Item #3 Self-Sufficiency Case Management Presentation - Austin Public Health — original pdf

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Neighborhood Services Unit Dana L Nielsen, LMSW Ana Montiel, MPH General Information Demographics of Self- Sufficiency Case Management Clients Follow a Case Through SSCM process  Central Texas Food Bank Partnership  Notary Services  Household Items & Clothing  Formula & Diapers  Car Seat Events & Cribs  Family Eldercare Fan Drive Partnership  Health Screenings  Information & Referrals  Rent/Utility Assistance (based on funding availability) Primary Goal: Focus on work and income building to gain and maintain skills to increase income to above 125% Federal Poverty Level (determined via household size and income amount) Achieved through resume development, leads to job fairs and job listings, budgeting, access to additional food pantries, 31-day bus passes, and a chance to earn gift cards and industry specific tools as they continue to increase their income Households are required to actively communicate their needs, and provide copies of paystubs as they continue through the program to track income levels Households are enrolled for as long as it takes to keep their income above 125% FPL for 90 days or if they are no longer actively participating 12.70 6.35 11.11 11.11 12.7 46.03 25% of households had no income or government benefits 41% of households are on SNAP benefits 7% have SSI/SSDI/retirement income 44% are under employed 7% have a housing voucher 2024 FPIG Family Size 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 125% $18,825 $25,550 $32,275 $39,000 $45,725 $52,450 $59,175 $65,900 https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines • • • 381 households spoke with center social workers about the various services NSU provides 63 total households were enrolled in case management from January through August 46% of households are single individuals • Of the remaining 54% of households, 46% are single parents Data Collected from 1/1/2024 – 8/28/2024  Sarah (age 39) heard about the case management program when she came in for a food pantry appointment  The household lives in the eastern crescent along I-35, and grew up in the Montopolis Neighborhood area  Sarah was working at a local food pantry but was recently let go and is looking for something more stable  Sarah (age 39) and James (age 39) are married and have 3 kids in the household (ages 17,15, and 14) and occasionally take care of one of their grandchildren (age 4)  James is the only one working, making $16/hour at Dairy Queen  Sarah is receiving child support for one of the children  James works around 46 hours per week and is making an average of $3000/month  This puts their household income around 104% FPL  Sarah had a goal of finding a job that worked around the school needs of their children and grandchildren  There is a strong possibility that they will become legal guardians of their 4 year old grandson  James was wanting to find a better paying job, but wasn’t sure if he had the skillset and confidence to be in a higher paying job  Both were interested in getting back into a GED program Basic Needs Substance Use Finances Housing Strengths/Barriers • Has applied for SNAP, identified various food pantries in the area, may need childcare if grandson comes to live with them • Has had substance use concerns in the past, has been clean for at least 4 years, actively involved in AA and NA meetings • No savings, has only one car at this time and may need bus passes • Is currently behind on payments, concerned that they cannot make ends meet • Strengths: was living in the emergency shelter and was able to move out of shelter into their own home, has remained strong in their relationship, driven and willing to follow through on needs • Barriers: did not finish high school diploma and has struggled to return to finish GED, limits their options for career TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENT OPTIONS BASED ON PREVIOUS JOBS AND SKILLSETS THAT ALREADY HAVE DISCUSSED TRAININGS THAT MAY BE USEFUL TO ADVANCE CAREER UPDATED THEIR RESUME TEMPLATES TO INCLUDE SOFT SKILLS AND SKILLS THAT WERE LEARNED OUTSIDE OF TRADITIONAL EMPLOYMENT PLANNED OUT WHAT STRESSORS MAY BE PRESENT, HOW TO MITIGATE THOSE STRESSORS, AND PROTECT MENTAL HEALTH OF ALL MEMBERS IN THE HOUSEHOLD DISCUSS WAYS TO BUILD FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS THROUGHOUT FINDING AND STARTING JOBS, AS WELL AS AGE- APPROPRIATE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT FINANCES AND EXPECTATIONS DISCUSSED FINANCIAL WELLNESS AND WAYS TO BUDGET, BEST USE THE RESOURCES THEY HAVE ACCESS TO, AND FOCUS ON DEBT REDUCTION Mrs. Smith and social worker met once per week to discuss progress, barriers, and needs Mrs. Smith started plotting out bus routes using the 31-day bus pass NSU was able to offer to get too and from areas of town for job possibilities Mr. Smith updated his resume and began to speak to friends about other jobs in the area that would use his skillset Mr. and Mrs. Smith used worksheets and skill trainings given by social worker to better understand their financial goals: • Identify what emotions and thoughts came up around money • Plan for the future as well as make ends meet • Teach money “smarts” to their children and grand children Mr. or Mrs. Smith visited the food pantry as needed to better allocate their income towards their goals Mr. Smith heard about a security job at a local warehouse paying $20/hour, with the possibility of a raise to $25/hour after 60 days He completed his security training program and used some of the earned gift cards to buy new boots for his position Mrs. Smith found a job at CVS for $15/hour, and with social workers help negotiated her pay up to $18.5/hour based on performance assessment in first 30 days She used the clothing closet at the Neighborhood Center, as well as referrals to partnering agencies to build a closet of appropriate clothing and was able to move into a shift manager position Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith used this time to budget where their financial needs were and prioritizing what income would go towards what bills Once Mr. Smith started his new position, the family needed to adjust their schedule to accommodate his evening hours, the change in food pantry needs, and childcare coverage They began to speak more with their children about roles around the house, how to budget their allowance they received for their chores Mrs. Smith spoke with her employer about shift changes to better accommodate the use of their one car, and Mr. Smith began carpooling with a coworker whenever he could They began to set aside money for savings towards another car They connected with health insurance resources for themselves and their grandson, who they were taking custody over Mr. Smith was established at the security firm, starting to work daytime shifts as needed, and had dropped his hours at Dairy Queen Mrs. Smith had been promoted to shift manager and was able to work with CVS to use her PTO to help her grandson adjust to living with them They were continuing to build a savings account, and had connected with partnering organizations for further financial education Their income had increased from 104% FPL to 208% FPL Mr. and Mrs. Smith slowly decreased their visits to the food pantry, relying less and less on that to supplement their budget Mr. and Mrs. Smith left the program knowing that Neighborhood Services Unit was a resource they could return to as needed