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Employment & Volunteer Programs

The Iowa Department on Aging (IDA) and its partners participate in a wide variety of programs that assist older Iowans in finding work and volunteer opportunities.

Employment Programs

• Senior Internship Program (SIP)
  Provides civic engagement and employment opportunities for adults over the age of 55 who wish to re-enter the workforce.
  The Iowa Department on Aging is the State sponsor for the program in Iowa.  It operates under the name of the Senior Internship Program or SIP.  There are 3 other sponsors of the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP); Experience Works, AARP and Senior Service America, Inc. (SSAI).
  Senior Community Service Employment Program
  The Senior Community Service Employment Program began as part of the War on Poverty over 40 years ago.  This program became so successful that it became a national program under the Older Americans Act in 1973.  In many areas of the state, it is referred to by its acronym – SCSEP (pronounced SEE-sep).  In almost every county in Iowa there is a SCSEP program.
  To participate in SCSEP, a person must be:
  • Age 55 or older;
  • Legally eligible to work in the United States;
  • Living in a household with income no more than 125 percent of the federal poverty level.  (In 2008 that equates to $13,000 for a household of 1 person or $17,500 for two persons)
  • All disability payments, including Social Security Disability (SSDI) are excluded from SCSEP income eligibility determinations.
  • 25% of Social Security payment is excluded, which includes social security pensions and survivors benefits and permanent disability insurance payments made by the Social Security Administration, prior to deductions of medical insurance,
  • All Unemployment Compensation is excluded
  • SSI & public assistance are excluded
  • Veterans Benefits are excluded

  The above guidelines will help you decide if you qualify for participation, but with all these guidelines, it is best to visit with an older worker employment specialist located at your local One Stop to determine your eligibility.  If you are ineligible, these individuals may be able to direct you to other employment resources.
  By law, SCSEP gives special attention to those who are any of the following:

  • Are 65 years of age or older;
  • Have a disability;
  • Have limited English proficiency or low literacy skills;
  • Reside in a rural area;
  • Are a veteran;
  • Have low employment prospects;
  • Are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

  SCSEP participants are paid minimum wage (In Iowa, $7.25 per hour) while they gain marketable job skills working part-time in non-profit and public organizations, including senior centers, schools, and libraries. The program provides a win-win for participants and their communities: Participants help community organizations extend their capabilities, while developing their own job skills, self-confidence, and a restored sense of self-worth.  
  Benefits to Participants:
  SIP benefits participants by:

  • Building confidence
  • Learning new skills
  • Providing paid training
  • Providing in-demand work experience
  • Providing added income

  Benefits to Community Service Agencies:
  SIP benefits community service and government agencies by:

  • Providing older workers who, while training, expand agency’s capacity to provide services
  • Providing agency opportunity to evaluate loyal workers in training for possible hire
  • Reducing “loss of productivity” due to reduced absenteeism from dependable older workers

  Benefits to Employers:
  SCSEP benefits employers by:

  • Providing a pool of experienced, dependable and qualified candidates for a variety of jobs
  • Saving training dollars by providing loyal workers
  • Accessing local agencies that know your area and business needs

  For more information about SIP/SCSEP, contact State Senior Internship Program Coordinator, at terry.hornbuckle@iowa.gov or the US Department of Labor at: http://www.doleta.gov/seniors.
  

• Older Worker Initiative - The Older Worker Initiative is a joint project between Iowa Department on Aging, the AARP and members of the Governor’s Task Force on the Mature Worker held six regional forums during September, 2005, to collect information about the attitudes of employers in Iowa toward older workers.  The forums were held around the state from Sept. 13-21, with approximately 250 employers, human resource professionals, state agency staff members, legislators and academics attending.  A variety of strategies and needs about the employment of older Iowans were shared during the forms. 
  
  Phase two of the project was to convene a State Conference on the 50+ Workforce.  This conference, held on May 24, 2006, presented opportunities for the key stakeholders to review the issues that were identified as affecting the opportunities for mature workers.  The conference addressed the following needs and concerns:
  a.  Defined ways to highlight and build upon efforts already underway in Iowa to create additional workforce resources for its citizens and its businesses.
  b.  Raised the state level visibility, interest, and recognition of mature workers within the media and among opinion leaders.
  c. Convened stakeholders to review what is currently being done around the state and to report out what further can be done to enhance these offerings to mature workers.
  View the text of the full report submitted to the Governor’s Office on July 26, 2006.

• Older Workers Employment Partnership -
  Mission Statement: "Supporting older workers in full engagement in Iowa's economy"
  Participants: The partnership consists of state department representatives, Human Resource Managers from businesses, and employment program representatives.
  Partnership Role: Explore ways to retain and expand opportunities for Iowa's pool of mature workers by:
  
  • Identifying the needs and desires of both mature workers and employers
  • Creating a bridge between mature workers and employers
  • Impacting policies both public and private that provide benefit to older, mature workers
  
  Iowa's Outstanding Older Worker: Each year Iowa's Older Worker Employment Partnership selects Iowa's outstanding older worker. This individual is recognized at the Outstanding Older Worker Awards Luncheon, where the accomplishments of all Iowa's outstanding older workers are celebrated. This luncheon will be scheduled later in the year so please check back to this website as the selection date nears! Iowa's Outstanding Older Worker also represents our state at the Experience Works, Inc. Prime Time Awards in Washington, DC, a nationwide celebration of older worker accomplishments.
  
  If you know of someone who is an Outstanding Older Worker and wish to nominate them to receive recognition for their accomplishments, please fill out and return a nomination form. The eligibility guidelines and the forms are available at:
  http://www.experienceworks.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Primetime_nom .
  Employers are welcome to participate in the meetings of Iowa's Outstanding
  Older Worker Employment Partnership. For the next meeting date and agenda, please contact chairperson terry.hornbuckle@iowa.gov, or call (515) 725-3323.

• Iowa Workforce Navigator Program - Iowa Workforce Development, on behalf of a collaborative partnership with state agencies, has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Social Security Administration to create Navigator positions for Iowa's Workforce Development Centers.
  Known as disability program navigators, these individuals partner with workforce agencies in working to enhance their ability to facilitate quality employment outcomes for area job seekers who are disabled.
  
  According to the 2000 US Census, Iowans with disabilities have an unemployment rate that exceeds 34%, but most would prefer to be pursuing a career. Disability program navigators do not duplicate services offered by agencies supporting local workforce services, but support job seekers with information and connection with service programs that will provide career enhancement.
  
  Iowa Workforce Development meets with State agency partners, including the Iowa Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Iowa Department for the Blind, Iowa Division of Persons with Disabilities, the Iowa Governor's Developmental Disabilities Council, Iowa Department of Education, Iowa Department of Human Services and Iowa Department on Aging to plan and support the implementation of the program.

For further information on the above employment programs, contact 1-800-532-3213 or email terry.hornbuckle@iowa.gov.

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• Resident Advocate Committee (RAC) Program- RAC Volunteers are appointed to serve as advocates for residents of nursing facilities in their community. The RAC program is administered by the Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman. For more information on the RAC Program, visit the link above.

• Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP)- Trained volunteers are needed in most counties to assist older people with medical bills, insurance claims, and insurance questions. For more information about volunteering and to learn about this program, visit the link above on the Living & Health Programs page.

• Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)- This program identifies and addresses priority community needs through the mobilization of adult volunteers age 55 and over. The program recognizes and uses the competence, wisdom and experience of our elders for the benefit of all Iowans. The program serves over 100,000 Iowans through the efforts of 20,000 volunteers. Opportunities include business/community services, education/mentoring services, health/nutrition services, services to older adults, and transportation. To find a program in your area, visit the Senior Corps home page.

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Iowa is aging.  The first of the Baby Boomers have turned sixty years old and meet the age Older Americans Act age eligibility requirement.  Iowa has 722 known Centenarians who are 100+ years of age, making Iowa second among the 50 states in the percentage of its total state population that is100+.

Older Iowans constitute a fundamental resource in the state.  The number of persons in Iowa aged sixty and over will continue to increase rapidly, and of these Older Iowans, the number of women, minorities and persons eighty-five years of age or older will continue to increase at an even greater rate.

The Iowa Department on Aging is the designated State Unit on Aging and is the state agency responsible for the coordination of all activities related to the needs and concerns of Older Iowans.  On the local level thirteen Area Agencies on Aging provide local community support services in most cases, the AAAs subcontract with local providers in the provision of services.  The department is an administrative and advocacy agency that coordinates Older Iowans activities.  The department is small with less than 40 FTEs.

Within the department there are three divisions that carry out various programs such as case management, senior employment, elder abuse, volunteer coordination, care review, legal services, long term care ombudsman, nutrition/health promotion, family caregiver support, legislative liaison, public benefits, program evaluation and accounting, etc.

The field of aging is expanding especially in Iowa where those over the age of 85 are the fastest growing age group.  Iowa has an increasing proportion of people who are age 60 and over.  Iowa’s proportion of older adults in the population exceeds that of the United States as a whole.  In fact, Iowa ranks second in the nation of percentage of persons aged 85 and older; third in the nation of percentage of persons aged 75 and older; fourth in the nation of percentage of persons 65 years old and older and fourth in the nation in percentage of persons aged 60 years and older.

Over the years we have had numerous students conduct their internships at our department with a variety of backgrounds representing multiple disciplines. Internships are usually for one semester or 120 hours in duration and in some cases for two semesters, usually at the graduate level.  The State of Iowa offers a benefit to students that volunteer 120 hours, of the eligibility to be considered for state employment.

Students have completed projects on elder abuse, legal assistance-legislation, case management, the annual Governor’s Conference on Aging, elder housing, design of the department’s brochure, local ombudsman programs, employment, and nursing home involuntary transfers to name a few. The department is unable to offer paid experiences or stipends.

Intern Opportunities
Application

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The Older Worker Initiative, a joint project between Iowa Department on Aging, the AARP and members of the Governor's Task Force on the Mature Worker held six regional forums during September, 2005, to collect information about the attitudes of employers in Iowa toward older workers. Phase two of the project was to convene a State Conference on the 50+ Workforce. This conference, held on May 24, 2006, presented opportunities for the key stakeholders to review the issues that were identified as affecting the opportunities for mature workers.

View the full report submitted to the Governor's Office on July 26, 2006 and the Older Workers in Iowa Profile, released May 2006.