: The program has two purposes: to provide useful community services and to foster individual economic self-sufficiency through training and job placement in unsubsidized jobs. Services provided include:
- up to 20 hours a week of part-time employment in community service assignments
- job training and related educational opportunities
- opportunities for placement into unsubsidized jobs
Community service assignments include the following activities:
- social, health, welfare, and educational services (particularly literacy tutoring)
- personal assistance, including tax counseling and assistance and financial counseling
- library, recreational, and other similar services
- conservation, maintenance, or restoration of natural resources
- community betterment or beautification
- anti-pollution and environmental quality efforts
- weatherization activities
- economic development; and
- such other services essential and necessary to the community as the Secretary of the Department of Labor, by regulation, may prescribe.
Goal: SCSEP provides both community services and work-based training. Participants work an average of 20 hours a week, and are paid the highest of federal, state or local minimum wage. They are placed in a wide variety of community service activities at non-profit and public facilities, including day-care centers, senior centers, schools and hospitals. It is intended that community service training serves as a bridge to unsubsidized employment opportunities; SCSEP’s goal is to place 30% of its authorized positions into unsubsidized employment annually.
Available Services: Services available through the SCSEP program for assisting older workers are:
Community Services – the program provides over 40 million community service hours to public and non-profit agencies, allowing them to enhance and provide needed services
Participant Services – Individual Employment Plan (IEP) development, orientation, community service placement, training specific to community service assignment, other training as identified in the IEP, supportive services, wages, fringe benefits, annual physicals, assistance in securing unsubsidized employment, and access to local One-Stop Career Centers.
Eligible Participants: Eligible Participants: Program participants must be at least 55, unemployed, and have a family income of no more than 125% of the federal poverty level.
For Service Area:
Chester County
Hardeman County
Hardin County
McNairy County
Contact:
Kim Hurley
SCSEP Coordinator
P.O. Box 264
Henderson, TN 38340
Phone: 731-989-5160
Fax: 731-989-4414
Email: lasonja.hurley@mchra.com
For Service Area:
Decatur County
Hardin County
Henderson County
Madison County
Contact:
Martha Alexander
SCSEP Coordinator
P.O. Box 264
Henderson, TN 38340
Phone: 731-989-5111 x1133
Fax: 731-983-3759
Email: martha.alexander@swhra.org