Title: SCP Operational Handbook Date issued: April 2021 Date posted: April 9, 2021 Unique identifier: SC 001 Topic: Effective practices for SCP grants management. Summary: This document provides ideas and suggestions for effective practices in operating and managing many aspects of SCP grants. SCP Operations Handbook Version: 2021.2 (April 2021) This page left intentionally blank. AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companion Program Operations Handbook: Change Log CHANGE LOG This table lists all changes made in the most recent revision of this document. See Appendix E.4 for a full list of changes since January 2017. Edits made in Version 2021.2 (April 2021) Change Chapter and Page Change Number Number 1 This change is not • Update links throughout document. AmeriCorps and related to a specific AmeriCorps Seniors resources are in the process of being chapter. transferred from NationalService.gov to AmeriCorps.gov. As documents and pages are transitioned, this document is updated. 2 Chapter 1: • AmeriCorps Seniors Week will not be held in 2021, AmeriCorps AmeriCorps Seniors will highlight AmeriCorps Seniors Overview (PG 13) Program during the month of May, Older Americans Month. 3 Chapter 5: Project • AmeriCorps has published a new National Service Criminal Staff (PG 38) History Check (NSCHC) regulation that will be effective May 1, 2021. Updates and additional resources provided 4 Chapter 7: • Provided link to updated AmeriCorps Seniors Pandemic AmeriCorps Seniors Recovery a Pathway to Service (updated March 2021) SCP Volunteer Assessments (51) 5 Chapter 7: • Update language in teleservice to state approval from your AmeriCorps Seniors portfolio manager SCP Volunteer Assessments (PG 52) 6 Chapter 8: • AmeriCorps has published a new National Service Criminal Volunteers in History Check (NSCHC) regulation that will be effective May AmeriCorps Seniors 1, 2021. Updates and additional resources provided SCP (PG 67) • Effective May 1, all three checks must be conducted, reviewed, and an eligibility determination made by the grant recipient or subrecipient before a person begins to work or serve on an NSCHC-required grant. 7 Chapter 11.3 Project • Office of Monitoring provides additional information on Compliance Monitoring Activities Types and Monitoring Results and Monitoring (PG 115) Corrective Actions plans Version 2021.2 i AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companion Program Operations Handbook: Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS CHANGE LOG ............................................................................................................................................................. I TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................................. II PREFACE .................................................................................................................................................................. IV 1 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................ 5 1.1 PURPOSE OF HANDBOOK ......................................................................................................................................... 5 1.2 HANDBOOK DESIGN ................................................................................................................................................. 5 1.3 AMERICORPS OVERVIEW .......................................................................................................................................... 5 1.4 RESOURCES OF AMERICORPS ................................................................................................................................... 9 2 PROJECT OPERATIONS ...................................................................................................................................... 18 2.1 ELIGIBILITY, AWARDS, AND SPONSORSHIP ............................................................................................................. 18 2.2 SPONSOR RESPONSIBILITIES ................................................................................................................................... 18 2.3 SPECIAL LIMITATIONS INCLUDING PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES ................................................................................... 22 2.4 EFFECTIVE PRACTICES IN PROJECT OPERATIONS ................................................................................................................. 26 3 PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT AND EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMMING .......................................................... 27 3.1 AMERICORPS PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT INITIATIVE .................................................................................... 27 3.2 EVIDENCE BASED PROGRAMMING ......................................................................................................................... 30 4 COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION ........................................................................................................................... 33 4.1 LOCAL OWNERSHIP ................................................................................................................................................ 33 4.2 AMERICORPS SENIORS SCP ADVISORY COUNCIL .......................................................................................................... 33 5 PROJECT STAFF ................................................................................................................................................. 36 5.1 GENERAL PROVISIONS ............................................................................................................................................ 36 5.2 STRUCTURE ............................................................................................................................................................ 36 5.3 PERSONNEL POLICIES FOR PROJECT STAFF ............................................................................................................. 37 5.4 PROJECT STAFF ROLES ............................................................................................................................................ 39 5.5 EFFECTIVE PRACTICES FOR BUILDING PROJECT STAFF .......................................................................................................... 41 6 VOLUNTEER STATIONS ...................................................................................................................................... 43 6.1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................... 43 6.2 VOLUNTEER STATION ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ............................................................................................. 45 6.3 PREPARATION OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING .............................................................................. 47 6.4 EFFECTIVE PRACTICES FOR MANAGING VOLUNTEER STATIONS ............................................................................................. 49 7 AMERICORPS SENIORS SCP VOLUNTEER ASSIGNMENTS ..................................................................................... 51 7.1 CRITERIA FOR VOLUNTEER ASSIGNMENTS ............................................................................................................. 51 7.2 SELECTION OF ASSIGNMENTS ......................................................................................................................................... 52 7.3 ASSIGNMENT OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................................. 54 7.4 AMERICORPS SENIORS SCP LEADERS .............................................................................................................................. 54 7.5 TERMINATION OF ASSIGNMENTS ........................................................................................................................... 56 7.6 EFFECTIVE PRACTICES IN AMERICORPS SENIORS VOLUNTEER ASSIGNMENTS ........................................................................... 56 Version 2021.2 ii AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companion Program Operations Handbook: Table of Contents 8 VOLUNTEERS IN AMERICORPS SENIORS SCP ...................................................................................................... 58 8.1 ELIGIBILITY TO BE ENROLLED .................................................................................................................................. 58 8.2 RECRUITMENT OF AMERICOPRS SENIORS VOLUNTEERS ........................................................................................ 59 8.3 SELECTION OF AMERICOPRS SENIORS VOLUNTEERS .............................................................................................. 63 8.4 SELECTION OF VOLUNTEERS IN AMERICORPS SENIORS SCP ................................................................................... 66 8.5 ENROLLMENT OF VOLUNTEERS IN AMERICORPS SENIORS SCP .............................................................................. 67 8.6 ORIENTATION AND TRAINING OF AMERICOPRS SENIORS VOLUNTEERS ................................................................ 68 8.7 SERVICE REQUIREMENTS ........................................................................................................................................ 75 8.8 EFFECTIVE PRACTICES IN MANAGING