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TANF Case Management and Coaching

Elizabeth Lower-Basch Senior Policy Analyst. TANF Case Management and Coaching. Working Poor Families Project. June 20, 2013. TANF is a Flexible Funding Source. Can support wide range of case management and coaching services aimed at work, marriage, and self-sufficiency.

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TANF Case Management and Coaching

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  1. Elizabeth Lower-Basch Senior Policy Analyst TANF Case Management and Coaching Working Poor Families Project June 20, 2013

  2. TANF is a Flexible Funding Source Can support wide range of case management and coaching services aimed at work, marriage, and self-sufficiency. Not limited to families receiving cash assistance. Can be in house or contracted out to other entities

  3. What Do TANF Case Managers Do? M. Derr, Integrating Comprehensive Case Management Strategies into TANF Programs, May 2013 • Initial and ongoing assessment • Employment and service planning • Linking clients to in-house and community services • Motivating, encouraging, and supporting engagement • Individualized soft-skills training/coaching • Monitoring and verifying program participation • Reengaging nonparticipants/initiating sanctions

  4. Challenges of TANF Case Management High caseloads/workloads e.g. Oregon

  5. Challenges of TANF Case Mangement • High caseloads/workloads • Accessing activities and supports in an era of limited resources • Strong focus on monitoring work participation • Time consuming • Different skill set than “social work” • Threat of sanction may lead to hostile relationships between participants and staff • High turnover of caseloads

  6. Mobility Mentors A different approach….

  7. Promising Practices Technology Specialized staff Focus on particular populations or programs Broader redesign

  8. Use of Technology Automated systems to reduce time spent in documenting and verifying participation Computerized assessment and case management systems (OWRA) Data sharing across programs – do the same clients show up in homelessness, child welfare, mental health, job training program?

  9. Online Work Readiness Assessment

  10. Specialized Staff • Need to match role expectations and caseworker skills • Can’t afford and don’t want to ask social workers to monitor work participation. • But not reasonable to ask low-paid caseworkers with little skills, experience to take on social work

  11. “Basic skills sets required of a FEP include….” • Verbal and written communication; • Active listening; • Conflict resolution; • Ability to be non-judgmental; • Time management; • Adaptability; • Sensitivity; • Problem solving; • Crises response; • Interviewing skills; • Discussion facilitation; • Customer service; • Job matching; • Safe confrontation; • Assertive communication; • Networking; • Problem identification; • Solution recognition; • Service coordination; • Appropriate feedback; • Coaching and mentoring; • Budget preparation; • Cultural competency; • Interpreting formal assessment results; • Ability to put into place needed modifications and accommodations; • Goal setting; • Career development; and • Job retention strategies. • Source: W-2 Manual

  12. Examples of Specialized Staff • Utah – MSW’s available as resources • Conduct clinical and functional ability assessments; • Offer crisis intervention and clinical case management; and • Make referrals to mental health treatment providers. • Kentucky Targeted Assessment Program • Serves TANF and child welfare referrals • Provides assessment, referral, pre-treatment, service coordination and follow-up services • Uses Motivational Interviewing and Strengths-Based Case Management

  13. Focus on Particular Populations • Montgomery County, MD, triage workers • Identify high needs clients at initial intake • Minnesota Integrated Service Projects • Served primarily long-term, multiple barrier clients • Mixture of team staffing and individual case management with small caseloads • Mostly focused on brokering services • SSI advocacy • Provides functional assessments, help with SSI application and appeals

  14. Focus on Particular Programs • Short-term intensive coaching built into job readiness/job search programs • Kentucky Ready to Work Coordinators • Located on campus • Dual role of documenting work participation and providing case management • Minnesota Navigators under Career Pathways • Based in community organizations or one-stop centers • Focused on recruiting and assisting TANF recipients and working with basic skills and college instructors

  15. Case Management as Part of Broader Redesign • Meaningless to do enhanced assessment, or have clients pick own goals if everyone is assigned to same activity • Allow flexibility in activities • Tiered service approaches being developed in DC, Washington state • Document gaps in service capacity to advocate for expansions

  16. DC Tiered Service Delivery

  17. Thank You For more information: Elizabeth Lower-Basch elowerbasch@clasp.org 202 906-8013 www.clasp.org 1200 18thSt, NW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20036

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