Post on 14-Sep-2019
~ Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin - Job Training Program A
2016 Public Law 102-477 Annual Report
The Community Resource Center provides program services under the funding of Public Law
102-477 (WIA and NEW) the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Program and
State of Wisconsin Income Maintenance (Food Share and Medical) The Public Law l 02-477
funds consist of WIOA Section 166 Comprehensive Services Program WIOA Section 166
Supplemental Youth Services and Native Employment Works (NEW) Program Our Tribal
TANF program is not included under our 477 program funding The funding cycle is based on a
July 1 to June 30 year
The Mission Statement is to provide high quality job training employment labor market
information and income maintenance services
Our Vision is to promote pathways to economic independence for our members and families
The Community Resource Program will administer effective programs that include the following
goals
1 To reduce the overall costs of public assistance by promoting work as a means of
family suppo1t
2 To promote individual employability of 477TANF recipients through close
collaboration and coordination between the 477 Program Tribal TANF Education
Departments and all our partnerships that provide services to the community
3 To reduce generational dependency on public assistance through the development
and awareness ofwork ethics and their value to individual families their children and
the community
4 To decrease specific barriers to employment such as drug and alcohol dependence by
establishing drug testing as one of the necessary eligibility requirements for
477TANF benefits
5 Promote self-esteem independence and selfsufficiency
The Menominee Indian ReservationCounty is located in Northeastern Wisconsin on 365 square miles and consists of the communities of Keshena South Branch Middle Village Neopit and Zoar
- s__------cJ---cJ
Demographics
In 2015 there were an estimated 4573 people residing 111 Menominee County
(httpfactfindercensusgov) an increase of 51 people since the 2014 estimated census Of this
population approximately 875 identify themselves as Native American The trend continues
with more Tribal members moving home to the reservation when experiencing hard times off of
the reservation Uob loss decreased wages etc) Available housing remains a concern and many
homes are multi-family dwellings There are approximately 609 other relatives and 292 nonshy
relatives living in the family dwellings (AmericanFactFindercom) The Menominee County
annual median household income was $3774000 compared to the State of Wisconsin s rate of
$5273800 These figures depict that approximately 41 of the households are living at or
below the median household income and 226 living below the federa l poverty level
Employment
The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin is the main employer within the county prov iding
employment for 1569 workers (an increase of 83 employees from 2015) which includes
Menominee Tribal Enterprise-Logging and Saw Mill (199) Menominee Indian Tribe of
Wisconsin Tribal programs which includes the Tribal School (866) and Menominee Casino
Resort (504) The Menominee School District rated second employing ISO followed by College
of Menominee Nation with 154 and Menominee County Employees totaling 90 positions The
Save-a-Lot grocery store has 18 employees and the local Family Dollar and a Subway have an
additional 15 employees This total of 1996 positions has increased over the past year by 60
positions
Menominee County Civilian Labor Force Data
Labor Force
2012
1705
2013
1766
2014
1540
2015 2016 9mo
average
1589 1578 Employed 1428 1443 1338 1432 1441 Unemployed 276 319 202 157 137
Unemployment Rate 1786 167 131 99 867
All Menominee Tribal programs continue to operating m a cost containment mode When
Directors have retired this past year Administration has reviewed these programs and have joined
a few like programs to reduce Administrative costs to run the program to free up funding for
services to the community
Of the 1996 people employed by the previous mentioned entities 1418 of these employees are
residents of Menominee County 1n the same respect 578 people travel to Menominee County
from other counties to work in Menominee County (AmericanFactFindercom)
Labor Force Population
Of the 2597 eligible people to be in the workforce 16-64 yrs of age according to American Fact
Finder currently 14 18 are employed in the labor force while 275 are unemployed This leaves a
total of 904 people not in the workforce currently The unemployment rate for this population is
162
Source WI DWD Local Area Unemployment Statistics WI Labor Force Estimates not seasonally adjusted
As budget cuts and cost containment continue for Tribal Departments the number of available
work placement sites has been affected as well We continue to be creative in working with
Tribal departments to obtain as many placements as possible that will hopefulJy lead to part or
full time employment for our clients
Unemplovment
Menominee County continues to have one the highest unemployment rates within the state of
Wisconsin Statistics from 2016 (Jan through September available) show an average
I
unemployment rate for the year of 867 compared to the rate of 1047 for 2015 and 1526
for 2014 We continue to see this rate improve from year to year which is a welcome sight but
we still have much work to do
2016 Civilian Labor Force Estimates for past nine months
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept - -
Labor Force 1554 1540 1545 1563 1550 1628 1618 1626 1574
Employed 1419 1403 1404 1404 1430 1479 1473 1486 1470
Unemployed 135 137 141 159 120 149 145 140 104 -
Unemployment Rate 87 89 91 102 77 92 9 86 66
Source Department of Workforce Development
Programs and Services
Through the flex ibility of PL-102-477 our program has been able to provide a variety of
opportunities and activities to our client base During the fiscal year we served 171 pruticipants
with job trainingeducationemployment services 16 ofwhich were a lso receiving cash assistance
through our Tribal TANF program Out of th is 171 79 have tenninated services and 92 continue
as active clients
Veterans are given preference for services to our program As a part of our application process
our form asks the client to provide self-declaration of being a veteran or a spouse of a veteran to
prioritize these applicants This past fiscal year a total of 5 veterans received assistance through
our program Returning veterans are referred to their Veteran Service Officer Mental Health
AODA andor Vocational Rehabil itation to assist with any service related issues they may be
experiencing
Education Rates
Ofour community members over the age of25 years (2563 according to
AmericanfactFindercom)
bull 1069 hold a High School Diploma or equivalency diploma- 417
bull 597 have some college training but no a degree - 233
bull 246 have obtained an Associates degree - 96
bull 276 hold a Bachelors degree - l 08
bull 146 have a Graduate or Professional degree - 57
That leaves an estimated 229 individuals without a high school diploma - about 88 The
number of graduates and advanced degrees has increased since last year
Education is always a goal when working with clients furthering their education can open up so
many more opportunities to them This past year we had 34 adult clients and 3 youth clients with
an EducationalTraining goal and had 2 adults and I youth that obtained their goal and 2 other
adults that completed another education outcome during the fiscal year This number only takes
into account those clients who are no longer a pa1i of the 477 program many more continue to
work towards their goal as an active client
We are fortunate to have the College of Menominee Nation on our reservation and readily
available to our clientele To familiarize clients with the college their first visit is usually to
complete their T ABE test during application The Community Technology Center that now
houses the Skills Lab Job Center of Wisconsin and the GED testing lab are utilized often by our
clients and the community Many return to utilize the Skill Builder Lab to brush up on needed
skill sets to improve their TABE scores Clients also utilize other area technical schools and
specialty programs
This past fiscal year we had clients complete the following goals one client completed their
CDL certification through Fox Valley Technical College one client received his Welding
Technical Education diploma from the College of Menominee Nation one female client obtained
her Office Technician diploma from the College of Menominee Nation and one client enrolled
and completed a weekend Dental Assistant Class tliat was completed in ten weeks These clients
were supported with a variety of supportive services for transportation tuition and specialty
clothing needs as well as a cash incentive for completion
Work Experience Contracts On-The-Job Training Emergency Hires and referrals
This past fiscal year we had 66 adult and 3 youth clients with an Employment Objective listed in
their plan Through the use of our Interdepartmental Agreement Form this past fiscal year we
were able to assist 12 clients with a Work Experience contract and 3 clients completed an Onshy
The-Job Training contract for experience The additional JPTA funding received this past fiscal
year allowed us to provide longer contracts for some of the clients that would benefit from more
experience and to provide some contracts that were just for experience and not for hire A total of
34 clients did not meet their employment goal this fiscal year of these many were working on
barriers to employment Those employed showed an earnings gain of $682 This past year we
have worked closely with many departments including Menominee Transit Menominee Tribal
Clinic Historic Preservation Menominee Casino Resort Menominee Early Childhood Services
Johnson OMalley Program Wolf River Development and Conservation
One female client completed her 8 week contract with the Menominee Casino Reso11 to gain
work experience and was able to use her income to pay off a $591 traffic fine Her placement
was extended and she went on to secure a flex position with the Casino in housekeeping This
work experience was her first job experience ever
Two male clients attended a Job Fair at the Shawano Job Center and received an interview with
two separate companies One became employed at a cheese factory and the other gentleman
received a temp-to-hire position as a welder The later was assisted with a welding helmet
gloves and gas cards
One female client completed a 4 week contract with Wolf River Development Company and was
hired full time at $1382hr as an Administrative Assistant She had over 22 years experience as
a Budget Specialist but her job was eliminated due to budget cuts
One female client completed an 8 week contract with Menominee Tribal Daycare and was hired
part time at $905hr Jn October 2016 she was transfeITed to a full time Head Cook position
earning $1124hr
One female client participated in the summer youth program for 3 years when she was in high
school which was her only work experience (six weeks each summer) She completed a Work
Experience placement with the Historic Preservation Department and used her income to pay a
$887 traffic fine She secured a flex Room Attendant position at North Star Casino and used her
earnings to pay for a State IDP and completed her Driver Safety classes which were a
requirement for her to regain her license She passed her written exam and driving test and
obtained a valid instructional permit Our program assisted her by utilizing CampJ Drivers
Education for behind the wheel instruction and use of his car for her skills exam She was
promoted to full time employment with insurance benefits in August and has maintained her
employment for one year
Work Experience contracts for our clients have assisted them to overcome their barriers and
become ready for employment The Job Counselors work with area departments to secure job
placements for hire utilizing our Interdepartmental Contract Most of these jobs are entry level
positions within the Tribe where clients will work a set number of hours between 20 and 40 and
be paid a comparable wage during their training period While our program pays at the rate of
minimum wage for these contracts the departments are encouraged to supplement the wage to
bring the client up to the given rate for the position they are ft II ing This past year 12 of the 9
positions were supplemented by the employers
Many of our clients have little or no employment history and these placements give them the
needed verifiable work history needed for job application requirements Job Counselors work
closely with the clients to monitor the clients growth in the position and assist with needed
changes to assure the job is a good fit for the client At the end of the contract the employer has
the option to hire the client into a regular part time or full time position
Our staff is always looking for new opportunities for our clients to become trained and employed
Our unemployment rate although it has improved remains to be one of the highest in the state
The need for additional full time employment opportunities for our clients is great Part time and
on-call wages are not sufficient to allow for a livable wage Childcare and transportation are also
a challenge our clients face when seeking employment at area gaming facilities
Tribal Pardons
Past legal issues can serve as a hindrance when applying for employment Our program has one
staff that is knowledgeable in the Tribal Pardon process which allows for past aged convictions to
be pardoned so they are able to obtain employment Clients have to complete a paper process
showing the improvements they have made in their lives and this gets presented to the
Menominee Tribal Legislature for determination This past year our employee successfully
assisted 8 community members to overcome this barrier Our program assists with the fees
charged to complete this process By taking care of this barrier they are one step closer to being
self-sufficient
Continued Training and Outreach Efforts
While assisting clients to develop as individuals it is also important for staff to continue to
develop Our program continues to be trained and informed about the effects of trauma on our
clients and how we can better work with them to assure we are not re-traumatizing individuals
This will be a work in progress as we continue to review policy and procedures and adapt to the
need The Director Assistant Director and the newly hired Job Counselor attended the annual PL
I 02-477 conference in Reno NV It is important for staff to attend these opportunities to refresh
and learn new ideas to utilize while working with clients to reach their potential
The Community Resource Center comprised of PL 102-477 Tribal TANF and Income
Maintenance program provided assistance andor personnel for the following community
eventsactivities during this fiscal year Culture Camp (two sessions) Coats for Kids Sturgeon
Feast Sobriety Pow Wow Round House Positive Indian Parenting Youth Olympics Night Out
Against Crime Coat and Blanket Giveaway and the Johnson OMalley Senior Banquet
Members of our staff participate in the following committeesactivities Community Engagement
Committee Community Coordinated Response Team Labor and Education Committee
Environmental Protection Committee Fostering Futures Advisory Council Trauma Informed
Care and Night out against Crime
Pathways to Success Training Calendar
Located in our facility is a 16 workstation computer lab that also functions as a meeting room
This room is utilized daily by 477 clients TANF clients and the community to attend the
Pathways to Success Training Calendar events Each month a schedule of events is planned and
posted within the community and shared with clients These trainings range from educational
informative to cultural crafting This year we collaborated with the following programs to
provide training Menominee Tribal Clinic (health and wellness) UW-Extension (food
preparation and cooking classes) and Menominee Job Center (interviewing resumes cover
letters soft skills and dressing for success) While the morning is reserved for the scheduled
training calendar the computer lab is open every afternoon from noon to four thity for clients to
use for job search activities and resume creation
We have staff members trained to complete the following on-site trainings throughout the
program year Native Wellness Life Skills Empowerment FatherhoodMotherhood is Sacred
Building Native Communities Discovery Dating Positive Indian Parenting and Healthy
Relationships We also offer workshops to enhance cultural activities including beading and
regalia making
Transportation
Lack of transportation is very prevalent on the reservation as well as eligible participants without
a driver s license Throughout the year we have assisted 6 individuals with obtaining their
instructional permit their regular drivers license or reinstatement of their license The local
transportation department is also utilized to assist clients in getting to appointments completing
job search and attending school The bus routes are frequent to allow for most day time
transportation needs Extended hours were added to the schedule this year to assist with evening
and weekend transportation needs An additional agreement is still in place with North Central
Technical College in Antigo (about 45 minutes from the reservation) to provide transportation for
those wanting to attend schooling that is offered through this technical school and not the College
of Menominee Nation We have begun to issue tickets as well as a bus pass to those people
working later in the evening as the regular bus route is done and they have to request a special
ride This has allowed flexibility to the clients and assures they have safe transportation later in
the day
We renewed our contract with the Transit Department as well to provide bus passes to our clients
These can be used for job search work activities appointments and other activities needed to
work toward their self-sufficiency This has been a cost saving measure for us as we pay a
blanket rate for unlimited services
The local Department of Motor Vehicle office open here on the reservation at the Transp011ation
building makes it more accessible for clients to receive their temporary license complete testing
and their behind the wheel drivers testing Being a familiar location helps to put the clients at
ease knowing that they will be driving in familiar tenitory as wel I
Our department also has contracted with a local driving instructor to provide instructional
refresher trainings as well as driving experience to our clients as a supportive service He is
contracted to meet with the clients for a set number of times and assist them in gaining the skills
necessary to pass their driving tests His vehicle is also available for testing day for those that do
not have a reliable vehicle
GEDHSEDHigh School Graduation
Obtaining a GED or High School diploma is the first stepping stone to becoming gainfully
employed Clients are fortunate to have a few options when faced with pursuing their diploma
The Tribe Education Depat1ment offers GED services which include study time one-on-one
assistance and testing The local Menominee lndian School District has established a program to
allow individuals regardless of age to obtain a regular high school diploma instead of a GED
Throughout the program year 4 clients worked toward their GED or high school diploma with all
4 successfully completing Obtaining this goal has allowed them to then set new educational and
employment goals for them to strive for
Supportive Services
An annual review was completed of the Supportive Services guideline listing and adjustments
made where seen fit Services assisted with vary but the main requests are bus passes gas cards
car repairs and tire replacement tuition fees for workshops car insurance and interview or work
clothingfootwear A portion of the extra JPTA funding received this year was added to the
Supportive Service line item to allow us to expand on these services Traditionally we do not
have ample money to fit the needs of the clients This extra funding allowed us to assist with
needed car insurance for employment as well as car repairs - two of the more costly expenses
requested Wisconsin State law states that all vehicles on the road must have at least liability
insurance this can be a challenge for clients living on a limited budget
The sliding fee scale continues to apply to a limited number of the Supportive Service requests
such as AODA Assessment Group Dynamics drivers license reinstatement tribal pardons car
repairs and tires The scale takes in to consideration if they client has income and makes them
responsible for a small portion of the cost This was put in place to stretch supportive service
funding as well as to teach responsibility and cost sharing to the client
This past year we provided a variety of suppo11ive services to clients The highest used request is
for gas cards to assist the clients in getting to appointments job search and work There is an
annual limit per person on these to encourage self-dependence The second most requested item
is for assistance with interviewwork clothing and shoeswork boots Many clients just starting
out in the workforce do not have the money to spend on these items and we want to assure they
are able to look professional for their interviews and first days at work Other items assisted with
include birth certificates glassescontacts gaming licensing fees relocation fees educational
expenses vehicle registration and drivers license fees
Obstacles to Achieving Employment
We continue to struggle in finding adequate job search andor work placement activities for
individuals that are returning to the community after being incarcerated The barriers put in place
by their past limits the places that they are able to work within the Tribe We are looking to
outside sources more in neighboring communities to find the right kind of placement for them but
these are still difficult to obtain
Youth Services
The Community Resource Center secured job placements for 79 youth to participate in a 6 week
Youth Work Experience Program Another (45) youth were referred to the Johnson OMalley
(JOM) program with (45) gaining summer employment this program approached Tribal
Legislation for funding for an additional 20 youth One Youth Supervisor was hired on a
temporary basis to provide supervision to the youth and assist the Recruitment and Training
Coordinator The youth ranged in age from 14-24 and they were placed within local departments
The program is designed to give youth an opportunity to pa11icipate in actual work and
educational environments to experience and gain knowledge for involvement in the future labor
force The youth participated at their work sites for (16) hours with another 4 hours of
Educational training for a total of 20 hours each week We worked in collaboration with Human
Resources Youth Development and Outreach Tribal Clinic Wellness and the Menominee Job
Center to provide these weekly trainings at the Menominee Indian High School to focus on job
skill activities
One additional event was the screening of the documentary Paper Tigers The video fol lows a
year in the life of an alternative native high school that has radically changed its approach to
disciplining its students becoming a promising model to break the cycles of poverty violence
and disease that affect families A member of the Fostering Futures Advisory Committee held an
initial discussion with the youth about ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and TIC (Trauma
Informed Care) The research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) along with another institute has demonstrated an association of ACESs with health and
social problems as an adult where many have co-occutTing experiences She shared that many
Menominee children have experienced several ACEs in their lives Trauma Informed Care is an
intervention and organizational approach that focuses on how trauma may affect an individuals
life and his or her response to behavioral health services from prevention through treatment
Trauma refers to extreme stress that overwhelms a persons ability to cope The Menominee
Tribe has been training agencies and departments throughout the community to create awareness
and to have a clearer understanding of trauma and how it affects the day to day actions of people
we encounter There was some good conversation with the youth afterwards and they were open
to share how they felt in their own settings and areas that they could see improvements being
made School counselors were on hand to assist in discussing this sensitive topic
This year a new Youth Work Readiness Tool was utilized to show improvement andor need
for improvement with the youths working skills This tool is designed to assist supervisors in
providing better direction to the youth and for the youth to identify and understand work
expectations Skills learned at the work site are measured preferably in week (2) and ( 4) of the
program with the supervisor meeting with the youth to develop mutual goals or steps for
performance improvement By strengthening employer-youth communication youth learn and
develop more productive work employability skills character and self-responsibility We
received some good results with utilization of this tool it serves as a good talking point with
supervisors and youth employees
At the end of our 6 week summer program at the request of the Menominee Tribal Clinic (2)
youth worked for an additional three week period and one youth worked an additional three
weeks with the Emergency Management Program They entered Work Experience contracts to
continue with their employment based on their positive work ethic The positions were funded
through the each individual department
Applications for the program including a resume were accepted over a three week period and then
graded on a point scale considering low income type of family (1 or 2 parentguardianyouth
parent) etc Placements were picked according to highest to lowest score A group orientation
was held to go over rules and expectations as well as goal setting for the youth
Some of the community events that the youth assist with are Breakfast with Santa Summer
Youth Olympics Toys for Tots and the 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
The Menominee Indian ReservationCounty is located in Northeastern Wisconsin on 365 square miles and consists of the communities of Keshena South Branch Middle Village Neopit and Zoar
- s__------cJ---cJ
Demographics
In 2015 there were an estimated 4573 people residing 111 Menominee County
(httpfactfindercensusgov) an increase of 51 people since the 2014 estimated census Of this
population approximately 875 identify themselves as Native American The trend continues
with more Tribal members moving home to the reservation when experiencing hard times off of
the reservation Uob loss decreased wages etc) Available housing remains a concern and many
homes are multi-family dwellings There are approximately 609 other relatives and 292 nonshy
relatives living in the family dwellings (AmericanFactFindercom) The Menominee County
annual median household income was $3774000 compared to the State of Wisconsin s rate of
$5273800 These figures depict that approximately 41 of the households are living at or
below the median household income and 226 living below the federa l poverty level
Employment
The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin is the main employer within the county prov iding
employment for 1569 workers (an increase of 83 employees from 2015) which includes
Menominee Tribal Enterprise-Logging and Saw Mill (199) Menominee Indian Tribe of
Wisconsin Tribal programs which includes the Tribal School (866) and Menominee Casino
Resort (504) The Menominee School District rated second employing ISO followed by College
of Menominee Nation with 154 and Menominee County Employees totaling 90 positions The
Save-a-Lot grocery store has 18 employees and the local Family Dollar and a Subway have an
additional 15 employees This total of 1996 positions has increased over the past year by 60
positions
Menominee County Civilian Labor Force Data
Labor Force
2012
1705
2013
1766
2014
1540
2015 2016 9mo
average
1589 1578 Employed 1428 1443 1338 1432 1441 Unemployed 276 319 202 157 137
Unemployment Rate 1786 167 131 99 867
All Menominee Tribal programs continue to operating m a cost containment mode When
Directors have retired this past year Administration has reviewed these programs and have joined
a few like programs to reduce Administrative costs to run the program to free up funding for
services to the community
Of the 1996 people employed by the previous mentioned entities 1418 of these employees are
residents of Menominee County 1n the same respect 578 people travel to Menominee County
from other counties to work in Menominee County (AmericanFactFindercom)
Labor Force Population
Of the 2597 eligible people to be in the workforce 16-64 yrs of age according to American Fact
Finder currently 14 18 are employed in the labor force while 275 are unemployed This leaves a
total of 904 people not in the workforce currently The unemployment rate for this population is
162
Source WI DWD Local Area Unemployment Statistics WI Labor Force Estimates not seasonally adjusted
As budget cuts and cost containment continue for Tribal Departments the number of available
work placement sites has been affected as well We continue to be creative in working with
Tribal departments to obtain as many placements as possible that will hopefulJy lead to part or
full time employment for our clients
Unemplovment
Menominee County continues to have one the highest unemployment rates within the state of
Wisconsin Statistics from 2016 (Jan through September available) show an average
I
unemployment rate for the year of 867 compared to the rate of 1047 for 2015 and 1526
for 2014 We continue to see this rate improve from year to year which is a welcome sight but
we still have much work to do
2016 Civilian Labor Force Estimates for past nine months
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept - -
Labor Force 1554 1540 1545 1563 1550 1628 1618 1626 1574
Employed 1419 1403 1404 1404 1430 1479 1473 1486 1470
Unemployed 135 137 141 159 120 149 145 140 104 -
Unemployment Rate 87 89 91 102 77 92 9 86 66
Source Department of Workforce Development
Programs and Services
Through the flex ibility of PL-102-477 our program has been able to provide a variety of
opportunities and activities to our client base During the fiscal year we served 171 pruticipants
with job trainingeducationemployment services 16 ofwhich were a lso receiving cash assistance
through our Tribal TANF program Out of th is 171 79 have tenninated services and 92 continue
as active clients
Veterans are given preference for services to our program As a part of our application process
our form asks the client to provide self-declaration of being a veteran or a spouse of a veteran to
prioritize these applicants This past fiscal year a total of 5 veterans received assistance through
our program Returning veterans are referred to their Veteran Service Officer Mental Health
AODA andor Vocational Rehabil itation to assist with any service related issues they may be
experiencing
Education Rates
Ofour community members over the age of25 years (2563 according to
AmericanfactFindercom)
bull 1069 hold a High School Diploma or equivalency diploma- 417
bull 597 have some college training but no a degree - 233
bull 246 have obtained an Associates degree - 96
bull 276 hold a Bachelors degree - l 08
bull 146 have a Graduate or Professional degree - 57
That leaves an estimated 229 individuals without a high school diploma - about 88 The
number of graduates and advanced degrees has increased since last year
Education is always a goal when working with clients furthering their education can open up so
many more opportunities to them This past year we had 34 adult clients and 3 youth clients with
an EducationalTraining goal and had 2 adults and I youth that obtained their goal and 2 other
adults that completed another education outcome during the fiscal year This number only takes
into account those clients who are no longer a pa1i of the 477 program many more continue to
work towards their goal as an active client
We are fortunate to have the College of Menominee Nation on our reservation and readily
available to our clientele To familiarize clients with the college their first visit is usually to
complete their T ABE test during application The Community Technology Center that now
houses the Skills Lab Job Center of Wisconsin and the GED testing lab are utilized often by our
clients and the community Many return to utilize the Skill Builder Lab to brush up on needed
skill sets to improve their TABE scores Clients also utilize other area technical schools and
specialty programs
This past fiscal year we had clients complete the following goals one client completed their
CDL certification through Fox Valley Technical College one client received his Welding
Technical Education diploma from the College of Menominee Nation one female client obtained
her Office Technician diploma from the College of Menominee Nation and one client enrolled
and completed a weekend Dental Assistant Class tliat was completed in ten weeks These clients
were supported with a variety of supportive services for transportation tuition and specialty
clothing needs as well as a cash incentive for completion
Work Experience Contracts On-The-Job Training Emergency Hires and referrals
This past fiscal year we had 66 adult and 3 youth clients with an Employment Objective listed in
their plan Through the use of our Interdepartmental Agreement Form this past fiscal year we
were able to assist 12 clients with a Work Experience contract and 3 clients completed an Onshy
The-Job Training contract for experience The additional JPTA funding received this past fiscal
year allowed us to provide longer contracts for some of the clients that would benefit from more
experience and to provide some contracts that were just for experience and not for hire A total of
34 clients did not meet their employment goal this fiscal year of these many were working on
barriers to employment Those employed showed an earnings gain of $682 This past year we
have worked closely with many departments including Menominee Transit Menominee Tribal
Clinic Historic Preservation Menominee Casino Resort Menominee Early Childhood Services
Johnson OMalley Program Wolf River Development and Conservation
One female client completed her 8 week contract with the Menominee Casino Reso11 to gain
work experience and was able to use her income to pay off a $591 traffic fine Her placement
was extended and she went on to secure a flex position with the Casino in housekeeping This
work experience was her first job experience ever
Two male clients attended a Job Fair at the Shawano Job Center and received an interview with
two separate companies One became employed at a cheese factory and the other gentleman
received a temp-to-hire position as a welder The later was assisted with a welding helmet
gloves and gas cards
One female client completed a 4 week contract with Wolf River Development Company and was
hired full time at $1382hr as an Administrative Assistant She had over 22 years experience as
a Budget Specialist but her job was eliminated due to budget cuts
One female client completed an 8 week contract with Menominee Tribal Daycare and was hired
part time at $905hr Jn October 2016 she was transfeITed to a full time Head Cook position
earning $1124hr
One female client participated in the summer youth program for 3 years when she was in high
school which was her only work experience (six weeks each summer) She completed a Work
Experience placement with the Historic Preservation Department and used her income to pay a
$887 traffic fine She secured a flex Room Attendant position at North Star Casino and used her
earnings to pay for a State IDP and completed her Driver Safety classes which were a
requirement for her to regain her license She passed her written exam and driving test and
obtained a valid instructional permit Our program assisted her by utilizing CampJ Drivers
Education for behind the wheel instruction and use of his car for her skills exam She was
promoted to full time employment with insurance benefits in August and has maintained her
employment for one year
Work Experience contracts for our clients have assisted them to overcome their barriers and
become ready for employment The Job Counselors work with area departments to secure job
placements for hire utilizing our Interdepartmental Contract Most of these jobs are entry level
positions within the Tribe where clients will work a set number of hours between 20 and 40 and
be paid a comparable wage during their training period While our program pays at the rate of
minimum wage for these contracts the departments are encouraged to supplement the wage to
bring the client up to the given rate for the position they are ft II ing This past year 12 of the 9
positions were supplemented by the employers
Many of our clients have little or no employment history and these placements give them the
needed verifiable work history needed for job application requirements Job Counselors work
closely with the clients to monitor the clients growth in the position and assist with needed
changes to assure the job is a good fit for the client At the end of the contract the employer has
the option to hire the client into a regular part time or full time position
Our staff is always looking for new opportunities for our clients to become trained and employed
Our unemployment rate although it has improved remains to be one of the highest in the state
The need for additional full time employment opportunities for our clients is great Part time and
on-call wages are not sufficient to allow for a livable wage Childcare and transportation are also
a challenge our clients face when seeking employment at area gaming facilities
Tribal Pardons
Past legal issues can serve as a hindrance when applying for employment Our program has one
staff that is knowledgeable in the Tribal Pardon process which allows for past aged convictions to
be pardoned so they are able to obtain employment Clients have to complete a paper process
showing the improvements they have made in their lives and this gets presented to the
Menominee Tribal Legislature for determination This past year our employee successfully
assisted 8 community members to overcome this barrier Our program assists with the fees
charged to complete this process By taking care of this barrier they are one step closer to being
self-sufficient
Continued Training and Outreach Efforts
While assisting clients to develop as individuals it is also important for staff to continue to
develop Our program continues to be trained and informed about the effects of trauma on our
clients and how we can better work with them to assure we are not re-traumatizing individuals
This will be a work in progress as we continue to review policy and procedures and adapt to the
need The Director Assistant Director and the newly hired Job Counselor attended the annual PL
I 02-477 conference in Reno NV It is important for staff to attend these opportunities to refresh
and learn new ideas to utilize while working with clients to reach their potential
The Community Resource Center comprised of PL 102-477 Tribal TANF and Income
Maintenance program provided assistance andor personnel for the following community
eventsactivities during this fiscal year Culture Camp (two sessions) Coats for Kids Sturgeon
Feast Sobriety Pow Wow Round House Positive Indian Parenting Youth Olympics Night Out
Against Crime Coat and Blanket Giveaway and the Johnson OMalley Senior Banquet
Members of our staff participate in the following committeesactivities Community Engagement
Committee Community Coordinated Response Team Labor and Education Committee
Environmental Protection Committee Fostering Futures Advisory Council Trauma Informed
Care and Night out against Crime
Pathways to Success Training Calendar
Located in our facility is a 16 workstation computer lab that also functions as a meeting room
This room is utilized daily by 477 clients TANF clients and the community to attend the
Pathways to Success Training Calendar events Each month a schedule of events is planned and
posted within the community and shared with clients These trainings range from educational
informative to cultural crafting This year we collaborated with the following programs to
provide training Menominee Tribal Clinic (health and wellness) UW-Extension (food
preparation and cooking classes) and Menominee Job Center (interviewing resumes cover
letters soft skills and dressing for success) While the morning is reserved for the scheduled
training calendar the computer lab is open every afternoon from noon to four thity for clients to
use for job search activities and resume creation
We have staff members trained to complete the following on-site trainings throughout the
program year Native Wellness Life Skills Empowerment FatherhoodMotherhood is Sacred
Building Native Communities Discovery Dating Positive Indian Parenting and Healthy
Relationships We also offer workshops to enhance cultural activities including beading and
regalia making
Transportation
Lack of transportation is very prevalent on the reservation as well as eligible participants without
a driver s license Throughout the year we have assisted 6 individuals with obtaining their
instructional permit their regular drivers license or reinstatement of their license The local
transportation department is also utilized to assist clients in getting to appointments completing
job search and attending school The bus routes are frequent to allow for most day time
transportation needs Extended hours were added to the schedule this year to assist with evening
and weekend transportation needs An additional agreement is still in place with North Central
Technical College in Antigo (about 45 minutes from the reservation) to provide transportation for
those wanting to attend schooling that is offered through this technical school and not the College
of Menominee Nation We have begun to issue tickets as well as a bus pass to those people
working later in the evening as the regular bus route is done and they have to request a special
ride This has allowed flexibility to the clients and assures they have safe transportation later in
the day
We renewed our contract with the Transit Department as well to provide bus passes to our clients
These can be used for job search work activities appointments and other activities needed to
work toward their self-sufficiency This has been a cost saving measure for us as we pay a
blanket rate for unlimited services
The local Department of Motor Vehicle office open here on the reservation at the Transp011ation
building makes it more accessible for clients to receive their temporary license complete testing
and their behind the wheel drivers testing Being a familiar location helps to put the clients at
ease knowing that they will be driving in familiar tenitory as wel I
Our department also has contracted with a local driving instructor to provide instructional
refresher trainings as well as driving experience to our clients as a supportive service He is
contracted to meet with the clients for a set number of times and assist them in gaining the skills
necessary to pass their driving tests His vehicle is also available for testing day for those that do
not have a reliable vehicle
GEDHSEDHigh School Graduation
Obtaining a GED or High School diploma is the first stepping stone to becoming gainfully
employed Clients are fortunate to have a few options when faced with pursuing their diploma
The Tribe Education Depat1ment offers GED services which include study time one-on-one
assistance and testing The local Menominee lndian School District has established a program to
allow individuals regardless of age to obtain a regular high school diploma instead of a GED
Throughout the program year 4 clients worked toward their GED or high school diploma with all
4 successfully completing Obtaining this goal has allowed them to then set new educational and
employment goals for them to strive for
Supportive Services
An annual review was completed of the Supportive Services guideline listing and adjustments
made where seen fit Services assisted with vary but the main requests are bus passes gas cards
car repairs and tire replacement tuition fees for workshops car insurance and interview or work
clothingfootwear A portion of the extra JPTA funding received this year was added to the
Supportive Service line item to allow us to expand on these services Traditionally we do not
have ample money to fit the needs of the clients This extra funding allowed us to assist with
needed car insurance for employment as well as car repairs - two of the more costly expenses
requested Wisconsin State law states that all vehicles on the road must have at least liability
insurance this can be a challenge for clients living on a limited budget
The sliding fee scale continues to apply to a limited number of the Supportive Service requests
such as AODA Assessment Group Dynamics drivers license reinstatement tribal pardons car
repairs and tires The scale takes in to consideration if they client has income and makes them
responsible for a small portion of the cost This was put in place to stretch supportive service
funding as well as to teach responsibility and cost sharing to the client
This past year we provided a variety of suppo11ive services to clients The highest used request is
for gas cards to assist the clients in getting to appointments job search and work There is an
annual limit per person on these to encourage self-dependence The second most requested item
is for assistance with interviewwork clothing and shoeswork boots Many clients just starting
out in the workforce do not have the money to spend on these items and we want to assure they
are able to look professional for their interviews and first days at work Other items assisted with
include birth certificates glassescontacts gaming licensing fees relocation fees educational
expenses vehicle registration and drivers license fees
Obstacles to Achieving Employment
We continue to struggle in finding adequate job search andor work placement activities for
individuals that are returning to the community after being incarcerated The barriers put in place
by their past limits the places that they are able to work within the Tribe We are looking to
outside sources more in neighboring communities to find the right kind of placement for them but
these are still difficult to obtain
Youth Services
The Community Resource Center secured job placements for 79 youth to participate in a 6 week
Youth Work Experience Program Another (45) youth were referred to the Johnson OMalley
(JOM) program with (45) gaining summer employment this program approached Tribal
Legislation for funding for an additional 20 youth One Youth Supervisor was hired on a
temporary basis to provide supervision to the youth and assist the Recruitment and Training
Coordinator The youth ranged in age from 14-24 and they were placed within local departments
The program is designed to give youth an opportunity to pa11icipate in actual work and
educational environments to experience and gain knowledge for involvement in the future labor
force The youth participated at their work sites for (16) hours with another 4 hours of
Educational training for a total of 20 hours each week We worked in collaboration with Human
Resources Youth Development and Outreach Tribal Clinic Wellness and the Menominee Job
Center to provide these weekly trainings at the Menominee Indian High School to focus on job
skill activities
One additional event was the screening of the documentary Paper Tigers The video fol lows a
year in the life of an alternative native high school that has radically changed its approach to
disciplining its students becoming a promising model to break the cycles of poverty violence
and disease that affect families A member of the Fostering Futures Advisory Committee held an
initial discussion with the youth about ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and TIC (Trauma
Informed Care) The research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) along with another institute has demonstrated an association of ACESs with health and
social problems as an adult where many have co-occutTing experiences She shared that many
Menominee children have experienced several ACEs in their lives Trauma Informed Care is an
intervention and organizational approach that focuses on how trauma may affect an individuals
life and his or her response to behavioral health services from prevention through treatment
Trauma refers to extreme stress that overwhelms a persons ability to cope The Menominee
Tribe has been training agencies and departments throughout the community to create awareness
and to have a clearer understanding of trauma and how it affects the day to day actions of people
we encounter There was some good conversation with the youth afterwards and they were open
to share how they felt in their own settings and areas that they could see improvements being
made School counselors were on hand to assist in discussing this sensitive topic
This year a new Youth Work Readiness Tool was utilized to show improvement andor need
for improvement with the youths working skills This tool is designed to assist supervisors in
providing better direction to the youth and for the youth to identify and understand work
expectations Skills learned at the work site are measured preferably in week (2) and ( 4) of the
program with the supervisor meeting with the youth to develop mutual goals or steps for
performance improvement By strengthening employer-youth communication youth learn and
develop more productive work employability skills character and self-responsibility We
received some good results with utilization of this tool it serves as a good talking point with
supervisors and youth employees
At the end of our 6 week summer program at the request of the Menominee Tribal Clinic (2)
youth worked for an additional three week period and one youth worked an additional three
weeks with the Emergency Management Program They entered Work Experience contracts to
continue with their employment based on their positive work ethic The positions were funded
through the each individual department
Applications for the program including a resume were accepted over a three week period and then
graded on a point scale considering low income type of family (1 or 2 parentguardianyouth
parent) etc Placements were picked according to highest to lowest score A group orientation
was held to go over rules and expectations as well as goal setting for the youth
Some of the community events that the youth assist with are Breakfast with Santa Summer
Youth Olympics Toys for Tots and the 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
Menominee County Civilian Labor Force Data
Labor Force
2012
1705
2013
1766
2014
1540
2015 2016 9mo
average
1589 1578 Employed 1428 1443 1338 1432 1441 Unemployed 276 319 202 157 137
Unemployment Rate 1786 167 131 99 867
All Menominee Tribal programs continue to operating m a cost containment mode When
Directors have retired this past year Administration has reviewed these programs and have joined
a few like programs to reduce Administrative costs to run the program to free up funding for
services to the community
Of the 1996 people employed by the previous mentioned entities 1418 of these employees are
residents of Menominee County 1n the same respect 578 people travel to Menominee County
from other counties to work in Menominee County (AmericanFactFindercom)
Labor Force Population
Of the 2597 eligible people to be in the workforce 16-64 yrs of age according to American Fact
Finder currently 14 18 are employed in the labor force while 275 are unemployed This leaves a
total of 904 people not in the workforce currently The unemployment rate for this population is
162
Source WI DWD Local Area Unemployment Statistics WI Labor Force Estimates not seasonally adjusted
As budget cuts and cost containment continue for Tribal Departments the number of available
work placement sites has been affected as well We continue to be creative in working with
Tribal departments to obtain as many placements as possible that will hopefulJy lead to part or
full time employment for our clients
Unemplovment
Menominee County continues to have one the highest unemployment rates within the state of
Wisconsin Statistics from 2016 (Jan through September available) show an average
I
unemployment rate for the year of 867 compared to the rate of 1047 for 2015 and 1526
for 2014 We continue to see this rate improve from year to year which is a welcome sight but
we still have much work to do
2016 Civilian Labor Force Estimates for past nine months
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept - -
Labor Force 1554 1540 1545 1563 1550 1628 1618 1626 1574
Employed 1419 1403 1404 1404 1430 1479 1473 1486 1470
Unemployed 135 137 141 159 120 149 145 140 104 -
Unemployment Rate 87 89 91 102 77 92 9 86 66
Source Department of Workforce Development
Programs and Services
Through the flex ibility of PL-102-477 our program has been able to provide a variety of
opportunities and activities to our client base During the fiscal year we served 171 pruticipants
with job trainingeducationemployment services 16 ofwhich were a lso receiving cash assistance
through our Tribal TANF program Out of th is 171 79 have tenninated services and 92 continue
as active clients
Veterans are given preference for services to our program As a part of our application process
our form asks the client to provide self-declaration of being a veteran or a spouse of a veteran to
prioritize these applicants This past fiscal year a total of 5 veterans received assistance through
our program Returning veterans are referred to their Veteran Service Officer Mental Health
AODA andor Vocational Rehabil itation to assist with any service related issues they may be
experiencing
Education Rates
Ofour community members over the age of25 years (2563 according to
AmericanfactFindercom)
bull 1069 hold a High School Diploma or equivalency diploma- 417
bull 597 have some college training but no a degree - 233
bull 246 have obtained an Associates degree - 96
bull 276 hold a Bachelors degree - l 08
bull 146 have a Graduate or Professional degree - 57
That leaves an estimated 229 individuals without a high school diploma - about 88 The
number of graduates and advanced degrees has increased since last year
Education is always a goal when working with clients furthering their education can open up so
many more opportunities to them This past year we had 34 adult clients and 3 youth clients with
an EducationalTraining goal and had 2 adults and I youth that obtained their goal and 2 other
adults that completed another education outcome during the fiscal year This number only takes
into account those clients who are no longer a pa1i of the 477 program many more continue to
work towards their goal as an active client
We are fortunate to have the College of Menominee Nation on our reservation and readily
available to our clientele To familiarize clients with the college their first visit is usually to
complete their T ABE test during application The Community Technology Center that now
houses the Skills Lab Job Center of Wisconsin and the GED testing lab are utilized often by our
clients and the community Many return to utilize the Skill Builder Lab to brush up on needed
skill sets to improve their TABE scores Clients also utilize other area technical schools and
specialty programs
This past fiscal year we had clients complete the following goals one client completed their
CDL certification through Fox Valley Technical College one client received his Welding
Technical Education diploma from the College of Menominee Nation one female client obtained
her Office Technician diploma from the College of Menominee Nation and one client enrolled
and completed a weekend Dental Assistant Class tliat was completed in ten weeks These clients
were supported with a variety of supportive services for transportation tuition and specialty
clothing needs as well as a cash incentive for completion
Work Experience Contracts On-The-Job Training Emergency Hires and referrals
This past fiscal year we had 66 adult and 3 youth clients with an Employment Objective listed in
their plan Through the use of our Interdepartmental Agreement Form this past fiscal year we
were able to assist 12 clients with a Work Experience contract and 3 clients completed an Onshy
The-Job Training contract for experience The additional JPTA funding received this past fiscal
year allowed us to provide longer contracts for some of the clients that would benefit from more
experience and to provide some contracts that were just for experience and not for hire A total of
34 clients did not meet their employment goal this fiscal year of these many were working on
barriers to employment Those employed showed an earnings gain of $682 This past year we
have worked closely with many departments including Menominee Transit Menominee Tribal
Clinic Historic Preservation Menominee Casino Resort Menominee Early Childhood Services
Johnson OMalley Program Wolf River Development and Conservation
One female client completed her 8 week contract with the Menominee Casino Reso11 to gain
work experience and was able to use her income to pay off a $591 traffic fine Her placement
was extended and she went on to secure a flex position with the Casino in housekeeping This
work experience was her first job experience ever
Two male clients attended a Job Fair at the Shawano Job Center and received an interview with
two separate companies One became employed at a cheese factory and the other gentleman
received a temp-to-hire position as a welder The later was assisted with a welding helmet
gloves and gas cards
One female client completed a 4 week contract with Wolf River Development Company and was
hired full time at $1382hr as an Administrative Assistant She had over 22 years experience as
a Budget Specialist but her job was eliminated due to budget cuts
One female client completed an 8 week contract with Menominee Tribal Daycare and was hired
part time at $905hr Jn October 2016 she was transfeITed to a full time Head Cook position
earning $1124hr
One female client participated in the summer youth program for 3 years when she was in high
school which was her only work experience (six weeks each summer) She completed a Work
Experience placement with the Historic Preservation Department and used her income to pay a
$887 traffic fine She secured a flex Room Attendant position at North Star Casino and used her
earnings to pay for a State IDP and completed her Driver Safety classes which were a
requirement for her to regain her license She passed her written exam and driving test and
obtained a valid instructional permit Our program assisted her by utilizing CampJ Drivers
Education for behind the wheel instruction and use of his car for her skills exam She was
promoted to full time employment with insurance benefits in August and has maintained her
employment for one year
Work Experience contracts for our clients have assisted them to overcome their barriers and
become ready for employment The Job Counselors work with area departments to secure job
placements for hire utilizing our Interdepartmental Contract Most of these jobs are entry level
positions within the Tribe where clients will work a set number of hours between 20 and 40 and
be paid a comparable wage during their training period While our program pays at the rate of
minimum wage for these contracts the departments are encouraged to supplement the wage to
bring the client up to the given rate for the position they are ft II ing This past year 12 of the 9
positions were supplemented by the employers
Many of our clients have little or no employment history and these placements give them the
needed verifiable work history needed for job application requirements Job Counselors work
closely with the clients to monitor the clients growth in the position and assist with needed
changes to assure the job is a good fit for the client At the end of the contract the employer has
the option to hire the client into a regular part time or full time position
Our staff is always looking for new opportunities for our clients to become trained and employed
Our unemployment rate although it has improved remains to be one of the highest in the state
The need for additional full time employment opportunities for our clients is great Part time and
on-call wages are not sufficient to allow for a livable wage Childcare and transportation are also
a challenge our clients face when seeking employment at area gaming facilities
Tribal Pardons
Past legal issues can serve as a hindrance when applying for employment Our program has one
staff that is knowledgeable in the Tribal Pardon process which allows for past aged convictions to
be pardoned so they are able to obtain employment Clients have to complete a paper process
showing the improvements they have made in their lives and this gets presented to the
Menominee Tribal Legislature for determination This past year our employee successfully
assisted 8 community members to overcome this barrier Our program assists with the fees
charged to complete this process By taking care of this barrier they are one step closer to being
self-sufficient
Continued Training and Outreach Efforts
While assisting clients to develop as individuals it is also important for staff to continue to
develop Our program continues to be trained and informed about the effects of trauma on our
clients and how we can better work with them to assure we are not re-traumatizing individuals
This will be a work in progress as we continue to review policy and procedures and adapt to the
need The Director Assistant Director and the newly hired Job Counselor attended the annual PL
I 02-477 conference in Reno NV It is important for staff to attend these opportunities to refresh
and learn new ideas to utilize while working with clients to reach their potential
The Community Resource Center comprised of PL 102-477 Tribal TANF and Income
Maintenance program provided assistance andor personnel for the following community
eventsactivities during this fiscal year Culture Camp (two sessions) Coats for Kids Sturgeon
Feast Sobriety Pow Wow Round House Positive Indian Parenting Youth Olympics Night Out
Against Crime Coat and Blanket Giveaway and the Johnson OMalley Senior Banquet
Members of our staff participate in the following committeesactivities Community Engagement
Committee Community Coordinated Response Team Labor and Education Committee
Environmental Protection Committee Fostering Futures Advisory Council Trauma Informed
Care and Night out against Crime
Pathways to Success Training Calendar
Located in our facility is a 16 workstation computer lab that also functions as a meeting room
This room is utilized daily by 477 clients TANF clients and the community to attend the
Pathways to Success Training Calendar events Each month a schedule of events is planned and
posted within the community and shared with clients These trainings range from educational
informative to cultural crafting This year we collaborated with the following programs to
provide training Menominee Tribal Clinic (health and wellness) UW-Extension (food
preparation and cooking classes) and Menominee Job Center (interviewing resumes cover
letters soft skills and dressing for success) While the morning is reserved for the scheduled
training calendar the computer lab is open every afternoon from noon to four thity for clients to
use for job search activities and resume creation
We have staff members trained to complete the following on-site trainings throughout the
program year Native Wellness Life Skills Empowerment FatherhoodMotherhood is Sacred
Building Native Communities Discovery Dating Positive Indian Parenting and Healthy
Relationships We also offer workshops to enhance cultural activities including beading and
regalia making
Transportation
Lack of transportation is very prevalent on the reservation as well as eligible participants without
a driver s license Throughout the year we have assisted 6 individuals with obtaining their
instructional permit their regular drivers license or reinstatement of their license The local
transportation department is also utilized to assist clients in getting to appointments completing
job search and attending school The bus routes are frequent to allow for most day time
transportation needs Extended hours were added to the schedule this year to assist with evening
and weekend transportation needs An additional agreement is still in place with North Central
Technical College in Antigo (about 45 minutes from the reservation) to provide transportation for
those wanting to attend schooling that is offered through this technical school and not the College
of Menominee Nation We have begun to issue tickets as well as a bus pass to those people
working later in the evening as the regular bus route is done and they have to request a special
ride This has allowed flexibility to the clients and assures they have safe transportation later in
the day
We renewed our contract with the Transit Department as well to provide bus passes to our clients
These can be used for job search work activities appointments and other activities needed to
work toward their self-sufficiency This has been a cost saving measure for us as we pay a
blanket rate for unlimited services
The local Department of Motor Vehicle office open here on the reservation at the Transp011ation
building makes it more accessible for clients to receive their temporary license complete testing
and their behind the wheel drivers testing Being a familiar location helps to put the clients at
ease knowing that they will be driving in familiar tenitory as wel I
Our department also has contracted with a local driving instructor to provide instructional
refresher trainings as well as driving experience to our clients as a supportive service He is
contracted to meet with the clients for a set number of times and assist them in gaining the skills
necessary to pass their driving tests His vehicle is also available for testing day for those that do
not have a reliable vehicle
GEDHSEDHigh School Graduation
Obtaining a GED or High School diploma is the first stepping stone to becoming gainfully
employed Clients are fortunate to have a few options when faced with pursuing their diploma
The Tribe Education Depat1ment offers GED services which include study time one-on-one
assistance and testing The local Menominee lndian School District has established a program to
allow individuals regardless of age to obtain a regular high school diploma instead of a GED
Throughout the program year 4 clients worked toward their GED or high school diploma with all
4 successfully completing Obtaining this goal has allowed them to then set new educational and
employment goals for them to strive for
Supportive Services
An annual review was completed of the Supportive Services guideline listing and adjustments
made where seen fit Services assisted with vary but the main requests are bus passes gas cards
car repairs and tire replacement tuition fees for workshops car insurance and interview or work
clothingfootwear A portion of the extra JPTA funding received this year was added to the
Supportive Service line item to allow us to expand on these services Traditionally we do not
have ample money to fit the needs of the clients This extra funding allowed us to assist with
needed car insurance for employment as well as car repairs - two of the more costly expenses
requested Wisconsin State law states that all vehicles on the road must have at least liability
insurance this can be a challenge for clients living on a limited budget
The sliding fee scale continues to apply to a limited number of the Supportive Service requests
such as AODA Assessment Group Dynamics drivers license reinstatement tribal pardons car
repairs and tires The scale takes in to consideration if they client has income and makes them
responsible for a small portion of the cost This was put in place to stretch supportive service
funding as well as to teach responsibility and cost sharing to the client
This past year we provided a variety of suppo11ive services to clients The highest used request is
for gas cards to assist the clients in getting to appointments job search and work There is an
annual limit per person on these to encourage self-dependence The second most requested item
is for assistance with interviewwork clothing and shoeswork boots Many clients just starting
out in the workforce do not have the money to spend on these items and we want to assure they
are able to look professional for their interviews and first days at work Other items assisted with
include birth certificates glassescontacts gaming licensing fees relocation fees educational
expenses vehicle registration and drivers license fees
Obstacles to Achieving Employment
We continue to struggle in finding adequate job search andor work placement activities for
individuals that are returning to the community after being incarcerated The barriers put in place
by their past limits the places that they are able to work within the Tribe We are looking to
outside sources more in neighboring communities to find the right kind of placement for them but
these are still difficult to obtain
Youth Services
The Community Resource Center secured job placements for 79 youth to participate in a 6 week
Youth Work Experience Program Another (45) youth were referred to the Johnson OMalley
(JOM) program with (45) gaining summer employment this program approached Tribal
Legislation for funding for an additional 20 youth One Youth Supervisor was hired on a
temporary basis to provide supervision to the youth and assist the Recruitment and Training
Coordinator The youth ranged in age from 14-24 and they were placed within local departments
The program is designed to give youth an opportunity to pa11icipate in actual work and
educational environments to experience and gain knowledge for involvement in the future labor
force The youth participated at their work sites for (16) hours with another 4 hours of
Educational training for a total of 20 hours each week We worked in collaboration with Human
Resources Youth Development and Outreach Tribal Clinic Wellness and the Menominee Job
Center to provide these weekly trainings at the Menominee Indian High School to focus on job
skill activities
One additional event was the screening of the documentary Paper Tigers The video fol lows a
year in the life of an alternative native high school that has radically changed its approach to
disciplining its students becoming a promising model to break the cycles of poverty violence
and disease that affect families A member of the Fostering Futures Advisory Committee held an
initial discussion with the youth about ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and TIC (Trauma
Informed Care) The research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) along with another institute has demonstrated an association of ACESs with health and
social problems as an adult where many have co-occutTing experiences She shared that many
Menominee children have experienced several ACEs in their lives Trauma Informed Care is an
intervention and organizational approach that focuses on how trauma may affect an individuals
life and his or her response to behavioral health services from prevention through treatment
Trauma refers to extreme stress that overwhelms a persons ability to cope The Menominee
Tribe has been training agencies and departments throughout the community to create awareness
and to have a clearer understanding of trauma and how it affects the day to day actions of people
we encounter There was some good conversation with the youth afterwards and they were open
to share how they felt in their own settings and areas that they could see improvements being
made School counselors were on hand to assist in discussing this sensitive topic
This year a new Youth Work Readiness Tool was utilized to show improvement andor need
for improvement with the youths working skills This tool is designed to assist supervisors in
providing better direction to the youth and for the youth to identify and understand work
expectations Skills learned at the work site are measured preferably in week (2) and ( 4) of the
program with the supervisor meeting with the youth to develop mutual goals or steps for
performance improvement By strengthening employer-youth communication youth learn and
develop more productive work employability skills character and self-responsibility We
received some good results with utilization of this tool it serves as a good talking point with
supervisors and youth employees
At the end of our 6 week summer program at the request of the Menominee Tribal Clinic (2)
youth worked for an additional three week period and one youth worked an additional three
weeks with the Emergency Management Program They entered Work Experience contracts to
continue with their employment based on their positive work ethic The positions were funded
through the each individual department
Applications for the program including a resume were accepted over a three week period and then
graded on a point scale considering low income type of family (1 or 2 parentguardianyouth
parent) etc Placements were picked according to highest to lowest score A group orientation
was held to go over rules and expectations as well as goal setting for the youth
Some of the community events that the youth assist with are Breakfast with Santa Summer
Youth Olympics Toys for Tots and the 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
unemployment rate for the year of 867 compared to the rate of 1047 for 2015 and 1526
for 2014 We continue to see this rate improve from year to year which is a welcome sight but
we still have much work to do
2016 Civilian Labor Force Estimates for past nine months
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept - -
Labor Force 1554 1540 1545 1563 1550 1628 1618 1626 1574
Employed 1419 1403 1404 1404 1430 1479 1473 1486 1470
Unemployed 135 137 141 159 120 149 145 140 104 -
Unemployment Rate 87 89 91 102 77 92 9 86 66
Source Department of Workforce Development
Programs and Services
Through the flex ibility of PL-102-477 our program has been able to provide a variety of
opportunities and activities to our client base During the fiscal year we served 171 pruticipants
with job trainingeducationemployment services 16 ofwhich were a lso receiving cash assistance
through our Tribal TANF program Out of th is 171 79 have tenninated services and 92 continue
as active clients
Veterans are given preference for services to our program As a part of our application process
our form asks the client to provide self-declaration of being a veteran or a spouse of a veteran to
prioritize these applicants This past fiscal year a total of 5 veterans received assistance through
our program Returning veterans are referred to their Veteran Service Officer Mental Health
AODA andor Vocational Rehabil itation to assist with any service related issues they may be
experiencing
Education Rates
Ofour community members over the age of25 years (2563 according to
AmericanfactFindercom)
bull 1069 hold a High School Diploma or equivalency diploma- 417
bull 597 have some college training but no a degree - 233
bull 246 have obtained an Associates degree - 96
bull 276 hold a Bachelors degree - l 08
bull 146 have a Graduate or Professional degree - 57
That leaves an estimated 229 individuals without a high school diploma - about 88 The
number of graduates and advanced degrees has increased since last year
Education is always a goal when working with clients furthering their education can open up so
many more opportunities to them This past year we had 34 adult clients and 3 youth clients with
an EducationalTraining goal and had 2 adults and I youth that obtained their goal and 2 other
adults that completed another education outcome during the fiscal year This number only takes
into account those clients who are no longer a pa1i of the 477 program many more continue to
work towards their goal as an active client
We are fortunate to have the College of Menominee Nation on our reservation and readily
available to our clientele To familiarize clients with the college their first visit is usually to
complete their T ABE test during application The Community Technology Center that now
houses the Skills Lab Job Center of Wisconsin and the GED testing lab are utilized often by our
clients and the community Many return to utilize the Skill Builder Lab to brush up on needed
skill sets to improve their TABE scores Clients also utilize other area technical schools and
specialty programs
This past fiscal year we had clients complete the following goals one client completed their
CDL certification through Fox Valley Technical College one client received his Welding
Technical Education diploma from the College of Menominee Nation one female client obtained
her Office Technician diploma from the College of Menominee Nation and one client enrolled
and completed a weekend Dental Assistant Class tliat was completed in ten weeks These clients
were supported with a variety of supportive services for transportation tuition and specialty
clothing needs as well as a cash incentive for completion
Work Experience Contracts On-The-Job Training Emergency Hires and referrals
This past fiscal year we had 66 adult and 3 youth clients with an Employment Objective listed in
their plan Through the use of our Interdepartmental Agreement Form this past fiscal year we
were able to assist 12 clients with a Work Experience contract and 3 clients completed an Onshy
The-Job Training contract for experience The additional JPTA funding received this past fiscal
year allowed us to provide longer contracts for some of the clients that would benefit from more
experience and to provide some contracts that were just for experience and not for hire A total of
34 clients did not meet their employment goal this fiscal year of these many were working on
barriers to employment Those employed showed an earnings gain of $682 This past year we
have worked closely with many departments including Menominee Transit Menominee Tribal
Clinic Historic Preservation Menominee Casino Resort Menominee Early Childhood Services
Johnson OMalley Program Wolf River Development and Conservation
One female client completed her 8 week contract with the Menominee Casino Reso11 to gain
work experience and was able to use her income to pay off a $591 traffic fine Her placement
was extended and she went on to secure a flex position with the Casino in housekeeping This
work experience was her first job experience ever
Two male clients attended a Job Fair at the Shawano Job Center and received an interview with
two separate companies One became employed at a cheese factory and the other gentleman
received a temp-to-hire position as a welder The later was assisted with a welding helmet
gloves and gas cards
One female client completed a 4 week contract with Wolf River Development Company and was
hired full time at $1382hr as an Administrative Assistant She had over 22 years experience as
a Budget Specialist but her job was eliminated due to budget cuts
One female client completed an 8 week contract with Menominee Tribal Daycare and was hired
part time at $905hr Jn October 2016 she was transfeITed to a full time Head Cook position
earning $1124hr
One female client participated in the summer youth program for 3 years when she was in high
school which was her only work experience (six weeks each summer) She completed a Work
Experience placement with the Historic Preservation Department and used her income to pay a
$887 traffic fine She secured a flex Room Attendant position at North Star Casino and used her
earnings to pay for a State IDP and completed her Driver Safety classes which were a
requirement for her to regain her license She passed her written exam and driving test and
obtained a valid instructional permit Our program assisted her by utilizing CampJ Drivers
Education for behind the wheel instruction and use of his car for her skills exam She was
promoted to full time employment with insurance benefits in August and has maintained her
employment for one year
Work Experience contracts for our clients have assisted them to overcome their barriers and
become ready for employment The Job Counselors work with area departments to secure job
placements for hire utilizing our Interdepartmental Contract Most of these jobs are entry level
positions within the Tribe where clients will work a set number of hours between 20 and 40 and
be paid a comparable wage during their training period While our program pays at the rate of
minimum wage for these contracts the departments are encouraged to supplement the wage to
bring the client up to the given rate for the position they are ft II ing This past year 12 of the 9
positions were supplemented by the employers
Many of our clients have little or no employment history and these placements give them the
needed verifiable work history needed for job application requirements Job Counselors work
closely with the clients to monitor the clients growth in the position and assist with needed
changes to assure the job is a good fit for the client At the end of the contract the employer has
the option to hire the client into a regular part time or full time position
Our staff is always looking for new opportunities for our clients to become trained and employed
Our unemployment rate although it has improved remains to be one of the highest in the state
The need for additional full time employment opportunities for our clients is great Part time and
on-call wages are not sufficient to allow for a livable wage Childcare and transportation are also
a challenge our clients face when seeking employment at area gaming facilities
Tribal Pardons
Past legal issues can serve as a hindrance when applying for employment Our program has one
staff that is knowledgeable in the Tribal Pardon process which allows for past aged convictions to
be pardoned so they are able to obtain employment Clients have to complete a paper process
showing the improvements they have made in their lives and this gets presented to the
Menominee Tribal Legislature for determination This past year our employee successfully
assisted 8 community members to overcome this barrier Our program assists with the fees
charged to complete this process By taking care of this barrier they are one step closer to being
self-sufficient
Continued Training and Outreach Efforts
While assisting clients to develop as individuals it is also important for staff to continue to
develop Our program continues to be trained and informed about the effects of trauma on our
clients and how we can better work with them to assure we are not re-traumatizing individuals
This will be a work in progress as we continue to review policy and procedures and adapt to the
need The Director Assistant Director and the newly hired Job Counselor attended the annual PL
I 02-477 conference in Reno NV It is important for staff to attend these opportunities to refresh
and learn new ideas to utilize while working with clients to reach their potential
The Community Resource Center comprised of PL 102-477 Tribal TANF and Income
Maintenance program provided assistance andor personnel for the following community
eventsactivities during this fiscal year Culture Camp (two sessions) Coats for Kids Sturgeon
Feast Sobriety Pow Wow Round House Positive Indian Parenting Youth Olympics Night Out
Against Crime Coat and Blanket Giveaway and the Johnson OMalley Senior Banquet
Members of our staff participate in the following committeesactivities Community Engagement
Committee Community Coordinated Response Team Labor and Education Committee
Environmental Protection Committee Fostering Futures Advisory Council Trauma Informed
Care and Night out against Crime
Pathways to Success Training Calendar
Located in our facility is a 16 workstation computer lab that also functions as a meeting room
This room is utilized daily by 477 clients TANF clients and the community to attend the
Pathways to Success Training Calendar events Each month a schedule of events is planned and
posted within the community and shared with clients These trainings range from educational
informative to cultural crafting This year we collaborated with the following programs to
provide training Menominee Tribal Clinic (health and wellness) UW-Extension (food
preparation and cooking classes) and Menominee Job Center (interviewing resumes cover
letters soft skills and dressing for success) While the morning is reserved for the scheduled
training calendar the computer lab is open every afternoon from noon to four thity for clients to
use for job search activities and resume creation
We have staff members trained to complete the following on-site trainings throughout the
program year Native Wellness Life Skills Empowerment FatherhoodMotherhood is Sacred
Building Native Communities Discovery Dating Positive Indian Parenting and Healthy
Relationships We also offer workshops to enhance cultural activities including beading and
regalia making
Transportation
Lack of transportation is very prevalent on the reservation as well as eligible participants without
a driver s license Throughout the year we have assisted 6 individuals with obtaining their
instructional permit their regular drivers license or reinstatement of their license The local
transportation department is also utilized to assist clients in getting to appointments completing
job search and attending school The bus routes are frequent to allow for most day time
transportation needs Extended hours were added to the schedule this year to assist with evening
and weekend transportation needs An additional agreement is still in place with North Central
Technical College in Antigo (about 45 minutes from the reservation) to provide transportation for
those wanting to attend schooling that is offered through this technical school and not the College
of Menominee Nation We have begun to issue tickets as well as a bus pass to those people
working later in the evening as the regular bus route is done and they have to request a special
ride This has allowed flexibility to the clients and assures they have safe transportation later in
the day
We renewed our contract with the Transit Department as well to provide bus passes to our clients
These can be used for job search work activities appointments and other activities needed to
work toward their self-sufficiency This has been a cost saving measure for us as we pay a
blanket rate for unlimited services
The local Department of Motor Vehicle office open here on the reservation at the Transp011ation
building makes it more accessible for clients to receive their temporary license complete testing
and their behind the wheel drivers testing Being a familiar location helps to put the clients at
ease knowing that they will be driving in familiar tenitory as wel I
Our department also has contracted with a local driving instructor to provide instructional
refresher trainings as well as driving experience to our clients as a supportive service He is
contracted to meet with the clients for a set number of times and assist them in gaining the skills
necessary to pass their driving tests His vehicle is also available for testing day for those that do
not have a reliable vehicle
GEDHSEDHigh School Graduation
Obtaining a GED or High School diploma is the first stepping stone to becoming gainfully
employed Clients are fortunate to have a few options when faced with pursuing their diploma
The Tribe Education Depat1ment offers GED services which include study time one-on-one
assistance and testing The local Menominee lndian School District has established a program to
allow individuals regardless of age to obtain a regular high school diploma instead of a GED
Throughout the program year 4 clients worked toward their GED or high school diploma with all
4 successfully completing Obtaining this goal has allowed them to then set new educational and
employment goals for them to strive for
Supportive Services
An annual review was completed of the Supportive Services guideline listing and adjustments
made where seen fit Services assisted with vary but the main requests are bus passes gas cards
car repairs and tire replacement tuition fees for workshops car insurance and interview or work
clothingfootwear A portion of the extra JPTA funding received this year was added to the
Supportive Service line item to allow us to expand on these services Traditionally we do not
have ample money to fit the needs of the clients This extra funding allowed us to assist with
needed car insurance for employment as well as car repairs - two of the more costly expenses
requested Wisconsin State law states that all vehicles on the road must have at least liability
insurance this can be a challenge for clients living on a limited budget
The sliding fee scale continues to apply to a limited number of the Supportive Service requests
such as AODA Assessment Group Dynamics drivers license reinstatement tribal pardons car
repairs and tires The scale takes in to consideration if they client has income and makes them
responsible for a small portion of the cost This was put in place to stretch supportive service
funding as well as to teach responsibility and cost sharing to the client
This past year we provided a variety of suppo11ive services to clients The highest used request is
for gas cards to assist the clients in getting to appointments job search and work There is an
annual limit per person on these to encourage self-dependence The second most requested item
is for assistance with interviewwork clothing and shoeswork boots Many clients just starting
out in the workforce do not have the money to spend on these items and we want to assure they
are able to look professional for their interviews and first days at work Other items assisted with
include birth certificates glassescontacts gaming licensing fees relocation fees educational
expenses vehicle registration and drivers license fees
Obstacles to Achieving Employment
We continue to struggle in finding adequate job search andor work placement activities for
individuals that are returning to the community after being incarcerated The barriers put in place
by their past limits the places that they are able to work within the Tribe We are looking to
outside sources more in neighboring communities to find the right kind of placement for them but
these are still difficult to obtain
Youth Services
The Community Resource Center secured job placements for 79 youth to participate in a 6 week
Youth Work Experience Program Another (45) youth were referred to the Johnson OMalley
(JOM) program with (45) gaining summer employment this program approached Tribal
Legislation for funding for an additional 20 youth One Youth Supervisor was hired on a
temporary basis to provide supervision to the youth and assist the Recruitment and Training
Coordinator The youth ranged in age from 14-24 and they were placed within local departments
The program is designed to give youth an opportunity to pa11icipate in actual work and
educational environments to experience and gain knowledge for involvement in the future labor
force The youth participated at their work sites for (16) hours with another 4 hours of
Educational training for a total of 20 hours each week We worked in collaboration with Human
Resources Youth Development and Outreach Tribal Clinic Wellness and the Menominee Job
Center to provide these weekly trainings at the Menominee Indian High School to focus on job
skill activities
One additional event was the screening of the documentary Paper Tigers The video fol lows a
year in the life of an alternative native high school that has radically changed its approach to
disciplining its students becoming a promising model to break the cycles of poverty violence
and disease that affect families A member of the Fostering Futures Advisory Committee held an
initial discussion with the youth about ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and TIC (Trauma
Informed Care) The research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) along with another institute has demonstrated an association of ACESs with health and
social problems as an adult where many have co-occutTing experiences She shared that many
Menominee children have experienced several ACEs in their lives Trauma Informed Care is an
intervention and organizational approach that focuses on how trauma may affect an individuals
life and his or her response to behavioral health services from prevention through treatment
Trauma refers to extreme stress that overwhelms a persons ability to cope The Menominee
Tribe has been training agencies and departments throughout the community to create awareness
and to have a clearer understanding of trauma and how it affects the day to day actions of people
we encounter There was some good conversation with the youth afterwards and they were open
to share how they felt in their own settings and areas that they could see improvements being
made School counselors were on hand to assist in discussing this sensitive topic
This year a new Youth Work Readiness Tool was utilized to show improvement andor need
for improvement with the youths working skills This tool is designed to assist supervisors in
providing better direction to the youth and for the youth to identify and understand work
expectations Skills learned at the work site are measured preferably in week (2) and ( 4) of the
program with the supervisor meeting with the youth to develop mutual goals or steps for
performance improvement By strengthening employer-youth communication youth learn and
develop more productive work employability skills character and self-responsibility We
received some good results with utilization of this tool it serves as a good talking point with
supervisors and youth employees
At the end of our 6 week summer program at the request of the Menominee Tribal Clinic (2)
youth worked for an additional three week period and one youth worked an additional three
weeks with the Emergency Management Program They entered Work Experience contracts to
continue with their employment based on their positive work ethic The positions were funded
through the each individual department
Applications for the program including a resume were accepted over a three week period and then
graded on a point scale considering low income type of family (1 or 2 parentguardianyouth
parent) etc Placements were picked according to highest to lowest score A group orientation
was held to go over rules and expectations as well as goal setting for the youth
Some of the community events that the youth assist with are Breakfast with Santa Summer
Youth Olympics Toys for Tots and the 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
bull 146 have a Graduate or Professional degree - 57
That leaves an estimated 229 individuals without a high school diploma - about 88 The
number of graduates and advanced degrees has increased since last year
Education is always a goal when working with clients furthering their education can open up so
many more opportunities to them This past year we had 34 adult clients and 3 youth clients with
an EducationalTraining goal and had 2 adults and I youth that obtained their goal and 2 other
adults that completed another education outcome during the fiscal year This number only takes
into account those clients who are no longer a pa1i of the 477 program many more continue to
work towards their goal as an active client
We are fortunate to have the College of Menominee Nation on our reservation and readily
available to our clientele To familiarize clients with the college their first visit is usually to
complete their T ABE test during application The Community Technology Center that now
houses the Skills Lab Job Center of Wisconsin and the GED testing lab are utilized often by our
clients and the community Many return to utilize the Skill Builder Lab to brush up on needed
skill sets to improve their TABE scores Clients also utilize other area technical schools and
specialty programs
This past fiscal year we had clients complete the following goals one client completed their
CDL certification through Fox Valley Technical College one client received his Welding
Technical Education diploma from the College of Menominee Nation one female client obtained
her Office Technician diploma from the College of Menominee Nation and one client enrolled
and completed a weekend Dental Assistant Class tliat was completed in ten weeks These clients
were supported with a variety of supportive services for transportation tuition and specialty
clothing needs as well as a cash incentive for completion
Work Experience Contracts On-The-Job Training Emergency Hires and referrals
This past fiscal year we had 66 adult and 3 youth clients with an Employment Objective listed in
their plan Through the use of our Interdepartmental Agreement Form this past fiscal year we
were able to assist 12 clients with a Work Experience contract and 3 clients completed an Onshy
The-Job Training contract for experience The additional JPTA funding received this past fiscal
year allowed us to provide longer contracts for some of the clients that would benefit from more
experience and to provide some contracts that were just for experience and not for hire A total of
34 clients did not meet their employment goal this fiscal year of these many were working on
barriers to employment Those employed showed an earnings gain of $682 This past year we
have worked closely with many departments including Menominee Transit Menominee Tribal
Clinic Historic Preservation Menominee Casino Resort Menominee Early Childhood Services
Johnson OMalley Program Wolf River Development and Conservation
One female client completed her 8 week contract with the Menominee Casino Reso11 to gain
work experience and was able to use her income to pay off a $591 traffic fine Her placement
was extended and she went on to secure a flex position with the Casino in housekeeping This
work experience was her first job experience ever
Two male clients attended a Job Fair at the Shawano Job Center and received an interview with
two separate companies One became employed at a cheese factory and the other gentleman
received a temp-to-hire position as a welder The later was assisted with a welding helmet
gloves and gas cards
One female client completed a 4 week contract with Wolf River Development Company and was
hired full time at $1382hr as an Administrative Assistant She had over 22 years experience as
a Budget Specialist but her job was eliminated due to budget cuts
One female client completed an 8 week contract with Menominee Tribal Daycare and was hired
part time at $905hr Jn October 2016 she was transfeITed to a full time Head Cook position
earning $1124hr
One female client participated in the summer youth program for 3 years when she was in high
school which was her only work experience (six weeks each summer) She completed a Work
Experience placement with the Historic Preservation Department and used her income to pay a
$887 traffic fine She secured a flex Room Attendant position at North Star Casino and used her
earnings to pay for a State IDP and completed her Driver Safety classes which were a
requirement for her to regain her license She passed her written exam and driving test and
obtained a valid instructional permit Our program assisted her by utilizing CampJ Drivers
Education for behind the wheel instruction and use of his car for her skills exam She was
promoted to full time employment with insurance benefits in August and has maintained her
employment for one year
Work Experience contracts for our clients have assisted them to overcome their barriers and
become ready for employment The Job Counselors work with area departments to secure job
placements for hire utilizing our Interdepartmental Contract Most of these jobs are entry level
positions within the Tribe where clients will work a set number of hours between 20 and 40 and
be paid a comparable wage during their training period While our program pays at the rate of
minimum wage for these contracts the departments are encouraged to supplement the wage to
bring the client up to the given rate for the position they are ft II ing This past year 12 of the 9
positions were supplemented by the employers
Many of our clients have little or no employment history and these placements give them the
needed verifiable work history needed for job application requirements Job Counselors work
closely with the clients to monitor the clients growth in the position and assist with needed
changes to assure the job is a good fit for the client At the end of the contract the employer has
the option to hire the client into a regular part time or full time position
Our staff is always looking for new opportunities for our clients to become trained and employed
Our unemployment rate although it has improved remains to be one of the highest in the state
The need for additional full time employment opportunities for our clients is great Part time and
on-call wages are not sufficient to allow for a livable wage Childcare and transportation are also
a challenge our clients face when seeking employment at area gaming facilities
Tribal Pardons
Past legal issues can serve as a hindrance when applying for employment Our program has one
staff that is knowledgeable in the Tribal Pardon process which allows for past aged convictions to
be pardoned so they are able to obtain employment Clients have to complete a paper process
showing the improvements they have made in their lives and this gets presented to the
Menominee Tribal Legislature for determination This past year our employee successfully
assisted 8 community members to overcome this barrier Our program assists with the fees
charged to complete this process By taking care of this barrier they are one step closer to being
self-sufficient
Continued Training and Outreach Efforts
While assisting clients to develop as individuals it is also important for staff to continue to
develop Our program continues to be trained and informed about the effects of trauma on our
clients and how we can better work with them to assure we are not re-traumatizing individuals
This will be a work in progress as we continue to review policy and procedures and adapt to the
need The Director Assistant Director and the newly hired Job Counselor attended the annual PL
I 02-477 conference in Reno NV It is important for staff to attend these opportunities to refresh
and learn new ideas to utilize while working with clients to reach their potential
The Community Resource Center comprised of PL 102-477 Tribal TANF and Income
Maintenance program provided assistance andor personnel for the following community
eventsactivities during this fiscal year Culture Camp (two sessions) Coats for Kids Sturgeon
Feast Sobriety Pow Wow Round House Positive Indian Parenting Youth Olympics Night Out
Against Crime Coat and Blanket Giveaway and the Johnson OMalley Senior Banquet
Members of our staff participate in the following committeesactivities Community Engagement
Committee Community Coordinated Response Team Labor and Education Committee
Environmental Protection Committee Fostering Futures Advisory Council Trauma Informed
Care and Night out against Crime
Pathways to Success Training Calendar
Located in our facility is a 16 workstation computer lab that also functions as a meeting room
This room is utilized daily by 477 clients TANF clients and the community to attend the
Pathways to Success Training Calendar events Each month a schedule of events is planned and
posted within the community and shared with clients These trainings range from educational
informative to cultural crafting This year we collaborated with the following programs to
provide training Menominee Tribal Clinic (health and wellness) UW-Extension (food
preparation and cooking classes) and Menominee Job Center (interviewing resumes cover
letters soft skills and dressing for success) While the morning is reserved for the scheduled
training calendar the computer lab is open every afternoon from noon to four thity for clients to
use for job search activities and resume creation
We have staff members trained to complete the following on-site trainings throughout the
program year Native Wellness Life Skills Empowerment FatherhoodMotherhood is Sacred
Building Native Communities Discovery Dating Positive Indian Parenting and Healthy
Relationships We also offer workshops to enhance cultural activities including beading and
regalia making
Transportation
Lack of transportation is very prevalent on the reservation as well as eligible participants without
a driver s license Throughout the year we have assisted 6 individuals with obtaining their
instructional permit their regular drivers license or reinstatement of their license The local
transportation department is also utilized to assist clients in getting to appointments completing
job search and attending school The bus routes are frequent to allow for most day time
transportation needs Extended hours were added to the schedule this year to assist with evening
and weekend transportation needs An additional agreement is still in place with North Central
Technical College in Antigo (about 45 minutes from the reservation) to provide transportation for
those wanting to attend schooling that is offered through this technical school and not the College
of Menominee Nation We have begun to issue tickets as well as a bus pass to those people
working later in the evening as the regular bus route is done and they have to request a special
ride This has allowed flexibility to the clients and assures they have safe transportation later in
the day
We renewed our contract with the Transit Department as well to provide bus passes to our clients
These can be used for job search work activities appointments and other activities needed to
work toward their self-sufficiency This has been a cost saving measure for us as we pay a
blanket rate for unlimited services
The local Department of Motor Vehicle office open here on the reservation at the Transp011ation
building makes it more accessible for clients to receive their temporary license complete testing
and their behind the wheel drivers testing Being a familiar location helps to put the clients at
ease knowing that they will be driving in familiar tenitory as wel I
Our department also has contracted with a local driving instructor to provide instructional
refresher trainings as well as driving experience to our clients as a supportive service He is
contracted to meet with the clients for a set number of times and assist them in gaining the skills
necessary to pass their driving tests His vehicle is also available for testing day for those that do
not have a reliable vehicle
GEDHSEDHigh School Graduation
Obtaining a GED or High School diploma is the first stepping stone to becoming gainfully
employed Clients are fortunate to have a few options when faced with pursuing their diploma
The Tribe Education Depat1ment offers GED services which include study time one-on-one
assistance and testing The local Menominee lndian School District has established a program to
allow individuals regardless of age to obtain a regular high school diploma instead of a GED
Throughout the program year 4 clients worked toward their GED or high school diploma with all
4 successfully completing Obtaining this goal has allowed them to then set new educational and
employment goals for them to strive for
Supportive Services
An annual review was completed of the Supportive Services guideline listing and adjustments
made where seen fit Services assisted with vary but the main requests are bus passes gas cards
car repairs and tire replacement tuition fees for workshops car insurance and interview or work
clothingfootwear A portion of the extra JPTA funding received this year was added to the
Supportive Service line item to allow us to expand on these services Traditionally we do not
have ample money to fit the needs of the clients This extra funding allowed us to assist with
needed car insurance for employment as well as car repairs - two of the more costly expenses
requested Wisconsin State law states that all vehicles on the road must have at least liability
insurance this can be a challenge for clients living on a limited budget
The sliding fee scale continues to apply to a limited number of the Supportive Service requests
such as AODA Assessment Group Dynamics drivers license reinstatement tribal pardons car
repairs and tires The scale takes in to consideration if they client has income and makes them
responsible for a small portion of the cost This was put in place to stretch supportive service
funding as well as to teach responsibility and cost sharing to the client
This past year we provided a variety of suppo11ive services to clients The highest used request is
for gas cards to assist the clients in getting to appointments job search and work There is an
annual limit per person on these to encourage self-dependence The second most requested item
is for assistance with interviewwork clothing and shoeswork boots Many clients just starting
out in the workforce do not have the money to spend on these items and we want to assure they
are able to look professional for their interviews and first days at work Other items assisted with
include birth certificates glassescontacts gaming licensing fees relocation fees educational
expenses vehicle registration and drivers license fees
Obstacles to Achieving Employment
We continue to struggle in finding adequate job search andor work placement activities for
individuals that are returning to the community after being incarcerated The barriers put in place
by their past limits the places that they are able to work within the Tribe We are looking to
outside sources more in neighboring communities to find the right kind of placement for them but
these are still difficult to obtain
Youth Services
The Community Resource Center secured job placements for 79 youth to participate in a 6 week
Youth Work Experience Program Another (45) youth were referred to the Johnson OMalley
(JOM) program with (45) gaining summer employment this program approached Tribal
Legislation for funding for an additional 20 youth One Youth Supervisor was hired on a
temporary basis to provide supervision to the youth and assist the Recruitment and Training
Coordinator The youth ranged in age from 14-24 and they were placed within local departments
The program is designed to give youth an opportunity to pa11icipate in actual work and
educational environments to experience and gain knowledge for involvement in the future labor
force The youth participated at their work sites for (16) hours with another 4 hours of
Educational training for a total of 20 hours each week We worked in collaboration with Human
Resources Youth Development and Outreach Tribal Clinic Wellness and the Menominee Job
Center to provide these weekly trainings at the Menominee Indian High School to focus on job
skill activities
One additional event was the screening of the documentary Paper Tigers The video fol lows a
year in the life of an alternative native high school that has radically changed its approach to
disciplining its students becoming a promising model to break the cycles of poverty violence
and disease that affect families A member of the Fostering Futures Advisory Committee held an
initial discussion with the youth about ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and TIC (Trauma
Informed Care) The research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) along with another institute has demonstrated an association of ACESs with health and
social problems as an adult where many have co-occutTing experiences She shared that many
Menominee children have experienced several ACEs in their lives Trauma Informed Care is an
intervention and organizational approach that focuses on how trauma may affect an individuals
life and his or her response to behavioral health services from prevention through treatment
Trauma refers to extreme stress that overwhelms a persons ability to cope The Menominee
Tribe has been training agencies and departments throughout the community to create awareness
and to have a clearer understanding of trauma and how it affects the day to day actions of people
we encounter There was some good conversation with the youth afterwards and they were open
to share how they felt in their own settings and areas that they could see improvements being
made School counselors were on hand to assist in discussing this sensitive topic
This year a new Youth Work Readiness Tool was utilized to show improvement andor need
for improvement with the youths working skills This tool is designed to assist supervisors in
providing better direction to the youth and for the youth to identify and understand work
expectations Skills learned at the work site are measured preferably in week (2) and ( 4) of the
program with the supervisor meeting with the youth to develop mutual goals or steps for
performance improvement By strengthening employer-youth communication youth learn and
develop more productive work employability skills character and self-responsibility We
received some good results with utilization of this tool it serves as a good talking point with
supervisors and youth employees
At the end of our 6 week summer program at the request of the Menominee Tribal Clinic (2)
youth worked for an additional three week period and one youth worked an additional three
weeks with the Emergency Management Program They entered Work Experience contracts to
continue with their employment based on their positive work ethic The positions were funded
through the each individual department
Applications for the program including a resume were accepted over a three week period and then
graded on a point scale considering low income type of family (1 or 2 parentguardianyouth
parent) etc Placements were picked according to highest to lowest score A group orientation
was held to go over rules and expectations as well as goal setting for the youth
Some of the community events that the youth assist with are Breakfast with Santa Summer
Youth Olympics Toys for Tots and the 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
34 clients did not meet their employment goal this fiscal year of these many were working on
barriers to employment Those employed showed an earnings gain of $682 This past year we
have worked closely with many departments including Menominee Transit Menominee Tribal
Clinic Historic Preservation Menominee Casino Resort Menominee Early Childhood Services
Johnson OMalley Program Wolf River Development and Conservation
One female client completed her 8 week contract with the Menominee Casino Reso11 to gain
work experience and was able to use her income to pay off a $591 traffic fine Her placement
was extended and she went on to secure a flex position with the Casino in housekeeping This
work experience was her first job experience ever
Two male clients attended a Job Fair at the Shawano Job Center and received an interview with
two separate companies One became employed at a cheese factory and the other gentleman
received a temp-to-hire position as a welder The later was assisted with a welding helmet
gloves and gas cards
One female client completed a 4 week contract with Wolf River Development Company and was
hired full time at $1382hr as an Administrative Assistant She had over 22 years experience as
a Budget Specialist but her job was eliminated due to budget cuts
One female client completed an 8 week contract with Menominee Tribal Daycare and was hired
part time at $905hr Jn October 2016 she was transfeITed to a full time Head Cook position
earning $1124hr
One female client participated in the summer youth program for 3 years when she was in high
school which was her only work experience (six weeks each summer) She completed a Work
Experience placement with the Historic Preservation Department and used her income to pay a
$887 traffic fine She secured a flex Room Attendant position at North Star Casino and used her
earnings to pay for a State IDP and completed her Driver Safety classes which were a
requirement for her to regain her license She passed her written exam and driving test and
obtained a valid instructional permit Our program assisted her by utilizing CampJ Drivers
Education for behind the wheel instruction and use of his car for her skills exam She was
promoted to full time employment with insurance benefits in August and has maintained her
employment for one year
Work Experience contracts for our clients have assisted them to overcome their barriers and
become ready for employment The Job Counselors work with area departments to secure job
placements for hire utilizing our Interdepartmental Contract Most of these jobs are entry level
positions within the Tribe where clients will work a set number of hours between 20 and 40 and
be paid a comparable wage during their training period While our program pays at the rate of
minimum wage for these contracts the departments are encouraged to supplement the wage to
bring the client up to the given rate for the position they are ft II ing This past year 12 of the 9
positions were supplemented by the employers
Many of our clients have little or no employment history and these placements give them the
needed verifiable work history needed for job application requirements Job Counselors work
closely with the clients to monitor the clients growth in the position and assist with needed
changes to assure the job is a good fit for the client At the end of the contract the employer has
the option to hire the client into a regular part time or full time position
Our staff is always looking for new opportunities for our clients to become trained and employed
Our unemployment rate although it has improved remains to be one of the highest in the state
The need for additional full time employment opportunities for our clients is great Part time and
on-call wages are not sufficient to allow for a livable wage Childcare and transportation are also
a challenge our clients face when seeking employment at area gaming facilities
Tribal Pardons
Past legal issues can serve as a hindrance when applying for employment Our program has one
staff that is knowledgeable in the Tribal Pardon process which allows for past aged convictions to
be pardoned so they are able to obtain employment Clients have to complete a paper process
showing the improvements they have made in their lives and this gets presented to the
Menominee Tribal Legislature for determination This past year our employee successfully
assisted 8 community members to overcome this barrier Our program assists with the fees
charged to complete this process By taking care of this barrier they are one step closer to being
self-sufficient
Continued Training and Outreach Efforts
While assisting clients to develop as individuals it is also important for staff to continue to
develop Our program continues to be trained and informed about the effects of trauma on our
clients and how we can better work with them to assure we are not re-traumatizing individuals
This will be a work in progress as we continue to review policy and procedures and adapt to the
need The Director Assistant Director and the newly hired Job Counselor attended the annual PL
I 02-477 conference in Reno NV It is important for staff to attend these opportunities to refresh
and learn new ideas to utilize while working with clients to reach their potential
The Community Resource Center comprised of PL 102-477 Tribal TANF and Income
Maintenance program provided assistance andor personnel for the following community
eventsactivities during this fiscal year Culture Camp (two sessions) Coats for Kids Sturgeon
Feast Sobriety Pow Wow Round House Positive Indian Parenting Youth Olympics Night Out
Against Crime Coat and Blanket Giveaway and the Johnson OMalley Senior Banquet
Members of our staff participate in the following committeesactivities Community Engagement
Committee Community Coordinated Response Team Labor and Education Committee
Environmental Protection Committee Fostering Futures Advisory Council Trauma Informed
Care and Night out against Crime
Pathways to Success Training Calendar
Located in our facility is a 16 workstation computer lab that also functions as a meeting room
This room is utilized daily by 477 clients TANF clients and the community to attend the
Pathways to Success Training Calendar events Each month a schedule of events is planned and
posted within the community and shared with clients These trainings range from educational
informative to cultural crafting This year we collaborated with the following programs to
provide training Menominee Tribal Clinic (health and wellness) UW-Extension (food
preparation and cooking classes) and Menominee Job Center (interviewing resumes cover
letters soft skills and dressing for success) While the morning is reserved for the scheduled
training calendar the computer lab is open every afternoon from noon to four thity for clients to
use for job search activities and resume creation
We have staff members trained to complete the following on-site trainings throughout the
program year Native Wellness Life Skills Empowerment FatherhoodMotherhood is Sacred
Building Native Communities Discovery Dating Positive Indian Parenting and Healthy
Relationships We also offer workshops to enhance cultural activities including beading and
regalia making
Transportation
Lack of transportation is very prevalent on the reservation as well as eligible participants without
a driver s license Throughout the year we have assisted 6 individuals with obtaining their
instructional permit their regular drivers license or reinstatement of their license The local
transportation department is also utilized to assist clients in getting to appointments completing
job search and attending school The bus routes are frequent to allow for most day time
transportation needs Extended hours were added to the schedule this year to assist with evening
and weekend transportation needs An additional agreement is still in place with North Central
Technical College in Antigo (about 45 minutes from the reservation) to provide transportation for
those wanting to attend schooling that is offered through this technical school and not the College
of Menominee Nation We have begun to issue tickets as well as a bus pass to those people
working later in the evening as the regular bus route is done and they have to request a special
ride This has allowed flexibility to the clients and assures they have safe transportation later in
the day
We renewed our contract with the Transit Department as well to provide bus passes to our clients
These can be used for job search work activities appointments and other activities needed to
work toward their self-sufficiency This has been a cost saving measure for us as we pay a
blanket rate for unlimited services
The local Department of Motor Vehicle office open here on the reservation at the Transp011ation
building makes it more accessible for clients to receive their temporary license complete testing
and their behind the wheel drivers testing Being a familiar location helps to put the clients at
ease knowing that they will be driving in familiar tenitory as wel I
Our department also has contracted with a local driving instructor to provide instructional
refresher trainings as well as driving experience to our clients as a supportive service He is
contracted to meet with the clients for a set number of times and assist them in gaining the skills
necessary to pass their driving tests His vehicle is also available for testing day for those that do
not have a reliable vehicle
GEDHSEDHigh School Graduation
Obtaining a GED or High School diploma is the first stepping stone to becoming gainfully
employed Clients are fortunate to have a few options when faced with pursuing their diploma
The Tribe Education Depat1ment offers GED services which include study time one-on-one
assistance and testing The local Menominee lndian School District has established a program to
allow individuals regardless of age to obtain a regular high school diploma instead of a GED
Throughout the program year 4 clients worked toward their GED or high school diploma with all
4 successfully completing Obtaining this goal has allowed them to then set new educational and
employment goals for them to strive for
Supportive Services
An annual review was completed of the Supportive Services guideline listing and adjustments
made where seen fit Services assisted with vary but the main requests are bus passes gas cards
car repairs and tire replacement tuition fees for workshops car insurance and interview or work
clothingfootwear A portion of the extra JPTA funding received this year was added to the
Supportive Service line item to allow us to expand on these services Traditionally we do not
have ample money to fit the needs of the clients This extra funding allowed us to assist with
needed car insurance for employment as well as car repairs - two of the more costly expenses
requested Wisconsin State law states that all vehicles on the road must have at least liability
insurance this can be a challenge for clients living on a limited budget
The sliding fee scale continues to apply to a limited number of the Supportive Service requests
such as AODA Assessment Group Dynamics drivers license reinstatement tribal pardons car
repairs and tires The scale takes in to consideration if they client has income and makes them
responsible for a small portion of the cost This was put in place to stretch supportive service
funding as well as to teach responsibility and cost sharing to the client
This past year we provided a variety of suppo11ive services to clients The highest used request is
for gas cards to assist the clients in getting to appointments job search and work There is an
annual limit per person on these to encourage self-dependence The second most requested item
is for assistance with interviewwork clothing and shoeswork boots Many clients just starting
out in the workforce do not have the money to spend on these items and we want to assure they
are able to look professional for their interviews and first days at work Other items assisted with
include birth certificates glassescontacts gaming licensing fees relocation fees educational
expenses vehicle registration and drivers license fees
Obstacles to Achieving Employment
We continue to struggle in finding adequate job search andor work placement activities for
individuals that are returning to the community after being incarcerated The barriers put in place
by their past limits the places that they are able to work within the Tribe We are looking to
outside sources more in neighboring communities to find the right kind of placement for them but
these are still difficult to obtain
Youth Services
The Community Resource Center secured job placements for 79 youth to participate in a 6 week
Youth Work Experience Program Another (45) youth were referred to the Johnson OMalley
(JOM) program with (45) gaining summer employment this program approached Tribal
Legislation for funding for an additional 20 youth One Youth Supervisor was hired on a
temporary basis to provide supervision to the youth and assist the Recruitment and Training
Coordinator The youth ranged in age from 14-24 and they were placed within local departments
The program is designed to give youth an opportunity to pa11icipate in actual work and
educational environments to experience and gain knowledge for involvement in the future labor
force The youth participated at their work sites for (16) hours with another 4 hours of
Educational training for a total of 20 hours each week We worked in collaboration with Human
Resources Youth Development and Outreach Tribal Clinic Wellness and the Menominee Job
Center to provide these weekly trainings at the Menominee Indian High School to focus on job
skill activities
One additional event was the screening of the documentary Paper Tigers The video fol lows a
year in the life of an alternative native high school that has radically changed its approach to
disciplining its students becoming a promising model to break the cycles of poverty violence
and disease that affect families A member of the Fostering Futures Advisory Committee held an
initial discussion with the youth about ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and TIC (Trauma
Informed Care) The research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) along with another institute has demonstrated an association of ACESs with health and
social problems as an adult where many have co-occutTing experiences She shared that many
Menominee children have experienced several ACEs in their lives Trauma Informed Care is an
intervention and organizational approach that focuses on how trauma may affect an individuals
life and his or her response to behavioral health services from prevention through treatment
Trauma refers to extreme stress that overwhelms a persons ability to cope The Menominee
Tribe has been training agencies and departments throughout the community to create awareness
and to have a clearer understanding of trauma and how it affects the day to day actions of people
we encounter There was some good conversation with the youth afterwards and they were open
to share how they felt in their own settings and areas that they could see improvements being
made School counselors were on hand to assist in discussing this sensitive topic
This year a new Youth Work Readiness Tool was utilized to show improvement andor need
for improvement with the youths working skills This tool is designed to assist supervisors in
providing better direction to the youth and for the youth to identify and understand work
expectations Skills learned at the work site are measured preferably in week (2) and ( 4) of the
program with the supervisor meeting with the youth to develop mutual goals or steps for
performance improvement By strengthening employer-youth communication youth learn and
develop more productive work employability skills character and self-responsibility We
received some good results with utilization of this tool it serves as a good talking point with
supervisors and youth employees
At the end of our 6 week summer program at the request of the Menominee Tribal Clinic (2)
youth worked for an additional three week period and one youth worked an additional three
weeks with the Emergency Management Program They entered Work Experience contracts to
continue with their employment based on their positive work ethic The positions were funded
through the each individual department
Applications for the program including a resume were accepted over a three week period and then
graded on a point scale considering low income type of family (1 or 2 parentguardianyouth
parent) etc Placements were picked according to highest to lowest score A group orientation
was held to go over rules and expectations as well as goal setting for the youth
Some of the community events that the youth assist with are Breakfast with Santa Summer
Youth Olympics Toys for Tots and the 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
Work Experience contracts for our clients have assisted them to overcome their barriers and
become ready for employment The Job Counselors work with area departments to secure job
placements for hire utilizing our Interdepartmental Contract Most of these jobs are entry level
positions within the Tribe where clients will work a set number of hours between 20 and 40 and
be paid a comparable wage during their training period While our program pays at the rate of
minimum wage for these contracts the departments are encouraged to supplement the wage to
bring the client up to the given rate for the position they are ft II ing This past year 12 of the 9
positions were supplemented by the employers
Many of our clients have little or no employment history and these placements give them the
needed verifiable work history needed for job application requirements Job Counselors work
closely with the clients to monitor the clients growth in the position and assist with needed
changes to assure the job is a good fit for the client At the end of the contract the employer has
the option to hire the client into a regular part time or full time position
Our staff is always looking for new opportunities for our clients to become trained and employed
Our unemployment rate although it has improved remains to be one of the highest in the state
The need for additional full time employment opportunities for our clients is great Part time and
on-call wages are not sufficient to allow for a livable wage Childcare and transportation are also
a challenge our clients face when seeking employment at area gaming facilities
Tribal Pardons
Past legal issues can serve as a hindrance when applying for employment Our program has one
staff that is knowledgeable in the Tribal Pardon process which allows for past aged convictions to
be pardoned so they are able to obtain employment Clients have to complete a paper process
showing the improvements they have made in their lives and this gets presented to the
Menominee Tribal Legislature for determination This past year our employee successfully
assisted 8 community members to overcome this barrier Our program assists with the fees
charged to complete this process By taking care of this barrier they are one step closer to being
self-sufficient
Continued Training and Outreach Efforts
While assisting clients to develop as individuals it is also important for staff to continue to
develop Our program continues to be trained and informed about the effects of trauma on our
clients and how we can better work with them to assure we are not re-traumatizing individuals
This will be a work in progress as we continue to review policy and procedures and adapt to the
need The Director Assistant Director and the newly hired Job Counselor attended the annual PL
I 02-477 conference in Reno NV It is important for staff to attend these opportunities to refresh
and learn new ideas to utilize while working with clients to reach their potential
The Community Resource Center comprised of PL 102-477 Tribal TANF and Income
Maintenance program provided assistance andor personnel for the following community
eventsactivities during this fiscal year Culture Camp (two sessions) Coats for Kids Sturgeon
Feast Sobriety Pow Wow Round House Positive Indian Parenting Youth Olympics Night Out
Against Crime Coat and Blanket Giveaway and the Johnson OMalley Senior Banquet
Members of our staff participate in the following committeesactivities Community Engagement
Committee Community Coordinated Response Team Labor and Education Committee
Environmental Protection Committee Fostering Futures Advisory Council Trauma Informed
Care and Night out against Crime
Pathways to Success Training Calendar
Located in our facility is a 16 workstation computer lab that also functions as a meeting room
This room is utilized daily by 477 clients TANF clients and the community to attend the
Pathways to Success Training Calendar events Each month a schedule of events is planned and
posted within the community and shared with clients These trainings range from educational
informative to cultural crafting This year we collaborated with the following programs to
provide training Menominee Tribal Clinic (health and wellness) UW-Extension (food
preparation and cooking classes) and Menominee Job Center (interviewing resumes cover
letters soft skills and dressing for success) While the morning is reserved for the scheduled
training calendar the computer lab is open every afternoon from noon to four thity for clients to
use for job search activities and resume creation
We have staff members trained to complete the following on-site trainings throughout the
program year Native Wellness Life Skills Empowerment FatherhoodMotherhood is Sacred
Building Native Communities Discovery Dating Positive Indian Parenting and Healthy
Relationships We also offer workshops to enhance cultural activities including beading and
regalia making
Transportation
Lack of transportation is very prevalent on the reservation as well as eligible participants without
a driver s license Throughout the year we have assisted 6 individuals with obtaining their
instructional permit their regular drivers license or reinstatement of their license The local
transportation department is also utilized to assist clients in getting to appointments completing
job search and attending school The bus routes are frequent to allow for most day time
transportation needs Extended hours were added to the schedule this year to assist with evening
and weekend transportation needs An additional agreement is still in place with North Central
Technical College in Antigo (about 45 minutes from the reservation) to provide transportation for
those wanting to attend schooling that is offered through this technical school and not the College
of Menominee Nation We have begun to issue tickets as well as a bus pass to those people
working later in the evening as the regular bus route is done and they have to request a special
ride This has allowed flexibility to the clients and assures they have safe transportation later in
the day
We renewed our contract with the Transit Department as well to provide bus passes to our clients
These can be used for job search work activities appointments and other activities needed to
work toward their self-sufficiency This has been a cost saving measure for us as we pay a
blanket rate for unlimited services
The local Department of Motor Vehicle office open here on the reservation at the Transp011ation
building makes it more accessible for clients to receive their temporary license complete testing
and their behind the wheel drivers testing Being a familiar location helps to put the clients at
ease knowing that they will be driving in familiar tenitory as wel I
Our department also has contracted with a local driving instructor to provide instructional
refresher trainings as well as driving experience to our clients as a supportive service He is
contracted to meet with the clients for a set number of times and assist them in gaining the skills
necessary to pass their driving tests His vehicle is also available for testing day for those that do
not have a reliable vehicle
GEDHSEDHigh School Graduation
Obtaining a GED or High School diploma is the first stepping stone to becoming gainfully
employed Clients are fortunate to have a few options when faced with pursuing their diploma
The Tribe Education Depat1ment offers GED services which include study time one-on-one
assistance and testing The local Menominee lndian School District has established a program to
allow individuals regardless of age to obtain a regular high school diploma instead of a GED
Throughout the program year 4 clients worked toward their GED or high school diploma with all
4 successfully completing Obtaining this goal has allowed them to then set new educational and
employment goals for them to strive for
Supportive Services
An annual review was completed of the Supportive Services guideline listing and adjustments
made where seen fit Services assisted with vary but the main requests are bus passes gas cards
car repairs and tire replacement tuition fees for workshops car insurance and interview or work
clothingfootwear A portion of the extra JPTA funding received this year was added to the
Supportive Service line item to allow us to expand on these services Traditionally we do not
have ample money to fit the needs of the clients This extra funding allowed us to assist with
needed car insurance for employment as well as car repairs - two of the more costly expenses
requested Wisconsin State law states that all vehicles on the road must have at least liability
insurance this can be a challenge for clients living on a limited budget
The sliding fee scale continues to apply to a limited number of the Supportive Service requests
such as AODA Assessment Group Dynamics drivers license reinstatement tribal pardons car
repairs and tires The scale takes in to consideration if they client has income and makes them
responsible for a small portion of the cost This was put in place to stretch supportive service
funding as well as to teach responsibility and cost sharing to the client
This past year we provided a variety of suppo11ive services to clients The highest used request is
for gas cards to assist the clients in getting to appointments job search and work There is an
annual limit per person on these to encourage self-dependence The second most requested item
is for assistance with interviewwork clothing and shoeswork boots Many clients just starting
out in the workforce do not have the money to spend on these items and we want to assure they
are able to look professional for their interviews and first days at work Other items assisted with
include birth certificates glassescontacts gaming licensing fees relocation fees educational
expenses vehicle registration and drivers license fees
Obstacles to Achieving Employment
We continue to struggle in finding adequate job search andor work placement activities for
individuals that are returning to the community after being incarcerated The barriers put in place
by their past limits the places that they are able to work within the Tribe We are looking to
outside sources more in neighboring communities to find the right kind of placement for them but
these are still difficult to obtain
Youth Services
The Community Resource Center secured job placements for 79 youth to participate in a 6 week
Youth Work Experience Program Another (45) youth were referred to the Johnson OMalley
(JOM) program with (45) gaining summer employment this program approached Tribal
Legislation for funding for an additional 20 youth One Youth Supervisor was hired on a
temporary basis to provide supervision to the youth and assist the Recruitment and Training
Coordinator The youth ranged in age from 14-24 and they were placed within local departments
The program is designed to give youth an opportunity to pa11icipate in actual work and
educational environments to experience and gain knowledge for involvement in the future labor
force The youth participated at their work sites for (16) hours with another 4 hours of
Educational training for a total of 20 hours each week We worked in collaboration with Human
Resources Youth Development and Outreach Tribal Clinic Wellness and the Menominee Job
Center to provide these weekly trainings at the Menominee Indian High School to focus on job
skill activities
One additional event was the screening of the documentary Paper Tigers The video fol lows a
year in the life of an alternative native high school that has radically changed its approach to
disciplining its students becoming a promising model to break the cycles of poverty violence
and disease that affect families A member of the Fostering Futures Advisory Committee held an
initial discussion with the youth about ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and TIC (Trauma
Informed Care) The research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) along with another institute has demonstrated an association of ACESs with health and
social problems as an adult where many have co-occutTing experiences She shared that many
Menominee children have experienced several ACEs in their lives Trauma Informed Care is an
intervention and organizational approach that focuses on how trauma may affect an individuals
life and his or her response to behavioral health services from prevention through treatment
Trauma refers to extreme stress that overwhelms a persons ability to cope The Menominee
Tribe has been training agencies and departments throughout the community to create awareness
and to have a clearer understanding of trauma and how it affects the day to day actions of people
we encounter There was some good conversation with the youth afterwards and they were open
to share how they felt in their own settings and areas that they could see improvements being
made School counselors were on hand to assist in discussing this sensitive topic
This year a new Youth Work Readiness Tool was utilized to show improvement andor need
for improvement with the youths working skills This tool is designed to assist supervisors in
providing better direction to the youth and for the youth to identify and understand work
expectations Skills learned at the work site are measured preferably in week (2) and ( 4) of the
program with the supervisor meeting with the youth to develop mutual goals or steps for
performance improvement By strengthening employer-youth communication youth learn and
develop more productive work employability skills character and self-responsibility We
received some good results with utilization of this tool it serves as a good talking point with
supervisors and youth employees
At the end of our 6 week summer program at the request of the Menominee Tribal Clinic (2)
youth worked for an additional three week period and one youth worked an additional three
weeks with the Emergency Management Program They entered Work Experience contracts to
continue with their employment based on their positive work ethic The positions were funded
through the each individual department
Applications for the program including a resume were accepted over a three week period and then
graded on a point scale considering low income type of family (1 or 2 parentguardianyouth
parent) etc Placements were picked according to highest to lowest score A group orientation
was held to go over rules and expectations as well as goal setting for the youth
Some of the community events that the youth assist with are Breakfast with Santa Summer
Youth Olympics Toys for Tots and the 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
clients and how we can better work with them to assure we are not re-traumatizing individuals
This will be a work in progress as we continue to review policy and procedures and adapt to the
need The Director Assistant Director and the newly hired Job Counselor attended the annual PL
I 02-477 conference in Reno NV It is important for staff to attend these opportunities to refresh
and learn new ideas to utilize while working with clients to reach their potential
The Community Resource Center comprised of PL 102-477 Tribal TANF and Income
Maintenance program provided assistance andor personnel for the following community
eventsactivities during this fiscal year Culture Camp (two sessions) Coats for Kids Sturgeon
Feast Sobriety Pow Wow Round House Positive Indian Parenting Youth Olympics Night Out
Against Crime Coat and Blanket Giveaway and the Johnson OMalley Senior Banquet
Members of our staff participate in the following committeesactivities Community Engagement
Committee Community Coordinated Response Team Labor and Education Committee
Environmental Protection Committee Fostering Futures Advisory Council Trauma Informed
Care and Night out against Crime
Pathways to Success Training Calendar
Located in our facility is a 16 workstation computer lab that also functions as a meeting room
This room is utilized daily by 477 clients TANF clients and the community to attend the
Pathways to Success Training Calendar events Each month a schedule of events is planned and
posted within the community and shared with clients These trainings range from educational
informative to cultural crafting This year we collaborated with the following programs to
provide training Menominee Tribal Clinic (health and wellness) UW-Extension (food
preparation and cooking classes) and Menominee Job Center (interviewing resumes cover
letters soft skills and dressing for success) While the morning is reserved for the scheduled
training calendar the computer lab is open every afternoon from noon to four thity for clients to
use for job search activities and resume creation
We have staff members trained to complete the following on-site trainings throughout the
program year Native Wellness Life Skills Empowerment FatherhoodMotherhood is Sacred
Building Native Communities Discovery Dating Positive Indian Parenting and Healthy
Relationships We also offer workshops to enhance cultural activities including beading and
regalia making
Transportation
Lack of transportation is very prevalent on the reservation as well as eligible participants without
a driver s license Throughout the year we have assisted 6 individuals with obtaining their
instructional permit their regular drivers license or reinstatement of their license The local
transportation department is also utilized to assist clients in getting to appointments completing
job search and attending school The bus routes are frequent to allow for most day time
transportation needs Extended hours were added to the schedule this year to assist with evening
and weekend transportation needs An additional agreement is still in place with North Central
Technical College in Antigo (about 45 minutes from the reservation) to provide transportation for
those wanting to attend schooling that is offered through this technical school and not the College
of Menominee Nation We have begun to issue tickets as well as a bus pass to those people
working later in the evening as the regular bus route is done and they have to request a special
ride This has allowed flexibility to the clients and assures they have safe transportation later in
the day
We renewed our contract with the Transit Department as well to provide bus passes to our clients
These can be used for job search work activities appointments and other activities needed to
work toward their self-sufficiency This has been a cost saving measure for us as we pay a
blanket rate for unlimited services
The local Department of Motor Vehicle office open here on the reservation at the Transp011ation
building makes it more accessible for clients to receive their temporary license complete testing
and their behind the wheel drivers testing Being a familiar location helps to put the clients at
ease knowing that they will be driving in familiar tenitory as wel I
Our department also has contracted with a local driving instructor to provide instructional
refresher trainings as well as driving experience to our clients as a supportive service He is
contracted to meet with the clients for a set number of times and assist them in gaining the skills
necessary to pass their driving tests His vehicle is also available for testing day for those that do
not have a reliable vehicle
GEDHSEDHigh School Graduation
Obtaining a GED or High School diploma is the first stepping stone to becoming gainfully
employed Clients are fortunate to have a few options when faced with pursuing their diploma
The Tribe Education Depat1ment offers GED services which include study time one-on-one
assistance and testing The local Menominee lndian School District has established a program to
allow individuals regardless of age to obtain a regular high school diploma instead of a GED
Throughout the program year 4 clients worked toward their GED or high school diploma with all
4 successfully completing Obtaining this goal has allowed them to then set new educational and
employment goals for them to strive for
Supportive Services
An annual review was completed of the Supportive Services guideline listing and adjustments
made where seen fit Services assisted with vary but the main requests are bus passes gas cards
car repairs and tire replacement tuition fees for workshops car insurance and interview or work
clothingfootwear A portion of the extra JPTA funding received this year was added to the
Supportive Service line item to allow us to expand on these services Traditionally we do not
have ample money to fit the needs of the clients This extra funding allowed us to assist with
needed car insurance for employment as well as car repairs - two of the more costly expenses
requested Wisconsin State law states that all vehicles on the road must have at least liability
insurance this can be a challenge for clients living on a limited budget
The sliding fee scale continues to apply to a limited number of the Supportive Service requests
such as AODA Assessment Group Dynamics drivers license reinstatement tribal pardons car
repairs and tires The scale takes in to consideration if they client has income and makes them
responsible for a small portion of the cost This was put in place to stretch supportive service
funding as well as to teach responsibility and cost sharing to the client
This past year we provided a variety of suppo11ive services to clients The highest used request is
for gas cards to assist the clients in getting to appointments job search and work There is an
annual limit per person on these to encourage self-dependence The second most requested item
is for assistance with interviewwork clothing and shoeswork boots Many clients just starting
out in the workforce do not have the money to spend on these items and we want to assure they
are able to look professional for their interviews and first days at work Other items assisted with
include birth certificates glassescontacts gaming licensing fees relocation fees educational
expenses vehicle registration and drivers license fees
Obstacles to Achieving Employment
We continue to struggle in finding adequate job search andor work placement activities for
individuals that are returning to the community after being incarcerated The barriers put in place
by their past limits the places that they are able to work within the Tribe We are looking to
outside sources more in neighboring communities to find the right kind of placement for them but
these are still difficult to obtain
Youth Services
The Community Resource Center secured job placements for 79 youth to participate in a 6 week
Youth Work Experience Program Another (45) youth were referred to the Johnson OMalley
(JOM) program with (45) gaining summer employment this program approached Tribal
Legislation for funding for an additional 20 youth One Youth Supervisor was hired on a
temporary basis to provide supervision to the youth and assist the Recruitment and Training
Coordinator The youth ranged in age from 14-24 and they were placed within local departments
The program is designed to give youth an opportunity to pa11icipate in actual work and
educational environments to experience and gain knowledge for involvement in the future labor
force The youth participated at their work sites for (16) hours with another 4 hours of
Educational training for a total of 20 hours each week We worked in collaboration with Human
Resources Youth Development and Outreach Tribal Clinic Wellness and the Menominee Job
Center to provide these weekly trainings at the Menominee Indian High School to focus on job
skill activities
One additional event was the screening of the documentary Paper Tigers The video fol lows a
year in the life of an alternative native high school that has radically changed its approach to
disciplining its students becoming a promising model to break the cycles of poverty violence
and disease that affect families A member of the Fostering Futures Advisory Committee held an
initial discussion with the youth about ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and TIC (Trauma
Informed Care) The research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) along with another institute has demonstrated an association of ACESs with health and
social problems as an adult where many have co-occutTing experiences She shared that many
Menominee children have experienced several ACEs in their lives Trauma Informed Care is an
intervention and organizational approach that focuses on how trauma may affect an individuals
life and his or her response to behavioral health services from prevention through treatment
Trauma refers to extreme stress that overwhelms a persons ability to cope The Menominee
Tribe has been training agencies and departments throughout the community to create awareness
and to have a clearer understanding of trauma and how it affects the day to day actions of people
we encounter There was some good conversation with the youth afterwards and they were open
to share how they felt in their own settings and areas that they could see improvements being
made School counselors were on hand to assist in discussing this sensitive topic
This year a new Youth Work Readiness Tool was utilized to show improvement andor need
for improvement with the youths working skills This tool is designed to assist supervisors in
providing better direction to the youth and for the youth to identify and understand work
expectations Skills learned at the work site are measured preferably in week (2) and ( 4) of the
program with the supervisor meeting with the youth to develop mutual goals or steps for
performance improvement By strengthening employer-youth communication youth learn and
develop more productive work employability skills character and self-responsibility We
received some good results with utilization of this tool it serves as a good talking point with
supervisors and youth employees
At the end of our 6 week summer program at the request of the Menominee Tribal Clinic (2)
youth worked for an additional three week period and one youth worked an additional three
weeks with the Emergency Management Program They entered Work Experience contracts to
continue with their employment based on their positive work ethic The positions were funded
through the each individual department
Applications for the program including a resume were accepted over a three week period and then
graded on a point scale considering low income type of family (1 or 2 parentguardianyouth
parent) etc Placements were picked according to highest to lowest score A group orientation
was held to go over rules and expectations as well as goal setting for the youth
Some of the community events that the youth assist with are Breakfast with Santa Summer
Youth Olympics Toys for Tots and the 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
Transportation
Lack of transportation is very prevalent on the reservation as well as eligible participants without
a driver s license Throughout the year we have assisted 6 individuals with obtaining their
instructional permit their regular drivers license or reinstatement of their license The local
transportation department is also utilized to assist clients in getting to appointments completing
job search and attending school The bus routes are frequent to allow for most day time
transportation needs Extended hours were added to the schedule this year to assist with evening
and weekend transportation needs An additional agreement is still in place with North Central
Technical College in Antigo (about 45 minutes from the reservation) to provide transportation for
those wanting to attend schooling that is offered through this technical school and not the College
of Menominee Nation We have begun to issue tickets as well as a bus pass to those people
working later in the evening as the regular bus route is done and they have to request a special
ride This has allowed flexibility to the clients and assures they have safe transportation later in
the day
We renewed our contract with the Transit Department as well to provide bus passes to our clients
These can be used for job search work activities appointments and other activities needed to
work toward their self-sufficiency This has been a cost saving measure for us as we pay a
blanket rate for unlimited services
The local Department of Motor Vehicle office open here on the reservation at the Transp011ation
building makes it more accessible for clients to receive their temporary license complete testing
and their behind the wheel drivers testing Being a familiar location helps to put the clients at
ease knowing that they will be driving in familiar tenitory as wel I
Our department also has contracted with a local driving instructor to provide instructional
refresher trainings as well as driving experience to our clients as a supportive service He is
contracted to meet with the clients for a set number of times and assist them in gaining the skills
necessary to pass their driving tests His vehicle is also available for testing day for those that do
not have a reliable vehicle
GEDHSEDHigh School Graduation
Obtaining a GED or High School diploma is the first stepping stone to becoming gainfully
employed Clients are fortunate to have a few options when faced with pursuing their diploma
The Tribe Education Depat1ment offers GED services which include study time one-on-one
assistance and testing The local Menominee lndian School District has established a program to
allow individuals regardless of age to obtain a regular high school diploma instead of a GED
Throughout the program year 4 clients worked toward their GED or high school diploma with all
4 successfully completing Obtaining this goal has allowed them to then set new educational and
employment goals for them to strive for
Supportive Services
An annual review was completed of the Supportive Services guideline listing and adjustments
made where seen fit Services assisted with vary but the main requests are bus passes gas cards
car repairs and tire replacement tuition fees for workshops car insurance and interview or work
clothingfootwear A portion of the extra JPTA funding received this year was added to the
Supportive Service line item to allow us to expand on these services Traditionally we do not
have ample money to fit the needs of the clients This extra funding allowed us to assist with
needed car insurance for employment as well as car repairs - two of the more costly expenses
requested Wisconsin State law states that all vehicles on the road must have at least liability
insurance this can be a challenge for clients living on a limited budget
The sliding fee scale continues to apply to a limited number of the Supportive Service requests
such as AODA Assessment Group Dynamics drivers license reinstatement tribal pardons car
repairs and tires The scale takes in to consideration if they client has income and makes them
responsible for a small portion of the cost This was put in place to stretch supportive service
funding as well as to teach responsibility and cost sharing to the client
This past year we provided a variety of suppo11ive services to clients The highest used request is
for gas cards to assist the clients in getting to appointments job search and work There is an
annual limit per person on these to encourage self-dependence The second most requested item
is for assistance with interviewwork clothing and shoeswork boots Many clients just starting
out in the workforce do not have the money to spend on these items and we want to assure they
are able to look professional for their interviews and first days at work Other items assisted with
include birth certificates glassescontacts gaming licensing fees relocation fees educational
expenses vehicle registration and drivers license fees
Obstacles to Achieving Employment
We continue to struggle in finding adequate job search andor work placement activities for
individuals that are returning to the community after being incarcerated The barriers put in place
by their past limits the places that they are able to work within the Tribe We are looking to
outside sources more in neighboring communities to find the right kind of placement for them but
these are still difficult to obtain
Youth Services
The Community Resource Center secured job placements for 79 youth to participate in a 6 week
Youth Work Experience Program Another (45) youth were referred to the Johnson OMalley
(JOM) program with (45) gaining summer employment this program approached Tribal
Legislation for funding for an additional 20 youth One Youth Supervisor was hired on a
temporary basis to provide supervision to the youth and assist the Recruitment and Training
Coordinator The youth ranged in age from 14-24 and they were placed within local departments
The program is designed to give youth an opportunity to pa11icipate in actual work and
educational environments to experience and gain knowledge for involvement in the future labor
force The youth participated at their work sites for (16) hours with another 4 hours of
Educational training for a total of 20 hours each week We worked in collaboration with Human
Resources Youth Development and Outreach Tribal Clinic Wellness and the Menominee Job
Center to provide these weekly trainings at the Menominee Indian High School to focus on job
skill activities
One additional event was the screening of the documentary Paper Tigers The video fol lows a
year in the life of an alternative native high school that has radically changed its approach to
disciplining its students becoming a promising model to break the cycles of poverty violence
and disease that affect families A member of the Fostering Futures Advisory Committee held an
initial discussion with the youth about ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and TIC (Trauma
Informed Care) The research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) along with another institute has demonstrated an association of ACESs with health and
social problems as an adult where many have co-occutTing experiences She shared that many
Menominee children have experienced several ACEs in their lives Trauma Informed Care is an
intervention and organizational approach that focuses on how trauma may affect an individuals
life and his or her response to behavioral health services from prevention through treatment
Trauma refers to extreme stress that overwhelms a persons ability to cope The Menominee
Tribe has been training agencies and departments throughout the community to create awareness
and to have a clearer understanding of trauma and how it affects the day to day actions of people
we encounter There was some good conversation with the youth afterwards and they were open
to share how they felt in their own settings and areas that they could see improvements being
made School counselors were on hand to assist in discussing this sensitive topic
This year a new Youth Work Readiness Tool was utilized to show improvement andor need
for improvement with the youths working skills This tool is designed to assist supervisors in
providing better direction to the youth and for the youth to identify and understand work
expectations Skills learned at the work site are measured preferably in week (2) and ( 4) of the
program with the supervisor meeting with the youth to develop mutual goals or steps for
performance improvement By strengthening employer-youth communication youth learn and
develop more productive work employability skills character and self-responsibility We
received some good results with utilization of this tool it serves as a good talking point with
supervisors and youth employees
At the end of our 6 week summer program at the request of the Menominee Tribal Clinic (2)
youth worked for an additional three week period and one youth worked an additional three
weeks with the Emergency Management Program They entered Work Experience contracts to
continue with their employment based on their positive work ethic The positions were funded
through the each individual department
Applications for the program including a resume were accepted over a three week period and then
graded on a point scale considering low income type of family (1 or 2 parentguardianyouth
parent) etc Placements were picked according to highest to lowest score A group orientation
was held to go over rules and expectations as well as goal setting for the youth
Some of the community events that the youth assist with are Breakfast with Santa Summer
Youth Olympics Toys for Tots and the 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
The Tribe Education Depat1ment offers GED services which include study time one-on-one
assistance and testing The local Menominee lndian School District has established a program to
allow individuals regardless of age to obtain a regular high school diploma instead of a GED
Throughout the program year 4 clients worked toward their GED or high school diploma with all
4 successfully completing Obtaining this goal has allowed them to then set new educational and
employment goals for them to strive for
Supportive Services
An annual review was completed of the Supportive Services guideline listing and adjustments
made where seen fit Services assisted with vary but the main requests are bus passes gas cards
car repairs and tire replacement tuition fees for workshops car insurance and interview or work
clothingfootwear A portion of the extra JPTA funding received this year was added to the
Supportive Service line item to allow us to expand on these services Traditionally we do not
have ample money to fit the needs of the clients This extra funding allowed us to assist with
needed car insurance for employment as well as car repairs - two of the more costly expenses
requested Wisconsin State law states that all vehicles on the road must have at least liability
insurance this can be a challenge for clients living on a limited budget
The sliding fee scale continues to apply to a limited number of the Supportive Service requests
such as AODA Assessment Group Dynamics drivers license reinstatement tribal pardons car
repairs and tires The scale takes in to consideration if they client has income and makes them
responsible for a small portion of the cost This was put in place to stretch supportive service
funding as well as to teach responsibility and cost sharing to the client
This past year we provided a variety of suppo11ive services to clients The highest used request is
for gas cards to assist the clients in getting to appointments job search and work There is an
annual limit per person on these to encourage self-dependence The second most requested item
is for assistance with interviewwork clothing and shoeswork boots Many clients just starting
out in the workforce do not have the money to spend on these items and we want to assure they
are able to look professional for their interviews and first days at work Other items assisted with
include birth certificates glassescontacts gaming licensing fees relocation fees educational
expenses vehicle registration and drivers license fees
Obstacles to Achieving Employment
We continue to struggle in finding adequate job search andor work placement activities for
individuals that are returning to the community after being incarcerated The barriers put in place
by their past limits the places that they are able to work within the Tribe We are looking to
outside sources more in neighboring communities to find the right kind of placement for them but
these are still difficult to obtain
Youth Services
The Community Resource Center secured job placements for 79 youth to participate in a 6 week
Youth Work Experience Program Another (45) youth were referred to the Johnson OMalley
(JOM) program with (45) gaining summer employment this program approached Tribal
Legislation for funding for an additional 20 youth One Youth Supervisor was hired on a
temporary basis to provide supervision to the youth and assist the Recruitment and Training
Coordinator The youth ranged in age from 14-24 and they were placed within local departments
The program is designed to give youth an opportunity to pa11icipate in actual work and
educational environments to experience and gain knowledge for involvement in the future labor
force The youth participated at their work sites for (16) hours with another 4 hours of
Educational training for a total of 20 hours each week We worked in collaboration with Human
Resources Youth Development and Outreach Tribal Clinic Wellness and the Menominee Job
Center to provide these weekly trainings at the Menominee Indian High School to focus on job
skill activities
One additional event was the screening of the documentary Paper Tigers The video fol lows a
year in the life of an alternative native high school that has radically changed its approach to
disciplining its students becoming a promising model to break the cycles of poverty violence
and disease that affect families A member of the Fostering Futures Advisory Committee held an
initial discussion with the youth about ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and TIC (Trauma
Informed Care) The research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) along with another institute has demonstrated an association of ACESs with health and
social problems as an adult where many have co-occutTing experiences She shared that many
Menominee children have experienced several ACEs in their lives Trauma Informed Care is an
intervention and organizational approach that focuses on how trauma may affect an individuals
life and his or her response to behavioral health services from prevention through treatment
Trauma refers to extreme stress that overwhelms a persons ability to cope The Menominee
Tribe has been training agencies and departments throughout the community to create awareness
and to have a clearer understanding of trauma and how it affects the day to day actions of people
we encounter There was some good conversation with the youth afterwards and they were open
to share how they felt in their own settings and areas that they could see improvements being
made School counselors were on hand to assist in discussing this sensitive topic
This year a new Youth Work Readiness Tool was utilized to show improvement andor need
for improvement with the youths working skills This tool is designed to assist supervisors in
providing better direction to the youth and for the youth to identify and understand work
expectations Skills learned at the work site are measured preferably in week (2) and ( 4) of the
program with the supervisor meeting with the youth to develop mutual goals or steps for
performance improvement By strengthening employer-youth communication youth learn and
develop more productive work employability skills character and self-responsibility We
received some good results with utilization of this tool it serves as a good talking point with
supervisors and youth employees
At the end of our 6 week summer program at the request of the Menominee Tribal Clinic (2)
youth worked for an additional three week period and one youth worked an additional three
weeks with the Emergency Management Program They entered Work Experience contracts to
continue with their employment based on their positive work ethic The positions were funded
through the each individual department
Applications for the program including a resume were accepted over a three week period and then
graded on a point scale considering low income type of family (1 or 2 parentguardianyouth
parent) etc Placements were picked according to highest to lowest score A group orientation
was held to go over rules and expectations as well as goal setting for the youth
Some of the community events that the youth assist with are Breakfast with Santa Summer
Youth Olympics Toys for Tots and the 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
Obstacles to Achieving Employment
We continue to struggle in finding adequate job search andor work placement activities for
individuals that are returning to the community after being incarcerated The barriers put in place
by their past limits the places that they are able to work within the Tribe We are looking to
outside sources more in neighboring communities to find the right kind of placement for them but
these are still difficult to obtain
Youth Services
The Community Resource Center secured job placements for 79 youth to participate in a 6 week
Youth Work Experience Program Another (45) youth were referred to the Johnson OMalley
(JOM) program with (45) gaining summer employment this program approached Tribal
Legislation for funding for an additional 20 youth One Youth Supervisor was hired on a
temporary basis to provide supervision to the youth and assist the Recruitment and Training
Coordinator The youth ranged in age from 14-24 and they were placed within local departments
The program is designed to give youth an opportunity to pa11icipate in actual work and
educational environments to experience and gain knowledge for involvement in the future labor
force The youth participated at their work sites for (16) hours with another 4 hours of
Educational training for a total of 20 hours each week We worked in collaboration with Human
Resources Youth Development and Outreach Tribal Clinic Wellness and the Menominee Job
Center to provide these weekly trainings at the Menominee Indian High School to focus on job
skill activities
One additional event was the screening of the documentary Paper Tigers The video fol lows a
year in the life of an alternative native high school that has radically changed its approach to
disciplining its students becoming a promising model to break the cycles of poverty violence
and disease that affect families A member of the Fostering Futures Advisory Committee held an
initial discussion with the youth about ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and TIC (Trauma
Informed Care) The research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) along with another institute has demonstrated an association of ACESs with health and
social problems as an adult where many have co-occutTing experiences She shared that many
Menominee children have experienced several ACEs in their lives Trauma Informed Care is an
intervention and organizational approach that focuses on how trauma may affect an individuals
life and his or her response to behavioral health services from prevention through treatment
Trauma refers to extreme stress that overwhelms a persons ability to cope The Menominee
Tribe has been training agencies and departments throughout the community to create awareness
and to have a clearer understanding of trauma and how it affects the day to day actions of people
we encounter There was some good conversation with the youth afterwards and they were open
to share how they felt in their own settings and areas that they could see improvements being
made School counselors were on hand to assist in discussing this sensitive topic
This year a new Youth Work Readiness Tool was utilized to show improvement andor need
for improvement with the youths working skills This tool is designed to assist supervisors in
providing better direction to the youth and for the youth to identify and understand work
expectations Skills learned at the work site are measured preferably in week (2) and ( 4) of the
program with the supervisor meeting with the youth to develop mutual goals or steps for
performance improvement By strengthening employer-youth communication youth learn and
develop more productive work employability skills character and self-responsibility We
received some good results with utilization of this tool it serves as a good talking point with
supervisors and youth employees
At the end of our 6 week summer program at the request of the Menominee Tribal Clinic (2)
youth worked for an additional three week period and one youth worked an additional three
weeks with the Emergency Management Program They entered Work Experience contracts to
continue with their employment based on their positive work ethic The positions were funded
through the each individual department
Applications for the program including a resume were accepted over a three week period and then
graded on a point scale considering low income type of family (1 or 2 parentguardianyouth
parent) etc Placements were picked according to highest to lowest score A group orientation
was held to go over rules and expectations as well as goal setting for the youth
Some of the community events that the youth assist with are Breakfast with Santa Summer
Youth Olympics Toys for Tots and the 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
Tribe has been training agencies and departments throughout the community to create awareness
and to have a clearer understanding of trauma and how it affects the day to day actions of people
we encounter There was some good conversation with the youth afterwards and they were open
to share how they felt in their own settings and areas that they could see improvements being
made School counselors were on hand to assist in discussing this sensitive topic
This year a new Youth Work Readiness Tool was utilized to show improvement andor need
for improvement with the youths working skills This tool is designed to assist supervisors in
providing better direction to the youth and for the youth to identify and understand work
expectations Skills learned at the work site are measured preferably in week (2) and ( 4) of the
program with the supervisor meeting with the youth to develop mutual goals or steps for
performance improvement By strengthening employer-youth communication youth learn and
develop more productive work employability skills character and self-responsibility We
received some good results with utilization of this tool it serves as a good talking point with
supervisors and youth employees
At the end of our 6 week summer program at the request of the Menominee Tribal Clinic (2)
youth worked for an additional three week period and one youth worked an additional three
weeks with the Emergency Management Program They entered Work Experience contracts to
continue with their employment based on their positive work ethic The positions were funded
through the each individual department
Applications for the program including a resume were accepted over a three week period and then
graded on a point scale considering low income type of family (1 or 2 parentguardianyouth
parent) etc Placements were picked according to highest to lowest score A group orientation
was held to go over rules and expectations as well as goal setting for the youth
Some of the community events that the youth assist with are Breakfast with Santa Summer
Youth Olympics Toys for Tots and the 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament