Maximizing Your Funds and Build Strong Partnerships to Increase Client Success

1. Maximizing Your Funds and Build Strong Partnerships to Increase Client Success Presenters Lori Fabritius, EdD Leanna Luka-Conley, LMSW

2. Introduction of Discussion Topics • Partnerships and Collaboration • Build Successful Partnerships • Going Beyond Friendly Collaboration • Research

3. Partnerships and Collaboration

4. Rethinking of Partnerships • Less money state and federal money • Stop chasing funding dollars • Builds a stronger community when working together • Can’t do everything - find your niche’ • Eliminate duplication of services

5. How Can We Create a True Partnership? • Look for Strengths (SWOT analysis) • Your strengths relative to competitors • Look for Weaknesses (SWOT analysis) • Your weaknesses relative to competitors • What do we each bring to the table? • How can you make the partnership work? • Don’t forget about internal partnerships

6. Care Coordination • Engagement • Consistency with planning • Transitions

7. What we can do for the system? • Chautauqua WORKS example • Partnership with multiple agencies to enhance the system. • Partners involved: BOCES, Jamestown Community College, Private Industry Council, Every Woman Opportunity Center, Rural Ministries, Chautauqua Opportunities Inc., Department of Labor, and Jamestown Management Committee • Strengths vs. Challenges

8. Collaboration Takes Work

9. Looking Beyond Collaboration • Getting out of your agency silo • Trusting your partner organization • Let go from doing everything– • to doing what you do well • Look beyond what is good for you to • what is best for the client and system

10. Going Beyond Friendly Collaboration • Willingness to look at truly working together • Sharing services • Establish formal agreements/contracts, MOUs • How can we work strategically together?

11. Who Benefits When We Get Out of Working in a Silo? • Collaboration= increased client services, e.g., one agency provides case management services other agency provides supportive service ($25 gas cards) • When partners truly work together - • there is a consistent message to client & public • can reduce program costs • Example of collaboration – DSS case worker working in tandem with agency case manager & client (Fabritius, 2011)

12. Research of Common Denominators

13. Lack of Education = Negative Outcomes for TANF Clients • Many clients lack GED needed for post-secondary education • Need for support: living expenses, e.g., food, cash, child care, housing • Negative outcomes – poor health, increased criminal activity, low wage jobs • Learning disabilities- developmental studies • US 10th among high school graduation in world only 70% graduation Bridgeland, Dilulio, & Morison, (2006)

14. Cost to Vulnerable Members of Society(When we can’t Provide Services) • Unskilled workforce: local, nationally • Unemployment, underemployment, and higher welfare enrollments = financial burden on community/state • Inadequate health care use—preventive medical visits, physician refusing Medicaid patients, e.g., unhealthy population group • Potential for higher criminal activity engagement Alliance for Excellent Education Fact Sheet. (February, 2009)

15. Background Information W-t-W Clients Vulnerable group- most are single-parents (female) use of public subsidies, e.g., food stamps, Medicaid Illustrated importance of skill development and a post-secondary education human capital- knowledge, financial stability Reduce incidents of criminal activity Need to compete in today’s global market Higher education should be accessible & affordable If financial aid is in jeopardy – less students can come Rising costs in tuition – 2 yr degree/certificate

16. Common Demographics of Many TANF Clients • Single parent households • Limited human capital limiting economic growth and personal development • Lack affordability and accessibility to college • Face society’s stereotypical view • Difficulty in reaching TANF requirements: work-activity participation hours • Poor coping skills • Lack of adequate child care • Lack of reliable transportation • Lack of a stable support system • Identified learning disability

17. Examples of Success

18. Continuing Education Remedial Programs • Partnership with public library system • Broadband grant • Training partners BOCES and Jamestown Community College • Remedial computer course work • Teleconferencing between library sites • Increased remedial FTEs • Outcome met needs of rural communities

19. Pathways to Client Success • College Prep Remedial Courses- no/low cost to participant • Successful Models, e.g., Erie Community College and BOCES GED; JCC Bridge program; Project Search • Long-term training vs. short-term • Holistic approach seems to work best

20. Highlights – Health Care Students PY 2005-2010 RNs: 3 years training, licensure/ $18.87 (33 graduates) OTAs: 2 year, licensure exam/ average rage: $15.28 (7 graduates) LPNs: 13 months, licensure exam/ average wage: $13.35 (53 graduates) X-Ray tech: small number admitted / average wage: $15.40 (1 graduated) Short-term training: PCAs, CNAs, Direct Care Aides. Phlebotomy/ $8.34 (64 graduated from these training programs, employed in positions)

21. Welfare-to-Work Program at a Community College • Pathways that move clients • (not necessarily in this order) • Basic skill development • Graduation • Job placement • Job retentions

22. Highlights In 2009, twenty-four (24) Bridge students graduated with their associates’ degree from Jamestown Community College, 12 graduated from the BOCES (LPN) licensed practical nurse program with one student graduating from Jamestown Business College. The Bridge program reached its goals for the 2008-2009 program funding year: · Enrolling 382 students or 143% of the targeted goal; · Assisting 162 Bridge participants in becoming employed reaching 105% of the targeted goal; · Providing services to help 109 participants to reach their 90- day job retention goal, reaching a targeted goal of 103% job retention rate for the year.

23. Accomplishments for 2009-2010 PY 2009-2010 Health Care students   ave. wage RNs 12 $ 19.10 LPNs 10 $ 13.68 OTAs 1 $ 16.94 CNAs 6 $ 8.35 total students 29 $ 14.52 (average)

24. Evaluation of W-t-W Programs

25. Consequences of Time-Limited Aid London (2004/05) • Examination of the total time on welfare while attending college – graduation rates of welfare recipients over a 20-year period • Used data from National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) • Findings: attending college – more months on aid but earning a degree offsets future need for welfare • College degree pays off in long-run for most people

26. Hidden Rules • Generational vs. situational poverty • Wealth, Middle Class and Poverty • Could you survive poverty?

27. Could you survive in poverty? COMPLETE THE QUIZ: Put a check by each item you know how to do. ______ 1. I know which churches and sections of town have the best rummage sales. ______ 2. I know which rummage sales have “bag sales” and when. ______ 3. I know which grocery stores’ garbage bins can be accessed for thrown-away food. ______ 4. I know how to get someone out of jail. ______ 5. I know how to physically fight and defend myself physically. ______ 6. I know how to get a gun, even if I have a police record. ______ 7. I know how to keep my clothes from being stolen at the Laundromat. ______ 8. I know what problems to look for in a used car. ______ 9. I know how to live without a checking account. ______10. I know how to live without electricity and a phone. ______11. I know how to use a knife as scissors. ______12. I can entertain a group of friends with my personality and my stories. ______13. I know what to do when I don’t have money to pay the bills. ______14. I know how to move in half a day. ______15. I know how to get and use food stamps or an electronic card for benefits. ______16. I know where the free medical clinics are. ______17. I am very good at trading and bartering. ______18. I can get by without a car.

28. Profile of Clients in My Study • Single-parent households with young children • Generational vs. situational poverty • Referred from the Department of Social Services, client self-referral or partner agency • Ethnicity: 80% female Caucasian; 11% Latina/o; 8% African American • Possessed GED, high school diploma or some college • clients to get GED first then go to college

29. Action Research: Focus Groups Group 1 : Participants who were attending college Group 2 : Participants who earned their college degree Group 3: Participants who dropped out & left program One hour session. Recorded and later transcribed.

30. Dissertation Questions • What are the strengths of the community college’s Welfare-to-Work program, as perceived by the participants? • What are the challenges of the Welfare-to-Work program, as perceived by the participants? • What do the Welfare-to-Work participants recommend for improving the program? • How did the Welfare-to-Work program impact the participants’ lives, from their perspectives?

31. Findings of Study What are the strengths of the community college’s Welfare-to-Work program, as perceived by the participants? • All groups/individuals interviewed stated that the qualities of the staff were exceptional • Financial assistance provided • Excellent job search assistance • Convenience of having program on campus • Networking with other organizations

32. Findings • What are the challenges of this Welfare-to-Work program, as perceived by the participants? • Threat of losing funding (continuous threat) • Problems with DSS case workers/TANF regulations • Lack of evening hours • Need for bilingual case manager

33. Findings • What do the Welfare-to-Work participants recommendations for improving the program? • Secure stable funding from state • DSS case managers working inside the ECC program • Establish evening hours for working clients • Hire bilingual staff

34. Implications from this Study • Welfare reform- does not promote higher education • Longer for TANF college students who need remediation • Time-limit for PRWORA (TANF) 5 yrs -- stress on individuals in college • Single-mothers and their children are most vulnerable • College participation/graduation of parent promotes positive impact on children • College graduation helped participants obtain jobs • Welfare recidivism is lower for those who build their human capital

35. Reciprocating Program Services • Train staff on all services available within your system • Help clients to build their human capital – think of long-term results • Build strong network to partner agencies • Assist clients with necessary applications, e.g., FAFSA • Link client skills to employers’ needs • Dedicate office for your clients- child care area

36. Thank You! Leanna Luka-Conley, LMSW (716) 661-1059 leanna.luka-conley@resourcecenter.org Lori Fabritius, EdD (716) 338-1341 lorifabritius@mail.sunyjcc.edu