T he Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) authorizes the Department of Labor (DOL) to make grants to support part-time community service employment opportunities for eligible individuals who are age 55 or over and have limited employment prospects. In FY2019, appropriations for the SCSEP program were $400 million and supported approximately 41,000 positions. SCSEP appropriations accounted for approximately 20% of total Older Americans Act funding in FY2019. Most recently, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2016 ( P.L. 114-144 ) authorized appropriations for OAA programs for FY2017 through FY2019, and made other changes to the act. SCSEP is the only OAA program administered by DOL. Programs administered under Title V of the OAA may also be referred to as the Community Service Employment for Older Americans (CSEOA) programs. Title V supports formula grants to both national organizations ("national grantees") and state agencies ("state grantees"). About 22% of PY2018 funds for grants ($84 million) were allocated to state agencies. Responsibilities of Host Agencies and Activities of Participants

Grantees that receive funds directly from DOL typically allocate funds to subgrantees and/or host agencies that provide the actual work site placements and part-time community service employment. Recruitment and Participant Eligibility

Host agencies are responsible for recruiting program participants. To be eligible for the program, a prospective participant must be age 55 or older, unemployed, and a member of a family with income of not more than 125% of the poverty level ($15,613 for a family size of one in 2019). Statute specifies that priority will be given to prospective participants who demonstrate additional barriers to employment. In addition to employment, grantee organizations may also provide training and supportive services. Individual participants are typically limited to an aggregate maximum of 48 months of participation in the program. Performance Accountability

Federal law establishes six core indicators for CSEOA grantees. The performance indicators are
1. hours (in the aggregate) of community service employment; 2. the percentage of project participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the project; 3. the percentage of project participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the fourth quarter after exit from the project; 4. the median earnings of project participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the project; 5. indicators of effectiveness in serving employers, host agencies, and project participants; and 6. the number of eligible individuals served, including the number of participating individuals with demonstrated barriers to employment. If a national grantee fails to meet expected levels of performance for four consecutive years, the grantee may not compete in the subsequent grant competition.
The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) authorizes the Department of Labor (DOL) to make grants to support part-time community service employment opportunities for eligible individuals age 55 or over. In FY2019, appropriations for SCSEP programs were $400 million and supported approximately 41,000 positions. DOL may also refer to the SCSEP program as Community Service Employment for Older Americans (CSEOA)
SCSEP is authorized by Title V of the Older Americans Act (OAA). The Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-144) authorized appropriations for OAA programs for FY2017 through FY2019. In FY2019, SCSEP appropriations accounted for about 20% of the funding under the OAA.
The bulk of SCSEP appropriations support two primary grant streams: one to national nonprofit organizations and one to state agencies. In the most recent program year, approximately 78% of formula grant funds were allocated to national grantees and about 22% were allocated to state grantees. Both the national organizations and state grantees subgrant funds to host agencies that provide the actual community service employment opportunities to participants.
Host agencies are responsible for recruiting eligible participants. To be eligible for the program, prospective participants must be at least age 55, low-income, and unemployed. Federal law requires host agencies to give preference to prospective participants who demonstrate additional barriers to employment such as having a disability or being at risk of homelessness.
Program participants work part-time in community service jobs, including employment at schools, libraries, social service organizations, or senior-serving organizations. Program participants earn the higher of minimum wage or the typical wage for the job in which they are employed. An individual may typically participate in the program for a cumulative total of no more than 48 months.
During orientation, participants receive an assessment of their skills, interests, capabilities, and needs. This assessment informs the development of an individual employment plan (IEP). A participant's IEP is updated throughout their participation in the program.
Grantees are subject to a performance accountability system. Performance metrics generally relate to participants' unsubsidized employment and earnings after exiting the program. In addition to outcome-based metrics, grantees are also assessed on participants' total number of hours of service and whether the grantee served participants with barriers to employment. Grantees that do not meet negotiated levels of performance may become ineligible for subsequent grants.