HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 03281995 - FC.1 r
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ..L
..� ... Contra
FROM: e.�
� mance Committee, Tom Torlakson o ,/ 3 , Costa
Jeff Smith � ,•r• Count
DATE: March 28, 1995 cou
SUBJECT: VIEW OF PROGRAMS RECEIVING KELLER CANYON
LANDFILL SURCHARGE REVENUE
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. ACKNOWLEDGE that the estimated budget shortfall of$232,200 in fiscal year 1995-96 for
Keller Canyon and Acme Transfer Station revenue may be greater given more recent tonnage
and revenue figures.
2. DISCONTINUE funding for the Rubicon SSI/Money Management Program and the Career
Development Employment Program in fiscal 1995-96 and thereby reduce the shortfall by
$75,000.
3. REDUCE the funding for the Recycling/Resource Recovery Program from $420,000 to
$317,500 and thereby reduce the shortfall by another $102,500.
4. DIRECT the General Services Department and County Administrator staffs to pursue a
public-private partnership for the County's Recycling/Resource Recovery Program to further
reduce costs and maximize the use of General Assistance clients.
5. DIRECT the Social Services Department and Agricultural Commission staff to pursue the
feasibility of using General Assistance clients in a farm related work program.\N
6. REFER this matter back to the Finance Committee for further review prior to budget
hearings.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER_,
SIGNATURE(S): Tom Torlakson 4ef
ACTION OF BOARD ON MAK 2 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
ATTESTED MAR 2 8 1995
Contact: PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
CC: General Services SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
Personnel
Rubicon
Agriculture Commissioner BY [y1�lY�T-51�� DEPUTY
County Administrator
` Page 2
BACKGROUND:
The Board of Supervisors adopted a preliminary two year financial plan for use of Keller
Canyon/Acme Landfill revenues December 20 which identified a$292,000 shortfall in the surcharge
category (see attached). On February 6, the Finance Committee determined that a 20%reduction
or$232,000 would need to be cut from programs receiving surcharge revenues in fiscal year 1995-
96. The Committee requested appropriate information from each program and scheduled March 20
as the date to review the programs.
The Committee reviewed written reports and took testimony from representatives of the following
three programs:
(A) Recycling/Resource Recovery Program (General Services);
(B) Career Development(Personnel); and
(C) SSI/Money Management(Rubicon).
Attached are the written reports presented by the program representatives. Also,the Social Services
Department staff presented written recommendations and provided testimony to the Committee(see
attached recommendations). The County Administrator concurred with the Social Service
Department recommendations.
The Committee formulated the six recommendations indicated above and expressed concern over
the reduced revenue stream from Keller Canyon Landfill and the Acme Transfer Station. The
Committee requested a follow-up review of this matter prior to final action at the 1995-96 budget
hearings.
I
e.
To: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 5. Contra
Costa
FROM:
-Finance Committee, Tom Torlakson
Jeff Smith E;,,�,,,, f° County
March 28, 1995
DATE: "count
SUBJECT: REVIEW OF PROGRAMS RECEIVING KELLER CANYON
LANDFILL SURCHARGE REVENUE
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. ACKNOWLEDGE that the estimated budget shortfall of$232,200 in fiscal year 1995-96 for
\" Keller Canyon and Acme Transfer Station revenue may be greater given more recent tonnage
and revenue figures.
2. DISCONTINUE funding for the Rubicon SSI/Money Management Program and the Career
Development Employment Program in fiscal 1995-96 and thereby reduce the shortfall by
$75,000.
3. REDUCE the funding for the Recycling/Resource Recovery Program from $420,000 to
$317,500 and thereby reduce the shortfall by another $102,500.
4. DIRECT the General Services Department and County Administrator staffs to pursue a
public-private partnership for the County's Recycling/Resource Recovery Program to further
reduce costs and maximize the use of General Assistance clients.
5. DIRECT the Social Services Department and Agricultural Commission staff to pursue the
feasibility of using General Assistance clients in a farm related work program.
6. REFER this matter back to the Finance Committee for further review prior to budget
hearings.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE:
-RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD M TEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S): Tom Torlakson J f Smith
ACTION OF BOARD ON APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
ATTESTED
Contact: PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
cc: General Services SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
Personnel
Rubicon
Agriculture Commissioner BY 'DEPUTY
County Administrator
Page 2
BACKGROUND:
The Board of Supervisors adopted a preliminary two year financial plan for use of Keller
Canyon/Acme Landfill revenues December 20 which identified a$292,000 shortfall in the surcharge
category (see attached). On February 6, the Finance Committee determined that a 20% reduction
or$232,000 would need to be cut from programs receiving surcharge revenues in fiscal year 1995-
96. The Committee requested appropriate information from each program and scheduled March 20
as the date to review the programs.
The Committee reviewed written reports and took testimony from representatives of the following
three programs:
(A) Recycling/Resource Recovery Program (General Services);
(B) Career Development(Personnel); and
(C) SSI/Money Management(Rubicon).
Attached are the written reports presented by the program representatives. Also,the Social Services
Department staff presented written recommendations and provided testimony to the Committee(see
attached recommendations). The County Administrator concurred with the Social Service
Department recommendations.
The Committee formulated the six recommendations indicated above and expressed concern over
the reduced revenue stream from Keller Canyon Landfill and the Acme Transfer Station. The
Committee requested a follow-up review of this matter prior to final action at the 1995-96 budget
hearings.
1 J
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Contra
FROM: Phil Batchelor Costa
County Administrator
Ocufty
DATE: December 20, 1994
SUBJECT: Two Year Keller Canyon/Acme Landfill Revenue Forecastand Program Appropriations
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION(S):
I ACCEPT the report of estimated Keller Canyon revenue and program appropriations for fiscal
years 1994-95 and 1995-96. (See attached spreadsheet)
2. Tentatively APPROVE the two year financial plan, which reflects a reduced waste stream,
rates, revenues and the implementation of new franchise fees at Acme Transfer Station
3. DIRECT staff to explore alternatives for reducing the $292,200 shortfall as a result of this
plan.
BACKGROUND/REASON(S) FOR RECOMMENDATION(S):
Over the past several months, the Board of Supervisors has worked to reconsider Keller Canyon
mitigation fees and appropriate Keller mitigation fees to specific projects. Staff has incorporated
the work of the Finance Committee, the Transportation Committee, the Internal Operations
Committee and the EBRPD Liaison Committee into a proposed budget and expenditure plan for FY
94-95, (See attached spreadsheet) Staff is also providing a preliminary reconciliation of accounts
and a projection of the amount of funds that will be generated for FY 94-95 and FY 95-96 in new
fees, to enable departments and project proponents to make projections for future budgets. We
have, therefore, prepared a budget forecast based on anticipated revenues, including estimated
revenues from the Acme Transfer station as a result of new franchise fees, Staff is not asking the
board to adopt the FY 95-96 budget at this time; however, it is important to consider areas of
shortfall in future planning.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT. —YES SIGNATURE:
—RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR—RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S):
ACTION OF BOARD ON APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED—OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISIC,11S
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A
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 Tony Enea,646-4094
ATTESTED
PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
cc: GMEDA
Steve Goetz-Community Development
Van Mager-CAO BY DEPUTY
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Ir
GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT
ADMINISTRATION
1220 MORELLO AVENUE, SUITE 200
MARTINEZ, CALIFORNIA, 94553
510-313-7100
Date: March 7, 1995
To: Members of the Finance Committee
From: Bart Gilbert, Dirof General Services
By: Kathy Brow;%uty General Services Director
Subject: Report on County Recycling/Resource Recovery Program and Use
of Keller Funds
Background:
In January, 1995 you requested that recipients of Keller Recycling fees report back
to the Finance Committee in March on the use of the fees and how any reduction of
funding would affect service delivery in FY 1995-96. The County General Services
Department has been budgeted previously for $420,000/year to support a
Countywide Recycling Program using General Assistance (GA) welfare participants
for the primary staffing of the Program with some County staff serving as Crew
Leaders. The Recycling Program, as well as other work programs, have been
supported by Local No. 1, the labor organization that represents the County Crew
Leaders.
♦ Program Description:
The General Services Departments Recycling/Resource Recovery Program collects
white/mixed paper and cardboard from within County buildings, sorts the paper at
the County Recycling Center, shreds confidential documents, and bales paper
materials for sale. Collection work crews gather paper products from buildings,
surplus furniture and equipment from departments that don't need it , and illegally
discarded tires along public roadways. These crews bring the items to the Center
where work crews sort and bale paper, pack tires for disposal, chip grounds debris
for mulching, store and give out recycled paint for Environmental Health, -and allow
departments needing furniture and equipment to view and select items, collected by
General Services Department
Recycling Report Page 2
the crews, from departments no longer needing them. All work crews consist of GA
participants with Crew Leaders. Some crews go to County buildings to collect
paper or salvaged furniture, some crews are located at the Recycling Center, and
some crews work in field assignments. Approximately 80 GA participants/day work
in the area of Recycling/Resource Recovery with 7 or 8 County Crew Leaders plus
a Manager. These crews are in addition to other GA work crews that provide litter
clean-up, weed abatement, tree planting, trail maintenance, and grounds work
training.
♦ Program Benefits:
The County Recycling Program staff collect 1.23 million pounds of paper annually
that would otherwise go into the waste stream. This collection of paper materials
allows the County to meet its SB939 legal mandate to reduce materials going to
landfills by 50%. GA participants in the Recycling Program provide approximately
96,000 hours of labor each year at no additional salary above a GA grant. At
$5.00/hour this labor would be worth $480,000/year to benefit the community. if
County Custodians are used to collect the recycling materials instead of work crews,
at least 5 Custodians would have to hired at a cost of approximately $250,000
annually. They would not do other work provided by the work crews.
GA participants in the Recycling Program learn work skills, especially the GA
participants who request to be in the Recycling Training component , where GA
participants volunteer to work in a 6-week-assignment to learn how to use equipment
such as the baler and chipper. Successful Trainees receive Certificates of
Completion, and some GA participants have acquired jobs in the private sector.
The Social Service Department assigns GA referrals to work crews; and after proper
notifications to participants, can issue sanctions to participants who fail to meet work
assignments. If a participant doesn't meet work program requirements and has been
given the opportunity to respond without providing valid explanations, then the GA
participant can have his/her grant discontinued for a period of time. Since
approximately 50% of scheduled participants don't appear and some don't have
good causes for not meeting work assignments, then GA grants can be discontinued
for some period. Approximately 3,300 GA don't meet GA work assignment
requirements in a year. If these individuals receive at least one month sanction, loss
of grant, in a year, then the reductions in GA costs, at an average grant of
$300/month, would be $990,000. Longer periods sanctions result-'in more
reductions.
General Services Department
Recycling Report Page 3
Confidential document shredding and sale of white paper results in annual revenue
of $60,000, depending on the price of paper. County departments receive the
benefits of the reissuance of furniture and office equipment. Some departments
don't need some items, and our crews pick up these items and take them to the
Center where departments are offered the opportunity to obtain desks, chairs,
bookcases, and other equipment and furniture that they don't have to buy. This is
a popular program with departments because it represents a savings to
departments that don't have to buy new items and certainly meets the spirit of
recycling.
Approximately 4,000 illegally dumped tires are collected by work crews from along
public roadways each year. People dump them on the roadways instead of taking
them to disposal sites. It is expensive to take them to the dump, and there's no
market to purchase them, even though there are some firms that recycle tires. By
having the Recycling crews band them in disposal containers, the tires can be
disposed of to a vendor who charges a disposal free of $.814.85/tire. Otherwise
disposal costs are $3.0041 0,00/tire. This results in an average annual cost that is
$24,000 less than what it would cost the County for disposal.
The Recycling Center is also the site for storage and distribution of recycled paint
collected by special hazardous waste collections by Environmental Health.
Recycling staff give paint to any agencies and the public that want it. The Center
is used to chip brush, tree branches, and green waste that is then used as mulch
around County buildings to save on water and not have to take these materials to a
dump.
County garbage costs would increase if recycling were not done. While General
Services staff have been carefully monitoring the collection of garbage to save
departments money, some of the savings would disappear if recycling isn't done.
Garbage service would have to increase, and this would cost something around
$135,000/year. Even if recycling is able to be done at some buildings by garbage
companies, private companies require materials to be placed at curbside once/week
in approved containers where materials have been sorted and tied or bagged.
Someone would have to collect the materials from inside buildings, sort them, and
containerize them. Then someone has to put the materials outside for collection.
This is labor intensive, and it would be handled by Custodians. In contract-custodial
buildings there would be an extra charge for Recycling service. If it's too difficult
and expensive, then departments won't recycle. Paper will go into the trashcans.
General Services Department
Recycling Report Page 4
♦ Synopsis of County Recycling Program:
Revenues and Expenditures-FY 94/95
Keller Fund Appropriation for Recycling Program $420,000
Paper sale and confidential document shredding revenue 60,000
Charges to departments for furniture collection 20,000
Total Revenue $500,000
Total Costs-County labor, materials, equipment, occupancy $500,000
*Value of Services-Direct
GA labor $480,000
Garbage service reduced costs 135,000
Brush and limb chipping for mulch and water savings 14,500
Furniture and equipment savings to departments 20,000
Tire disposal cost reduction 24,000
Estimate of GA sanctions if 1 month/year 990.000
Total Value of Direct Services $1.663,500
*Value of Services-Indirect
Old computers given to schools(with CCC plaque as donor)
Reconstituted paint is brought to Center to give away
County furniture, books, and equipment salvaged and recycled
Recycling of 1.25 pounds of paper materials diverted from dumps
Provision of work experience for GA participants
General Services Department
Recycling Report Page S `
♦ Conclusion:
The County Recycling Program is a multi-faceted operation that benefits Contra
Costa County. The use of Keller funds has allowed the Center to save money and
provide work opportunities for GA participants to improve the community and meet
the goals of recycling materials to keep them out of landfill. If these funds are
significantly reduced or eliminated, then the savings and direct and indirect value of
the Program will be drastically curtailed or eliminated. The costs of having County
staff assume the labor for collecting the paper materials and the reductions in costs
for the GA Program will exceed the money provided by the Keller funds. The
additional activities described above won't be possible. Paper revenues will
disappear. The Recycling and clean up activities can't be done without funding.
General Services is interested in expansion of recycling and other work activities to
outside the County and has prepared a Fact Sheet describing available services.
If other agencies contract with the County for services, such work won't address the
County's need to fund its Program. County work crews could be reassigned to other
agencies, but the County's needs couldn't be met without funding.
For next fiscal year, departments will be assessed a fee for recycling services, and
this will add $102,454 to the revenue side. The General Services Department's
request to the Finance Committee for continued Keller funding for Recycling is thus
being reduced from $420,000 for next year to $317,546. The Department respectfully
requests that the Committee recommend that this amount be funded by the Board
of Supervisors.
BG: KB
st: Personnel Department
L
Contra
i .f ' AdministrationBldg.
9-
County
651 Pine Street
lrll �� x� _,`".,-,•'` •'•�
/lJ ,
y` Martinez, California 94553-1292
�G - a Jr
Tia court
Date: March 14, 1995
To: Finance Committee
From: Leslie T. k9t, Director of Personnel
Subject: Career Development Employment Program - (Custodial/Recycling Project)
BACKGROUND
On May 19, 1992 the Personnel and the Social Service Departments were directed by the Board
to seek ways in which they could cooperate in the identification and placement of General
Assistance recipients through the Career Development Employment Program. They also asked
staff to explore ways in which training methods developed by the Career Development
Employment Program might be used to assist G.A. recipients who would be working in County
departments in connection with their workfare agreements.
Costs associated with implementing the changes were recognized by the Board and the Board
allocated$15,000 to the Personnel Department to assist G.A. recipients in obtaining private sector
employment based on their skills obtained through the Recycling Center Workfare Program. The
Board has continued each fiscal year to allocate $15,000 to the Personnel Department.
DISCUSSION
The Custodial Training Program which was considered a joint project between the Social Services,
General Services and Personnel Departments, was converted to a Home Study/On The Job
Training Program in August 1992 to accommodate the different work schedules and work
locations of the G.A. participants.
In 1993 the County experienced a budget crisis that resulted in over five.hundred jobs being
eliminated and approximately a hundred and thirty employees being either laid off or displaced
to lower level positions. Many more employees were forced to accept part-time or temporary
work. This subsequently led to the suspension of the Career Development Employment Program
because of the layoffs that were occurring in the County.
The Personnel Department began directing its efforts towards the implementation of the Tactical
Employment Team Program (TETP). This program was established to provide a wide range of
employment counseling to laid-off County employees. As depicted in Attachment 1, many of
the employees who were adversely impacted by the layoffs were minorities and persons hired
through the Career Development Program. County departments were asked for their full
cooperation in implementing TETP in order to insure that employees who were facing layoff were
r
given every opportunity to continue their employment with the County in another capacity or to
be placed in positions in the private sector.
The TETP objectives are as follows:
► Develop and maintain an employee skills inventory bank to match employees with
available job opportunities;
► Offer a variety of services and training to meet the needs of affected employees and the
County;
• Facilitate job placement for laid-off County employees in positions;
• Monitor layoffs, rehires, and employment referrals by job class, gender and ethnicity;
► Identify actions that will enhance the placement of County employees before and/or after
layoff.
As part of the TETP, the Personnel Department expanded its employment counseling to include
job search and placement activities in areas such as resume preparation and job search planning.
The Personnel Department was also available to provide workshops and seminars on a variety of
subjects such as job re-training and alternate career exploration through the:TETP. Most of the
County employees who were laid off were rehired in permanent and temporary positions as
depicted in Attachment 2. Tactical Employment Team Program activities are summarized in
Attachment 3.
The Personnel Department has kept the Custodial/Recycling Training Program training materials
current and is prepared to meet with both the Social Services and General Services staff to revisit
and formalize the Custodial/Recycling Training Program. However, in light of the current fiscal
projections and anticipated layoffs (departments have been asked to prepare for a 20% budget
reduction), the Personnel Department will continue to direct its efforts towards its Tactical
Employment Team Program.
FISCAL IMPACT
► $15,000 allocated to the Personnel Department from Keller Canyon/Acme Landfill
Surcharge for FY 1994-95.
RECOMMENDATION
Continue to staff and expand the services provided under the Tactical Employment Team
Program.
LTK:LM
Attachments
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Attachmn nt 3
TACTICAL EMPLOYMENT TEAM PROGRAM
ACTIVITIES
• A memo explaining T E.T.P. goals and objectives was distributed to all County employees
with their December 10, 1993 pay checks
All County employees scheduled to be laid off during the period August - October, 1994
individually received a T.E.T.P. information package that included the following:
■ T.E.T.P. Services
■ Employee Benefits
■ Employee Rights
Four T.E.T.P. workshops were held covering the following topics:
■ Layoff Policy and Procedures
■ Employee Benefits and Rights
■ Temporary Employment Opportunities
a Retirement
■ "Surviving a Layoff"
■ Crisis Intervention Counseling
■ Stress Management
■ Financial Planning
■ Other Employee Assistance Services
102 laid-off employees appointed to permanent positions
0 16 laid-off employees appointed to temporary positions
• 21 laid-off employees currently available for work
5 laid-off employees retired
24 laid-off employees will not accept temporary work, relocated or have not responded to
T.E.T.P. correspondence
T e Center For .applied.Local Wesearck
120 BROADWAY, Sun -21 • RICF 4OND, CA 94804•(510)970.7520• FAX(510)970.7526
EVALUATION OF
RUBICON
SSI AND MONEY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
I -
JANUARY 13, 1995
Iraj J. Imam, Ph.D.
Thomas L. Foster M.S.
Revonda Downs
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...............
I. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................7
II. METHODS....................................................................................8
III. COST SAVINGS AND COST AVOIDANCE.........................................9
A. SHIFT FROM GA TO SSI.......................................................................9
B. HOMELESS SHELTERS--SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT SAVINGS.......................9
C. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES--HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAVINGS ........................ 11
D. HOSPITAL AND EMERGENCY ROOM SERVICES--HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAVINGS.... 12
E. JAIL AND PRISON COST AVOIDANCE ....................................................... 15
W. OVERALL COST AVOIDANCE AND PROJECTIONS FOR 1995.......... 16
A. COST AVOIDANCE FOR COMBINED SERVICES............................................. 16
B. PROJECTION OF COST AVOIDANCE FOR 1995 ............................................. 17
V. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.................................................... 19
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .....................................................................22
APPENDIX.......................................................................................23
Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
IEvaluation of
SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program,
Rubicon Programs Inc.
I. Introduction
Since 1990, Rubicon Programs has operated an SSI Advocacy and Money Management
Program for Contra Costa County. Rubicon Programs secured a $10,000 grant from
the Northern California Grantmakers to conduct an independent costs and benefits
evaluation of the program.
Rubicon Programs Inc. contracted with The Center for Applied Local Research (CAL
1 Research) to conduct the evaluation of their SSI Advocacy and Money Management
Program. CAL Research is a non-profit organization founded in 1987 to use social
science and related skills to improve the quality of human service delivery systems at
the local level.
' H. Methods
In this evaluation, we focus on estimating the financial costs and benefits of the
Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program to Contra Costa County.
The evaluation does not include the organizational, administrational, and policy
implementation aspects of the program.
We estimated the financial benefits of the SSI Advocacy and Money Management
Program to the County in two ways: (1) The direct savings resulting from shifting
people from the General Assistance (GA) to SSI and staying on SSI, and (2) The cost
avoidance or, "multiplier" savings, resulting from reduction in utilization of County
services by people in the Money Management Program.
1 Data came from various County Departments.artments. We contrasted the use of these services
by Rubicon's clients before their enrollment in the Money Management Program with
their use during the enrollment. We calculated the differences in service use by these
clients to estimate cost avoidance to the County. Where the actual data were not
available, we used the estimates based on a survey of clients in the Money Management
Program. (Because it relies on the memory of clients, the survey tends to under-
estimate service use. For example, clients under-estimated their use of homeless
shelters by more than four times the actual data.) Finally, we used the average annual
savings estimates to project total financial saving to the County for 1995 (based on the
95 clients currently contracted with Rubicon by the County).
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l
Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
s
M. Cost Savings and Cost Avoidance
Both the actual and the sum!ey data show that when people are in Rubicon's Money
t Management Program they use less of County services (in all service categories).
These data demonstrate the benefits of the Rubicon's Program to clients and to the
County. Clients' life situations seemed to become more stabilized and hence their
needs for services tended to decrease. This reduction in service utilization directly
translates to financial benefits to the County.
A. Shift from GA to SSI
• Based on the data provided by the Hawkins Center, the annual net recovery to the
County after reimbursement of attorneys fees is about $579,996.
B. Homeless Shelters--Social Services Department Savings
• The data from Richmond and Concord shelters indicate that, on the average, clients
' spent 82.9 days before coming to Rubicon and only 20.5 day during their stay in
the program. The savings are close to 63 days of shelter not used by Rubicon
clients. With the average $27 per night, the average cost per client is about $2,241
' before joining Rubicon and about $554 per client during their stay in the program..
This amounts to $333,857 for the duration of the program.
• On the annual basis, the savings are $83,507.
• Projected savings for 1995 are estimated at $160,265 (based on 95 clients).
C. Mental Health Services--Health Department Savings
• The Mental Health data demonstrate the average savings per client per year is about
$1,494 or, $295,812 for 198 clients served between 1991 and 1994.
• Average annual savings for average number of clients per year (49.5) equals
$73,953.
• Projected savings for 1995 are estimated at $141,930 (based on 95 clients).
D. Hospital and Emergency Room Services--Health Department Savings
• The average use of hospitals was 75.7 days for clients before joining Rubicon and
8.7 days while in the program. This amounts to savings of 66.9 days per year per
client. The average annual saving of hospital days equals 3,043.9 days (based on
average of 45.5 clients per year). We estimate 50% ratio of recoupment of general
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
funds to the County based on patients with Medical or Medicare. According to
Patient Accounting, room and board with doctor visit costs about $700 and, ,
Emergency Room visits cost about $444.
• Factoring in these rates, annual cost avoidance for using hospital room amounts to
$1,159,043.
• Using the same methods, on the average, Rubicon clients had 5.5 Emergency Room
Visits prior joining Rubicon compared to 3.38 visits while in the program. The net
saving per year are 2.12 visits for each client or, 96.45 visits for all clients.
• Factoring the same 50% ratio, the Emergency Room visit savings amount to
$23,297, annually.
• Combined hospital use and Emergency Room visit cost avoidance total to
$1,182,332 per year.
• Projected savings for 1995 are at $2,269,122.
E. Jail and Prison
• On the average, each client spent 45.9 days in jail or prison before coming to
Rubicon vs. 4.5 days while in the program. Based on $56 average cost per day, the
annual average cost for clients before coming to Rubicon amounts to $116,980
compared to $11,800 for clients in the program.
• The net average savings to the County, or cost avoidance, on the annual basis
equals $114,705.
• Projected saving for 1995 are at $220,115.
F. Prevention of Return From SSI Back to GA Without Representative Payee Status
• In the absence of the Rubicon Money Management Program, an actuarial estimate
of Rubicon's clients returning from SSI to GA ranges from $346,560 (100% return)
to $86,660 (25% return). These figures are preliminary estimates and more
accurate estimates require further research.
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n's SSI Advocac and Mone Management Program
Evaluation of Rubtco y y g
IV. Overall Cost Avoidance and Projections for 1995
• The overall annual average cost avoidance / savings to the County is estimated at `
$2,034,479 ($1,454,483 + $579,480; items A-E, excluding F).
• The total projected cost avoidance / savings to the County for 1995 amount to
$3,371,476 (based on 95 clients, $2,791,480 + $579,480; items A-E, excluding
item F).
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the staff of Mental Health Division, Health Services
Department, Social Services Department, and the Housing Authority for their
cooperation with this evaluation.
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
Evaluation of
SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program,
Rubicon Programs Inc.
I. Introduction
Rubicon Programs Inc. contracted with The Center for Applied Local Research (CAL
Research) to conduct the evaluation of their SSI Advocacy and Money Management
Program. CAL Research is a non-profit organization founded in 1987 to use social
science and related skills to improve the quality of human service delivery systems at
the local level.
The SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program is a cooperative venture between
the Contra Costa County Department of Social Services, The Hawkins Center of Law
and Services for the Disabled and Rubicon Programs, Inc. Since 1990, the Hawkins
Center and Rubicon Programs have operated an SSI Advocacy and Money Management
Program for Contra Costa County.
The program operates in two stages: First, shifting people from General Assistance
(GA) to SSI; and Second, keeping people on SSI by managing their money--by
becoming their representative payee. The Hawkins Center manages the first part of
the program and the Rubicon Programs manages the second part.
The benefits to the clients include an increase in their income, access to MediCal, and
improvement in their living conditions such as permanent housing and learning new
skills. Financial benefits to the County include direct recovery for prior GA
disbursements from the retroactive benefits of the clients entitled to SSI and MediCal,
and cost avoidance: of future GA payments to clients successfully transferred to SSI',
of health care costs of clients transferred to MediCal; and of reduction in use of the
County human services by the clients in Rubicon Programs.
Rubicon Programs secured a $10,000 grant from the Northern California Grantmakers
to conduct an independent costs and benefits evaluation of the program. This report is
organized in four parts: I. Introduction; 11. Methods; III. Cost Savings and Cost
Avoidance; and IV. Conclusions.
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
U. Methods
In this evaluation, we focus on estimating the financial costs and benefits of Rubicon's
SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program to Contra Costa County. The
evaluation does not include the organizational, administrational, and policy
implementation aspects of the program.
We estimated the financial benefits of the SSI Advocacy and Money Management
Program to the County in two ways: (1) The direct savings resulted from shifting
people from the General Assistance (GA) to SSI and staying on SSI, and (2) The cost
avoidance or, "multiplier" savings, resulted from reduction in utilization of the County
services by the people in the Money Management Program. (The first six months of
this program was analyzed in the Hawkins/Rubicon "Six Month Progress Report", July
1991.)
Cost avoidance benefits to the County are particularly significant, due to the at-risk life
situations of most Rubicon clients. These clients, according to the Hawkins Center,
tend to be high users of the County emergency services. If Rubicon Programs can
assist these at-risk clients to stabilize their living conditions, then the clients will tend to
use less of the County emergency services. In the absence of the Rubicon Programs,
those at-risk clients were likely to have remained high user of the County's emergency
services.
The primary source of data came from various County departments. We contrasted the
use of these services by Rubicon's clients before their enrollment in the Money
Management Program with their use during the enrollment. We calculated the
differences in service use of these clients to estimate cost avoidance to the County.
We used the actual data on utilization of Mental Health and Homeless Shelter services
by the Rubicon clients. Where the actual data were not available, we used the
estimates based on our survey of active clients in the Money Management Program.
(Because it relies on the memory of clients, the survey tends to under-estimate the
service use. For example, clients under-estimated their use of homeless shelters by
more than four times the actual data.) We used the actual data on direct savings from
the report prepared by the Hawkins Center (in progress). Finally, to make the data
comparable, we normalized the cost and savings data on the annual basis for each
client. For each category, we calculated average annual costs per client. We used
these computed average annual savings estimates to project total financial saving to the
County for 1995 (based on the 95 clients currently contracted with Rubicon by the
County).
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
111. Cost Savings and Cost Avoidance
A. Shift from GA to SS
In this part, we use the data from a report by the Hawldns Center SSI Advocacy
Program to estimate the financial benefits to the County. According to the Hawkins
Center, between January 1, 1992 and June 30,1994, "the total recovery of GA benefits
alone the county has made from all clients represented by the Hawkins Center is
$1,159,991.90. The net recovery to the county after reimbursement of attorneys fees
has been $869,993.92". This is for 18 months. Normalizing on the annual basis, the
net recovery to the County amounts to $579,996 per year.
This figure does not include any of the possible retroactive benefits. For example,
according to the Hawkins Center, each client who is awarded retroactive SSI benefits is
also entitled to MediCal benefits for all the months since the date the application was
filed. Also not included are possible savings to the MIA health plan funds resulting
from the clients' future and retroactive entitlement to MediCal.
B. Homeless Shelters--Social Services ftartment Savings
In this section, we estimate the costs and savings of the Rubicon's Money Management
Program to the County. The program has operated for four years and has served 198
clients, with average of 49.5 clients per year. We calculated the data on use of
homeless shelters for each Rubicon's client (data provided by the Contra Costa County
Housing Authority).
These data from Richmond and Concord shelters--normalized on the annual basis--
indicate that, on the average, each client spent 83 days in shelter programs before
coming to Rubicon and only 20.5 day during his or her stay in the program. The
savings are about 62.4 days of shelter not used by Rubicon clients. Table 1 shows that
with an average $27 cost per night (according to the Housing Authority), the average
annual cost per client is about $2,241 before joining Rubicon and about $554 per client
during their stay in the program (see Figure 1). This amounts to $334,028 for the
duration of the program. On an annual basis, the savings are about $83,507 or, $1,686
per client.
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
Table 1
Homeless Shelter Cost Avoidance
Homeless Shelter Costs and Benefits:
Average Annual Costs per Client Before Joining Rubicon $2,241
Average Annual Costs per Client During Rubicon Program $554
Average Annual Cost Avoidance and Savings per Clien $1,687
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $83,507
Shelter Cost per Day $27
Average Days of Shelter Use Before Joining Rubicon 83.00
Average Days of Shelter Use During Rubicon Program 20.50
Average Number of Clients Served, 1991-94, 49.5
Total Number of Clients Served, 1991-941 198
Source: Housing Authority.
Figure I
Annual Average Homeless Shelter Costs and Benefits per Client-
Year
X.,
Cost Avoidance
Per
K�
en ear
..........
X
Cost During Rubicon
............
ProgramNear
............
...... .....
.............
.. .. .........
.... .....
Cost Before Joining 6 OPA 0. 4
RubiconNe;
$0 $500 $1,00 $1.50 $2,000 $2,50
In our survey of the Rubicon's active clients, we found that all respondents indicated
that they used more County services before joining the Rubicon's Money Management
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
Program than they did while in the pr.ogram. For example, they systematically under-
estimated their use of homeless shelters. We show in Table 1 that the average annual
shelter days avoided, or saved, is about 62.5 days (83 - 20.5 = 62.5). Using the
survey data, however, the average annual shelter days avoided is about 15.4 days (31.4
- 16 = 15.4). Because it relies on the memory of clients, the survey data tends to
under-estimate the service use. In the case of homeless shelter use, the data are under-
estimated by factor of four (62.5 / 15.5 = 4.05). The actual data, as mentioned above,
include only Richmond and Concord homeless shelters and hence do not include other
public or private shelter. On the annual basis, the savings are about $83,507, or
$1,687 per client.
C. Mental Health Services--Health Department Savings
We used the actual Mental Health service utilization data for each Rubicon client and
calculated the cost avoidance savings to the County. In Table 2, we show the annual
average cost of Mental Health services used by the clients. We used the data on service
use for each client before coming to Rubicon and on service use during their stay in
the program. We computed annual average costs for all clients served between 1991
and 1994 in Figure 2.
Table 2
Mental Health Cost Avoidance
Mental Health Costs and Benefits:
Average Annual Costs per Client Before Joining Rubicon $4,959
Average Annual Costs per Client in Rubicon Program $3,465
Average Annual Cost Avoidance / Savings per Client $1,494
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $73,953
Avera.ge Number of Clients Served, 1991-94 49.5
Total Number of Clients Served, 1991-94 198
Source: Mental Health Division,Health Services Department.
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
Figure 2
Average Annual Mental Health Costs and Benefits per Client-Year
Cost Avoidance per
ClientfYcar
......... ......
Cost During R bicon
Program/Year
CostBefore Joining
Rubicon[Year . ....... ........
. ................
$0 $500 $1,000 $1,500 $2,000 $2,500 $3,000 $3,500 $4,000 $4,500 $5,000
The Mental Health data demonstrate that the annual average savings per client is
about $1,494 or, $295,812 for 198 clients served between 1991 and 1994. Average
annual savings for 49.5 clients equals $73,953.
Q. Hospital and Emergency Room Services--Health Department Savings
For those services that actual data were not able, we used the estimates of service
use from our survey of the active Rubicon clients. These estimates, in general,
tend to under-estimate service use.
In Table 3, we show that average use of hospital beds was 75.7 days for clients
before joining Rubicon and 8.7 days while in the program. This amounts to
savings of 66.9 days per year per client. The average annual saving of hospital
days equals to 3,311.5 days (based on average of 49.5 clients per year). We
estimate 501 ratio of recoupment of general funds to the county based on patients
with MediCal or Medicare. According to Patient Accounting, room and board with
doctor visit costs about $700 and Emergency Room visits cost about $444.
Factoring in these rates, annual cost avoidance for using hospital room amounts to
$1,159,042. In Figure 3, we show estimates of average annual costs per client.
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
Table 3
Hospital.Bed Cost Avoidance
Hospital Bed Costs and Benefits:
Average Annual Costs per Client Before Joining Rubicon $52,990
Average Annual Costs per Client During Rubicon Program $6,160
Average Annual Cost Avoidance/ Savings per Client $46,830
Average Annual Cost Avoidance (50% ratio of recoupment) $1,159,042
Hospital Bed and Doctor Visit Cost per Day $700
Average Days of Hospital Use Before Joining Rubicon 75.70
Average Days of.Hos pital Use During Rubicon Program 8.80
Total Number of Clients Served, 1991-94 198
Source: Survey of Active Clients in Rubicon's Money Management Program;Patient Accounting.
Fligure 3
Average Annual Costs and Benefits of Hospital Use per Client-Year
Cost Avoidanceper ........... ....... ...........
Client/Year ........
Cost Du
nn
.... ...................
9
.............. ... .....
.............I I..........
.............. ...
Prograrn/Year
............. ...... .....
............. ......... ... ........
... ............ .....
—.... ....
.... .... ...I ......
........... ......... I.............
...... .. ..... ..
.... .....
. ..........
Cost Before Joining
Rubicon/Year
.............
........... ----------
................ ........
.. ....... ..... .—
. .......... ... .... ....
$0 $10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000 $60,000
We show in Table 4 cost avoidance for Emergency Room visits by Rubicon clients.
Using the same methods, on the average, Rubicon clients had 5.5 Emergency Room
Visits prior joining Rubicon compared to 3.38 visits while in the program. The net
saving per year are 2.12 visits for each client. Factoring the same 50% ratio, the
Emergency Room visit savings amount to $23,297 per year. In Figure 4, we show
estimates of average annual costs per client.
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
Table 4
Hospital Emergency Room Cost Avoidance
Hospital Emergency Room Costs and Benefits:
Average Annual Costs per Client Before Joining Rubicon $2,442
.Average Annual Costs per Client During Rubicon Program $1,501
Average Annual Cost Avoidance/ Savings per Client $941
Average Annual Cost Avoidance (50% recoupment) $237297
- Emergency Room Cost per Visit $444
Average E. R. Visits Before Joining Rubicon 5.50
Average E. R. Visits After Joining Rubicon 3.38
Average Number of Clients Served, 1991-94 49.
Total Number of Clients Served, 1991-941 198
Source: Survey of Active Clients in Rubicon's Money Management Program;Patient Accounting.
Figure 4
Average Annual Emergency Room Costs and Benefits per Client-Year
... ......
..........
Cost Avoidance per
Client/Year
..... .....
........ ...... ..... ............
.........
.............. .....
Cost During Rubicon . .....
.............
M
Program/Year
..................
OEMCost Before I om* m* g
X.,
Rubicon/Year
... ..... . .....
$0 $500 $1,000 $U00 $2,000 $2,500
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
E. Jail and Prison Cost Avoidance
Table 5 shows that, based on the survey data, each client spent an average of 45.93
days in jail or prison before coming to Rubicon vs. 4.55 days while in the program.
Based on $56 cost per day (according to the Six Month Report by Hawkins/Rubicon),
the average annual cost per client before coming to Rubicon amounts to $2,572
compared to $255 for clients in the program. The average annual cost avoidance per
client is about $2,317, shown in Figure 5. For the average 49.5 clients per year, the
total annual cost avoidance amounts to $114,705.
Table 5
Jail and Prison Cost Avoidance
Jail and Prison Costs and Benefits:
Average Annual Costs per Client Before Joining Rubicon $2,572
Average Annual Costs per Client During Rubicon Program $255
Average Annual Cost Avoidance / Savings per Client $2,317
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $1141705
-- Cost per Day $56
Average Days of Jail and Prison Before Joining Rubicon 45.93
Average Days of Jail and Prison During Rubicon Program 4.55
Average Number of Clients Served, 1991-94 49.5
Total Number of Clients Served, 1991-94, 198
Source: Survey of Active Clients in Rubicon's Money Management Program;Six Month Progress Report.
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
Figure 5
Average Annual Jail and Prison Costs and Benefits per Client-Year
Cost
Avo'
ytla
nceP er
f
Client/
Year
Cost s ' S Du
rm Rubicon icon
ProS ram
e
Y ar
Cost Before Joining
min
B
Rubic o
n1Ye
arX.
? f�
$0 $500 $1,000 $1,500 $2,000 $2,500 $3,000
F. Prevention of Return From SSI Back to GA Without Representative Payee Status
In the absence of the Rubicon Money Management Program, an actuarial estimate of
Rubicon's clients' returning from SSI to GA ranges from $346,560 (100% return) to
$86,660 (25% return). These figures are preliminary estimates (based on GA $304
monthly payment) and more accurate estimates require further research.
IV. Overall Cost Avoidance of Services to the County and Projections for 1995
A. Cost Avoidance forCombiined Services
! Based on the calculations in the previous section, we will estimate the overall financial
benefits of cost avoidance to the County, shown in Table 6. The combined overall
average annual cost avoidance per client is estimated at $29,384. Factoring 49.5
average clients per year, average annual cost avoidance amounts to $1,454,483. Adding
the net recovery to the County due to shift from GA to SSI, the total average annual
cost avoidance is estimated at $2,034,479.
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
' Table 6
Overall Cost Avoidance of Services ,
f
Services:
Homeless Shelter Costs and Benefits
Average Annual Cost Avoidance/ Savings per Client $1,687
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $83,507
Mental Health Costs and Benefits
Average Annual Cost Avoidance/ Savings per Client $1,494
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $73,953
Hospital Bed Costs and Benefits
Average Annual Cost Avoidance/ Savings per Client a 50% $23,415
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $1,159,043
Hospital Emergency Room Costs and Benefits
Average Annual Cost Avoidance/ Savings per Client @509 $471
' Average Annual Cost Avoidance $23,297
Jail and Prison Costs and Benefits
Average Annual Cost Avoidance / Savings per Client $2 317
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $114,705
Overall Services Benefits
Average Annual Cost Avoidance for Overall Services per Client $29,384
Average Annual Cost Avoidance for Overall Services (49.5 $1,454,483
clients
1 Shift from GA to SSI Net Recoveg $579,996
Total Cost Avoidance and Net Recovery $2,034,479
Source: Tables 1-5
B Projection of Cost Avoidance for 1995
We will use these estimates to project the financial benefits to the County for 1995.
Based on the contract of Rubicon Programs with the County, we will assume a total of
95 clients for 1995. In Table 7, we show overall cost avoidance projections for 1995.
The annual average cost avoidance for overall services amounts to $29,384 per,client.
Projections for 95 clients in 1995 amount to $2,791,480. Adding the net recovery to
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
the County due to shift from GA to SSI, the total projected figure for 1995 amounts to
$3,371)476.
Table 7
Projection of O'l-erall Cost Avoidance of Services
for 1995
Services.-
Homeless Shelter Costs and Benefits
Average Annual Cost Avoidance/ Savings per Client $1,687
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $160,265
Mental Health Costs and Benefits
AveLa
ge Annual Cost Avoidance / Savings per Client $1OA,494
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $141,930
Hospital Bed Costs and Benefits
Avera e Annual Cost Avoidance I Savings per Client (0 50%) $23,415
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $2,224,425
Hospital Emergency Room Costs and Benefits
Average Annual Cost Avoidance/ Savings per Client (aso%) $471
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $442698
Jail and Prison Costs and Benefits
Average Annual Cost Avoidance / Savings per Client" $2,317
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $2201115
Overall Services Benefits
Average Annual Cost Avoidance for Overall Services per Client $29,384
Average Annual Cost Avoidance for Overall Services 95 clients) $2791,480
— Shift from GA to SSI Net Recovery $579,996
Total Cost Avoidance and Net Recovery $3,371.476
Source- Tables 1-6
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
V. Summary and Conclusions
Both the actual and the survey data show that when people are in Rubicon's Money' `
Management Program they tend to use less of County services (in all service
categories). These data demonstrate.the benefits of the Rubicon's Program to clients
and to the County. Clients' life situations seemed to become more stabilized and hence
their needs for services tend to decrease. The reduction in service utilization directly
translates to financial benefits to the County.
We estimated the financial benefits of the SSI Advocacy and Money Management
O Program to the County in two ways: (1) The direct savings resulted from shifting
people from the General Assistance (GA) to SSI and staying on SSI, and (2) The cost
avoidance or, "multiplier" savings, resulted from reduction in utilization of the County
services by the people in the Money Management Program.
Below, we summarize the estimated financial benefits to the County:
A. Shift from GA to SSI
• Based on the data provided by the Hawkins Center, the annual net recovery to the
County after reimbursement of attorneys fees is about$579,996.
B Homeless Shelters--Social Services Department Saving,
• The data from Richmond and Concord shelters indicate that, on the average, clients
spent 82.9 days before coming to Rubicon and only 20.5 day during their stay in
the program. With the average $27 per night, the average cost per client is about
1 $2,241 before joining Rubicon and about $553.5 per client during their stay in the
program.
• On the annual basis, the savings are about$83,507(for 49.5 clients).
C. Mental Health Services--Health Department Savings
• The Mental Health data demonstrate the average savings per client per year is about
$1,494 or, $295,812 for 198 clients served between 1991 and 1994.
• Average annual savings per year equal $73,953 (for 49.5 clients).
D Hospital and Emergency Room Services--Health Department Savings
• The averse use of hospitals was 75.7 days for clients before joining Rubicon and
g P Y J g
8.7 days while in the program. This amounts to savings of 66.9 days per year per
The Center for Applied Local Research 19
120 Broadway,Suite 21 Richmond,California 94804 Telephone:(5 10)970-7520 FAX:(510)970-7526
Internet: CALRESCH @ AOL.COM
Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
client. The average annual saving of hospital days equals 3,043.9 days (based on
average of 45.5 clients per year). We estimate 50% ratio of recoupment of general,
funds to the county based on patients with MediCal or Medicare. According to
Patient Accounting, room and board with doctor visit costs about $700 and
Emergency Room visits cost about $444.
• Factoring in these rates, average annual cost avoidance for using hospital room
amounts to $1,159,043.
• Using the same methods, on the average, Rubicon clients had 5.5 Emergency Room
Visits prior joining Rubicon compared to 3.38 visits while in the program. The net
saving per year are 2.12 visits for each client or, 96.45 visits for all clients.
o Factoring the same 50% ratio, the annual average Emergency Room visit savings
amount to $23,297.
• Combined hospital use and Emergency Room visit cost avoidance total to
$1,182,332 per year.
E. Jail and Prison
o On the average, each client spent 45.9 days in jail or prison before coming to
Rubicon vs. 4.5 days while in the program. Based on $56 average cost per day, the
annual average cost for clients before coming to Rubicon amounts to $116,980
compared to $11,800 for clients in the program.
• The average savings to the County on the annual basis equals $114,705.
F._ Prevention of ReturnFrom SSI Back to GA Without Representative Payee Status
• In the absence of the Rubicon Money Management Program, an actuarial estimate
of Rubicon's clients returning from SSI to GA ranges from $346,560 (100% return)
to $86,660 (25% return). These figures are preliminary estimates and more
accurate estimates require further research. Therefore, we will not these figures in
our estimates.
G. Overall Cost Avoidance
• The overall annual average cost avoidance / savings to the County is estimated
at $2,034,479 ($1,454,483 + $579,480; items A-E, excluding F).
The Center for Applied Local Research 20
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Internet: CALRESCH Q AOL.COM
Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
Below, we summarize the projected Cost Avoidance savings to the County for 1995:
A. Shift from GA to SSI
9 Based on the data provided by the Hawkins Center, the annual net recovery to the
County after reimbursement of attorneys fees is about$579,996.
B. Homeless Shelters—Social Services Department Sayiags
* Projected savings for 1995 are estimated at $160,265 (based on 95 clients).
C. Mental Health Services—Health Department Savings
e Projected savings for 1995 are estimated at $141,930 (based on 95 clients).
D. Hospital and Emergency Room Services—Health Department Savings
9 Projected savings for combined hospital use and Emergency Room visit for 1995
are estimated at $2,269,122.
E. Jail and Prison
0 Projected jail/prison cost avoidance/ savings for 1995 are estimated at $220,115.
F. Prevention of Return From SSI Back to GA Without Representative Payee Status
9 In the absence of the Rubicon Money Management Program, an actuarial estimate
of Rubicon's clients returning from SSI to GA ranges from $346,560 (100% return)
to $86,660 (25% return). These figures are preliminary estimates and more
accurate estimates require further research. Therefore, we will not these figures in
our estimates.
G. Overall Cost Avoidance
The total projected cost avoidance and savings to the County for 1995 amount to
$3,371,476 (based on 95 clients, $2,791,480 + $579,480; items A-E, excluding item
F).
The Center for Applied Local Research 21
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Internet: CALRESCH @ AOL.COM
Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the :staff of Mental Health Division, Health Services
Department, Social Services Department, and the Housing Authority for their
cooperation with this evaluation.
The Center for Applied Local Research 22
120 Broadway,Suite 21 Richmond,California 94804 Telephone:(510)970-7520 FAX:(510)970-7526
Internet: CALRESCH a AOL.COM
Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
® APPENDIX
The Center for Applied Local Research 23
120 Broadway,Suite 21 Richmond,California 94804 Telephone:(510)970-7520 FAX:(510)970-7526
Internet: CALRESCH @ AOL.COM
•
Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
Rubicon Programs Inc.
CLIENT INTERVIEW
This interview will help us to find out how well the Rubicon's Money Management
Program is serving its clients. We will not ask your name, and no one will know
how you answered the questions. We will ask you question about possible changes
in your housing condition, personal safety, and security concerns before joining the
Rubicon's program and afterwards.* Finally, we would like to know how do you
feel about our program.
Gender: M F
Ethnicity: White African American Latino Asian Native American Other
Age:
How long have been in the Rubicon's Money Management Program?
Years Months
How many times have you moved in the six months BEFORE joining Rubicon?
How many times have you moved in the six months AFTER joining Rubicon?
How many nights have you used homeless shelters in the six months BEFORE
joining Rubicon ?
How many nights have you used homeless shelters in the six months AFTER
joining Rubicon ?
How many DAYS have you stayed in hospitals in the six months BEFORE joining
Rubicon?
How many DAYS have you stayed in hospitals in the six months AFTER joining
Rubicon?
How many visits to hospital emergency rooms did you have in the slx months
BEFORE joining Rubicon?
How many visits to hospital emergency rooms did you have in the six months
AFTER joining Rubicon?
How many months did you stay in a Drug Treatment Program in the six months
BEFORE joining Rubicon?
The Center for Applied Local Research 24
120 Broadway,Suite 21 Richmond,California 94804 Telephone:(510)970-7520 FAX:(510)970-7526
Internet: CALRESCH 0 AOL.COM
Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
How many months did you stay in a Drug Treatment Program in the six months
AFTER joining Rubicon?
How many times have you lots money, or your money was stolen, during the six
months BEFORE joining Rubicon?
How many times have you lots money, or your money was stolen, during the six
months AFTER joining Rubicon?
How many DAYS have you been in Jail, orprison, in the six months BEFORE
joining Rubicon?
How many DAYS have you been in jail in the six months AFTER joining Rubicon?
How many times have you been arrested in the six months BEFORE joining
Rubicon?
How many times have you been arrested in the six months AFTER joining
Rubicon?
How many times have you been taken advantage of, or your property stolen in the
six months BEFORE joining Rubicon?
How many times have you been taken advantage of, or your property stolen in the
six months AFTER joining Rubicon?
How many days did your monthly payment last in the six months BEFORE joining
Rubicon?
How many days your monthly payment lasts AFTER joining Rubicon?
Do you feel safer with Monthly or Weekly payments?
LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT RUBICON
PROGRAMS.
How your life situation has changed after you came to Rubicon?
NO Change Changed for BETTER Changed for WORSE
On the scale of 1 to 10 (1=least satisfied, and 10=most satisfied), how satisfied are
you with Rubicon Programs? ------
Ile Center for Applied Local Research 25
120 Broadway,Suite 21 Richmond,California 94804 Telephone:(510)970-7520 FAX:(510)970-7526
Internet: CALRESCH @ AOL.COM
Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
Which of the Rubicon services was most helpful to you?
Why do you say that?
What can we do to improve our services?
I
The Center for Applied Local Research 26
120 Broadway,Suite 21 Richmond,California 94804 Telephone:(510)970-7520 FAX:(510)970-7526
Internet: CALRESCH®AOL.COM
SOCIAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
DATE: March 16, 1995 MAR 16 1995
TO: Members of the Finance Committee
FROM: Robert Hofmann 'Q
RE: Report on Social Service Use of Keller Surcharge Revenue
Recommendations:
The current budget crisis in the County has compelled the Social Service Department to
devise a 20% reduction plan for the next fiscal year and is requiring careful consideration
and prioritization of existing funding to programs. In attempting to maintain funding for
programs with the greatest direct benefit to the GA program, we are recommending the
following:
1) Social Service Department respectfully requests that the Finance Committee
recommend that full funding to the Recycling Center be maintained by the Board
of Supervisors.
2) Social Service Department respectfully requests that the Finance Committee
recommend that funding to Rubicon be maintained through June 30, 1995.
Thereafter, Social Service would not foresee the need for GA money management
services and recommends funding be terminated.
3) Social Service Department respectfully requests that the Finance Committee
recommend that fimding to the Personnel Department for job training and
development for Recycling trainees be terminated.
4) Social Service Department respectfully requests that the Finance Committee
recommend that Keller surcharge revenue be allocated in fiscal year 95/96 for
expanding and enhancing our SSI Advocacy Program to strengthen our ability to
cope with the anticipated new SSI regulations for recipients with a primary
diagnosis of drug or alcohol problems.
Gen 9c (New 3/86)
i
l
Back round:
In 1993, the Board of Supervisors approved the allocation of Keller surcharge revenue to
fund three County programs with the goal of controlling costs in the Social Service
Department General Assistance program. Keller surcharge revenue was allocated to the
County Recycling Center, Rubicon money management program and the County
Personnel Department.
County Recycling Center
The Recycling Center provides work experience to GA recipients who are referred
by Social Service staff and is part of an coordinated effort to assist clients to
prepare for and obtain unsubsidized employment. The Recycling Center affords
clients the opportunity to learn specific job skills in an constructive supervised
work environment and reinforces positive work habits and attitudes which will
enhance opportunities for achieving the goal of client self sufficiency. Keller
surcharge revenue was allocated to support and maintain an expanded and
enhanced program for GA clients at the Recycling Center.
Rubicon Money Management
The Rubicon money management program was intended to provide representative
payee services to GA clients or SSI recipients who were deemed as high risk for
becoming GA eligible due to their inability to secure a representative payee to
manage their grant. The Keller surcharge revenue was used to enhance the
existing West County money management contract with Rubicon and expand it to
serve GA recipients in East county.
Personnel Department Job Training
The Personnel Department was allocated Keller surcharge revenue to develop a
job training and placement program for Recycling trainees. The intent was to
provide job ready Recycling Center participants with job club and other support
activities that would enable them to obtain unsubsidized employment.
Findinjzs:
Recycling Center
The Recycling Center has provided valuable job training opportunities to GA
clients and has proven to be cost effective as well in the reduction of the County
waste paper stream, clean up and reduction of illegally dumped tires, litter clean up
and weed abatement. The Recycling Center is a key component of the GA
program and instrumental in allowing us to meet our goal of assisting employable
and able bodied GA recipients to obtain unsubsidized employment. The Social
Service Department endorses full funding of Keller surcharge revenue to the
County recycling Center.
2
a
Rubicon Money Management
The GA program has demonstrated little need for money management services in
the pa:± two years. Our audit of the Rubicon contract in July, 20, 1994 revealed
that only 6 of the 32 Rubicon money management cases sampled were previously
active or known to the GA program. The reason for the minimal use of money
management services by GA recipients is that money management is a voluntary
service and GA recipients who feel the need to have the service are free to
designate friends or acquaintances as their representative payee and have had little
trouble obtaining payee services, if necessary.
The assumption that Social Services Department requires money management
services to prevent shifting of SSI recipients to the GA Program has not proven to
be the case. GA regulations require a GA applicant to access other sources of
income that may be available to him/her. We do not anticipate and have seen little
evidence that SSI recipients will want to risk discontinuance from the higher
($600) SSI grant due solely to failure to obtain a representative payee. Social
Service would deny GA to an applicant who would be eligible for SSI but for
his/her failure to obtain a representative payee.
A potential problem may arise with the implementation of the new SSI regulations
which require SSI recipients diagnosed with a primary drug or alcohol diagnosis to
participate in a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program as a condition of eligibility,
and places a three year term limit for them to receive SSI benefits. It is possible
that an enhanced money management program with strong emphasis on case
management services to ensure SSI recipients stay in their drug or alcohol program
would help prevent shifting of SSI recipients to GA, but other program
enhancements such as an expanded SSI Advocacy program would be a more
effective prevention measure. Many current SSI recipients who have been
receiving SSI with a primary diagnosis of a drug or alcohol problem have multiple
disabilities, and with the assistance of SSI advocates, may be able to shift their
primary diagnosis from drug or alcohol to another diagnosis which will permit
them to remain eligible to SSI.
The need for money management services in GA is very insignificant. The greater
impact is felt by Mental Health, Social Security Administration, and perhaps
Housing Department and Sheriffs Department. Many other counties fund money
management services through their Mental Health Departments, such as Alameda
County. If money management services in Contra Costa County is considered
valuable and necessary, the Departments with greatest need and benefit for the
service should food it.
Social Security regulations permit providers of money management services to
retain $50 per month from the recipients grant for the cost of service. We are
currently not using this funding source to offset money management costs and any
future contract for money management services should require the contract
provider to claim the allowable offset. The $50 per month charge may in fact be
3
r
sufficient to fund the costs of services of any organization to provide money
management services.
Personnel Department
Personnel Department and Social Services staff met on April 8, 1993 to discuss
development of a job club program to assist Recycling trainees to obtain
unsubsidized employment. Personnel staff were to devise the curriculum for the
job club and Social Service staff were to investigate use of Private Industry
Council assistance to place the trainees. Social Service staff have not heard further
from Personnel staff and PIC advised our Department that they were involved only
with job training and not job placement. PIC staff suggested Recycling trainees be
referred to Employment Development Department for job placement services.
4
• J
At
SQdJAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
DATE: March 16, 1995 MAR 16 1995
TO: Members of the Finance Committee
FROM: Robert Hofmann
RE: Report on Social Service Use of Keller Surcharge Revenue
Recommendations:
The current budget crisis in the County has compelled the Social Service Department to
devise a 20% reduction plan for the next fiscal year and is requiring careful consideration
and prioritization of existing funding to programs. In attempting to maintain funding for
programs with the greatest direct benefit to the GA program, we are recommending the
following:
1) Social Service Department respectfully requests that the Finance Committee
recommend that full funding to the Recycling Center be maintained by the Board
of Supervisors.
2) Social Service Department respectfully requests that the Finance Committee
recommend that funding to Rubicon be maintained through June 30, 1995.
Thereafter, Social Service would not foresee the need for GA money management
services and recommends funding be terminated.
3) Social Service Department respectfully requests that the Finance Committee
recommend that funding to the Personnel Department for job training and
development for Recycling trainees be terminated.
4) Social Service Department respectfully requests that the Finance Committee
recommend that Keller surcharge revenue be allocated in fiscal year 95/96 for
expanding and enhancing our SSI Advocacy Program to strengthen our ability to
cope with the anticipated new SSI regulations for recipients with a primary
diagnosis of drug or alcohol problems.
Gen 9c (New 3/86)
Backjround:
In 1993, the Board of Supervisors approved the allocation of Keller surcharge revenue to
fund three County programs with the goal of controlling costs in the Social Service
Department General Assistance program. Keller surcharge revenue was allocated to the
County Recycling Center, Rubicon money management program and the County
Personnel Department.
County RecyclingCenter
The Recycling Center provides work experience to GA recipients who are referred
by Social Service staff and is part of an coordinated effort to assist clients to
prepare for and obtain unsubsidized employment. The Recycling Center affords
clients the opportunity to learn specific job skills in an constructive supervised
work environment and reinforces positive work habits and attitudes which will
enhance opportunities for achieving the goal of client self sufficiency. Keller
surcharge revenue was allocated to support and maintain an expanded and
enhanced program for GA clients at the Recycling Center.
Rubicon Money Management
The Rubicon money management program was intended to provide representative
payee services to GA clients or SSI recipients who were deemed as high risk for
becoming GA eligible due to their inability to secure a representative payee to
manage their grant. The Keller surcharge revenue was used to enhance the
existing West County money management contract with Rubicon and expand it to
serve GA recipients in East county.
Personnel Department Job Training
The Personnel Department was allocated Keller surcharge revenue to develop a
job training and placement program for Recycling trainees. The intent was to
provide job ready Recycling Center participants with job club and other support
activities that would enable them to obtain unsubsidized employment.
Findings:
Rept Cg enter
The Recycling Center has provided valuable job training opportunities to GA
clients and has proven to be cost effective as well in the reduction of the County
waste paper stream, clean up and reduction of illegally dumped tires, litter clean up
and weed abatement. The Recycling Center is a key component of the GA
program and instrumental in allowing us to meet our goal of assisting employable
and able bodied GA recipients to obtain unsubsidized employment. The Social
Service Department endorses full funding of Keller surcharge revenue to the
County recycling Center.
2
Rubicon Money Management
The GA program has demonstrated little need for money management services in
the past two years. Our audit of the Rubicon contract in July, 20, 1994 revealed
that only 6 of the 32 Rubicon money management cases sampled were previously
active or known to the GA program. The reason for the minimal use of money
management services by GA recipients is that money management is a voluntary
service and GA recipients who feel the need to have the service are free to
designate friends or acquaintances as their representative payee and have had little
trouble obtaining payee services, if necessary.
The assumption that Social Services Department requires money management
services to prevent shifting of SSI recipients to the GA Program has not proven to
be the case. GA regulations require a GA applicant to access other sources of
income that maybe available to him/her. We do not anticipate and have seen little
evidence that SSI recipients will want to risk discontinuance from the higher
($600) SSI grant due solely to failure to obtain a representative payee. Social
Service would deny GA to an applicant who would be eligible for SSI but for
his/her failure to obtain a representative payee.
A potential problem may arise with the implementation of the new SSI regulations
which require SSI recipients diagnosed with a primary drug or alcohol diagnosis to
participate in a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program as a condition of eligibility,
and places a three year term limit for them to receive SSI benefits. It is possible
that an enhanced money management program with strong emphasis on case
management services to ensure SSI recipients stay in their drug or alcohol program
would help prevent shifting of SSI recipients to GA, but other program
enhancements such as an expanded SSI Advocacy program would be a more
effective prevention measure. Many current SSI recipients who have been
receiving SSI with a primary diagnosis of a drug or alcohol problem have multiple
disabilities, and with the assistance of SSI advocates, may be able to shift their
primary diagnosis from drug or alcohol to another diagnosis which will permit
them to remain eligible to SSI.
The need for money management services in GA is very insignificant. The greater
impact is felt by Mental Health, Social Security Administration, and perhaps
Housing Department and Sheriffs Department. Many other counties fund money
management services through their Mental Health Departments, such as Alameda
County. If money management services in Contra Costa County is considered
valuable and necessary, the Departments with greatest need and benefit for the
service should fund it.
Social Security regulations permit providers of money management services to
retain $50 per month from the recipients grant for the cost of service. We are
currently not using this funding source to offset money management costs and any
future contract for money management services should require the contract
provider to claim the allowable offset. The $50 per month charge may in fact be
3
sufficient to fund the costs of services of any organization to provide money
management services. '
Personnel Department
Personnel Department and,Social Services staff met on April 8, 1993 to discuss
development of a job club program to assist Recycling trainees to obtain
unsubsidized employment. Personnel staff were to devise the curriculum for the
job club and Social Service staff were to investigate use of Private Industry
Council assistance to place the trainees: Social Service staff have not heard further
from Personnel staff and PIC advised our Department that they were involved only
with job training and not job placement. PIC staff suggested Recycling trainees be
referred to Employment Development Department for job placement services.
4
1 '
9 e Center Tor .Applied,focal WesearcFr
120 BROADWAY, SUITE 21 • RICHMOND, CA 94804•(510)970-7520• FAX(510)970.7526
1
EVALUATION OF
' RUBICON
' SSI AND MONEY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
1
' JANUARY 13, 1995
Iraj J. Imam, Ph.D.
' Thomas L. Foster M.S.
Revonda Downs
' TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMAlARY......................................................................3
tI. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................7
II. METHODS....................................................................................8
' III. COST SAVINGS AND COST AVOIDANCE.........................................9
' A. SHIFT FROM GA TO SSI.......................................................................9
B. HOMELESS SHELTERS--SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT SAVINGS .......................9
C. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES--HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAVINGS ........................ 11
D. HOSPITAL AND EMERGENCY ROOM SERVICES--HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAVINGS.... 12
E. JAIL AND PRISON COST AVOIDANCE ....................................................... 15
' IV. OVERALL COST AVOIDANCE AND PROJECTIONS FOR 1995.......... 16
A. COST AVOIDANCE FOR COMBINED SERVICES............................................. 16
B. PROJECTION OF COST AVOIDANCE FOR 1995 ............................................. 17
' V. SUNEVIARY AND CONCLUSIONS.................................................... 19
' ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .....................................................................22
APPENDIX.......................................................................................23
1
' Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
,
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .
' Evaluation of
1 SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program,
Rubicon Programs Inc.
I. Introduction
' Since 1990, Rubicon Programs has operated an SSI Advocacy and Money Management
Program for Contra Costa County. Rubicon Programs secured a $10,000 grant from
the Northern California Grantmakers to conduct an independent costs and benefits
evaluation of the program.
Rubicon Programs Inc. contracted with The Center for Applied Local Research (CAL
1 Research) to conduct the evaluation of their SSI Advocacy and Money Management
Program. CAL Research is a non-profit organization founded in 1987 to use social
science and related skills to improve the quality of human service delivery systems at
' the local level.
' H. Methods
In this evaluation, we focus on estimating the financial costs and benefits of the
Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program to Contra Costa County.
The evaluation does not include the organizational, administrational, and policy
implementation aspects of the program.
' We estimated the financial benefits of the SSI Advocacy and Money Management
Program to the County in two ways: (1) The direct savings resulting from shifting
' people from the General Assistance (GA) to SSI and staying on SSI, and (2) The cost
avoidance or, "multiplier" savings, resulting from reduction in utilization of County
services by people in the Money Management Program.
' Data came from various County Departments.artments. We contrasted the use of these services
' by Rubicon's clients before their enrollment in the Money Management Program with
their use during the enrollment. We calculated the differences in service use by these
clients to estimate cost avoidance to the County. Where the actual data were not
' available, we used the estimates based on a survey of clients in the Money Management
Program. (Because it relies on the memory of clients, the survey tends to under-
estimate service use. For example, clients under-estimated their use of homeless
' shelters by more than four times the actual data.) Finally, we used the average annual
savings estimates to project total financial saving to the County for 1995 (based on the
95 clients currently contracted with Rubicon by the County).
' The Center for Applied Local Research 3
120 Broadway,Suite 21 Richmond,California 94804 Telephone:(510)970-7520 FAX:(510)970-7526
Internet: CALRESCH @ AOL.COM
Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
III. Cost Savings and Cost Avoidance
' Both the actual and the survey data show that when people are in Rubicon's Money
' Management Program they use less of County services (in all service categories).
These data demonstrate the benefits of the Rubicon's Program to clients and to the
County. Clients' life situations seemed to become more stabilized and hence their
needs for services tended to decrease. This reduction in service utilization directly
translates to financial benefits to the County.
' A. Shift from GA to SSI
• Based on the data provided by the Hawkins Center, the annual net recovery to the
' County after reimbursement of attorneys fees is about $579,996.
B. Homeless Shelters--Social Services Department Savings
' • The data from Richmond and Concord shelters indicate that, on the average, clients
spent 82.9 days before coming to Rubicon and only 20.5 day during their stay in
' the program. The savings are close to 63 days of shelter not used by Rubicon
clients. With the average $27 per night, the average cost per client is about $2,241
' before joining Rubicon and about $554 per client during their stay in the program..
This amounts to $333,857 for the duration of the program.
' • On the annual basis, the savings are $83,507.
• Projected savings for 1995 are estimated at $160,265 (based on 95 clients).
' C. Mental Health Services--Health Department Savings
• The Mental Health data demonstrate the average savings per client per year is about
$1,494 or, $295,812 for 198 clients served between 1991 and 1994.
' • Average annual savings for average number of clients per year (49.5) equals
$73,953.
' • Projected savings for 1995 are estimated at $141,930 (based on 95 clients).
D. Hospital and Emergency Room Services--Health Department Savings
• The average use of hospitals was 75.7 days for clients before joining Rubicon and
8.7 days while in the program. This amounts to savings of 66.9 days per year per
client. The average annual saving of hospital days equals 3,043.9 days (based on
' average of 45.5 clients per year). We estimate 50% ratio of recoupment of general
The Center for Applied Local Research 4
120 Broadway,Suite 21 Richmond,California 94804 Telephone:(510)970-7520 FAX:(510)970-7526
Internet: CALRESCH @ AOL.COM
1
Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
funds to the County on patients atients with Medical or Medicare. According to
Patient Accounting, room and board with doctor visit costs about $700 and
' Emergency Room visits cost about $444.
• Factoring in these rates, annual cost avoidance for using hospital room amounts to
$1,159,043.
• Using the same methods, on the average, Rubicon clients had 5.5 Emergency Room
Visits prior joining Rubicon compared to 3.38 visits while in the program. The net
saving per year are 2.12 visits for each client or, 96.45 visits for all clients.
' • Factoring the same 50% ratio, the Emergency Room visit savings amount to
$23,297, annually.
' • Combined hospital use and Emergency Room visit cost avoidance total to
P g cy
$1,182,332 per year.
• Projected savings for 1995 are at $2,269,122.
' E. Jail and Prison
' • On the average, each client spent 45.9 days in jail or prison before coming to
Rubicon vs. 4.5 days while in the program. Based on $56 average cost per day, the
annual average cost for clients before coming to Rubicon amounts to $116,980
' compared to $11,800 for clients in the program.
• The net average savings to the County, or cost avoidance, on the annual basis
' equals $114,705.
' • Projected saving for 1995 are at $220,115.
F. Prevention of Return From SSI Back to GA Without Representative Payee Status
1 • In the absence of the Rubicon Money Management Program, an actuarial estimate
of Rubicon's clients returning from SSI to GA ranges from $346,560 (100% return)
' to $86,660 (25% return). These figures are preliminary estimates and more
accurate estimates require further research.
' The Center for Applied Local Research 5
120 Broadway,Suite 21 Richmond,California 94804 Telephone:(510)970-7520 FAX:(510)970-7526
Internet: CALRESCH @ AOL.COM
' Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
' IV. Overall Cost Avoidance and Projections for 1995
' • The overall annual average cost avoidance / savings to the County is estimated at .
$2,034,479 ($1,454,483 + $579,480,- items A-E, excluding F).
' • The total projected cost avoidance / savings to the County for 1995 amount to
$3,371,476 (based on 95 clients, $2,791,480 + $579,480; items A-E, excluding
' item F).
' Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the staff of Mental Health Division, Health Services
' Department, Social Services Department, and the Housing Authority for their
cooperation with this evaluation.
1
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
Evaluation of
' SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program,
Rubicon Programs Inc.
I. Introduction
' Rubicon Programs Inc. contracted with The Center for Applied Local Research (CAL
Research) to conduct the evaluation of 'their SSI Advocacy and Money Management
' Program. CAL Research is a non-profit organization founded in 1987 to use social
science and related skills to improve the quality of human service delivery systems at
the local level.
' The SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program is a cooperative venture between
the Contra Costa County Department of Social Services, The Hawkins Center of Law
and Services for the Disabled and Rubicon Programs, Inc. Since 1990, the Hawkins
Center and Rubicon Programs have operated an SSI Advocacy and Money Management
Program for Contra Costa County.
' The program operates in two stages: First, shifting people from General Assistance
' (GA) to SSI; and Second, keeping people on SSI by managing their money--by
becoming their representative payee. The Hawkins Center manages the first part of
the program and the Rubicon Programs manages the second part.
' The benefits to the clients include an increase in their income, access to MediCal, and
improvement in their living conditions such as permanent housing and learning new
' skills. Financial benefits to the County include direct recovery for prior GA
disbursements from the retroactive benefits of the clients entitled to SSI and MediCal,
and cost avoidance: of future GA payments to clients successfully transferred to SSI;
' of health care costs of clients transferred to MediCal; and of reduction in use of the
County human services by the clients in Rubicon Programs.
' Rubicon Programs secured a $10,000 grant from the Northern California Grantmakers
to conduct an independent costs and benefits evaluation of the program. This report is
' organized in four parts: I. Introduction; II. Methods; III. Cost Savings and Cost
Avoidance; and IV. Conclusions.
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
II. Methods
' In this evaluation, we focus on estimating the financial costs and benefits of Rubicon's
SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program to Contra Costa County. The
' evaluation does not include the organizational, administrational, and policy
implementation aspects of the program.
We estimated the financial benefits of the SSI Advocacy and Money Management
Program to the County in two ways: (1) The direct savings resulted from shifting
people from the General Assistance (GA) to SSI and staying on SSI, and (2) The cost
avoidance or, "multiplier" savings, resulted from reduction in utilization of the County
services by the people in the Money Management Program. (The first six months of
this program was analyzed in the Hawkins/Rubicon "Six Month Progress Report", July
1991.)
Cost avoidance benefits to the County are particularly significant, due to the at-risk life
' situations of most Rubicon clients. These clients, according to the Hawkins Center,
tend to be high users of the County emergency services. If Rubicon Programs can
' assist these at-risk clients to stabilize their living conditions, then the clients will tend to
use less of the County emergency services. In the absence of the Rubicon Programs,
those at-risk clients were likely to have remained high user of the County's emergency
' services.
The primary source of data came from various County departments. We contrasted the
' use of these services by Rubicon's clients before their enrollment in the Money
Management Program with their use during the enrollment. We calculated the
differences in service use of these clients to estimate cost avoidance to the County.
' We used the actual data on utilization of Mental Health and Homeless Shelter services
by the Rubicon clients. Where the actual data were not available, we used the
' estimates based on our survey of active clients in the Money Management Program.
(Because it relies on the memory of clients, the survey tends to under-estimate the
' service use. For example, clients under-estimated their use of homeless shelters by
more than four times the actual data.) We used the actual data on direct savings from
the report prepared by the Hawkins Center (in progress). Finally, to make the data
comparable, we normalized the cost and savings data on the annual basis for each
client. For each category, we calculated average annual costs per client. We used
these computed average annual savings estimates to project total financial saving to the
' County for 1995 (based on the 95 clients currently contracted with Rubicon by the
County).
r
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
' III. Cost Savings and Cost Avoidance
A. Shift from GA to SSI ,
' In this part, we use the data from a report by the Hawkins Center SSI Advocacy
Program to estimate the financial benefits to the County. According to the Hawkins
Center, between January 1, 1992 and June 30,1994, "the total recovery of GA benefits
alone the county has made from all clients represented by the Hawkins Center is
$1,159,991.90. The net recovery to the county after reimbursement of attorneys fees
has been $869,993.92". This is for 18 months. Normalizing on the annual basis, the
' net recovery to the County amounts to $579,996 per year.
This figure does not include any of the possible retroactive benefits. For example,
according to the Hawkins Center, each client who is awarded retroactive SSI benefits is
also entitled to MediCal benefits for all the months since the date the application was
filed. Also not included are possible savings to the MIA health plan funds resulting
' from the clients' future and retroactive entitlement to MediCal.
' B. Homeless Shelters--Social Services Department Savings
In this section, we estimate the costs and savings of the Rubicon's Money Management
' Program to the County. The program has operated for four years and has served 198
clients, with average of 49.5 clients per year. We calculated the data on use of
homeless shelters for each Rubicon's client (data provided by the Contra Costa County
Housing Authority).
These data from Richmond and Concord shelters--normalized on the annual basis--
indicate that, on the average, each client spent 83 days in shelter programs before
coming to Rubicon and only 20.5 day during his or her stay in the program. The
' savings are about 62.4 days of shelter not used by Rubicon clients. Table 1 shows that
with an average $27 cost per night (according to the Housing Authority), the average
annual cost per client is about $2,241 before joining Rubicon and about $554 per client
during their stay in the program (see Figure 1). This amounts to $334,028 for the
duration of the program. On an annual basis, the savings are about $83,507 or, $1,686
per client.
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
' Table 1
Homeless Shelter Cost Avoidance
Homeless Shelter Costs and Benefits:
Average Annual Costs per Client Before Joining Rubicon $2,241
-Average Annual Costs per Client During Rubicon Program $554
Average Annual Cost Avoidance and Savings per Client $1,687
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $83,507
Shelter Cost per Da $27
'
Average Days of Shelter Use Before Joining Rubicon 83.00
Average Das of Shelter Use During Rubicon Program 20.50
Average Number of Clients Served 1991-94 49.5
Total Number of Clients Served, 1991-94 198
Source: Housing Authority.
' Figure 1
Annual Average Homeless Shelter Costs and Benefits per Client-
Year
Cost A oidanceP er
Client/Ye r
a
..iM
XXXX
Cost During Rubicon
s>s:.
/
Pro9 ramNear
S.. /,.,
cii1
si
Cost Before Joining
' ssuf
Sss
Rubicon/Year
0 500 . $1,00 .
$ <<><1>i50 `2000 >>'??2 50
' In our survey of the Rubicon's active clients, we found that all respondents indicated
that they used more County services before joining the Rubicon's Money Management
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Program than they did while in the program. For example, they systematically under-
estimated their use of homeless shelters. We show in Table 1 that the average annual-
! shelter days avoided, or saved, is about 62.5 days (83 - 20.5 = 62.5). Using the
survey data, however, the average annual shelter days avoided is about 15.4 days (31.4
- 16 = 15.4). Because it relies on the memory of clients, the survey data tends to
under-estimate the service use. In the case of homeless shelter use, the data are under-
estimated by factor of four (62.5 / 15.5 = 4.05). The actual data, as mentioned above,
include only Richmond and Concord homeless shelters and hence do not include other
public or private shelter. On the annual basis, the savings are about $83,507, or
$1,687 per client.
C. Mental Health Services--Health Department Savings
We used the actual Mental Health service utilization data for each Rubicon client and
calculated the cost avoidance savings to the County. In Table 2, we show the annual
average cost of Mental Health services used by the clients. We used the data on service
use for each client before coming to Rubicon and on service use during their stay in
the program. We computed annual average costs for all clients served between 1991
and 1994 in Figure 2.
Table 2
Mental Health Cost Avoidance
' Mental Health Costs and Benefits:
Average Annual Costs per Client Before Joining Rubicon $4,959
Average Annual Costs per Client in Rubicon Program $3,465
Average Annual Cost Avoidance / Savings per Client $1,494
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $73,953
Average Number of Clients Served 1991-941 49.5
' Total Number of Clients Served, 1991-941 198
Source: Mental Health Division,Health Services Department.
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
Figure 2
Average Annual Mental Health Costs and Benefits per Client-Year
. . . ........
.............
Client[Year
.............
.. .........
Cost Avoidance per
Cost During Rubicon
X.. ........
. ..........
Program/Year ..........
X XXX..XXX,.
...... . .........
.........
... .........
.. ........ ...
..........
Cost Before Joining
Rubicon/Yea
.... ............. ...... .......... ...
.. ................
. .......
........... .. . . ........
.... .....X x:,X,
$0 $500 $1,000 $1,500 $2,000 $2,500 $3,000 $3,500 $4,000 $4,500 $5,000
The Mental Health data demonstrate that the annual average savings per client is
about $1,494 or, $295,812 for 198 clients served between 1991 and 1994. Average
annual savings for 49.5 clients equals $73,953.
D. Hospital and Emergency Room Services--Health Department Savings
For those services that actual data were not able, we used the estimates of service
use from our survey of the active Rubicon clients. These estimates, in general,
tend to under-estimate service use.
In Table 3, we show that average use of hospital beds was 75.7 days for clients
before joining Rubicon and 8.7 days while in the program. This amounts to
savings of 66.9 days per year per client. The average annual saving of hospital
days equals to 3,311.5 days (based on average of 49.5 clients per year). We
estimate 50% ratio of recoupment of general funds to the county based on patients
with MediCal or Medicare. According to Patient Accounting, room and board with
doctor visit costs about $700 and Emergency Room visits cost about $444.
Factoring in these rates, annual cost avoidance for using hospital room amounts to
$1,159,042. In Figure 3, we show estimates of average annual costs per client.
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
' Table 3
Hospital-Bed Cost Avoidance
Hospital Bed Costs and Benefits:
1 Average Annual Costs per Client Before Joining Rubicon $52,990
Average Annual Costs per Client During Rubicon Program $6,160
Average Annual Cost Avoidance / Savings per Client $46,830
Average Annual Cost Avoidance (50% ratio of recoupment) $1,159,042
Hospital Bed and Doctor Visit Cost per Da $700
'
Average Das of Hospital Use Before Joining Rubicon 75.70
Average Das of Hospital Use During Rubicon Program 8.80
' Total Number of Clients Served, 1991-94 198
Source: Survey of Active Clients in Rubicon's Money Management Program;Patient Accounting.
' Figure 3
Average Annual Costs and Benefits of Hospital Use per Client-Year
1
Cost Av otdanceP e
r
i.
C'en /Y f' -
h t ear
Cost During
Rubicon
P ram/
ro Year
g
Cost Before Joining g
Rubicon/Year
$0 $10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000 $60,000
' We show
In Table 4 cost avoidance for Emergency Room visits by Rubicon clients.
Using the same methods, on the average, Rubicon clients had 5.5 Emergency Room
Visits prior joining Rubicon compared to 3.38 visits while in the program. The net
saving per year are 2.12 visits for each client. Factoring the same 50% ratio, the
Emergency Room visit savings amount to $23,297 per year. In Figure 4, we show
estimates of average annual cost's per client.
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
1 Table 4
Hospital Emergency Room Cost Avoidance
Hospital Emergency Room Costs and Benefits:
Average Annual Costs per Client Before Joining Rubicon $2,442
IAverage Annual Costs per Client During Rubicon Program $1,501
Average Annual Cost Avoidance / Savings per Client $941
' Average Annual Cost Avoidance (50% recoupment) $23,297
'
Emergency Room Cost per Visit $444
Average E. R. Visits Before Joining Rubicon 5.50
Average E. R. Visits After Joining Rubicon 3.38
' Average Number of Clients Served, 1991-94 49.5
Total Number of Clients Served, 1991-941 198
Source: Survey of Active Clients in Rubicon's Money Management Program;Patient Accounting.
Figure 4
' Average Annual Emergency Room Costs and Benefits per Client-Year
Cost Avoidance per
fH
}'
-:>.::,;::.;•::::..;:.;:<::.;:.:;.:.:::.:;Client/Year /f. S .? ;;::;:.;:.::;::.;•:.>:..::::.::;:>:>::>:>:.::;:.;;:.;;:;::::
Cost DuringRubicon
xi
'`'
is
Program/Year /�` r/s, ss ..
.;f`
Cost Before Joining
Rubicon/Year %/fs.€ • s{ va`,s s# 's.# #s r' sss/f### £ ,.
0 5001.000:>;#<»:: ytz <00 $2,000
•>;':::>.'2.. 00
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
E. Jail and Prison Cost Avoidance
Table 5 shows that, based on the survey data, each client spent an average of 45.93
days in jail or prison before coming to Rubicon vs. 4.55 days while in the program.
1 Based on $56 cost per day (according to the Six Month Report by Hawkins/Rubicon),
the average annual cost per client before coming to Rubicon amounts to $2,572
compared to $255 for clients in the program. The average annual cost avoidance per
' client is about $2,317, shown in Figure 5. For the average 49.5 clients per year, the
total annual cost avoidance amounts to $114,705.
' Table 5
Jail and Prison Cost Avoidance
' Jait dPris n Costs and Benefits:
Average Annual Costs per Client Before Joining Rubicon $2,572
Average Annual Costs per Client During Rubicon Program $255
Average Annual Cost Avoidance/ Savings per Client $2,317
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $114,705
Cost per Da $56
Average Das of Jail and Prison Before Joining Rubicon 45.93
' Average Days of Jail and Prison During Rubicon Program 4.55
Average Number of Clients Served 1991-94 49.5
Total Number of Clients Served, 1991-941 198
Source: Survey of Active Clients in Rubicon's Money Management Program;Six Month Progress Report.
1
t
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Figure 5
Average Annual Jail and Prison Costs and Benefits per Client-Year
..... ...i...£...............................f.
.... ......
::.:.....:•::::::.:: « ... . .....
.Client/YearCost Avoidance er . . ...........
. „
Cost DuringRubicon s
Prog ram/Year
Cost Before Ioinin
SXX
Rubicon/Yea
r
n
$0 $500 $1,000 $1,500 $2,000 $2,500 $3,000
F. Prevention of Return From SSI Back to GA Without Representative Payee Status
In the absence of the Rubicon Money Management Program, an actuarial estimate of
Rubicon's clients' returning from SSI to GA ranges from $346,560 (100% return) to
$86,660 (25% return). These figures are preliminary estimates (based on GA $304
' monthly payment) and more accurate estimates require further research.
IV. Overa❑ Cost Avoidance of Services to the County and Projections for 1995
A. Cost Avoidance for Combined Services
Based on the calculations in the previous section, we will estimate the overall financial
benefits of cost avoidance to the County, shown in Table 6. The combined overall
average annual cost avoidance per client is estimated at $29,384. Factoring 49.5
average clients per year, average annual cost avoidance amounts to $1,454,483. Adding
the net recovery to the County due to shift from GA to SSI, the total average annual
1 cost avoidance is estimated at $2,034,479.
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' Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
,
• Table 6
Overall Cost Avoidance of Services
Services:
' Homeless Shelter Costs and Benefits
Average Annual Cost Avoidance / Savings per Client $1,687
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $83,507
Mental Health Costs and Benefits
Average Annual Cost Avoidance / Savings per Client $1,494
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $73,953
'
Hospital Bed Costs and Benefits
Average Annual Cost Avoidance / Savings per Client ®50% $23,415
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $1,159,043
Hospital Emergency Room Costs and Benefits
'
Average Annual Cost Avoidance / Savings per Client ®50% $471
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $23,297
' Jail and Prison Costs and Benefits
Average Annual Cost Avoidance / Savings per Client $2,317
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $114,705
Overall Services Benefits
'
Average Annual Cost Avoidance for Overall Services per Client $29,384
Average Annual Cost Avoidance for Overall Services (49.5 $1,454,483
clients
1 Shift from GA to SSI Net Recovery $579,996
' Total Cost Avoidance and Net Recovery $2,034,479
Source: Tables 1-5
B. Projection of Cost Avoidance for 1995
' We will use these estimates to project the financial benefits to the County for 1995.
Based on the contract of Rubicon Programs with the County, we will assume a total of
95 clients for 1995. In Table 7, we show overall cost avoidance projections for 1995.
The annual average cost avoidance for overall services amounts to $29,384 per client.
Projections for 95 clients in 1995 amount to $2,791,480. Adding the net recovery to
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the County due to shift from GA to SSI, the total projected figure for 1995 amounts to
$3,371,476. '
1 Table 7
1 Projection of Overall Cost Avoidance of Services
for 1995
' Services:
Homeless Shelter Costs and Benefits
'
Average Annual Cost Avoidance / Savings per Client $1,687
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $160,265
' Mental Health Costs and Benefits
Average Annual Cost Avoidance / Savings per Client $1,494
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $141,930
1
Hospital Bed Costsd Benefits
s
' Avera a Annual Cost Avoidance / Savings per Client ®50% $23,415
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $2,224,425
Hospital Emergency Room Costs and Benefits
Average Annual Cost Avoidance / Savings per Client ®50% $471
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $447698
Jail and Prison Costs and Benefits
'
Average Annual Cost Avoidance / Savings per Client $27317
Average Annual Cost Avoidance $220,115
1 Overall Services Benefits
Average Annual Cost Avoidance for Overall Services per Client $29,384
' Average Annual Cost Avoidance for Overall Services 95 clients $2,7912480
Shift from GA to SSI Net Recovery $579,996
1 Total Cost Avoidance and Net Recovery $3,371,476
Source: Tables 1-6
i
1
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
V. Summary and Conclusions
' Both the actual and the survey data show that when people are in Rubicon's Money• .
Management Program they tend to use less of County services (in all service
1 categories). These data demonstrate the benefits of the Rubicon's Program to clients
and to the County. Clients' life situations seemed to become more stabilized and hence
their needs for services tend to decrease. The reduction in service utilization directly
' translates to financial benefits to the County.
We estimated the financial benefits of the SSI Advocacy and Money Management
' Program to the County in two ways: (1) The direct savings resulted from shifting
people from the General Assistance (GA) to SSI and staying on SSI, and (2) The cost
avoidance or, "multiplier" savings, resulted from reduction in utilization of the County
' services by the people in the Money Management Program.
Below, we summarize the estimated financial benefits to the County:
' A. Shift from GA to SSI
• Based on the data provided by the Hawkins Center, the annual net recovery to the
County after reimbursement of attorneys fees is about $579,996.
B. Homeless Shelters--Social Services Department Savings
• The data from Richmond and Concord shelters indicate that, on the average, clients
spent 82.9 days before coming to Rubicon and only 20.5 day during their stay in
the program. With the average $27 per night, the average cost per client is about
' $2,241 before joining Rubicon and about $553.5 per client during their stay in the
program.
• On the annual basis, the savings are about $83,507 (for 49.5 clients).
C. Mental Health Services--Health Department Savings
• The Mental Health data demonstrate the average savings per client per year is about
$1,494 or, $295,812 for 198 clients served between 1991 and 1994.
• Average annual savings per year equal $73,953 (for 49.5 clients).
D. Hospital and Emergency Room Services--Health Department Savings
' • The ]average use of hospitals was 75.7 days for clients before joining Rubicon and
g P Y g
8.7 days while in the program. This amounts to savings of 66.9 days per year per
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
client. The average annual saving of hospital days equals 3,043.9 days (based on
average of 45.5 clients per year). We estimate 50% ratio of recoupment of general-
funds to the county based on patients with MediCal or Medicare. According to
Patient Accounting, room and board with doctor visit costs about $700 and
' Emergency Room visits cost about $444.
• Factoring in these rates, average annual cost avoidance for using hospital room
' amounts to $1,159,043.
• Using the same methods, on the average, Rubicon clients had 5.5 Emergency Room
' Visits prior joining Rubicon compared to 3.38 visits while in the program. The net
saving per year are 2.12 visits for each client or, 96.45 visits for all clients.
' • Factoring the same 50% ratio, the annual average Emergency Room visit savings
amount to $23,297.
t • Combined hospital use and Emergency Room visit cost avoidance total to
$1,182,332 per year.
E. Jail and Prison
1 • On the average, each client spent 45.9 days in jail or prison before coming to
Rubicon vs. 4.5 days while in the program. Based on $56 average cost per day, the
annual average cost for clients before coming to Rubicon amounts to $116,980
compared to $11,800 for clients in the program.
• The average savings to the County on the annual basis equals $114,705.
' F. Prevention of Return From SSI Back to GA Without Rresentative Payee Status
• In the absence of the Rubicon Money Management Program, an actuarial estimate
of Rubicon's clients returning from SSI to GA ranges from $346,560 (100% return)
to $86,660 (25% return). These figures are preliminary estimates and more
accurate estimates require further research. Therefore, we will not these figures in
our estimates.
' G. Overall Cost Avoidance
o The overall annual average cost avoidance / savings to the County is estimated
at $2,034,479 ($1,454,483 + $579,480; items A-E, excluding F).
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1 .
Below, we summarize the projected Cost Avoidance savings to the County for 1995:
' A. Shift from GA to SSI
• Based on the data provided by the Hawkins Center, the annual net recovery to the
County after reimbursement of attorneys fees is about $579,996.
' B. Homeless Shelters--Social Services Department Savings
' • Projected savings for 1995 are estimated at $160,265 (based on 95 clients).
C. Mental Health Services--Health Department Savings
' • Projected savings for 1995 are estimated at $141 (based on 95 clients
g �930 � .)
D Hospital and Emergency Room Services--Health Department Savings
' • Projected savings for combined hospital use and Emergency Room visit for 1995
are estimated at $2,269,122.
E. Jail and Prison
• Projected jail/prison cost avoidance / savings for 1995 are estimated at $220,115.
F. Prevention of Return From SSI Back to GA Without Representative Payee Status
1 • In the absence of the Rubicon Money Management Program, an actuarial estimate
of Rubicon's clients returning from SSI to GA ranges from $346,560 (100% return)
' to $86,660 (25% return). These figures are preliminary estimates and more
accurate estimates require further research. Therefore, we will not these figures in
our estimates.
G. Overall Cost Avoidance
' The total projected cost avoidance and savings to the County for 1995 amount to
$3,371,476 (based on 95 clients, $2,791,480 + $579,480; items A-E, excluding item
F).
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Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
Acknowledgments
' We would like to thank the staff of Mental Health Division, Health Services
Department, Social Services Department, and the Housing Authority for their
cooperation with this evaluation.
i
1
1
1
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i
Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
� e
' APPENDIX
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' Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
Rubicon Programs Inc.
CLIENT INTERVIEW
This interview will help us to find out how well the Rubicon's Money Management
Program is serving its clients. We will not ask your name, and no one will know
' how you answered the questions. We will ask you question about possible changes
in your housing condition, personal safety, and security concerns before joining the
Rubicon's program and afterwards. Finally, we would like to know how do you
' feel about our program.
Gender: M F
Ethnicity: White African American Latino Asian Native American Other
Age:
' How long have been in the Rubicon's Money Management Program?
Years Months
How many times have you moved in the six months BEFORE joining Rubicon?
How many times have you moved in the six months AFTER joining Rubicon?
How many nights have you used homeless shelters in the six months BEFORE
joining Rubicon ?
How many nights have you used homeless shelters in the six months AFTER
1 joining Rubicon ?
How many DAYS have you stayed in hospitals in the six months BEFORE joining
Rubicon?
How many DAYS have you stayed in hospitals in the six months AFTER joining
Rubicon?
How many visits to hospital emergency rooms did you have in the six months
BEFORE joining Rubicon?
' How many visits to hospital emergency rooms did you have in the six months
AFTER joining Rubicon?
How many months did you stay in a Drug Treatment Program in the six months
BEFORE joining Rubicon?
The Center for Applied Local Research 24
120 Broadway,Suite 21 Richmond,California 94804 Telephone:(510)970-7520 FAX:(510)970-7526
Internet: CALRESCH @ AOL.COM
• Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
49 How many months did you stay in a Drug Treatment Program in the six months
AFTER joining Rubicon? '
How many times have you lots money, or your money was stolen, during the six
months BEFORE joining Rubicon?
How many times have you lots money, or your money was stolen, during the six
months AFTER joining Rubicon?
' How many DAYS have you been in Jail, or prison, in the six months BEFORE
joining Rubicon?
' How many DAYS have you been in jail in the six months AFTER joining Rubicon?
' How many times have you been arrested in the six months BEFORE joining
Rubicon?
How many times have you been arrested in the six months AFTER joining
Rubicon?
' How many times have you been taken advantage of, or your property stolen in the
six months BEFORE joining Rubicon?
How many times have you been taken advantage of, or your property stolen in the
' six months AFTER joining Rubicon?
1 How many days did your monthly payment last in the six months BEFORE joining
Rubicon?
How many days your monthly payment lasts AFTER joining Rubicon?
Do you feel safer with Monthly or Weekly payments?
LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT RUBICON
PROGRAMS.
How your life situation has changed after you came to Rubicon.
NO Change Changed for BETTER Changed for WORSE
On the scale of 1 to 10 (1=least satisfied, and 10=most satisfied), how satisfied are
you with Rubicon Programs?
' The Center for Applied Local Research . 25
120 Broadway,Suite 21 Richmond,California 94804 Telephone:(510)970-7520 FAX:(510)970-7526
Internet: CALRESCH @ AOL.COM
Evaluation of Rubicon's SSI Advocacy and Money Management Program
Which of the Rubicon services was most helpful to you? "
Why do you say that?
What can we do to improve our services?
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' The Center for Applied Local Research 26
120 Broadway,Suite 21 Richmond,California 94804 Telephone:(510)970-7520 FAX:(510)970-7526
Internet: CALRESCH Q AOL.COM
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