To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Human Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Katie Greaves 565-8501, Michelle Bendyk, 565-7000
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Addition of 2.0 Full-Time Equivalent limited-term Social Service Worker III positions for the Human Services Department Housing and Disability Advocacy Program
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a position resolution approving the addition of 2.0 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) limited-term Social Service Worker III positions for the Housing and Disability Advocacy Program (HDAP) for the period of June 2, 2020 through June 30, 2021 utilizing existing HDAP funds expiring on June 30, 2021.
end
Executive Summary:
The Human Services Department (HSD) is requesting authority to add 2.0 FTE limited-term Social Service Worker III (SSW III) positions from June 2, 2020, through June 30, 2021 for the State-funded Housing and Disability Advocacy Program (HDAP), which assists homeless individuals with disabilities and veterans to find and sustain housing while they apply for disability benefits. Since the program began as a pilot in Sonoma County in July 2018, the HSD has primarily staffed HDAP with a time-limited Social Service Worker IV position slated to end on June 30, 2020. Per Assembly Bill (AB) 121 (2019), the term of the initial round of funding for the HDAP pilot was extended for another year from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021. HSD is proposing to use $23,300 of the HDAP funds to pay for two new positions for the remainder of this fiscal year, and the remaining balance of $445,384 in HDAP funds will roll over to FY 20-21 to pay for the positions and direct services to clients.
Discussion:
HDAP was originally authorized by AB 1603 (Chapter 25, Statutes of 2016), and since January 2018, HSD has received $1,706,946 for the program. HDAP follows a Housing First model, and assists homeless individuals with disabilities and veterans to find and sustain housing while they apply for disability benefits. Eligible individuals must be recipients of General Assistance and must be in the process of applying for either Veterans benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI).
Funding for HDAP includes state funding with required matching funds leveraged from other existing HSD sources including staff time for SSI Advocacy, GA outreach, eligibility, care coordination, housing case management, and participating in the Interdepartmental Multi-Disciplinary Team (IMDT) through ACCESS Sonoma. HSD uses ACCESS to recruit eligible clients for HDAP funding. HSD manages the eligibility process and handles all fiscal components. ACCESS does not have a role in matching dollars to clients.
HSD is an active member of the IMDT and as such works collaboratively with DHS and CDC to provide housing and other wrap-around supportive services to assist homeless IMDT clients with obtaining and retaining permanent housing.
Since the program’s inception, HSD has staffed HDAP with 1.0 FTE limited-term Social Worker IV slated to end June 30, 2020 (the position is currently vacant), and 1.0 FTE Social Worker Assistant who is being transitioned to Adult Protective Services. Per AB 121 (2019), the term of the initial round of funding for the HDAP pilot, which was scheduled to end June 30, 2020, was extended through June 30, 2021. HSD currently has a balance of $445,384 in HDAP funds which the State is allowing HSD to roll-over into FY 20-21. HSD is requesting authority to add 2 FTE limited-term Social Service Worker III positions from June 2, 2020 through June 30, 2021.
The SSW IIIs being added to the HDAP program will be responsible for providing outreach, assessment, case management, and linkage to resources for the population of people served by the program. Services provided will focus on basic health and safety, connection to behavioral health services, application for Supplemental Security Income, transitional and permanent housing assistance, and connection with various safety net programs and services.
In January 2019, HSD executed a contract with InterFaith Shelter Network (IFSN) to provide up to 8 beds of transitional housing, intensive case management support, and direct financial assistance that could be quickly provided to landlords to secure housing units as soon as they became available. IFSN also provides case management to up to 50 HDAP clients whether or not the clients are residing in IFSN transitional housing. Case management support focuses on reducing barriers to housing and securing and maintaining permanent housing.
Whereas HSD staff focuses on the social services needs of the clients, IFSN staff focuses more on direct housing services: individuals are able to reside in an IFSN-owned transitional house and are ultimately placed in permanent housing through the IFSN network of available housing. Most HDAP participants receive services through a team approach coordinated by HSD and IFSN staff, and the staff work seamlessly together to effectively coordinate serves for individuals in the program.
To date, staff have enrolled 44 individuals into HDAP and 58 individuals into the Coordinated Entry system. All 44 clients enrolled in HDAP have been assisted with the disability application process, and 19 of those disability applications have been approved. HDAP staff provides every client enrolled in the program with housing case management, and have assisted 25 clients in securing permanent housing.
The 2019-20 Budget Act (Senate Bill 80) appropriated an additional $25 million statewide for HDAP to continue on an ongoing basis, with a $25 million annual appropriation. Sonoma County was just allocated baseline funding of $338,921 and an additional amount of $259,807 for FY 19-20. Given the short timeframe, it is unlikely that the money can be utilized this fiscal year, and the hope is that the State will authorize a rollover of the funding to FY 20-21, but this has not yet been decided. The ongoing baseline amount of funding for HDAP is anticipated to be similar to this year’s amount of $338,921 with the option to apply for the additional funds each year as available. Depending upon ongoing state funding, HSD will continue to contract with IFSN for HDAP housing services.
Prior Board Actions:
July 9, 2019: Board approved a contract with Interfaith Shelter Network in the amount of $235,000 for HDAP services from July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020.
May 21, 2019: Board adopted a position resolution to approve the addition of 1.0 FTE time-limited Social Work Assistant to support HDAP and the Home Safe Program.
April 17, 2018: Board accepted grant funding of $742,846 through June 2020 to administer HDAP in HSD.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 19-20 Adopted |
FY20-21 Projected |
FY 21-22 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
23,300 |
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
455,384 |
|
|
Total Expenditures |
23,300 |
$455,384 |
|
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
23,300 |
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
455,384 |
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
23,300 |
$455,384 |
|
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
In FY 2019-2020, 2.0 FTE SSW IIIs will be hired for the HDAP program within the Employment & Training division. The $23,300 cost for 2.0 SSW IIIs for the period of June 2 to June 30, 2020 will be offset by the CDSS funding intended specifically for the HDAP pilot. The remaining available HDAP pilot program funding balance of $455,384 will be spent in FY 2020-2021, of which $288,000 will be spent on the 2.0 FTEs, while the remaining $167,384 will be spent on the support and care of persons (53012). Local in-kind match will be made from current spending in other homelessness programs and General Assistance. No county General Fund will be required for this program. General Fund is a component of General Assistance, but no additional obligations are placed on General Fund other than what has been budgeted for FY 2020-21.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
Social Service Worker III |
$5203.89 - $6325.71 |
2.0 FTE TL |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
Approval will add 2.0 TL SSW III positions to the Employment and Training Division to support the HDAP program.
Attachments:
Position Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None