HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08072001 - C.109 t S RF I
FHS #19 '--fir r ��" CONTRA
• COSTA
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS G: r.':rr•; '�"'` '°�''. COUNTY
W
FROM: Family & Human Services Committee
DATE: August 7, 2001
SUBJECT: CalWORKs/Welfare-to-Work Status Report
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION(S):
ACCEPT the report on the update of the CaIWORKs/Welfare-to-Work program.
BACKGROUND/REASON(S) FOR RECOMMENDATION(S):
On June 11, 2001, the Family and Human Services Committee heard the attached report on the
status of the CaIWORKs/Welfare-to-Work program. The report includes descriptions of program
elements; performance indicators and achievements; and critical service delivery issues and
challenges. In response to questions from Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier and Supervisor Federal
Glover, John Cullen, Director of Employment and Human Services Department, expressed
concern that time limits may be too short for the hard to serve or if there is a downturn in the
economy. Currently, the County has ability to defer the five-year lifetime limit on services for up
to 20% of CaIWORKs clients, however this limitation is too stringent. Committee members
requested Mr. Cullen to return to the Family and Human Services Committee at the appropriate
time to identify federal legislative positions that would provide greater flexibility to the County in
meeting the welfare-to-work objectives. In addition, Mr. Cullen was asked to identify pilot projects
for which the County might be able to seek funding through legislative action.
OON9ffdl19 ON ATTACHMENT: AYES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR_RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S): *MAARMAIUL FEDERAL D. GLOVER
ACTION OF BOARD ON APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
XI HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A
L UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN
AYES: NOES: ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ON MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
Contact:Sara Hoffman,335-1090
ATTESTED A �0
JSWEETEN,CLERK OF
EB
OOARD OF SUPERVISORS
AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
cc: CAO
John Cullen,EHSD
Wendy Therrian,EHSD BY UTY
Contra Costa County
Eml Llo��mentt
Services-
REPORT
TO THE
FAMILY AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE
OF THE
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
CalWORKslWelfare-To-Work Update
JUNE 2001
Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
INTRO°D'UCTI,O:N,
March 2001 marked the three-year anniversary of Contra Costa County's
implementation of Welfare Reform. The economy continues to be strong
and caseloads continue to decline. In March 1998, our CalWORKS
caseload was 13,248. The CalWORKS caseload for March 2001 was 7,923, a
13% decrease from the previous year and a 41% decrease since Welfare
Reform implementation.
With the declining caseload, the number of Welfare-to-Work participants is
also decreasing. In March 1998, we had 10,496 CalWORKS adults, of which
8,020 had a Welfare-to-Work requirement. For March 2001, we have 4,727
CalWORKS adults, of which 3,679 have a Welfare-to-Work requirement, a
55% decrease in CalWORKS adults and a 54% in CalWORKS adults with a
Welfare-to-Work requirement since Welfare Reform implementation.
Additionally, the remaining Welfare-to-Work participants have multiple
barriers to employment. The Employment and Human Services Department
continues to be challenged with providing service to these "hard to serve"
clients who need additional services not only for initial job placement and
job retention but for wage progression and career advancement. In order
to continue the gains in work participation, exits due to employment, grant
savings, and cases with earnings, Employment Specialists will need to
continue to provide more intensive case management and. supportive
services to this increasing hard-to-serve population in addition to our non-
barried CalWORKS clients.
June 5,2001 2
Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
PROG:R°AM'D.ES;CRIPTIONS
♦ CalWORKS TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy
Families)
CaIWORKS TANF provides cash assistance to families with children
who are needy because of the absence, incapacity,
unemployment, or death of one or more parents. Time on aid is
limited to 60 months.
As of May 1, 2001 our TANF cash aid caseload is 7,598. Of that total,
4,525 are single parent households, 500 are two-parent households
and 2,573 are child only cases.
♦ CaIWORKs/Welfare- To-Work
With few exceptions, all CaIWORKS adults must meet Welfare-to-
Work requirements. As of May 1, 2001, there were 4,463 CalWORKs
adults, of which, 3,469 were identified with a Welfare-to-Work
requirement. The adults with a Welfare-to-Work requirement
decreased 36%from May 2000.
The CaIWORKS/Welfare-to-Work program includes education,
training, employment services, and supportive services payments
such as child care and transportation so that participants will have
the necessary skills and support to overcome any barriers to
employment and become self sufficient.
♦ CalWORKS Child Care Block Grant
The purpose of this program is to provide subsidized child care for
eligible CalWORKS children and families living in Contra Costa
County, and to provide a wide range of child care choices for
parents. In April 2001, 1,119 families representing 2,092 children
received child care payments.
♦ CAL-LEARN
The Cal-Learn Program is for pregnant and parenting teens. The
goal of the program is to keep teen parents in school until they
graduate. Teens are eligible to Cal Learn beginning at any age,
providing the teen is pregnant or has a child. Eligibility is also
June 5.2001 3
Employment & Human Services Department
CaIWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
extended to teen fathers who are CalWORKs participants and have
a born child. Cal''Learn serves an average of 160 teens per month.
♦ One Stop Career Centers
The new Workforce Investment Act (WIA) mandates a One Stop service
delivery system as the primary mechanism for the coordinated delivery
of WIA client services. The purpose of the One Stop system is to unify the
numerous employment and training programs into a single, customer-
friendly set of services. The concept of the One Stop is to integrate
program services and governance structures. The WIA legislation also
calls for the designation and certification of a One Stop Operator
whose basic responsibilities is to manage the day-to-day functioning of
the One Stop system.
With the implementation of WIA effective July 1, 2000, the Contra Costa
County Workforce Development Board (WDB) designated the One Stop
Operator Mandated Partner Consortium as the new One Stop Operator
for PY 2000-2001. The Consortium is currently comprised of nine (9) WIA
mandated partners and includes the following organizations:
1. Community College Districts
2. Adult Schools
3. State Employment Development Department (EDD)
4. State Department of Rehabilitation (DR)
5. Contra Costa County Community Services Department
6. Contra Costa Community Development Department
(Redevelopment)
7. California Human Development Corporation (CHDC)
8. Job Corps
9. Contra Costa County Employment & Human Services Department
(EHSD)
The Employment and Human Services Department is the lead agency
for this Consortium. In the initial year of lead agency operational
responsibility, the Department has accomplished the following:
• Implementation of all new WIA policies, and operational
procedures and processes;
• Hiring of all new One Stop Center staff;
• Assumed responsibility for all WIA case management functions;
• Transitioned from a training-focused One Stop System
contracted out by the Private Industry Council under the Job
Training and Partnership Act (JTPA) to one serving universal job
June 5,2001 4
Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
.seekers and the business community under the Workforce
Investment Act;
• From July 2000 through March 2001, One Stop centers have
served over 5,000 individuals;
• Almost 27,000 customer visits to One Stop Centers in the first 8
months of FY 2000-2001;
• Creation and refinement of a regional training vendor list;
• Collaboration with the private and public sector to provide and
receive employment and business-related services.
The One Stop Centers currently provide self-access services for job
seekers in the Center's Resource Rooms, intensive assessment and
job placement assistance, workshops, labor market information, and
direct training support for the universal job seeker and for those who
are enrolled in the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) programs, the
Department of Labor Welfare-to-Work grant programs, and
CaIWORKs. Staff is also on-site at the One Stop Centers to meet the
needs of the employer community.
♦ Weed And Seed
This is a Department of Justice funded project which provides
prevention and intervention of criminal activity in low income/high
crime communities in Rodeo and North Richmond. It is designed to
"seed" communities with programs that are directed at youth ages
8-21. The program focuses on anti-drug, anti-gang strategies.
Weed and Seed programs are designed around the themes of
computer literacy, mentorship, youth outreach, and truancy
prevention and serve approximately 355 residents, mostly youth, in
the North Richmond and Rodeo areas.
Truancy Reduction Project
The Truancy Prevention Pilot Demonstration Program is operated at
John Swett High School in Crockett and Hillcrest Elementary School
in Rodeo. This program includes a collaboration of social service
providers and law enforcement providers that work to reduce
truancy at the John Swett Schools. Positive attendance workers at
Hillcrest Elementary School reach out to the families who are not
getting their children to school. At the high school, a Truancy
Coordinator works with the youth, meeting them, getting information
on their needs and concerns. Graduated sanctions are employed if
the truant refuses to comply with the requirement to attend school.
June 5,2001 5
Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
♦ Noncustodial Parent Employment and Training
Demonstration Project.
This demonstration project is a collaborative between the
Employment and Human Services Department and the Department
of Child Support Services. The project provides employment and
training services to parents, with delinquent child support orders, who
have children on CalWORKs. Although the project will be
discontinued by the State as of June 30, 2001, the Employment and
Human Services Department will continue to fund services to this
population through the Department of Labor's Welfare-to-Work
grant.
♦ New Initiatives
In the coming program year, we plan to initiate several new
programs designed to eliminate barriers to employment and to
provide additional supportive services to those participants who
have entered the job market. Some of these new programs are:
• Job Retention Services which includes a mentoring program,
on-site job coaches, career advancement workshops and
incentives;
• Housing services;
• Transportation services;
• Marriage and family counseling;
• Expanded services for Limited English Participants;
• Legal advocacy services to assist participants with expunging
criminal records;
• More intensive. assessment and evaluation for hard-to-serve
participants to determine employability;
• TeenWORKS, a program for all CalWORKS teens age 16-18
that is patterned after the Independent Living Skills Program
for foster care teens.
June 5,2001 6
Employment 8, Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
PE�RFO.RM-ANCE-I:NDICATORS , ACHIEVEMEN,TSl ,
In past reports we included current statistics on a number of indicators such
as, number of job placements, grant savings, and diversion payments.
Prior statistics are included along with the data for the current year for your
convenience and also as a measure of our progress.
♦ Job Placements
From June 2000 through April 2001, 4,919 job placements were
recorded for an average of 447 placements per month. While we
had a 36% decrease in the number of CaIWORKS adults witha
Welfare-to-Work requirement, the average number of job
placements only decreases by 10%. As we stated in last year's
report, the caseload is declining and we are reaching the "hard to
serve" population. We expect the monthly job placements to
decrease.
Table 1 -Total Job Placements
TOTAL` AVERAGE
..PLACEMENTS::0
TIME.PERIOD :'PLAC.EMENTS
MONTH :'.
July 1998-July 1999 4,199 323
August 1999-May 2000 5,003 500
June 2000-April 2001 4,919 447
Chart 1 Job Placements and Monthly Average
6,000 -
5,000 aA
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
4
0 -
Total#of Job
July 1998 - August 1999 June 2000 - Placements
July 1999 - May 2000 April 2001 Average Per
Month
June 5.2001 7
Employment & Human Services Department
CaIWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
In addition to individual case management, participants receive
employment services through Job Club and Job Search. The
Department continues to be proactive in our outreach to area
employers.
All four Districts offices continue to hold Job Fairs. Last September,
the Richmond District Office held a Job Fair that attracted over 1,000
job seekers and was represented by 57 employers and 12 partnering
agencies. In May 2001, the Martinez District Office held a Job Fair
that was attended by 65 employers and over 300 job seekers.
♦ Average Hourly Wage And Average Weekly Number Of
Hours At Work
For the period, June 2000 through April 2001 CalWORKs participants,
at placement, averaged 30.67 hours per week and earned an
average of $8.65 per hour equaling $1,149 per month'.
The monthly average income based on the average hours per week
at work continues to be below the U.S. poverty threshold of $1,219
per month for the typical CalWORKs family consisting of a single
parent and two children. However, the $1,149 average monthly
amount is a 9% increase and the average hours worked is a 7%
increase over the CalWORKS participants' average monthly income
and hours worked "reported-to your committee in the June 2000
Report.
Table 2-Average Hourly Wage, Hours Worked, Monthly Income
A
verage.
Weekly!. Average.
Average. :Number of Monthly
Time Period Hourly Wage Hours at Work Income
August 1999-December
1999 $7.95 29.22 $1,006
January 2000-May 2000
$8.18 29.71 $1,052
June 2000-May 2001 $8.65 30.67 $1,149
' 30.67 hours per week x $8.65 per hour x 4.33 = $1148.72 per month. If the participant is
working 40 hours per week, the average monthly income is $1498.18 per month, which is
above the U.S. Poverty Threshold.
June 5.2001 8
Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
♦ Work Participation Rate (WPR)
The WPR is a Federal mandate requiring a certain percentage of our
families to meet minimum weekly work hours. ,By October 2001, 50%
of our one parent families should be working or in some other
approved work activity for 30 hours per week, and 90% of our two
parent families should be working or in some other approved work
activity for 35 hours per week.
Our monthly average Work Participation Rate is 39.32%. This is an
increase of 3.36 percentage points over what was reported to your
committee last year. Using the State's methodology for determining
the Work Participation Rate and applying the case load reduction
credit2, we are meeting the mandated target rate.
For April 2001, the One-Parent household rate was 35.65% and the
Two-Parent household rate was 35.80%.
♦ CaIWORKs Cases with Earnings
As of May 1, 2001, 1,909 families or 25.13% of all CaIWORKs families,
have earnings. The current rate for two-parent families is 65 % or 325
families.
Table 3—Cases with Earnings
•
Ca1WORKS
CaIWORKs: . Two Parent %of:.
All Families %o..of:�All, : : . Families CalWORKS:
•
with CaIWORKS with Two Parent,
REPORT MONTH. �Eamin s�. Families Earnin s Families
December 1998 3,202 27.40% 609 53.42%
July 1999 2,898 27.3% 550 55.3%.
December 1999 2,903 30.98% 482 64.70%
May 2000 2,711 29.75% 427 65.59%
May 2001 1,909 25.13% 325 65%
For the month of April 2001, our CalWORKS families reported earnings
of $1,545,495. In our last report to you, and as we predicted, with the
larger percentage of hard-to-serve participants and the declining
Z The Work Participation Rate targets are a set number. Federal regulations allow for a reduction in
the WPR target based on a reduction in the State's caseload. This calculation is made at the State
and Federal level. It recognizes that as the caseloads decline, we will have a higher percentage of
hard to serve participants.
June 5,2001 9
Employment & Human Services Department
CaIWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
caseloads and job placements,.it will be more difficult to show an
increase in the number of families with earnings.
♦ Grant Savings
For the period June 2000 through April 2001 our total grant savings
was $6,668,032. Our average monthly grant savings for that period
was $555,669. This number is also affected by the larger percentage
of hard-to- serve participants who remain in the program.
♦ Exits Due to Earnings
The number of exits due to earnings as provided below are fiscal
year based. As with job placements, we expect that exits due to
earnings will also level off due to declining caseloads and reaching
performance plateaus.
This performance indicator captures the exits due to employment
when the Benefit Specialist or the Employment Specialist knows of
the participant's employment, has made an eligibility determination
and discontinues the cash case with the appropriate
discontinuance code.
There are many situations where a participant is discontinued from
cash aid for some other reason, such as failing to meet their Welfare-
to-Work requirement or not sending in the monthly income report,
when in fact the participant was working. We estimate that a
significant number of families leave welfare each month because
they have obtained employment. Statistics from our Outreach Unit,
which is discussed later in this report, indicate that 15% of
participants who failed to cooperate with their WTW requirement
and were in danger of being sanctioned were already working.
Table 4- Exits from Cash Aid Due to Employment
CASH AID TERMINATIONS RECORDED
THAT ARE DIRECTLY LINKED TO
TIME PERIOD EMPLOYMENT
January 1998 - June 1998 6 mos. 673
July 1998-June 1999 12 mos. 2,112
July 1999-May 2000 1 1 mos. 2,001
June 2000-April 2001 1 1 mos. 1,880
June 5,2001 10
Employment & Human Services Department
CaIWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
♦ Diversion Payments
The Workforce Services staff continue to recognize and offer
diversion payments to people in need of temporary assistance to
avoid coming on aid. From March 2000 through April 2001, a total of
24 diversion payments were approved totaling $4.4,853.
Of those 24 families diverted from aid, to date 21 have remained off
aid. One of the three families finding it necessary to receive aid, was
on cash assistance for one month only and has been off aid since.
Of particular interest is the underlying need for the diversion
payment. In FY99/00, 78% of the diversion payments covered
emergency housing costs. For July 1999 through February 2000, 64%
of the payments were for emergency housing costs. For the nine
months from May 2000 to January 2001, 82% of payments were for
emergency housing.
Through the use of diversion payments, we helped a family whose
husband was injured in a car accident on the way to work. There
was a delay in processing his State Disability Insurance claim. The
family had no other source of income. We paid the family's
mortgage and utilities for one month.
In several situations, we assisted families for one to two months with
their mortgage and utilities until they started receiving
Unemployment Insurance, disability, or they returned to work.
♦ Child Care
In April 2001 the four district offices' specialized child care units
made payments totaling $914,070. This represents 1,119 families with
2,092 children.
Table 5 Child Care Payments
Monthly # of # of
Time Period Payment.. Children Families
March 1999 $ 725,884 1,734 996
June 1999 $ 961,350 2, 268 1,299
September 1999 $1,182,371 2,370 1,413
May 2000 $1,128,820 2,432 1,422
April 2001 $ 914,070 2,092 1,119
June 5.2001 11
Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
CalWORKS families who time out of their 24 months of child care
supportive services continue to receive Stage 3 Child Care services.
We have also been successful in increasing child care resources. The
Child Care Training program is a joint effort with the Contra Costa
Community Services Child development Program, regional
Occupation Program (ROP), West Contra Costa Adult School,
Pittsburg Adult School, the Child Care Council and EHSD. We have
graduated over 300 participants since the program started in West
County in September 1997.
♦ Welfare-to-Work Outreach Workers
In our September 1999 report, we introduced the Outreach Unit
whose function it is to make home visits/contacts with participants
when they are in danger of being sanctioned for non-cooperation
with Welfare-to-Work requirements. The Outreach Unit operates in all
four district offices.
In September 2000, the Outreach Unit assumed added responsibility
for outreaching participants who fail to keep their SAMHWORKS
.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services for CalWORKS)
appointments. Additional responsibilities include following-up with
clients who fail to participate in Job Club/ Job Search and those
clients who are reaching time limits.
From May 1, 2000 through March 31, 2001, the Outreach Unit
received 1,425 referrals of which 758 agreed to cooperate and 194
refused. This represents a positive cooperation response rate of
53.19%.
We gather statistics on the reasons participants fail to cooperate
with their Welfare-to-Work requirement. These statistics indicate that
child care issues and physical/mental health problems were the
major reasons the participant failed to cooperate. These findings are
used to modify and enhance service delivery operations in order to
remove barriers to cooperation and employment.
♦ Tracking Participants who apply for Cash Aid
In April 2000 we began gathering statistics on reasons people apply
for cash aid. From April 2000 through March 2001 reasons were
reported for 3,269 applicants. 1,326 or 41% of these applicants had
never been on aid before and 1,943 or 59% had been on aid at
June 5,2001 12
Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
some point in the last 36 months. A breakdown of the 1,943
applicants' length of time off of aid before re-application is as
follows:
Table 6 Length of Time Off Aid at Application
F-
NUMBER: .: `'.TOTi4L
Off aid for less than 12 months 1,513 78%
Off aid more than 12 months but less than 317 16%
24 month
Off aid more than 24 month but less than 113 6%
36 months.
TOTAL 1,943 100%
We tracked 37 possible reasons for applying for aid. The top five
reasons were:
Table 7 Reasons for Applying for Aid
REASON FOR APPI.YNG':FOR CASH':::;r :`" %,O.F'.
A
it:>SSISTANCE � :::� NUML#.; '
Family job loss 802 25%
Relocation from another county, state, 596 18%
country
Separation 557 17%
Person or relative no longer able to support 214 7%
applicant
Grandchildren moved into the home 195 6%
Sum of the 32 other Reasons 905 27%
TOTAL REASONS 3,269 10070
The high percentage of applications due to family job loss is further
evidence of the importance of and the need for aggressive and
enhanced Job Retention services.
♦ Collaborations with the Business Community Continue to
be Successful
❑ Pittsburg Pre-School Community Center Computer Training Program
Under a Welfare-to-Work contract with the Department, the
Pittsburg Pre-School & Community Center operates a computer
training program targeting multiple-barried participants. The
program commenced in the fall of 2000 and has successfully
June 5,2001 13
Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
exceeded its targeted enrollment goal of 20 participants.
Performance outcome information for the first session of enrolled
clients reflects very positive accomplishments. Five of the seven
clients enrolled were initially employed at an.average hourly wage
of $10.74, one client is still in training, and another while successfully
completing the training class, is'not yet employed. Preliminary
outcome information for the second training session also reflects very
positive outcomes with all six clients successfully completing the
training and five entering employment. We will continue to track
employment gains and retention for all clients enrolled in the
program.
❑ OPTIC: Opportunities in Technology Information Careers is a
business venture combining government; business, education and
community based organizations under one roof. OPTIC provides
training and employment in data base maintenance and data
clean up. Partners include: TechProse, EHSD, Workforce Investment
Board, Los Medanos College, St Vincent de Paul, Contra Costa
Council, and our DoIT. OPTIC will provide up to six months of
employment focusing on productivity and soft work skill acquisition.
During this time the employee can earn up to $8.00 per hour based
on their productivity. When required performance is obtained, the
employee will be placed in an outside competitive job where the
entry-level salary averages $12- $14 per hour.
To date, 55 participants have gone through the OPTIC program. Of
that number, 29 participants are either competitively employed
making from $29,000 to $54,000 per year, or working for OPTIC on
the production floor earning a base wage. This represents a
positive completion rate of 63%. Nine participants are still in
training, and 17 unsuccessfully completed the program and were
referred back to our Department for redirection and for additional
services to remove employment barriers.
❑ Bank of America Wire Transfer Customized Training Program: Bank of
America is sponsoring a program to train and employ individuals to
be wire transfer representatives. Four sessions are planned
throughout the summer. The first session has started and all of our
CalWORKS participants that we referred were accepted into the
program. This program offers an excellent opportunity for wage
progression and career advancement. Bank of America will hire 30
CalWORKS participants who will earn $1,800 month plus full benefits.
Some of the benefits include a 24 hour Life Works hotline, child care
information and referral and up to $152 per month for child care. In
line with our career advancement strategy, Bank of America also
June 5.2001 14
Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
provides tuition reimbursement for college, up to $2,000 per year for
under graduate courses and up to $4,000 per year for graduate
level courses.
❑ SafeHavens for Little People is a non-profit organization founded by
Karen Justice-Guard. Safe Havens' goal is to provide employment
and soft-skills life training to all women, with a strong compassion to
work with those who have experienced domestic violence and/or
alcohol-drug barriers. Safe Havens' employment programs focus on
two primary career paths: Catering and Business Operations. Clients
may be referred to the area of their interest. Both paths include an
intensive soft skills component that focuses on strengthening skills
that will prevent repeat involvement in the domestic violence and
drug/alcohol areas.
June 5,2001 15
Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
CRITICAL;SERVICE:DELIVERY ISSUES:A°ND: CHALLENGES
♦ Recessionary Planning
California's healthy economy has been a significant factor in
successfully moving CalWORKS participants from welfare to self-
sufficiency. National and State Welfare experts are mindful of the
affects an economic downturn may have on the gains made thus
far through Welfare Reform. As part of the on-going assessment and
analysis of welfare reform and because we expect that the
CalWORKS participants who left welfare for work will be the first
affected by an economic downturn and the last to benefit from a
recovery, the Workforce Services Bureau is addressing the impact a
reversal in the economy will have on our service delivery model.
In reviewing the historical data, a Contra Costa County
unemployment rate of 7.2% could result in the CalWORKS caseload
increasing by 100%. To mitigate the negative impacts of a possible
recession, the Workforce Services Bureau is moving forward with the
following strategies:
• Continue to improve the service delivery infrastructure with
particular emphasis on aggressive job development and job
retention.
• Continue to build working relationships with employers for first
referral / hiring agreements and other strategies.
• Continue to monitor labor market trends to identify jobs with
greater career advancement and more job security.
• Ensure that we maintain quality Employment Specialists that
are committed to pro-active case management.
• Place greater emphasis on long-term careers.
• Continue to promote the work first, but not work only,
strategy.
♦ Lack Of Space
Lack of space continues to be an issue in all the District offices. The
District offices have little or no room to add staff that have already
been authorized as well as community partners, such as, STAND,
EDD, SAMHWORKS, and the Public Defender. Existing space
continues to be reconfigured, conference rooms continue to be
converted to house staff and short-term space is being sought
pending acquisition of permanent space.
June 5,2001 16
Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
♦ Meeting The Needs Of The Hardest To Serve Clients
A common theme throughout this and previou' reports has been the
declining caseloads and the challenge of providing service to the
hard-to-serve. This population has multiple barriers to employment
including inadequate job skills, educational deficiencies, child care
and transportation needs, domestic violence issues,
medical/physical limitations, substandard housing, and substance
abuse and mental health issues.
Of the 4,463 CalWORKs adults, 3,469 have a Welfare-to-Work
requirement. As of April 30, 2001 3,378 were enrolled in some type of
WTW component.
After 3 years into welfare reform, we are reaching the participants
who require more supportive services to help them move from
welfare to self-sufficiency. The hardest to serve have substance
abuse and mental health problems, domestic violence issues, little to
no job training or skills, and/or little to no education. These
participants require more staff time per case and staff must have
skills that go beyond providing basic employment services. Multiple
barriered participants require that staff be knowledgeable of and
have skills in identifying and assessing substance abuse, mental
health issues, domestic violence, learning disabilities, housing issues,
transportation needs, and child care problems. With the declining
caseload and the characteristics of the participants changing, we
will need to provide more and intensified services, more face-to-
face intervention, and more proactive case management to fewer
participants.
We also need to consider a multi-pronged approach that
recognizes the Work First approach may not be appropriate for all
participants. Not all participants are ready to enter the job market.
Programs should be developed or enhanced to provide education,
apprenticeship opportunities, and job skills training.
❑ Domestic Violence
Based on the success of a STAND (formerly the Battered
Women's Alternatives or BWA) pilot project operated in our
Antioch office, the project was most recently rolled out to our
other three district offices.
June 5,2001 17
Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
Based on the original pilot project design, STAND will have a full-
time, on-site representative at each of our district offices
providing direct assistance to our clients who may be victims of
domestic violence. The STAND representatives will also provide
technical assistance and consultation to our staff by assisting with
assessments as appropriate, and by providing presentations on
domestic violence at Orientation and Job Clubs.
Some of the benefits to date under the Antioch pilot project
have been increasing staff awareness of domestic violence
issues, developing protocols to deal with emergency situations,
and improving our ability to assist and provide services to clients
whose domestic violence issues are formidable barriers to
employment. From July 2000 through March 2001, we referred
over 85 participants to STAND for domestic violence services.
❑ Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMHWORKS)
We continue to refer participants to the SAMHWORKS (Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services for CalWORKS) Program.
Referrals continue to climb. From July 2000 through March 2001
our staff made 487 referrals.
Since June 1998 we have referred over 1,800 CalWORKS
participants to the SAMHWORKS program. We are currently
averaging 67 referrals per month. We are in the process of
completing a review of all 1,800 referrals to determine the
outcome of those referrals; such as, what percentage were to
receive substance abuse treatment, what percentage were to
receive mental health treatment, what percentage completed
their treatment and were ready to participate in a Welfare-to-
Work activity, and what percentage of those who completed
treatment became employed and continued gainful
employment. Our review will also encompass those "no-show" or
drop out clients referred for assessment and treatment.
We have partial data from the November 2000 SAMHWORKS
Year End Report prepared by Health Services. For the period July
1999 through June 2000, our Department made 1,206 referrals to
SAMHWORKS. Of that number, 738 completed assessments with
a total of 451 referred for treatment -- 371 were referred for
mental health treatment and 80 were referred for substance
abuse treatment.
June 5,2001 18
Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
Referrals:to x468 gr:39%.
S?IMM ORKS:,:: `.N0 S 01M:
Refered for
outre6ch�SerA_6es;
Assessments•::.:::.;.
37.1 of 82%. 451 or 6,1% 60;6r
; REFERRED..FORMENTAL;: Referr2d':: Referred•.for,;.' ',•:`
HEALTH TREATMENT. IF TreQiment; §ubstance AbUse
Treatment:
4 7:or 58%'. .
'Began 1vlerital FieiiltlBegan substance
Tre.a merit "':::` ` Abuse Tf6dihient
Ether..Successful) `Successfully;
Completed!Mental; completedSubstance:
Health':Treafinerif;Or:Are ::'.;.Abuse.;;Treatmerit ,
Still In Treatment:
For the 371 participants referred for mental health treatment, 180
actually began the treatment. And of the 180 who began
treatment, 110 had either successfully completed treatment or
were still in treatment at the time of the report. As a percentage
of those who started treatment, the 110 participants represent a
successful completion rate of 61%.
For the 80 participants referred for substance abuse treatment,
47 actually began treatment. Of those 47 who began
treatment, 19 successfully completed treatment. As a
percentage of those who started treatment, 19 represents a
successful completion rate of 40%.
❑ Serving Clients with Disabilities
Research from across the Country and our own experience
suggest that some of our hard-to-serve participants have
learning disabilities that require special attention in order for
these participants to succeed under CalWORKS.
June 5,2001 19
Employment & Human Services Department
Cal WORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
Under an agreement with the State Department of Rehabilitation
(DR), cross training has been provided for both Department and
DR staff and a mechanism developed for the referral and
provision of DR diagnostic assessment and support services to
those clients preliminarily determined by Department staff to
have a disability. From January 2000 through March 2001, we
have made over 60 referrals to DR.
We have also been investigating the use of a learning disability
screening tool to better assist our staff in successfully identifying
and referring clients with "hidden" disabilities. We are also
exploring a full service delivery program for our CaIWORKS
disabled population as well as expanding our disability service
providers to include other organizations such as Mt. Diablo Adult
School, Mt. Diablo Vocational School, and Worldwide
Educational Services.
♦ Job Retention
In several of our past updates to you, we discussed the importance
of Job Retention as a crucial service to ensure that participants not
only keep their jobs but also continue in a career path that will lead
to self-sufficiency. We continue to address this challenge.
We have started Job Retention Workshops countywide. Workshops
are open to CaIWORKS participants and their children. These
workshops are held at the District offices two Saturdays each month.
Participants bring their issues relating to their jobs and families and
the group discusses each issue and offers suggestions. The Job
Retention Worker facilitates the discussion and also provides
information on available resources. Group activities are also part of
the workshop based on the "30 Ways to Shine" workbook.
While the parents are participating in the workshop, our staff is also
working with the children. Staff read to the children, play
educational games and provide monitored computer experience
for the older children.
As part of our continued effort to successfully address job retention
and self-sufficiency for our clients, we are examining and developing
other post employment approaches that go beyond supportive
services (i.e. transportation, child care, housing, etc.) These
approaches include career awareness and advancement services,
on-site skills upgrade training with employers, and earnings
enhancements.
June 5,2001 20
Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
In last year's report to you, we stated that the department was
participating in a Welfare Leavers study conducted by the Sphere
Institute. The Leavers Study tracks client progress six months and one-
year after leaving CaIWORKS.. The Sphere Institute issued an interim
report and the preliminary findings are consistent with our internal
data. The report provides additional evidence that although
_. participants are leaving welfare and are employed, they are
struggling to become self-sufficient. In Contra Costa County, a
parent with two children needs to earn at least $21.00 per hour to be
self-sufficient. Our focus may need to shift to also addressing the
needs of the working poor.
Some of the Leavers Study preliminary findings are:
• 70%of leavers reported that they stopped receiving aid
because of earnings.
• Among employed adults, family leavers are earning an
average of about$1,200 per month during the exit quarter.
.• From the survey data, among the workers, the average hourly
wages range from $8.00 to $10.00 per hour.
• One in five leavers return to cash aid within six months.
♦ Childcare, Transportation & Housing For Low Income
Persons
.❑ Child Care - Developing and maintaining early childhood
education and child care capacity in the community presents
many challenges. Some of the challenges are: providing a
"family friendly"service delivery model which promotes the needs
of both the parents and the children as an integral component
of a successful child care program; instilling sound business skills
as well as child development practice to child care providers
new to the profession; and addressing the shortage of licensed
care for infants/toddlers and special needs children.
❑ Transportation - The Workforce Services Bureau's goal is to
provide a comprehensive "menu" of employment transportation
solutions for caseworkers to use with clients. Efforts continue to
encourage the expansion of public transportation where
appropriate.
Some remote areas of the county have no public transportation
service, and other areas suffer from inadequate routes,
June 5.2001 21
Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
infrequent service and a lack of late-night and weekend service.
Travel to some employment destinations requires multiple
transfers and excessive time.
The Workforce Services Bureau will be continuing to work on
these public transportation issues by working with local transit
operators on suggested route changes and in grant applications,
including matching funds. The expansion of the Martinez Link, Rt.
30Z service to include a connection with the N. Concord BART
station will be.a priority for 2001-02.
Other employment transportation solutions to be implemented
include the countywide expansion of the Childrens'
Transportation Project and implementation of a countywide
Demand-Response (Dial-A-Ride) service. For 2001-2002 we plan
to implement a low-cost automobile loan program to enable
CalWORKs participants to purchase automobiles.
The Workforce Services Bureau will also evaluate the cost-benefit
of issuing multi-ride bus passes to CalWORKs participants rather
than the current practice of issuing single-ride passes. Finally, the
Workforce Services Bureau will develop standardized reference
tools and staff training for caseworkers in their role as
transportation advisors to their clients.
❑ Housing- As CalWORKs participants transition through job training
and placement into permanent jobs they are facing numerous
housing related obstacles is their effort to achieve self-sufficiency.
The challenges facing TANF families are maintaining or securing
decent, safe, and affordable housing, where housing is in short
supply, and housing prices/rents are out of reach. All extremely
low-income households in Contra Costa County seeking to
compete in the open housing market without housing assistance
are faced with the most serious challenges. The major challenge
for the Employment and Human Services Department is to
develop and finance new and creative housing support services
not only for the benefit of TANF families but the working poor as
well.
The Workforce Services Bureau's Housing Specialist worked
closely with the Housing Alliance to produce a three-month
intensive study of the housing needs of CalWORKs participants.
This effort resulted in the Contra Costa County CalWORKS
Housing Assistance Action Plan and Implementation Strategy.
The Action Plan was used as part of the annual state budget
June 5,2001 22
Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
process to obtain funding through CalWORKS direct services for
housing initiatives for CalWORKs participants. The initiatives
include such programs as:
• Emergency Housing Assistance. To prevent loss of housing
by CalWORKS families due to financial hardship, not for
lease violations, this once-in-a-lifetime assistance would be
for a rent arrearage of up to two months (limited to rent
reasonableness standards established for unit size in
Tenant-Based program), or$1,500, whichever is less.
• Housing Referral System. This service is designed to provide
CalWORKS participants with information and referral
services that include: a Web Site and user friendly access
at each of the Employment and Human Services
Department's District Offices, the Family Service Centers
and the One-Stop Career Centers; a Toll free number; and
a roving Housing Assistance Resource Specialist that
provides CalWORKS participants with direct housing
search assistance and other housing related services. The
Resource Specialist will maintain a database of current
affordable units in Contra Costa County in collaboration
with the County's Community Development Department.
• Transitional Housing Support. This program provides a one-
time relocation assistance payment of up to $1,500 for
CalWORKS families coming out of publicly funded
transitional housing programs.
• Tenant Housing Counseling Program. Housing Assistance
Program participants will be required to attend and
participate in mandatory tenant counseling workshops
that include but are not limited to the following topics:
■ Money Management;
■ Establishing/Repairing Credit ;
■ Housing Maintenance & Upkeep;
■ Tenant Occupancy Rights & Responsibilities.
• Relocation Grant Program. The Relocation Program is a
one-time program to issue a maximum of $1,500 plus the
cost of appliances, to qualified CalWORKS participants
who have obtained a job or received a documented
offer of employment, and need to move closer to work,
child care, or public transportation. The subsidy may be
June 5,2001 23
Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
used for moving expenses, such as moving truck rental,
utility deposits, and security deposits.
• Housing Scholarship Program. Selected participants may
be awarded a housing scholarship for one year. For the
first four months, the program subsidizes 60% of the rent.
Maximum subsidy per year is $5,000. Scholarships are
awarded after housing is located. Case management will
provide participants with ongoing support and guidance.
In addition to meeting program eligibility criteria,
applicants must also demonstrate motivation,
commitment, and the ability to achieve their targeted
income goals.
♦ Federal Work Participation Rate
The Federal requirements for the numbers of persons engaged in a
work activity continue to increase. As of October 2001, 50% of all
families must be participating in work activities a minimum of 30
hours per week, and 90% of 2-parent families must be similarly
engaged a minimum of 35 hours per week. As the caseload
decreases and the more employable participants leave welfare, the
remaining caseload will increasingly be comprised of participants
who have multiple barriers to employment and who will need more
intensified case management services to enable them to move into
the job market.
♦ Data Collection
We continue to improve our ability to obtain accurate information
from the Case Data System (CDS) and GAIN Information System
(GIS). These multiple systems lack data sharing and tracking
capabilities. The current systems are difficult and time consuming to
utilize for data collection and tracking. The Department's Master File
Extract project was designed to augment the current system
reporting capabilities.
The Department continues to improve the quality of data captured,
tracking, reliability and data analysis of information related to our
CalWORKs/Welfare-to-Work outcomes.
Using the current monthly CDS/GIS extract, the Workforce Services
Bureau continues to produce monthly reports to monitor program
outcomes. We have two new reports that will help Staff track
June 5,2001 24
Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
participants to ensure services are provided before the Welfare-to-
Work time limit expires. The first report lists participants who do not
have a Welfare-to-Work plan signed and the second report lists
participants with a signed Welfare-to-Work plan and the expiration
date of the plan.
The Workforce Services Bureau is also participating in the
Department's C3BIS project, which involves building a data
warehouse using Oracle products. Through the Oracle Discoverer
tool, the Workforce Services Bureau will be able to produce monthly
reports, track history, do analysis of the data and make projections.
Full Staffing
The Workforce Services Bureau continues to refine its employment
focused service delivery model. Specialized non-case carrying staff
(e.g. Job Developers, Job Retention Workers) are needed to assist in
the delivery of specialized services. Although caseloads have
declined the current and future characteristics of clients are multi-
barriered requiring more intensified services.
With the Workforce Services Bureau's lead responsibility of the WIA
One Stop Consortium and with the termination of all former One
Stop contracted services as of June 30, 2001, the Workforce Services
Bureau, in conjunction with the Consortium, will be responsible for
providing a minimum of 23 replacement staff to provide services
from receptionist to case managers in addition to Resource Room
Assistants and Business Services Representatives.
♦ Integration Of Department And Community Resources
As the service delivery model continues to be refined there is a need
to enhance and expand the connection of job seekers to services
such as substance abuse treatment, domestic violence services,
which support their work efforts. The emerging challenge is
integrating the wide array of available community resources with
the existing and evolving needs of Welfare-to-Work participants.
♦ Reorganization And One Stop Operation
With the merger of the former Private Industry Council (PIC) and the
former Department of Social Services well into its second year, the
Department continues to refine and enhance the policy,
operatio;of and adn-iinist ational roles and responsibilities, as well as
June 5,2001 25
. Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
the intra and inter communications, of the Employment and Human
Services Department Operational and Administrative Staff with that
of the Workforce Development Board (WDB). This merger also raises
additional challenges of blending and integrating different funding
sources i.e. CalWORKS TANF, CalWORKS WTW, Workforce
Development, and Department of Labor WTW grants under one
service delivery system in the One-Stop Centers.
With the Department's administrative and operational lead for the
One Stop Operator Consortium, challenges are forthcoming in
working with the other mandated and non-mandated partners,
service providers, and stakeholders to develop the overall system
and services delivery structure. Such tasks as further implementing
and refining procedures, processes, and funding mechanisms while
establishing new staff and programs will be essential to the
necessary evolution of the system. Meeting and exceeding
performance outcomes and determining client target populations,
needs, and outreach are examples of additional challenges which
lay before us.
♦ Service Delivery Model
To address the needs of the hard-to-serve and to reinforce the
employment focus of our service delivery model, the Workforce
Services Bureau is separating the Eligibility function and the
Employment Services function. Separation has begun in all four
District Offices. Employment Specialists will provide CalWORKS WTW
employment services and Benefit Specialists will be responsible for
CalWORKS cash and Food Stamps eligibility determination.
Employment Specialists will be expected to provide more intensive
and proactive case management and supportive services. In
conjunction with the change, the Workforce Services Bureau is
transitioning to a more customer service, client driven service
delivery model. We are developing a client survey as the main tool
in determining client needs and identify gaps in services.
This change in the service delivery model, coupled with re-instituting
the face-to-face annual reinvestigations, poses challenges to the
Benefit Specialist. Benefit Specialists (Eligibility Workers) will have
higher caseloads as a result of separating the eligibility and
employment services functions. We expect that the Benefit
Specialists will interact with the Employment Specialists in case
June 5,2001 26
Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
conferences and in joint meetings with their clients. There will also be
increased interaction between Benefit Specialists and participants.
The Workforce Services Bureau is also planning to institute increased
internal monitoring, assessment, and analysis of the various
programs and contracted services to better determine which
programs are resulting in the most positive impacts for our CalWORKS
participants. We plan to use this information to determine the
continuation or need for new programs.
♦ Employment Support Services For Low Income Persons
As we continue to work with the remaining CalWORKS population,
we also need to address those essential employment support
services for low-income persons as has been previously addressed in
this report. Work in these areas will better enable a worker to meet
costs of living, wage progress, and not move from work-to-welfare.
♦ Non Custodial Parent / Fatherhood Projects
We recognize the importance of the CalWORKS non-custodial
parent. In the coming program year, we will also be proposing
various initiatives and strategies to more fully address the service
needs of non-custodial parents in addition to assessing.fatherhood
strategies.
♦ Health Care
Although job placements continue to rise, many participants are
entering jobs with no health insurance benefits. We continue to refer
all CalWORKS participants who are discontinued from cash
assistance to the Medi-Cal Unit for an eligibility determination. We
are also in the process of hiring Community Aides for a new Medi-
Cal Outreach Unit.
♦ Uncertain Funding Mix
The estimated expenditure for fiscal year 2000-2001 is $53,286,062. Of
that amount, approximately 8.25 % is County funded.
The expenditure breaks down as follows:
June 5,2001 27
s Employment & Human Services Department
CalWORKS/Welfare-To-Work Implementation Update
CaIWORKS Basic Eligibility 8,754,087
WTW Employment Services $25,465,943
Cal-Learn 765,748
Child Care $16,224,189
TANF Incentives 2,075,873
TOTAL $53,286,062
The allocation for FY01/02 is still unknown'. The incentive dollars are in
question; the basic eligibility and Employment Services budgets
have not been agreed on; and the final allocation has not been
determined. We expect to have more definitive funding identified
by September.
While funding for CalWORKS has been good in our early years,
questions remain regarding the federal and state Government's
commitment to continue the job that has been started.
Both the Federal and State Governments have recently commenced discussions
on reauthorization of the Welfare Reform laws. With so much positive press on
caseload reductions and employment gains, we fear that Washington and
Sacramento will declare victory and abandon serious efforts to continue reform
policies or provide necessary funding.
As Congress begins to debate the TANF Reauthorization legislation for 2002, we will
continue to work together with National and State organizations, elected officials,
service partners and the faith-based community to better define and advocate for
the continued level of TANF funding and associated block grants as well as
enhanced flexibility allowed to states in designing welfare programs. We also
continue to advocate for continued support for services that assist people moving
off welfare, into a job and out of poverty. On the State level, we will continue to
advocate for exemption of the hard to serve from Welfare-to-Work requirements,
flexibility in time limits, expanded job retention services, increased diversion and
early intervention services and expansion of the poverty definition to enable us to
provide services to the working poor.
June 5,2001 28