Work Support Strategies in North Carolina

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Work Support Strategies in North Carolina

• April 22, 2013
• Dottie Rosenbaum
• Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

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WSS NATIONAL TEAM
PROJECT MANAGEMENT/ EVALUATION
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
FUNDERS
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WHAT IS WSS?
Improve families wellbeing by increasing
enrollment in the full package of work supports
Help states deliver benefits more effectively and
efficiently
Share lessons learned to inform state and federal
policies
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Plan for Presentation

• A Brief Summary of WSS from National Perspective
• NC WSS Project and Accomplishments So Far and the
  Road Ahead

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A Brief Summary of WSS
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WSS Aims to Integrate and Modernize Delivery of

• Medicaid/ CHIP
• SNAP (Food and Nutrition Services)
• CCDBC (child care subsidies)
• Others identified by the states (such as TANF and
  energy assistance)

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Families and Workers Caught in a Cycle
Families need for help
Long lines, cant process
Not enough workers
Miss work, lose benefits
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Responsive Government Is A Widely Shared Value

• State and County elected officials of both
  parties
• Hear from constituents about problems
• Want to modernize service delivery, reduce
  complaints, end antiquated bureaucracy.
• Want to reduce duplication and improve
  efficiency.

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Improvements Benefit Children and Families

• Getting families the whole work supports package
  will help them move up on the job.
• Keeping children on health insurance without gaps
  will improve outcomes.
• Understanding families needs all at once will
  help them solve their problems more quickly.

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Two Phase Design

• One year (2011)
• Nine states
• 250,000 grant
• Leveraged resources
• Extensive technical assistance, peer-to-peer
• Data-driven assessment
• Culminated in state action plan
• Year 1 Evaluation Reports Available

PART 1 PLANNING AND PILOTING
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Two Phase Design

• Three years (20122015)
• Six states
• 1-1.5 million each
• Leveraged resources
• Extensive technical assistance, peer-to-peer
• Implementation and impact evaluations
• Information sharing with federal officials

PART 2 IMPLEMENTATION
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The States
Colorado
Idaho
Illinois
North Carolina
South Carolina
Rhode Island
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State Activities
Technology information systems
Communications Project Management

• Business processes

Data analysis and use
Policy
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North Carolina at the halfway point
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North Carolina Key Activities

1. Formalize and strengthen county and state
   partnerships.
2. Develop organizational culture that supports new
   service delivery system.
3. Build infrastructure to support new service
   delivery system.
4. Communicate the vision for a new service delivery
   system.
5. Increase capacity for data collection and
   analysis.
6. Reduce burdensome policies and procedures.
7. Perform staff development and readiness
   activities.

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North Carolina WSS Vision

• Families will tell their story once, and receive
  the services they need

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Knitting Together Multi-Agency and State-County
Teams

• No Quick Fixes
• Multi-pronged Strategies
• Formal Committees and Structures
• Communication
• Culture and Reflexes
• At all levels

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Aligning Technology to Support Vision

• Technology is a major tool
• NCFAST
• Cross-program sharing of data
• Case management
• Document imaging
• But not the only tool.
• Also Need Process and Policy Coordination

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Providing Tools to Help Counties Navigate and
Make Decisions

• Practice Model
• Communication Toolkit
• Technical Assistance
• Hands-on
• Other resources
• Sharing best practices across counties
• Data Toolkit
• Video
• And lots and lots of meetings like this one!

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Data for Decision-Making and for Knowing What
Works

• Cross-program enrollment
• Efficiency improvements
• Family well-being
• Move ahead with existing data while investing in
  building better data and staff capacity to use
  the data.

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Making Sure Staff Have Needed Support

• In addition to the other tools, retool support
  for staff

• Staff Development plans
• Training and skills
• Readiness for change

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Why WSS Matters in North Carolina

• You can
• Make a difference millions of families lives
• Show how a big, state with 100 counties can
  accomplish positive changes
• Address families issues holistically
• Show that government can be efficient and
  effective