WORKPLAN

SANTA CLARA VALLEY EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT INITIATIVE
January 24, 1997
INTRODUCTION

The Santa Clara Valley Employment Support Initiative has developed a Concept Paper which
outlines the community’s goals and plans for a transition from the current welfare system to an
en^loyment support system. The Concept Paper represents the culmination ofa substantial effort
by over 450 participants. In addition, the Initiative has promoted the growth ofinclusive,
cooperative relationships among a wide variety oforganizations ^d individuals. While the
Employment Support Initiative is offto a good start, our work is really only beginning. It is time
for us — all ofus involved or interested in creating an employment support system in Santa Clara
Valley — to move forward into the next phase.
The purpose ofthis Workplan is to provide a plan for the next phase. It builds upon the Concept
Paper and outlines how we will proceed from the conceptual stage toward further planning and
implementation.
This Workplan proposes to continue building upon the valuable relationships established thus far.
The process for community involvement has been open and largely unstructured, which has been
useful in generating ideas and building relationships. The next phase will require more systematic
planning. This in turn requires providing additional structure so that we can take better advantage

of participation in the planning and implementation phases, and this Workplan includes such a
structure.

In addition, there are four areas where the Board of Supervisors and County Executive will play
substantial leadership roles. These include coordinating and consulting with the cities and other
governmental entities in the County, leading efforts to link the Initiative with economic
development and job creation, addressing the impacts on the mission and budget ofthe County,
and in providing overall guidance in legislation and governmental relations.
The topics covered in this Workplan include:
1.

Identifying the goals ofthe Employment Support Initiative.

2.

The management structure and community and private sector involvement for.the next

3.

phase ofthe Employment Support Initiative.
A legislative proposal to authorize the Initiative.

4.

The development of a model for and analytic approach for developing an employment
support system.

5.

A preliminary schedule for the next phase ofthe project.

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GOALS

The goals ofthe Employment Support Initiative project are:

•
•

To develop a solid, defensible legislative proposal consistent with the Concept Paper.
To develop a long-term employment support system that is consistent with the Concept
Paper, and a plan for implementing that system.

•
•

To implement the first phase of the long-term employment support system by July 1, 1997.
To continue building partnerships among affected organizations, thereby increasing local
capacity for employment support.

MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

The management structure of the Employment Support Initiative up to this point has included the
following five components.
1.

The Oversight Committee has provided general guidance and approval of activities and

2.

The Breakfast Club has served as a forum for extensive generation, review, and discussion

documents.

_

.

.

ofideas.

3.

A Liaison Team composed of Agency personnel has served as staff to the overall effort.
The Work Teams have generated ideas and provided specific suggestions, sometimes
m

4.

general terms and sometimes in more detail.
5.

Community forums have provided opportunities for outreach to the public and all

interested parties.

Moving from the conceptual stage through planning and implementation will be a large and
management structure for
complex process. To guide this effort, we propose the following
involvement.
managing the Employment Support Initiative and community

Oversight Committee

Purpose: The Oversight Committee will be a policy-making body responsible for:
1.

Overall policy making and direction.

2.

Legislative advocacy.

3.

..

.

Ensuring adequate resources for the Employment Support Initiative from participating

organizations, including the Social Services Agency and other public, private, and
nonprofit organizations.

Membership: The Oversight Committee will consist of Board, Executive, or other designated
representatives from various affected organizations and constituencies. A representative from the
2

(

Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and a Social Services Agency Executive will Chair the
Committee.

Employment Support Initiative Coordinating Committee

Purpose: The Employment Support Initiative Coordinating Committee will consist of high-level
or other designated staff responsible for;

•

Developing and/or reviewing the design and implementation plans for the Employment
Support Initiative.

•

Developing policy recommendations for the Oversight Committee.

•

Other tasks as assigned by the Oversight Committee.

Membership: The Committee will consist of high-level staff designated by the members ofthe
Oversight Committee or other organizations with a significant interest in and responsibility for the

Employment Support Initiative. The assigned staff should have decision-making authority for their
organization. Membership will include:
Business sector representatives
Community representatives

Education sector representatives (K-12, secondary schools, community colleges, adult
education)

Non-profit sector representatives
County Executive office representatives
Social Services Agency representatives

County labor union representatives from Local 715, Local 535 Worker Chapter, and Local
535 Supervisory Unit
Other labor union representative

Employment training organization representatives
Chent representative
Housing representative
Homeless service

Children and youth organizations representatives
Immigrant representatives

Social Service Advisory Commission representatives
Health and Hospital System representatives
Council of Churches representative
Academic community members
Others as deemed appropriate

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Recommendations: The recommendations from this group will, to the extent possible, be based
on consensus. When consensus is not possible, all views with signifioent support will be presented
to the Oversight Committee. Thus, votes on pohcy issues will usually not be taken, although they
may be used occasionally to obtain a sense ofthe group. This reduces the importance of perfect
balance in numbers on the Committee. Any interested parties can attend Coordinating Committee
meetings as observers, or as participants when recognized by the Chair.

Workgroups

Purpose: As necessary the Oversight or Coordinating Committee will establish Workgroups.
Some ofthese groups will continue from our existing efforts, and others will be needed. The
Workgroups will develop specific components ofthe employment support system or addressing
specific issues. Project staff will support each Workgroup with research and analysis.
The existing workgroups proposed for continuation include:

•

Employment Retention, to develop options for retention services.

•

Workforce Preparation, to continue existing efforts. (Note: We may combine the
Employment Retention and Workforce Preparation Workgroups if appropriate.)

•
•

Children and Youth, to focus on child care and other issues affecting this population.
Client Leadership, to ensure continued input from this crucial perspective.

•

Immigrants, to ensure that we develop systems which account for immigrants’ unique
needs.

•

Legislative, to help formulate proposals and strategies.

•

Housing, to iurther pursue the development of a revolving housing trust fund.

•

Technology (a new group in formation), to focus on using technology as outlined in the
Concept Paper. This will initially focus on electronic referrals and establishing an

•

Research and Evaluation, to provide data and analysis as needed by the project.

electronic network of community resources.

We expect each workgroup to prepare summaries oftheir meetings within a week of the meeting
so that they can be shared with other participants. Project staff will develop other procedural
guidelines for discussion; the guidelines will help promote consistency and coordination among the
workgroups.

Membership: Membership on workgroups will remain open to all interested parties.

4

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

The community has played a significant role in the initial stages ofthe Employment Support
Initiative, and will continue to do so. Recognizing the need for continuous broad-based
participation, community involvement will be sustained by:
Inviting continued participation from those community representatives already involved in
the process, particularly those who are key to implementing our agenda.
Extending community participation to groups and representatives that have not yet been
involved. This will include parts ofthe education community, the South East Asian
community, and others identified by the Oversight or Coordinating Committee.
Maintaining communication with all interested parties through the Pro-Employment
Agenda newsletter and Welfare Reform bulletins.
Exploring the potential for establishing an Internet presence with key documents, such as
agendas, meeting summaries, proposals, etc.
Holding public forums on the Initiative and welfare reform as determined by the Oversight
Committee. We propose holding such a forum in March or April to update our progress to
date, invite comment on our efforts at that stage, and promote further participation.

Possibly holding symposia on specific issues (i.e., child care, employment and training, etc.)
as our work progresses to ensure that our results reflect as much as possible the input from
all interested parties.

PRIVATE SECTOR INVOLVEMENT

The Employment Support Initiative has had valuable but limited input from the private sector. As
the Concept Paper recognizes, any employment-focused welfare system requires the involvement
of employers. One of the priority needs is to establish practical solutions with the private sector.

Where possible, we propose to build on existing public-private efforts, such as the County and
cities’ economic development programs, connections with the education and training community,
and relationships established in the JTPA and GAIN programs. We may need to estabhsh a
workgroup focused on this topic, which would include those who have expressed an interest in this
topic.

While the Concept Paper expresses hope that the private sector may voluntarily recognize the need
for better connections with populations affected by welfare reform, we will emphasize our
responsibility to serve the private sector’s needs for well-prepared employees, and will ask the
private sector to help us determine how to best involve them and meet their needs.

5

DECISION MAKING

Perhaps the most significant feature ofthe Employment Support Initiative thus far has been the
extensive community involvement. As outlined above, we propose to continue this involvement in
substantial ways. In particular, our proposed structure provides broad opportumties for
substantive input on the creation of an employment support system. This will occur through
workgroups, the Coordinating Committee, the Oversight Committee, symposia on specific issues,
public forum, and creating opportunities for review and comment on key documents by those
unable to participate actively.

At the same time, we will respect the needs of organizations to make final decisions and
commitments regarding their own structure and resources. For example, the Social Services
Agency and community organizations have hmited authority to make funding decisions

independent of approval by their Boards. We recognize the need for organizations to participate

freely without implying commitments which they may not be able to meet.

STAFFING

So far, the Social Services Agency has provided the bulk of the staff to support the Employment

Support Initiative. This Workplan presumes that the Agency will continue to provide most of the
staff and support resources, and invites other orgamzations to identify staff and resources which
they can contribute to the development of the Employment Support Initiative, beyond participation
in the Committees and Workgroups outlined above. Also, we welcome requests from
organizations and individuals for opportunities to comment on our materials.

The Social Services Agency is committed to providing suflBcient resources to support the next
phase of the project, including a project manager, analysts, and clerical support. The Agency may
also draw on consultants where needed, such as for assistance in supporting the extensive
community involvement, program design, or other areas.

In particular, the Manpower Development Research Corporation(MDRC)has offered to provide

technical assistance to the project. We are exploring the details of this, and anticipate receiving
their expert input on core program design issues.

LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL

The state Legislature, the Governor, state agencies, and counties will have primary responsibility
for setting welfare policy in California. For the Employment Support Initiative to be successful,

6

we must obtain support for it in Sacramento, either by incorporating its key policies within the
state plans or by obtaining authorization to proceed on a pilot basis.
Santa Clara County’s Social Services Agency has historically played a significant role in the

legislative process in Sacramento. The legislative workgroup and/or Coordinating Committee will
be convened to develop the legislative time lines and processes for drafting the full proposal, and
will include community participation in creating the proposal. The Board of Supervisors has
introduced a “spot bill” which can serve as the place-holder for a more detailed proposal.

Legislative advocacy on behalf of our bill will necessarily include all interested participants in the
ESI effort and will be coordinated through the Legislative Workgroup.

SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL AND ANALYTIC APPROACH

In addition to legislative activities, the primary focus ofthe next phase of the Employment Support
Initiative will be developing and implementing an employment support system. We have attached a
general outline (Attachment 1) of a service delivery model based on the Concept Paper. We
recognize that actual implementation depends on several factors.

First, we need legal authority to create the system. The Governor’s welfare reform proposal
provides substantial local flexibility; it is not yet clear if this is adequate.

Second, we need to evaluate our ideal model against the reality of budgets, organizational

capacities, alternatives with a record of success, and other factors. This will include examrning
local programs and approaches to determine what works best in the Santa Clara Valley. This effort
will be a major part of the Initiative in the coining months, and will include a strong analytic
approach to developing a workable system. Attachment 2 presents an initial summary ofthe issues
we will consider in designing a new system as we develop the details.

Third, we plan to implement the Initiative in phases, recognizing that existing systems are simply
too large and complex to change quickly, but that we should be able to initiate real progress
relatively soon. We will work out the details of implementation as we get further into the next
phase.

SCHEDULE

Attachment 3 presents a preliminary and very tentative schedule for Employment Support Initiative
activities for the next several months.

7

ATTACHMENT 1

SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL

for the Santa Clara Valley Employment Support Initiative
January 24, 1997

INTRODUCTION

This document presents a generic high-level service delivery model for the Santa Clara Valley
Employment Support Initiative(ESI); a flow chart is attached. Exceptions will apply for
specialized groups such as teen parents. Changes will also be needed as the requirements for
California’s CalTAP program are developed. The model will be implemented in phases.Note
that there is no presumption of where services will be provided, beyond those discussed in the
Concept Paper. We' have outlined mostly functions to be performed, not details or the process
for performing them.
Also note that this is a high-level first cut at the service delivery model, based largely on the
Concept Paper. Our intent is to provide a starting point for discussion and analysis. We propose
to further refine and develop the model through the process outlined in the Workplan.
The ESI will deliver the following services to low-income families from Employment Service
Centers and other locations;

Employment and training services
Employment support and family services
Employment retention services
Welfare diversion loans or grants
Financial assistance.

INITIAL SCREENING & REFERRAL

Families visiting an Employment Service Center will be greeted by a Screenef, and asked to
complete a short assessment to.identify services they are interested in. Screening for families
who enter the process through other doors will be performed at their point of origination. The
Screener will refer the family to one or more of the following:

' “We” refers to the entire ESI effort; not the Social Services Agency.
1

Electronic Data Bank

A self-referral electronic data bank will provide users with lists of community services, including
those listed below. (Assistance using the system will be available.)
Job listings
Training and community college programs
Child care providers
Career (clothes) closet
Transportation assistance
Cash aid, Food Stamp, and Medi-Cal benefits
Child support services

Government benefits such as Social Security, and state unemployment and disability
insurance

Money management counseling
Housing assistance
Mental health services
Public health services
Substance abuse services
Domestic abuse services

Immigrant and citizenship services
Children and youth services
Teen parent services
Services for the elderly and disabled

Mentors and support groups, including Employment Retention Coaches
24-hour Job Retention Hotline.

Information and referrals will also be provided electronically at other locations, including
government and community agency offices, and via the Internet.
Child Support

A child support worker will assist families in obtaining child support.
Diversion Loan/Grant

A case worker will assist working families that only need a short-term welfare diversion loan or
grant to cover an employment-related expense.
Group Orientation

A group orientation will provide families requesting employment or financial assistance with an
explanation of the ESI vision, welfare reform time limits, employment and training opportunities.
2

employment support services, and public assistance benefits.
INITIAL ASSESSMENT & JOB SEARCH

After the group orientation, any family requesting services will meet with a Family Assistance
Worker for an employability assessment and public assistance eligibility determination.
Employment services will be provided simultaneously with the determination of eligibility for

public assistance benefits. Parents who are currently employable (able to work) will immediately
begin a job search. The following employment support services will be available to these
parents:

Job listings and referrals

Job search workshops with interviewing and resume assistance
A telephone and computer bank
Employment support groups and mentors
On-site child care for job search activities
Child care referrals

Career (clothes) closet.

In addition, the following services will be available to all families. (Some parents may need
special services, such as substance abuse treatment, before they are able to begin job search
activities.):
Child care referrals

Transportation assistance

Money management counseling
Immigrant and citizenship services
Housing assistance
Mental health services
Public health services
Substance abuse services
Domestic abuse services

Children and youth services
Teen parent services
Services for the elderly and disabled.
WORK READINESS SCREENING

Employable parents who did not find employment through their initial job search will meet with
a Family Assistance Worker for a work readiness screening. (This screening may not be
completed by the long-term Family Assistance Worker.) Together, the parent and the Family
Assistance Worker will assess the parent’s work readiness, establish employment and family
self-sufficiency goals, and develop an employment plan which includes the preparation and
3

services necessary for the family to become self-sufficient. This may include any of the services
mentioned before, as well as the following:
Vocational training
GED preparation
ESL and basic literacy training
Subsidized employment
On-the-job training (subsidized or not)
CASE MANAGEMENT

A Family Assistance Worker will continue to meet with the family on an as-needed basis to
provide support, assess progress, help the family make adjustments to meet employment and
self-sufficiency goals, and ensure compliance with program requirements. More intensive
services will be provided to those families that need additional assistance to become selfsufficient.

Family Assistance Workers will also monitor public assistance eligibility and benefits for all
famihes. Families that are exempt from employment requirements because an adult is currently
unable to work will also meet with the Family Assistance Worker to ensure that they are
connected with all necessary services. When these parents become employable, they will be
required to conduct the initial job search, and then complete the employment activities described
under Work Readiness Screening if they cannot find work.
EMPLOYMENT RETENTION SERVICES

Parents who become employed at any point in the process will still have access to the services
described in this model. Families will continue to receive cash aid and Food Stamps until their
income exceeds the public assistance limits. Transitional Child Care payments and Transitional
Medi-Cal benefits will be available to families for up to two years after the discontinuance of
cash aid.

In addition to these services, a 24-hour Job Retention Hotline will connect working parents with
job support services to help them continue on the job in the event of a crisis, including:
Sick child care referrals

Ride sharing information
Counseling for on-the-job issues
Continued career counseling and training to upgrade skills.
If a parent does lose a job, all of the services described in this model will be immediately

available to help him or her find new employment quickly.

4

Full-time employment at a low-wage job is not enough to meet the needs of most families.
Many will continue to need employment retention services for sometime before their earnings
increase to a level that enables them to be entirely self-sufficient. Employment retention services

will provide vital support to working families, and help them make the transition from poverty to
full self-sufficiency.

5

FLOW CHART

This chart outlines the generic service delivery process for the Santa Clara Valley Employment Support Initiative (ES"'
Screener

'
'

Electronic
Data Bank

ESI

Diversion
Loan/Grant

Orientation

Employability Assessment &
Public Assistance Eligibility
Determination

Referrals for

Employment Support &
Family Services

Employed -

Job Search

Retention Services

Work Readiness

Screening

Employed -

Employment

Retention Services

Activities

Case Management
Monitoring of Employment Activities, Public
Assistance Benefits and Employment

Support & Family Services

Employed -Retention Services

Child Support

Exempt from
Employment

ATTACHMENT 2

SANTA CLARA VALLEY EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT INITIATIVE (ESI)
PROGRAM DESIGN ISSUES
January 24, 1997

Subject
Case management

Lead Staff

Marcia

Issues

Work Group
(if appropriate)
To be determined

Case management models and strategies
Transfer of functions,job classifications
Co-location of financial and employment services

Bolster

Employment and support services, family resources, financial

Co-location of services

aid
SSA & CBOs

Technology

Mary
Rudolph

Technology

Electronic referrals

Others?

Community/web links
Tracking (via GAIN system?)
Co-location

Child Support

Electronic connections

1

Employment and training

Workforce Preparation

Employer connections

and Others

EDD/JTPA connections

Job training and education
Job and work experience slots (Connect with Economic
Development)

Capacity for employment-related services; job search,
training, GED,job placement and work experience
Short-term job acquisition; long-term potential wage increase
Specialized programs or categories(why and how)for:
- Teens?

- Absent parents?
- Addicts?

- Immigrants?
- Self employment?
Retention hotline

Retention

Mentoiing/coaching/

Retention

See technology; resources, staffing, location

support groups
Child care

Children and Youth

On-site child care centers

Increase slots (including off hours, sick child, emergency
care)

Develop integrated system (need definition of this term)
Children and youth

Children and youth

Youth diversion: work experience, training, stay in school,
and Teen parent programs.
Are current school programs sufficient
Examine overlaps in caseloads

Transportation

Board of Supervisors help with transportation hours and
vouchers

Investigate donated cars

2

Housing
Immigrants

Housing

Housing Authority lead

Immigrant Task Force

Establish trust fund for housing needs including deposits
Inclusion of services to meet immigrant needs within the
overall structure

Economic development
Change management for
affected organizations

including clients.

Eligibility simplification
Diversion loans/grants

Training in new systems, cultural and organizational change
Simplification of public assistance rules and regulations
Short-term loans/grants to prevent further assistance or a job

Employer connections

Communication (who, how, what, when) to affected groups,

loss

Community Relations

Gil

Public Information

Ensure active participation of the community and all groups

Villagran
Client Involvement

with an interest in ESI

Client Leadership

Ensure client involvement in ESI

Funding
Legislation

Funding sources for ESI programs

Develop proposed legislation necessary to implement ESI
Solicit legislative and public support

Legislative

Other?

REPORTING TO ESI:

South County Pilot

South County Welfare

Develop and implement an Employment Service Center

Reform Design Team

welfare reform pilot in the South County area

3

WELFARE REFORM
LEGISlATIO\ TIMELINE'

Jan. 14

Board authorized "spot bill" legislation

jan. 24

Last day to submit bill requests to Legislative Counsel

Feb. 28

Last day to introduce bills

Mar. 10

Approximate date of first policy committee hearing

Mar. 20-Mar. 31

Easter recess

April 25

Last day for policy committees to hear and report fiscal bills in house
of origin

May 15

Governor issues revision and update of his proposed budget(May
Revise)

May 30

Last day for fiscal committees to report bills to floor in house of origin

June 6

Last day for bills to clear house of origin

June 15

Budget bil l must be passed

July 18

Last day for policy committees to meet and report bills from other
house

July 18-Aug.17

Summer recess

Aug. 29

Last day for fiscal committees to meet and report bills from other
house

Sept. 12

Last day for any bill to be passed by both houses
Interim Recess begins

Oct. 12

/kmg 1/23/97
[wp-welref3]

Last day for Governor to sign or veto bil ls

ID

Task Narr

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uary 1997
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ations

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Community Outr»«*

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March 1997

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4/13

May 1997

J 4/20 I 4/27 I 5/4 I 5/11|5/18|SnS

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23

Program Planning and ImpIamanUtJon Schaduie

25

OveiaigW Committoo ipprov** Draft Worfcpian

26

Davaioping 4 raftning model

27

initial Implementation - Employmeot Retention Demo. lor Refugee

28

Pti**# II Impiemontatioo

29

FuU Implemenubon

1/23/87
:

1/23/97

I
1/23/97

7/1/97

1/1/98

7/1/98
•y

Projod: Prolimlnary Schoduie

Juns

6/1 I 6/8 I

6122 I 6/29

2/3/97

Public Forum
3m/97

24

April 1997

I 3/16 I 3/23 I 3Aa0

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Pro-£mpioyment Ao«nda

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F«t>rmty1997

1/12 I 1/19 |l/26 I 2Q I 2«' I 2/16 I 27

Task

Mileslons

Dale: 1/28/97

Progress

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Rollori Up Task

Summary

Roiled Up Milestone <3>
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Rolled Up Progress

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