DHS strives to enable low-income people to move towards self-sufficiency.

DHS AND WELFARE -TO- WORK
During FY 99-00, DHS continued to build on the strong foundation of welfare-to work programs implemented in the previous year. We reaffirmed our commitment to San Francisco's low-income residents by refining our workforce development system, expanding education and training programs, and developing new services to help former clients retain their jobs and seek better positions. We also reaffirmed the major objectives of our welfare-to-work efforts:

· To establish strong policy and program linkages between economic development and job creation activities, which include job training, placement and retention services.

· To build partnerships between job seekers, the employer community and service providers.

· To create on-the-job and/or work experience opportunities for individuals transitioning from welfare to work.

· To expand child care resources to make it

possible for parents to participate in work or training.

· To establish career centers in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods that bring public agencies responsible for employment services to people who need the services.

· To provide supportive services for people seeking to enter the labor market and to help remove barriers to their success.

· To strengthen child support enforcement systems and support for non-custodial parents to ensure maximum income to families with children.

DHS primarily administers welfare-to-work services through CalWORKs, which serves families, and PAES, which was created to serve adults without minor children. Both programs represent innovative, comprehensive approaches to promoting self-sufficiency that take into account the nature of our local economy and resources while creating a system for moving people from welfare to employability.

CALIFORNIA WORK OPPORTUNITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO KIDS (CALWORKS)
DHS implemented the CalWORKs program in 1998 in response to federal welfare reform legislation. Through CalWORKs, participants enroll in a personalized welfare-to-work plan. San Francisco's orientation to welfare reform continues to focus on providing a level of individualized case management and appropriate services that adequately prepares CalWORKs recipients for the world of work, aids them in securing jobs, and assists them in retaining and advancing in employment. CalWORKs offers a full complement of individualized programs, including vocational training and education, child care, transportation, mental health and substance abuse services, family support, domestic violence counseling, and post-employment retention services.

PERSONAL ASSISTANCE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES (PAES)
PAES is the County Adult Assistance Program that provides cash aid and services to low-income employable San Francisco residents who want to leave the public assistance roles by becoming self-sufficient through employment. Modeled after CalWORKs, it is a unique program for adults without minor children-no other California county has a similar program. PAES participants are eligible for many services that are focused on finding and retaining employment, including case management, employment training, housing, substance abuse and mental health counseling, and a variety of ancillary need items such as MUNI fast passes.

Employment Support Services (ESS)

The Employment Support Services program provides work readiness, assessment, placement and counseling services to CalWORKs and PAES participants as well as to needy families who are not on aid, who are applying for aid or who have been discontinued. The program offers participants a team of vocational assessors, employment placement experts and work readiness trainers at three career centers, where they can attend workshops, receive counseling and job coaching services, and access the Internet for job searches.

Building Partnerships

between Job-Seekers and Employers

In FY 99-00, DHS continued the First Source Hiring Ordinance, a program which identifies emerging entry-level employment opportunities, designs training programs which prepare individuals for these jobs, and provides businesses access to qualified job candidates. DHS also continued to work with the business community to develop sector-specific training opportunities to meet their needs in fields such as information technology and hospitality.

A Closer Look at Self-Sufficiency

DHS's welfare-to-work services are distinguished by innovative special initiatives created directly in response to the needs of our participants and our staff.

Four-Year Scholarship Program

CalWORKs participants who are engaged in an academic program that will take longer than 24 months to complete may be eligible for special funding through the DHS Four-Year Scholarship Program. Participants will receive a scholarship that will make up for the reduction in their CalWORKs grants.

Career Advancement and Job Retention Services

DHS has created a committee comprised of former CalWORKs recipients and representatives of approximately 40 organizations. The committee members have developed an exhaustive list of services which will assist participants to move up their career ladders and will become the blueprint for implementation of a new Career Advancement and Job Services Retention Program.

Services to Job Seekers with Limited English Skills

DHS employment specialists have discovered that some of their clients have severely limited English skills. In response, DHS staff met with San Francisco City College to develop the Vocational-ESL Immersion Program, now known as VIP. Participants attend classes eight hours per day, five days per week, and the focus is on oral communication and worksite-related vocabulary. Other new services include ESL testing, targeted vocational assessment, employability skills assessment, interpretive services and translated job search materials.

San Francisco City College Certification in Human Services

DHS has been working with San Francisco City College to develop a Certification in Human Services for its employment counselors. The certification program will strengthen their ability to be effective, and will also open promotional opportunities within DHS for them.

Child Care Services

For parents who are struggling to move from welfare-to-work, child care can be an overwhelming economic barrier to self-sufficiency. As part of the DHS strategic plan to help families move to independence, we have increased child care expenditures for welfare recipients and families who have moved off of aid from $2 million to $20 million in the last two years. Families are eligible for subsidized care for children from birth to 13 years of age while participating in their CalWORKS plan, and for up to two years after they leave cash aid. DHS is underwriting new child care centers and expanding existing centers to meet increased demand.

Community Jobs Initiative

The Community Jobs Initiative (CJI) is the first wage-based community service program in the State of California. Participants are paid a wage to work in jobs in non-profit or public agencies. By earning a wage, participants are entitled to the Earned Income Tax Credit and develop paid work history. In addition to financial benefits, the time-limited program offers participants intensive case management and a focus on acquiring marketable skills on the job.

Construction and Maritime Training Center

This year, DHS partnered with City College of San Francisco to develop a Construction and Maritime Training Center located at the College's Evans Street campus. DHS will provide $600,000 of the total $1.1 million funding pledged to develop the center, which will prepare an estimated 600 low-income San Franciscans for high-paying construction, carpentry and maritime-related careers.

Employment Support Services (ESS)

As DHS changes its focus from eligibility to employment, Employment Support Services plays an important role in providing placement services for clients. In FY 99-00, ESS expanded its services, opening its second employment center, Express to Employment Center (ETEC), to assist individuals in the CalWORKs and PAES program in securing employment and its first Employment Information Center (EIC) at 170 Otis Street. Clients who come to DHS to apply for aid can immediately access employment services onsite at the EIC. Some ESS clients have been so successful at finding employment through the Center that they have not needed to enroll in any assistance programs.

Dental Services and Optical Care for PAES Participants

Because the need for dental and vision care is a barrier to employment, PAES staff worked with the Department of Public Health to develop a program to provide both dental and optical services.

The dental program became operational in October 1999. As of April 27, 2000, 141 PAES participants had received dental services. The vision component of the program was developed with the assistance of Site for Sore Eyes. To date, approximately 200 participants are seeing better thanks to this service. Feedback from participants indicates that these items have been morale boosters, helping them to restore their self-esteem and making it easier to find work.

DHS strives to preserve and protect the well-being of families, children, the elderly, and dependent adults.

Through our mission, DHS is charged with providing services which build families and communities in order to help each individual reach his or her fullest potential. Our mission also calls upon us to provide protective services which shield individuals from abuse, and to recognize that each person we assist is an individual with worth and dignity. DHS administers four programs to meet these goals.

FA M I LY AND CHILDREN' S SERVICES (FCS)
The Family and Children's Services division provides a wide range of services designed to protect children when a threat of abuse, neglect, exploitation or abandonment presents a danger to a child's safety. The focus of FCS is family support and family preservation. The goal is to provide families with needed services wherever possible to end the problems that create a danger to the child.

FCS continues to support six community-based Family Resource Centers (FRCs), where families can receive mentoring and parent education. The centers focus on prevention and help to improve family functioning and child well-being. In FY 99-00, DHS also initiated planning with the Unified Family Court and the domestic violence community to begin to examine strategies in working with children and families for whom violence is an issue. We have been named as a finalist for a federal grant to proceed with this planning.

DHS also was selected as a finalist for the Ford Foundation Innovations in American Government Award of the Kennedy School of Harvard University for its Kinship Support Network. This network is a national model that provides an array of services for relative caregivers, and is a partnership with the Edgewood Center for Children and Families

FOSTER CARE
Foster Care is a partnership between DHS and the community. Children come into Foster Care because of abuse, neglect or abandonment, and our enduring goal for them is to provide emergency and long-term care until their natural parents are able to care for them or until the child is adopted or placed with a legal guardian. Foster Care provides a temporary, safe and caring home for these children while their families work with the court and their social workers. Some children stay in Foster Care for as few as one or two days, while others stay their entire childhood. Foster parents participate in an eight-week training program prior to earning a license to care for children, and are reimbursed monthly for their foster child's care.

A D U LT PROTECTIVE SERVICES (APS)

Adult Protective Services investigates possible abuse of the elderly and disabled. This abuse can be physical, emotional or fiduciary. If abuse has occurred, and the abused person consents, social workers provide short-term counseling and referral services to stop the abuse and insure the on-going safety of the person. These services are available to anyone who is abused or is perceived to be abused. There are no restrictions based on income or assets. DHS also continues an active role in lobbying for stronger laws and increased funding for the historically under-funded Adult Protective Services program.

IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES (IHSS)
In recognition of most people's innate desire to remain in their own homes despite illness or disability, DHS administers an In-Home Supportive Services program. IHSS is a state-funded program for low-income blind, aged and disabled people that allows them to avoid institutionalization. Through IHSS, DHS provides personal care such as bathing and assistance with meals, and domestic services such as cleaning, shopping and laundry.

During FY 99-00, DHS collaborated with the IHSS Public Authority and the Mayor's Office to continue to increase hourly wages of IHSS workers from $7.00 to $9.00 per hour and establish health and dental benefits. Funding will be appropriated to further increase hourly wages to $9.70 in FY 00-01.

A Closer Look at Preservation and Protection of Families and Dependent Adults

Pilot Program Covers IHSS Share of Cost

With support from community activists and the Board of Supervisors, DHS initiated a special pilot for clients who are required to pay for their IHSS services, but unable to afford their share of cost. Currently, some clients with small pensions are required to pay a share of the cost for IHSS, and are then eligible to receive both Medi-Cal and IHSS services. A research component scheduled for FY 00-01 will assess the impact of the pilot.

Protecting the Elderly

Two bills were passed by the California State legislature in 1999 establishing Adult Protective Services (APS) reporting requirements-AB 1780, which mandates reporting of suspected abuse, and SB 2199, which also expands the scope of the APS program. The changes created by these bills will apply to all DHS employees, and are two-fold: the definition of who is considered to be a mandated reporter has been expanded, and so have the categories of abuse and neglect.

A city-wide elder abuse awareness campaign was initiated in May 2000 with the technical assistance of the Municipal Fiscal Advisory Council. The period between Mother's Day and Father's Day was declared Elder Abuse Awareness Month. The campaign included public service announcements and extensive distribution of fliers in utility bills. APS staff conducted outreach to over 100 agencies to explain new changes in the reporting laws, and implemented a new computer system called AACTS (Adult Abuse Client Tracking System) which will provide staff with immediate access to client information, resulting in a more effective emergency intervention program.

New Programs for Families and Children

The Family and Children's Services Division of DHS has developed several new projects to benefit families and children. The Ruth E. Smith Foster Care Demonstration Project, a collaboration with several community-based organizations, began working with its first families in FY 99-00. The project is aimed at reducing the number of children in out-of-home placement, reducing the length of stay for children who are placed out of home, improving the stability of placements, strengthening the life-skills of participating children, supporting parents, and strengthening families. This year, DHS also initiated a partnership with the Annie E. Casey Family-to-Family Program to develop a five-year plan to improve recruitment, training and supportive services for foster parents so that they can develop a deeper partnership with workers, the courts and the families of the children in their care.

Provide safety net services to low-income persons unable to support themselves.

DHS recognizes that some individuals cannot achieve self-sufficiency-either in the short or long term-because of overwhelming issues such as physical disability, mental health, homelessness or age. The services provided to these individuals are designed to help them stabilize their lives so that they might seek employment in the future when possible, and to help them maintain a humane quality of life in cases where employment will not be possible. In the process of providing this support, we seek to treat clients with absolute courtesy and compassion, and to involve them to the greatest extent possible in the decisions that will affect their lives.

DHS offers a wide range of services to these individuals and families.

County Adult Assistance Program (CAAP)

DHS restructured its General Assistance program in 1998, superseding it with CAAP, which consists of PAES and three other programs that provide assistance to single adults who are not able to support themselves. Each of these programs is designed to support a different population with different needs.

Cash Assistance Linked to Medi-Cal (CALM)

CALM provides cash assistance to low-income seniors and people with permanent disabilities who previously qualified for SSI. To receive a CALM grant, a person must be a San Francisco resident receiving Medi-Cal for the Aged, Blind or Disabled. CALM is administered by the Medi-Cal program.

Supplemental Security Income Pending (SSIP)

SSIP provides cash assistance to elderly and disabled adults applying for Social Security income assistance.

General Assistance (GA)

GA serves as a safety net for individuals who are ineligible for other CAAP programs.

A Closer Look at Safety Net Services

New Transitional and Supportive Housing

The Housing and Homeless Division's Shelter Plus Care Program is a rental subsidy program funded through a grant from HUD. The target population is homeless persons who have lived on the streets or in shelters, and who have a disability related to substance abuse, mental health or HIV/AIDS. The division has 22 Shelter Plus Care sites. Also this year, our first 29 families moved onto the new Shelter Plus Care site on Treasure Island, a former military base.

In order to address the inability of many very low-income homeless persons to find housing, DHS created the new Master Lease program, in which DHS contracts with a housing provider to lease entire Single Room Occupancy hotels in the Tenderloin and Mission districts. In addition to upgrading the environment at the hotel for tenants, DHS will subsidize the rent of formerly homeless clients participating in the PAES program.

Healthy Families

The Healthy Families program provides low-cost health, dental and vision insurance for children ages 1 to 19 whose families earn between 100 and 200 percent of the poverty level. Premiums are as low as $4 per month-not to exceed $27 monthly for a family-and participants have a choice of private insurance plans. Healthy Families began in July of 1998 and has the potential to make a huge impact on the health of California's children. DHS has already begun participating in health fairs and working with community groups to spread the word about this program, as well as the Medi-Cal program.

Increasing Food Stamp Outreach

In FY 99-00, impoverished immigrants, homeless people, the elderly, people with disabilities, and working poor individuals and families were targeted by an extensive information campaign conducted by the Food Stamps program. Immigrants were a particularly important target audience, because many did not realize that the benefits which they lost as a result of Welfare Reform in 1996 had been restored by the California Food Assistance Program. DHS continues to educate the community about the availability of Food Stamps, and

is working with other counties, community-based organizations and the State of California to streamline the Food Stamps

application process.

Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) is a state-funded program that pays cash benefits to lawful non-citizens who do not qualify for SSI/SSP solely due to their immigration status. In San Francisco, CAPI is administered through the Medi-Cal program because the benefits are for a similar population as CALM.

To receive CAPI, a person must be over the age of 65, blind, or disabled; be a non-citizen legally present in the United States; and meet certain financial criteria.

Food Stamps is a nutrition-assistance program that helps low-income people access better nutrition for themselves and their children. It is DHS's single most important program in the fight against hunger. DHS determines eligibility and issues Food Stamps coupons that can be exchanged for food. These coupons are like cash and can be used to purchase any food item except hot foods that are meant to be eaten immediately. Most people enrolled in CalWORKs or CAAP are categorically eligible for Food Stamps. DHS also helps single adults who are not participating in CAAP to meet the work requirement for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents by offering Food Stamp-only Workfare, which assists these individuals in maintaining Food Stamps eligibility.

Housing and Homeless includes a range of services along a continuum of care to assist homeless persons and their families achieve the highest level of self-sufficiency and independence consistent with their capability. In partnership with community-based agencies and other city departments, the Housing and Homeless division provides early intervention and prevention services, emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, child care, employment training and follow-up services. The Housing and Homeless Program pursues a collaborative approach to planning and program development, working closely with other city agencies, nonprofit and private sectors, the advocacy community and consumers to coordinate the design, funding and implementation of programs.

Medi-Cal (California Medicaid) provides assistance to persons who are medically needy but who do not receive cash assistance. Participants in certain programs receive Medi-Cal automatically through those programs; people may also be eligible if they have specific medical problems, are pregnant, under 21 years of age, or in a skilled nursing facility. The Medi-Cal program staff determine eligibility for low-income people in need of medical care and assist them in meeting their health care needs. Benefits include treatment by health care professionals, in-patient and out-patient hospital care, convalescent home care,

prescription drugs, dental care and prosthetic devices.

Administrative Division

The Administrative Division of DHS provides all of the support functions necessary to manage and run the department and to efficiently deliver services to clients. Planning and Budget improves service delivery through proposing, developing and monitoring policies that affect our program and ensuring that the department has the funds to provide services. Civil Rights/Equal Employment Opportunity ensures that public assistance and social services programs are administered in

a non-discriminatory manner. Contracts monitors the department's professional service contracts, while the Information Technology division oversees all computer systems in the department to ensure smooth operations and delivery of service. Human Resources manages all personnel, payroll, exams and staff development functions, and Support Services provides a wide range of vital support functions to more than 1,600 DHS

employees at 14 sites. Investigations ensures

that program integrity is maintained through its fraud prevention, quality control and overpayments programs.

A Closer Look at Administration

Resource Conservation Program

The DHS Administrative Division has embarked on an ambitious and thoughtful program to reduce, reuse and recycle materials that is paying off for the department, taxpayers, workers, clients and the environment. In compliance with AB 939, a state law to reduce California's waste by 50 percent by this year, DHS is doing much more than recycling-it is practicing source reduction by soliciting donations of furniture. DHS continues to recycle white, color and mixed paper products, but is now also recycling Styrofoam, cardboard, bottles and cans. And with the help of The Arc San Francisco, a nonprofit agency serving people with developmental disabilities, DHS is achieving its reduction goal by reusing supplies. Arc participants refurbish used supplies on-site at DHS.