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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06192001 - C.133 Contra TO" ', BOARD OF SUPERVISORSot Costa I'Ronn: John Cullen, Director Employment and Human Services Department County DATE: May 24, 2001 SUBJECT: APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Employment & Human Services Department Director, or designee, to SUBMIT a CalWORKs Plan Revision for fiscal year 2001-2002 to the State of California Department of Social Services. SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDED ACTION* APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Employment & Human Services Department Director, or designee, to SUBMIT a CalWORKs Plan Revision for fiscal year 2001-2002 to the State of California Department of Social Services. FINANCIAL, IMPACTe No additional cost. CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT- The CaIWORKs Plan Revision supports three community outcomes: "Families that are Economically Self- Sufficient"; "Families that are Safe, Stable and Nurturing"; and "Communities that are Safe and Provide a High Quality of Life for Children and Families." Integrating housing initiatives in the spectrum of CalWORKs services will address a key client obstacle to self-sufficiency. RACKC.R01TND- CalWORKs, the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Act, was implemented January 1998. Contra Costa County implemented Welfare-to-Work on March 10, 1998 to provide employment services to CalWORKs cash assistance recipients. EHSD seeks to change the existing plan as follows: Housing Assistance EHSD will provide support service in obtaining and maintaining permanent housing to provide a stable environment to enhance employment. Housing programs include: 1. Housing information and referral 2. Tenant housing counseling 3. Housing assistance to maintain housing. Payments would be made at 80% of housing costs for a maximum of four months; during that time, participants would be required to put the same amount into an escrow or individual development account, and 4. One-time-only payments to assist with housing and related costs in the form of housing relocation assistance, transitional support, and emergency assistance. lj6CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: P" YES SIGNATURE: b " 1 RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE ­`APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BO D N June 19, 2001 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT #IV ) 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 June 19, 2001 J4 WEETEN CLERK OF THE BOARD OF P VISORS ND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Contact: WENDY THERRIAN,3-1593 cc: EHSD CONTRACTS UNIT(CP) BY DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AUDITOR-CONTROLLER CONTRACTOR Section I (a) COLLABORATION WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AGENCIES TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES' The current collaborative efforts among Social Service Department and other agencies to provide training and supportive services will continue, and are expected to expand, as the CaIWORKs program is implemented. The SSD Ca]WORKs service delivery model' includes the Welfare-to- Work Services elements of orientation,appraisal,job search/job readiness,assessment,welfare-to- work plans, work activities, supportive services and community service as required by state law. Training and employment-related activities include job readiness services (Ajob club:—::/job search programs),job development and participant job-networking, ESL, ABE and GED courses, short- term vocational educational training and community college programs. Supportive services include payments for child care, transportation and ancillary costs, employment retention services and employment-related mental health, substance abuse and domestic violence services. Training and employment-related activities and supportive services will be provided by Social Service Department staff as well as many other agencies and organizations. Major components of these services include: Training and Employment-Related Activities ! The Social Service Department offers job readiness services, including Ajob club= employment preparation classes (interviewing and resume development), job search assistance,job development(through contract with Private Industry Councils), assessment and ongoing case management throughout participation in work activities. These services will be expanded under CalWORKs, both in scope and to include employment retention services. ! The county--s three Community Colleges(Contra Costa College,Diablo Valley College and Los Medanos College), which already serve public assistance participants, have been allocated expanded funding to provide training, education and supportive services for CalWORKs participants. Each college has submitted a application for this CalWORKs funding to the state Office of Community Colleges. These applications have been reviewed and approved by the county Social Service Department Director. More extensive plans, including proposed curriculum, were drafted in mid-November . 'State DSS outline suggests: ABriefly describe how the county will work with other public and private agencies to provide necessary training and support services.This section should include,at a minimum,a list of the necessary training and support services and the public and/or private agencies which will provide those services.[References: Education Code Section 10200 and WIC Section 10531(a)]=- 2 See 0531(a)]a'See Section IV,(d)"Welfare-to-Work Activities",for a more detailed outline of the CalWORKs service delivery model. 3See Attachment B for a list of current certificate and degree programs offered by the 3 local Community Colleges and copies of the Colleges=Plans for changes for CalWORKs participants. or ! The county=s Adult Education and Regional Occupational Centers/Program have also been allocated additional funding for the purpose of expanding services for CaIWORKs participants,and are working on plans for provision of services as partners in the formulation of the county's Instructional and Job Training Plan. These services will be incorporated into the overall service delivery options for CaIWORKs WTW Services participants. Current programs available through the AdEd & ROC/Ps include short-term vocational training (including job readiness and job search support), Adult Basic Education, High School Diploma, General . Equivalency Degree, English as a Second Language, Refugee Employment Services, Parent Education, Citizenship Preparation and othene. ! The county--s two JTPA Service Delivery Areas,the Contra Costa County Private Industry Councils and City of Richmond Private Industry Council',receive JTPA funding for services to CaIWORKs participants who meet JTPA criteria. In addition, funding from the federal Balanced Budget Act of 1997 provides for$3 billion nationwide in Welfare-to-Work funds for expansion of services to CaIWORKs participants and non-custodial parents of CaIWORKs children. This additional funding is expected to be received early in 1998 and plans for services are being developed. A host of public agencies and other partners are participating in the development of 8-10 One-Stop Career Centers' in the county. These Centers are expected to open in early 1998 and will be staffed by PIC, EDD, SSD, AdEd,non-profit and other staff to offer a range of employment services to the general public, including services to the employer community. ! The county=s three local State Employment Development Department(EDD)offices offer, both independently and in some cases, on-site at local Social Service offices, work registration and job placement services through their Job Services database. ! By March 31, 1998,the county Superintendent of Schools,the local community colleges,the local school districts that provide adult education and the directors of other job training programs in the county must develop a Plan that provides for instructional and job training services for the county's CaIWORKs participants. The plan must be approved by the County Welfare Director. It is expected that these partners will be meeting over the coming months to develop and implement the Plan,which will be incorporated into the overall training and education service delivery options for Ca1WORKs participants. 4See Attachment C for a list of the county Adult Education and ROC/Ps and their programs. 5See Attachment D for an occupational training matrix produced by Contra Costa County PIC;this list can be cross-referenced with certified PIC vendors for a listing of PIC-funded training programs. 'See Attachment E for a list of training and services provided through Richmond Works. 7See Section II,(b)"Partnerships with the Private Sector to Identify Jobs", for more information. ! The county actively participates in local and regional surveys and analyses'designed to better equip local agencies to design employment, education, training and support services. ! The Social Service Department contracts with non-profit agencies for programs such as Cal- Learn, refugee and citizenship services and certain employment services and with Contra Costa PIC for job development staff. In state fiscal year (SFY) 96-7, the Social Service Department contracted with several agencies,public and non-profit(Contra Costa College, Rubicon,Contra Costa PIC,Goodwill,Neighborhood House of North Richmond,and local ROC/Ps), for certain employment services. ! The county District Attorney Family Support Division,Social Service Department,PICS and have applied, as collaborative partners, for state funding to implement the Contra Costa County Non-Custodial Parent Employment and Training Demonstration Project in 1998. This project is designed to increase the incomes of CaIWORKs participants by: / providing employment services to non-custodial parents that improve their ability to pay child support; and / offering services designed to reduce other system costs and improve the quality of the relationships among non-custodial parents,their children,and custodial parents through parenting, counseling and mediation activities. The Social Service Department certifies that it will coordinate CalWORKs WTW activities with its Refugee Employment Services Plan. Staff in both the CaIWORKs WTW Services and Refugee Services programs will receive training to provide services and referrals to existing programs serving refugees as appropriate. Staff will be regularly notified about refugee employment services and supportive services. Support Services ! Child Care'--Child care services have been redesigned by the state Department of Education, which is the lead agency for the federal Child Care Development Block Grant10, into a three- stage system to serve eligible low-income families needing child care. The DOE has entered into agreements with the state Department of Social Services and recent state welfare reform law outlines requirements for administration of child care funds. 8See Attachment F for:1)an analysis of education and training levels for projected employment in Contra Costa County;and 2)Executive Summary of a 1997 nine-county survey on job readiness. 9See Section VII,(g)"Child Care and Transportation", for more information. 10Child care funds for the former AFDC child care disregard,Supplemental Child Care,GAIN child care and Transitional Child Care programs have been transferred to this block grant. State Department of Social Services receives funds for AStage 1" child care, which is intended to serve CaIWORKs participants with unstable work/work activity arrangements. These funds will be administered locally by the county Social Service Department. AStage 2" child care, intended for low-income participants who are working or in training while receiving CaIWORKs benefits, or transitioning off aid, will be administered locally by current local Alternative Payment Providers (APPS"). AStage 3" child care, intended for those qualifying low-income families(including former CaIWORKs participants)who need subsidized child care,will be administered locally by the SSD, Child Care Council and the PACE program. Local APPS will collaborate to ensure that CaIWORKs participants can easily access information and referral to licensed child care providers. All APPS will also develop procedures to connect to other child care system resources for CaIWORKs participants such as local Community Colleges funding,Community Services/Head Start programs,and local K-12 school-based programs. ! Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services--Social.Service and Health Service staff are currently meeting to develop services for CaIWORKs WTW Services participants,to provide identification, assessment, treatment plans and case management for those participants needing services as part of their employability plans. ! Transportation--Ca1WORKs WTW Services participants will receive payments for necessary transportation costs. Social Service staff are also working in a number of forums to identify transportation needs and develop strategies to increase access to,and capacity of, local transit infrastructure. ! Ancillary Payments--Funding will continue to be provided for reasonable and necessary employment-related costs for CaIWORKs participants, including but not limited to such items as union dues, uniforms, tools, etc. ! Employment Retention Services--Case management and supportive services will be available to employed CaIWORKs participants to assist them in keeping jobs as well as direction to resources to improve their earning capacity. ! Housing Assistance--Assistance in obtaining and maintaining permanent housing will be available to participants in the Welfare-to-Work Program to provide a stable environment to enhance employment. I ousing programs include llousin�r information and referral Tenant lJousing Cotuiseling l lousing Assistance to maintain housing. Payments wouldhe made at 80% of housing costs for a maximum of four months: during that time. pamrticipants would be required to put the same amount into an escrow or individual development I(Current local APPS are the Child Care Council,the Social Service Department and the PACE program 1 • account, and ' One-time only payments to assist with housing and related costs in the form of IJousing, Relocation assistance. Transitional Support, and Emergency Assistance. Participants needing, to access any ol-these programs must first use CalWORKs Special Needs payments for housing, or other related costs.