Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAn Rept on Soc Serv FY99-00Albemarle County Department of Social Services Annual Report to Board of Supervisors for Fiscal Years 1999 and 2000 Albemarle Annual Re of Social Services .rVisors LF Service Mission The mission of Albemarle Social Services is to provide services that promote responsibility, individual worth, family integrity, and commitment to community. In Albemarle County, social services are provided through five broad program areas. They are: Benefit Programs - provide medical, financial and food stamp assistance to the citizens of Albemarle, paid from Federal, State, and local funds. - Food Stamps - This program provides coupons to income-eligible persons for the purchase of vital foodstuffs. - General Relief- This program provides temporary maintenance payments for disabled persons, as well as payments for care of children not living with blood relatives. It also provides burial assistance for those who have no family and no means to pay burial expenses. - Auxiliary Grants: Aged and Disabled - These programs provide payments to Homes for Adults on behalf of income eligible clients to pay for shelter, food and some personal care. - TANF - Temporary Assistance to Needy Families - Provides temporary financial assistance to income-eligible families. - State/Local Hospitalization - This program uses local funds to match State funds to reimburse hospitals for care given to indigent residents. - Refugee Resettlement - Provides temporary financial assistance to refugees. - Energy Assistance - Provides assistance to low-income households for wood, coal, gas, oil, or electricity, and is administered by Social Services from October through February. - Medicaid - Determination of eligibility for Federal medical assistance. Service Programs - provide the following services directly, or through purchase of service: Adult Prevention and Support, Adult Protective Services, Child Protective Services, Foster Care and Adoption, Home Based Companion Services, Family Prevention and Support Services, Transportation, the Emergency Utility Program, and Foster Family/Provider Recruitment and Training. - Adult Protective Services - The investigation of complaints and the provision of services for adults who are abused, neglected, or exploited. - Adult Services - Program enabling adults to remain in the least restrictive setting and to function independently. - Child Protective Services - Program investigating complaints and providing services both to children who are abused or neglected, and to their families. This program also performs court-ordered custody investigations. - Foster Care and Adoption - Services provided on behalf of children in the custody of the Department and assistance for families who adopt children. - Prevention and Support Services - Services designed to prevent family break- up and violence by strengthening family functioning. - Intake Services - Screening families in need of emergency services and the provision of information administered through a contract with the Monticello Area Community Action at the Community Assessment Program. - Tri-Area Foster Families - (TAFF) - This program provides for the recruitment and training of foster parents. It includes an Independent Living Program for older foster care children whose goal it is to live independently from a family. TAFF is provided through a contract among Charlottesville Department of Social Services, Greene County Department of Social Services, and Albemarle Department of Social Services. Program Areas Continued 3. Employment and Day Care Services - provide support services inclusive of: employment counseling, education and training, child care, transportation, and other support services to low income working families and families receiving public assistance. Day Care services assist families who are either working and/or are attending school and whose children have day care needs, as well as, provide services to families who are receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and are working towards self-sufficiency. 4. Bright Stars Program - The purpose of the program is to reduce disparities among young children upon formal school entry and to reduce or eliminate those risk factors that lead to early academic failure. The program is a collaborative effort between the Department of Social Services, County schools, and community agencies to provide SUpportive services to at-risk four-year-old children. Currently, there are Bright Stars programs in five of the County's fifteen elementary schools: Stone Robinson, Agnor-Hurt, Greer, Cale and Scottsville. 5. Family Support Program - The Family Support Program is a collaborative venture among the Albemarle County Department of Social Services, the Albemarle County School Division and Community Agencies Supporting Early Intervention and Prevention Services. The program was substantially expanded in 1999, from one Family Support Worker covering two County Schools to ten Social Workers covering all fifteen County elementary schools. The program expansion adds two administrative team members and extends the Bright Stars Family Coordinators to full-time positions. The program is based on the premise that earlier and longer interventions are more effective with at-risk populations and that children whose parents actively participate in their education show the greatest progress. Department Highlights and Accomplishments ® Albemarle County was consistently ranked in the top 10 agencies for the state on three factors of measurement for Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare (VIEW): 1) percent of mandated participants employed, 2) retention rate and 3) wage at placement. ® The agency began implementation of a new mandated uniform assessment tool for Comprehensive Services Act (CSA) in the form of CAFAS Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale. Annual Report FY 1999 Page 2 This assessment looks at a variety of risk factors to determine service needs and is required for all cases funded through Comprehensive Services Act (CSA). As a result of having over a hundred foster care children alone coupled with all of the preventative foster care cases, this was a major undertaking. It is required to repeat the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS) assessment every six months (every three months for children in residential placements). The total number of energy assistance applications taken this year was 637 versus last year's 665. Conversion of the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and Food Stamp cases to Application Benefit Delivery Automation Project (ADAPT) was successfully completed before the state deadline. Accepted to one of five opening slots in the pilot program for Multiple Response System (MRS), implemented and completed the program with success. Through the workers' energy, commitment, and persistence, Albemarle was an important factor in the pilot statewide. Most importantly, we have provided a more family friendly service and, we believe, have expanded our capacity to protect children. Increased the number of children who achieve adoption within two years following Termination of Parental Rights (TPR). From 1995 - 97 the department averaged about two adoptions per year; with six adoptions finalized in FY 99. The total number of adoption subsidy cases has increased from 12 in FY '95 to a current caseload of 42 in FY '99. The Foster Care and Adoption unit embarked on an innovative process of reorganization to better accommodate increased caseload demands, to provide greater programmatic support and accountability, to provide for more planned caseload distribution that complements worker interests and expertise, and to facilitate increased teamwork. Worked with Jefferson Area United Transportation (JAUNT) and Albemarle County Adult Education to develop a drivers education program for Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare (VIEW) customers. Developed packets of helpful information about child care and employment information as well as a quarterly newsletter for all Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients. The self-sufficiency message, as it related to the temporary nature of assistance, and the "work first" message where appropriate, have been incorporated into both our screening and interview process. Workers explore additional or alternative income options with applicants for benefits programs, making appropriate referrals and suggestions. Auxiliary Grants Program Annual Report FY 1999 Page 3 Auxiliary Grants: Aged and Disabled - These programs provide payments to Homes for Adults on behalf of income eligible clients to pay for shelter, food and some personal care. Auxiliary Grant Caseload FY 98199 Month Disabled ~Aged Albemarle County has consistently provided assistance to residents on an on-going basis as indicated by the Aged and Disabled Auxiliary Grant Caseloads. Throughout FY 1999, the Aged Cases Under Care increased by 42% and the Disabled Cases Under Care has indicated a slight decrease of 8%. Albemarle has continued to provide an undiminished level of assistance to Homes for Adults on behalf of income eligible clients. 2 Auxiliary Grant Disabled Applications For FY 1999 Month Applications Received Applications Denied Cases Pending over 45 Days ~Cases Added Cases Closed/Transferred As indicated by the Disabled Applications for FY 1999, there continues to be a constant fluctuation in case application activity. Auxiliaoj Grants Aged Applications For FY t999 10 9 8 ~ 3 2 1 0 FY 1999 saw an increase in cases added to the Auxiliary Grants Aged Caseload of 15. Applications received indicated an average of 3 submitted per month as compared to an average of I denied per month for the fiscal year. Annual Report FY 1999 Page 4 Food Stamps Program Fo~ Stumps - ~is proc prohdes coupons to Mcome-eli¢le pe~ons for the p~ch~e of vi~l foodstuffs. Food Stamp Cases Under Care '98-99 85O 800 ~ 720 ~ 20O 180 140 ~o 6o 40 -- 2o o Month Food Stamp Applications 1998-99 ,,.¢,, ,,-'.'* ¢ ¢ ,~' ¢ .¢'0 ¢ ,~ .¢ ¢ 4,.-* Moml~ -- Applicatiom Denied Cases Added ~Cases Closed/Transferred Food Stamp Cases Under Care caseload activity demonstrated a slight decline in FY 1999. As evidenced by the caseload indicators, application activity fluctuated and applications received reached a top figure of 127 throughout FY 1999. 100 Cases Pending End ofM onth ~ 60 40 Month The average number of Cases Pending the End of the Month was 58 for FY 1999. These cases were not closed out by month end due to issues such as incomplete data, paperwork not received, and client issues. 500 - 400- 300- 200- Average Food Stamp Caseload Since FY 1996 IO00 900 8O0 700 600- 100 0 95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99 Fiscal Year Statistics show that the Food Stamp Caseload has been declining since FY 1996. There has been a 20% decrease in caseloads to present. Annual Report FY 1999 Page 5 General Relief Program General Relief- This program provides temporary maintenance payments for disabled persons, as well as payments for care of children not living with blood relatives. It also provides burial assistance for those who have no family and no means to pay burial expenses. 50 General Relief Cases Under Care ~ 3O ~ 20 Month General Relief Cases Under Care rose slightly. There was an increase of 5% in FY 1999. These cases include Maintenance Unemployables, Interim Assistance, Unattached Children, and an occasional Burial. General Relief Case Activity 1998-99  12 ~ 10 6 4 2 Month ~Applications Denied Cases Added "~"~Cases Closed/Transferred The number of General Relief Applications Received fluctuated from month to month between a high of 13 and a low of 6. The average number of Cases Added per month in FY 1999 was 5. Cases Closed/Transferred dropped from 8 to 3 in FY 1999. 8 GR Cases Pending Over 45 Days 1 Month General Relief Cases Pending Over 45 Days decreased by 29% in FY 1999. Annual Report FY 1999 Page 6 Medicaid Program Medicaid - Determination of eligibility for Federal medical assistance. Medicaid Cases Under Care FY 1999 3000 2900 2800 2700 2600 2500 2400 2300 ............ Month In FY 1999, the average number of Cases Under Care per month was 2735. 180 Medicaid Case Activity 1998-99 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 , Month ~mmmmApplications Received Cases Added ~Cases Closed/Transferred As indicated by the Medicaid Application activity fluctuations occurred throughout FY 1999. Average Medicaid Caseload Since FY 1996 looo 0 95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99 FY The Medicaid caseload has steadily increased by 29% from FY 1996 to FY 1999. 150 Cases Pending over 45 Days Cases Pending over 45 Days decreased by 60% in FY 1999. Annual Report FY 1999 Page 7 Medicaid Program - Continued CMSIP Casetoad A~vity For FY 1999 Since the inception of the Children's Medical Security Insurance Plan (CMSIP) in December 1998, Cases Under Care has steadily increased while caseload activity has fluctuated, as evidenced in the attached graph. Annual Report FY 1999 Page 8 Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program TANF - Temporary Assistance to Needy Families - Provides temporary financial assistance to income-eligible families. TANF Cases Under Care FY 1999 300 250 200 150 ~ 100 Month TANF Cases Pending End of Month 40 ~ 30 ~ 20 ~ 10 ne 0 ........... Month Statistics show that TANF Cases Under Care increased by 5% in the caseload activity during FY 1999. Cases Pending End of Month decreased from 28 in the beginning of FY 1999 to I at the end. TANF Cases Under Care Since 1995 250 ~ 200 1oo Month As a result of the implementation of Welfare Reform in the County, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Cases Under Care has declined by 22% since FY 1995. 6O TANF Application Trends 1998-99 5O ~40 ~ ~ 3o ~ 20 10 Month TANF Application indicators for FY 1999 show varied fluctuations in case activity. There was a slight increase of 6% in Applications Received as well as a 20% increase in Cases Added. ~.. Cases Added ~Cases Closed/Transferred Annual Report FY 1999 Page 9 Adoption Program Foster Care and Adoption - Services provided on behalf of children in the custody of the Department and assistance for families who adopt children. Tri-Area Foster Families - (TAFF) - This program provides for thc recruitment and training of foster parents. It includes an Independent Living Program for older foster care children whose goal it is to live independently from a family. TAFF is provided through a contract among Charlottesville DSS, Greene County DSS, and Albemarle DSS. Number of Children Witfl the Goal of,~lopfion for FY1999 1 # In Permanent Foster Care [] # mB Goal of/~toplion In FY 1999 there was a significant increase in the number of children with the goal of adoption while there was only a slight rise in the number of children in permanent foster care. In FY 1999 the total number of children leaving Foster Care was 31. Of this number 5 were due to finalization of Adoption and 11 were returned home to their families. The remainder of children left for reasons such as emancipation, custody with a relative, commitment to Department of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) or other extenuating circumstances. NLrnber of Children in Acl~tive I-braes for FY 1ffi9 In FY 1999 there were 63 out of a total of 118 children housed in local Foster Care homes in the Charlottesville/Albemarle area. There were a total of 97 children that were with Tri-Area Foster Families (TAFF). Out of the total number of children being housed, it is important to note that a number of these children are in the process of being adopted. Annual Report FY 1999 Page 10 Foster Care Program Foster Care and Adoption - Services provided on behalf of children in the custody of the Department and assistance for families who adopt children. 150 8 ;oo ..~ ~ so 0 ~ 80 ~ 40 '~ 2O g 6o g 40 ~ 2O Foster Care Caseload Trend Over Eleven Years Fiscal Year 48 ~ 53 14 18 ;:. 19 .,i. ? New Foster Care Cases 68~ 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Fiscal Year Specialized and Residential Care Cases Over the Last 12 Months Month NewCases Requiring Specialized Placement 80 60. 40' 20' 0 ~tseal Year EINewFC Cases ~Req. Spec~ Plamment Foster Care caseloads have increased from an average of 32 per year in FY 1988 to 130 per year in FY 1999 equating to a growth of 306% over an eleven-year period. New Foster Care cases have increased by 279% since FY 1992. The Specialized and Residential Care cases for FY 1999 rose from 61 to 73, which is an increase of 20%. The percent of new Foster Care cases requiring Specialized Placement rose from 9 in FY 1994 to 28 in FY 1999, which is an increase of 211%. Annual Report FY 1999 Page 11 Employment Services Program Employment and Day Care Se~ic~ - provide emplo~ent, education ~d ~a~g child c~e, ~spo~tion, ~d o~er suppo~ semites to low ~come wor~g ~ilies ~d ~i~es r~eiv~g public assistance. Day C~e se~ices ~sist families who ~e either work~g ~or ~e a~en~g school ~d whose chil~en have day c~e needs. Day c~e se~ices are provided to f~ilies who ~e recei~g Tempo~ Assis~ce to Needy F~ilies (T~) ~d ~e wor~g tow~ds self-sufficiency. Enrolled in VIEW (as of '99) 100- 0 Albemarle County produced 17% of the cumulative number of individuals enrolled in the Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare throughout our Economic Development District f~OD S). [~3 Months Employment] 15 Months Employment/ As evidenced in the graph Albemarle County is consistent with the average in Region EDD 8 for the percent of individuals still employed after the 3 and 5 month time periods. Albemarle ranks 2"~ in EDD 8 for the average monthly earnings for all VIEW participants in that region. That is an average of $57 more than the average monthly income of $819 received in EDD 8. Participants Time Wages) In FY 1999, Albemarle County VIEW participants earned an average of $6.57 per hour, which was an aggregate of full and part-time wages. Annual Report FY 1999 Page 12 Bright Stars Program Bright Stars, the pre-school program for 4 year olds The Bright Stars Teachers and Teacher's Aides are who are at risk of developing problems that could result in poor school performance, began the school year with four school-based sites. A program located at Cale was added to those already operating at Stone-Robinson, Greer and Agnor-Hurt Elementary Schools. The grant from the Virginia Pre-School Initiative increased to $120,127 to help fund the additional program and the County matched the state dollars with $177,616.00 in cash and additional in-kind contributions. Martha Jefferson Hospital awarded Bright Stars $5,000.00 under the Child Health Improvement Award Program to be used for dental screenings and care. The University of Virginia provided stipends to Bright Stars Teachers and Family Coordinators for their assistance in Robert Pianta's Kindergarten Transition Studies. Community partners such as Children, Youth and Family Services, Thomas Jefferson Health Department, MACAA, Child Health Parmership, Region Ten and the Albemarle County School Division gave substantial "in-kind" support to Bright Stars through the provision of training, transportation, space, maintenance, supervision and health services. experienced early childhood educators. In 1998- 1999, all four sites implemented the "High/Scope" Curriculum. The Bright Stars Team Leaders/Family Coordinators are experienced in child development, family systems, and home visiting and child advocacy. They act as case managers for the current class of Bright Stars and the alumni Bright Stars and their families. The Family Coordinators organized monthly Family Nights for Bright Stars children and families. These Family Nights were in addition to larger, all-school events such as Open House, Back to School Night, a Read-a-Thon, Math Night, and Dr. Seuss Game Night. In 1998-99, parent attendance at these events increased at all four school sites. In school year 1998-99, between 59-64 four-year- olds participated in the Bright Stars Program. These children enjoyed daily interaction with peers, exposure to the culture of the public school, instruction from caring teachers and volunteers and the oppommity to develop the skills necessary for them to enter kindergarten ready to learn. $400,00O.00 $300,000.00 $200,000.00 $100,000.00 m BRIG HT STARS 1999 DPROJECTED EXPEND ITURE IactuaL EXP E ND ITURE r-'lP ROJECTE D REVENUE [--1ACTUAL REVENUE FY 1999 Annual Repo~l FY 1999 Page 13 FamilY Support Program The Family Support Program is a collaborative venture between the Albemarle County Dept. of Social Services, the Albemarle County School Division and Community Agencies Supporting Early Intervention and Pre-placement Prevention Services. The program was substantially expanded this year from one Family Support Worker covering two County schools to ten social workers covering all fifteen County elementary schools. The expansion also adds a two-person administrative team and extends the Bright Stars Family Coordinators to full-time positions. The program is based on the premise that earlier and longer interventions are more effective with at-risk populations and that children whose parents actively participate in their education show the greatest progress. Comprehensive services and multiple avenues for delivery of services have larger effects. The goals of this program are to promote family stabilization and literacy, empower families to effectively and positively parent their children, promote positive relationships and effective interactions and to assist families in using private and public resources to address problems. The design of the program places social workers in all 15 elementary schools. A number of referrals come from principals, guidance, counselors, teachers, social services, community agencies and families. Participation is voluntary. Some of the program activities include talking and meeting with the families regularly, attending school meetings with parents, consulting with community agencies, modeling and promoting positive social behaviors, developing neighborhood and community initiatives and being advocates for the children throughout the community. Between January and June 1999, Family Support Workers handled 231 referrals. 149 family cases were opened for services. Approximately 270 children from these families received attention from a Family Support Worker. Most of the referrals (69%) were made for limited social skills, followed by emotional/behavior problems (29%), abrupt behavior change (18%), parent/caretaker overwhelmed (17%) and poor school attendance/tardiness. The most frequently accessed services were counseling, social service programs, Child Abuse Prevention/Monticello Area Community Action Agency, Love, Inc., medical treatment, housing and parks and recreation. $70 $60 $50 $40 $30 $20 $10 0 000.00 0 000 O0 0 000 O0 0 000 O0 0 000 O0 0 000 O0 0 000 O0 $- FAMILY SUPPORT FY 1999 1999 ~P E lA E ROJECTED XPENDITURES CTUAL XPE ND IT UR ES ~PROJECTED REVENUE ~ACTUAL REVENUE Annual Report FY 1999 Page 14 Budget and Finance $1,000,00 $400,000 $200,000 $0 FY 1998-1999 Local Dollar Progress have left Month According to the Local Dollar Spreadsheet Year In Review, the agency consistently underspent each month for FY 1999. Alben~rle Coun~ Cost ~ Breakdown 4°/0 0% 7% i4% 21% 54% I~i~ 1Bestir ~ n 8~ic~ Programs 53011 53012 5,'3013 [] Empl~ 8~ces · Me~caid - UVA [] Energy Assistance 53014 53015 53016 , As evidenced in the chart to the left, Service Programs Cost Center comprised over half of the entire D.S.S. County Budget in FY 1999. Albemarle County Salary By Cost Center Breakdown 9% 0% 15% 38% aManagerrent 18en~fiPro0ran~ oSenticePro~rama 53011 53012 53013 D fq:~m~nt,9~ntia~lM~lkT, a~-Lk/A ~EnergyAssbtance 53014 53015 53016 According to the chart, the main elements in salary costs are the Service Programs and the Benefit Programs. Energy Assistance salary costs are part-time wages. Albemarle Coun Annual of Social Services Supervisors Service Mission The mission of Albemarle Social Services is to provide services that promote responsibility, individual worth, family integrity, and commitment to community. In Albemarle County, social services are provided through five broad program areas. They are: Benefit Programs - provide medical, financial and food stamp assistance to the citizens of Albemarle, paid from Federal, State, and local funds. - Food Stamps - This program provides coupons to income-eligible persons for the purchase of vital foodstuffs. - General Relief- This program provides temporary maintenance payments for disabled persons, as well as payments for care of children not living with blood relatives. It also provides burial assistance for those who have no family and no means to pay burial expenses. - Auxiliary Grants: Aged and Disabled - These programs provide payments to Homes for Adults on behalf of income eligible clients to pay for shelter, food and some personal care. - TANF - Temporary Assistance to Needy Families - Provides temporary financial assistance to income-eligible families. - State/Local Hospitalization - This program uses local funds to match State funds to reimburse hospitals for care given to indigent residents. - Refugee Resettlement - Provides temporary financial assistance to refugees. - Energy Assistance - Provides assistance to low-income households for wood, coal, gas, oil, or electricity, and is administered by Social Services from October through February. - Medicaid - Determination of eligibility for Federal medical assistance. Service Programs - provide the following services directly, or through purchase of service: Adult Prevention and Support, Adult Protective Services, Child Protective Services, Foster Care and Adoption, Home Based Companion Services, Family Prevention and Support Services, Transportation, the Emergency Utility Program, and Foster Family/Provider Recruitment and Training. - Adult Protective Services - The investigation of complaints and the provision of services for adults who are abused, neglected, or exploited. - Adult Services - Program enabling adults to remain in the least restrictive setting and to function independently. - Child Protective Services -Program investigating complaints and providing services both to children who are abused or neglected, and to their families. This program also performs court-ordered custody investigations. - Foster Care and Adoption - Services provided on behalf of children in the custody of the Department and assistance for families who adopt children. - Prevention and Support Services - Services designed to prevent family break- up and violence by strengthening family functioning. - Intake Services - Screening families in need of emergency services and the provision of information administered through a contract with the Monticello Area Community Action at the Community Assessment Program. - Tri-Area Foster Families - (TAFF) - This program provides for the recruitment and training of foster parents. It includes an Independent Living Program for older foster care children whose goal it is to live independently from a family. TAFF is provided through a contract among Charlottesville Department of Social Services, Greene County Department of Social Services, and Albemarle Department of Social Services. Annual Report FY 2000 Page 2 Program Areas Continued Employment and Day Care Services - provide employment, education and training, child care, transportation, and other support services to low income working families and families receiving public assistance. Day Care services assist families who are either working and/or are attending school and whose children have day care needs, as well as provide services to families who are receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and are working towards self-sufficiency. Bright Stars Program - The purpose of the program is to reduce disparities among young children upon formal school entry and to reduce or eliminate those risk factors that lead to early academic failure. The program is a collaborative effort between the Department of Social Services, County schools, and community agencies to provide supportive services to at-risk four-year-old children. Currently, there are Bright Stars programs in five of the County's fifteen elementary schools: Stone Robinson, Agnor- Hurt, Greer, Cale and Scottsville. Family Support Program - The Family Support Program is a collaborative venture among the Albemarle County Department of Social Services, the Albemarle County School Division and Community Agencies Supporting Early Intervention and Prevention Services. The program was substantially expanded in 1999, f~om one Family Support Worker covering two County Schools to ten Social Workers covering all fifteen County elementary schools. The program expansion adds two administrative team members and extends the Bright Stars Family Coordinators to full-time positions. The program is based on the premise that earlier and longer interventions are more effective with at-risk populations and that children whose parents actively participate in their education show the greatest progress. Department Highlights and Accomplishments Establishment of Charlottesville Works, a collaborative program with Charlottesville Department of Social Services and Piedmont Valley Community College (PVCC) to work intensively with job retention and job skills for the Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare (ViEW)/Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) clients. This Teamworks program also worked with area small employers to assist with their low-skilled, at-risk employees to keep them them on the job. The agency implemented a new software system called HARMONY to provide a better tracking agent and projection tool for Comprehensive Services Act (CSA) children and expenditures. We completed the second year of the Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare (VIEW) program which produced four participants who met the 24 months of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) eligibility. All four were employed when their TANF assistance ended. Final audits were completed for the Family Support Program and the process to be used to capture Federal funds to pay for the program is in place. Due to this agency's status as a pilot program for the state, complete audits of case and f'mancial records are conducted in order to help make the program work statewide. Albemarle Department of Social Services continues to work with others in the community to develop a Family Drug Court to offer intensive drug screening, intensive case management and treatment services to families who abuse and neglect their children and where substance abuse is a factor in their lives. Worked with the Teen Health Center and the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic to develop and implement new and strengthen existing strategies for engaging pregnant women in the Medicaid application process. Also expanded the area of coverage to include HIV and cancer clinics. Worked to support and assist community outreach efforts in the Virginia Children's Medical Insurance Plan, by attending meetings, and providing technical program support. Established in-house procedures to support the outreach efforts of United Way, and assigned agency Children's Medical Security Insurance Plan (CMSIP) outreach coordination responsibility to the Screener Coordinator. Annual Report FY 2000 Page 3 Auxiliary Grants Program Auxiliary Grants: Aged and Disabled - These programs provide payments to Homes for Adults on behalf of income eligible clients to pay for shelter, food and some personal care. Auxiliary Grant Cas e load (FY 99/00) 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Month ~lDisabled · Aged FY 2000 brought about a 5% increase in the Auxiliary Grant Caseload for the Disabled. The Aged Caseload declined by 7%. Auxiliary Grant Disabled Applicatien Trend FY2000 ~.5 0.5 0 The attached graph illustrates the case activity for the Disabled Application Trend and its fluctuation for FY 2000. The peak months for caseload activity were the winter months. Auxiliary Grant Aged Application Trend FY 2000 6 Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Month ...... Cases Penc~ng over 45 Days Cases Added In noting the fluctuations in the Aged Application activity for FY 2000, the greatest number of applications received per month was 5, and the greatest number of cases added was 4. Annual Report FY 2000 Page 4 Food Stamps Program Food Stamps - This program provides coupons to income-eligible persons for the purchase of vital foodstuffs. 740 72O 7OO 6so 660 640 620 6OO Food Stamp Cases Under Care '99-00 Month Cases Under Care declined towards the middle of the fiscal year and then steadied out to produce an overall decrease of 5% for FY 2000. 160 Food Stamp Application Trend 1999-00 140 120 100 80 -- 60 4O 20 0 Month ~m~Applications Denied · ~-~'Cases Added ~Cases Closed/Transferred There was a steady flow of Food Stamp Application activity in FY 2000. There was a 15% downward shift in Cases Added. There was a 3% decrease in Applications Received. Average Food Stamp Caseload Since FY 1996 1000 ~ _ ~ 80O 645 600 400 200 0 95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99 99/00 Fiscal Year Cases Pending End of Month 80 The Average Food Stamp Caseload has steadily decreased by 32% since FY 1996. Cases Pending End of Month decreased by 68% in FY 2000. Annual Report FY 2000 Page 5 General Relief Program General Relief- This program provides temporary maintenance payments for disabled persons, as well as payments for care of ·. -~ Children not living with blood relatives. It also provides burial assistance for those who have no family and no means to pay burial expenses. General Relief Cases Under Care 6O ~ 40 - ~ ~o ~ 20 10 O~ Month General Relief Cases Under Care increased by 38% during FY 2000. These cases include Maintenance Unemployables, Interim Assistance, Unattached Children, and an occasional Burial. 25 General Relief Caseload 1999-00 The General Relief caseload fluctuated during FY 2000. During the course of the year there was a 22% increase in Applications Received. The Cases Added remained constant with a final yearend total of 53. GR Cases Pending Over 45 Days 10 There was a dramatic decrease in General Relief Cases Pending Over 45 Days from 7 at the beginning of FY '00 to 0 at the end. Annual Report FY 2000 Page 6 Medicaid Program Medicaid - Determination of eligibility for Federal medical assistance. Medicaid Cases Under Care FY 2000 3500 3400 3300 3200 3100 3000 2900 2800 2700 ...... Month Medicaid Cases Under Care rose by 466 in FY 2000, which is an increase of 16% during the year. 200 150 100 Medicaid Application Trends 1999-00 Month '~Applications Received ~Applications Denied Cases Added '"~Cases Closed/Transferred Application trends indicate an increase in Cases Added of 85%. There was an upsurge in Applications Denied of 70%. Average Medicaid Caseload Since FY 1996 2500 I 95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99 99/00 FY There has been a steady gradual increase of 49% in the Medicaid Caseload from FY 1996 to FY 2000. 16o 140 120 lOO 8o 60 40 20 0 ~ Cases Pending over 45 Days Month At year-end, Cases Pending over 45 Days were 42% lower than at the beginning of the year. Annual Report FY 2000 Page 7 Medicaid Program - Continued CMSIP Caseload Acl~ty For FY 2ffiO 10- 0 Children's Medical Security Insurance Plan (CMSIP) Cases Under Care increased by 74% in FY 2000. A total of 77 Cases were Received throughout the fiscal year. Annual Report FY 2000 Page 8 Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program TANF - Temporary Assistance to Needy Families - Provides temporary financial assistance to income-eligible families. 300 TANF Cases Under Care FY 2000 250 200 150 I00 50 Month TANF Cases Under Care Since 1995 .o~-- 300~ -- 250 · -- ~ _ 200 -' . 100 ~llll~l~~~ Month 50 45 40 35 25 20 15 10 0 Month I ~ ,~A~plications Denied I Cases Added ----"~Cases Closed/Transferred 5O TANF Cases Pending EndofMonth 45 40 35 G 25 ~ 20 15 10 5 Month FY 2000 brought about a decline in the TANF Cases Under Care from 240 to 195, a decrease of 19%. Over the course of the fiscal years, the number of cases under care has declined by 36% since the implementation of Welfare Reform in the County. TANF Application Trends denotes that Applications Received have decreased by 21%. Cases Added shows a decrease of 59%. O TANF Cases Pending End of Month decreased by 61% in FY 2000. Annual Report FY 2000 Page 9 Adoption Program Foster Care and Adoption - Services provided on behalf of children in the custody of the Department and assistance for families who adopt children. Tri-Area FoSter Families - (TAFF) - This program provides for the recruitment and training of foster parents. It includes an Independem Living Program for older foster care children whose goal it is to live independently from a family. TAFF is provided through a contract between Charlottesville DSS, Greene County DSS, and Albemarle DSS. Number of Children With the Goal of Adopt]on for FY 2000 '~ lO 0 ~ath l# In Permanent Foster Care al#~ Goal ofbdoplion In FY 2000 there was a decline in the number of children in permanent foster care as well as a slight decline in the number of children with the goal of adoption. N~i-~r cfi Children leaving Foster Oam far FY2000 14. 12¸ .e lO e- o In FY 2000, there were 13 adoption finalizations and 24 children returned to their families out of a total number of 53 leaving Foster Care. The remaining children left for reasons such as emancipation, custody with a relative, commitment to Department of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) or other extenuating circumstances. Nmnber of Children in Adoptive I-braes for FY2000 In FY 2000, out of a total of 114 children in Foster Care Homes, 61 were housed in local homes in the Charlottesville/Albemarle area. Sixty-six of the 114 were with Tri-Area Foster Families (TAFF). It is important to note that a number of these children are in the process of being adopted. ~ il L(xlll i .lhl:F i:l Tol;i Month · Annual Report FY 2000 Page 10 Multiple Response System Program Multiple Response System (MRS) - This new system provided for a differential response to reports of child abuse and neglect. The Investigation Response Track was a continuation of the existing child protective services (CPS) process. The law mandated an investigation of certain types of complaints, but also allowed the local agency to investigate other complaints. The Assessment Response Track was for valid child protective services reports where there was no immediate concern for child safety and where the complaint was not required by law to be investigated. The Referral Response Track was for complaints that did not meet the definition of abuse or neglect, but the welfare ora child was at issue, and services, either from the local social services agency or some other community agency, would be helpful to the family. TMs new system was piloted in five local social service agencies from March 1, 1997 through December 15, 1999. , Baseline and MRS Periods Piloted Localities El Baseline (July 1994 - February 1997)[:JMRS (July t997 - March 1999) Figure 1 shows the number of valid complaints received during the two periods. Data for both the baseline and MRS periods exclude those valid complaints that could not be geographically categorized. A comparison of the annual average number of valid complaints in the baseline and MRS periods reveals that four of the five local agencies received a similar number of complaints during each period. Only Loudoun had a substantial change, with 20% fewer valid complaints during the MRS period. 80%- 70%- 20%- 10%- The pilot agencies all made use of the flexibility offered by the Multiple Response System. Figure 2 shows that between July 1997 and March 1999: 73% of all valid reports were placed in the Assessment Response Track and 27% in the Investigations Response Track. The proportion of cases in the Assessment Response Track ranged from 56% in York-Poquoson to 81% in Albemarle County. Average Annual Number of Investigations during Baseline and MRS Periods Albemarle Coudour Montgomery Poltsmout~ York-Poquooon Total Piloted Localities mBaseline (July 1994- February 1997 r'IMRS (July 1997- March 1999 BaSeline and MRS Periods 42% Because pilot agencies utilized the Assessment Response Track for most of their valid reports during the MRS pilot, there was a significant decrease in the number of investigations. The five agencies conducted an annual average of 613 investigations between July 1997 and March 1999 compared with an annual rate of 2323 investigations (the only response available) during the baseline period from July 1994 to February 1997. Thus, there was a 74% reduction in the number of investigations under MRS. Figure 3 shows the number of investigations in each agency in the baseline and MRS periods. Workers conducted fewer investigations during the MRS pilot. The use of the Assessment Response Track for most valid reports allowed workers and families to focus on family strengths and to identify services needed to help prevent child abuse and neglect without compromising child safety. Reports with immediate safety concerns were placed in the Investigation Response Track. Foster Care Program Annual Repo~ FY 2000 Page 11 Foster Care and Adoption - Services provided on behalf of children in the custody of the Department and assistance for families who adopt children. 160 140 120 60 40 20 0 80 70 ~ 6o d so ~ 40 0 75-- 70 65 60 Foster Care Caseload Trend Over Twelve Years Fiscal Year New Foster Care Cases Fiscal Year Specialized and Residential Care Cases Over the Last 12 Months Month The Foster Care caseload trend continues its steady ascent by increasing from 32 in FY 1988 to 136 in FY 2000, which equates to a 325% growth. New Foster Care cases have increased by 236% from FY 1992 to FY 2000. The Specialized and Residential Care cases for FY 2000 remained constant with a decrease of 6% by the end of the year. New Cases Requiring Specialized Placement 20 0 FLseal Year EINow FC Cases 1Req. Spec. Placement After reaching a high in FY '97, New Cases Requiring Specialized Placement began to steadily decrease from 39 in FY '97 to 25 in FY '00. Annual Report FY 2000 Page 12 Employment Services Program Employment and Day Care Services - provide employmem, education and training childcare, transportation, and other support services to low income working families and families receiving public assistance. Day Care services assist families who are either working and/or are attending school and whose children have day care needs. Day care services are provided to families who are receiving TANF and are working towards self-sufficiency. Cum 1.400 1.200 1,000 18% of the Cumulative Number of Individuals Enrolled in the VIEW Program in the Economic Development District 8 (EDD 8) for FY 2000 was from Albemarle County. That is an increase of 1% from FY 1999. 20% - 10% 0% after 3 and $ Albemarle remains just under the average median in EDD 8 for Percent of Individuals Still Employed after 3 and 5 Months. Just as in FY 1999, Albemarle County again ranks 2"a in EDD 8 for the average monthly earnings for VIEW participants in FY 2000. The average earnings dropped by $10 for the county in FY 2000. for VIEW Participants 'uli/Part Tim e W ages) Albemarle again ranks 1st in FY 2000 in the Average Hourly Wage for VIEW Participants. The average hourly wage increased from $6.57 in FY 1999 to $6.59 in FY 2000. Annual Report FY 2000 Page 13 Bright Stars Program The school year started with fully staffed classrooms at four sites. Enrollment was close to the program maximum of 64 children and recruitment efforts continued to fill the few openings that remained. Three out of four classroom teachers and four out of four teacher aides returned to the Bright Stars classroom, leaving Greer as the only school to bring in a new person. All four Family Coordinators returned. The budget for the year was up, mostly due to increases in salaries and benefits for staff and for new fumiture and fixtures at the Cale site, which was relocated from the school building to a trailer behind the school. The state continued to award a $120,017.00 grant but the County increased their support by providing funding of $223,460.00. Martha Jefferson Hospital continued to support the delivery of dental screenings with a grant of $5,000.00. The Kindergarten Transition Studies provided stipends for Family Coordinators. The Advisory Board, made up of many community partners, helped guide the program and committed in-kind resources of more than $50,000.00. We added the University of Virginia School of Nursing to our number of community partners. Undergraduate nursing students provided assessments and health education to two of the Bright Stars Programs. Four Bright Stars Family Coordinators and one Teacher attended the National Association for the Education of Young Children annual conference in New Orleans, La. in November. Other trainings and workshops attended by the staff focused on phonological awareness, the promotion of family literacy and understanding the effects of poverty on children and families. Bright Stars worked closely with the School Division and Social Services to provide support and incentive for families to grow more stable and cognizant of the need for strong parent involvement in their children's education. The Family Coordinators wrote a Parent Handbook with input from the teachers and building administrators and members of the Advisory Board. This Handbook will be available to all new Bright Stars participants in the coming years. Bright Stars children continued to participate in "Ready to Read" which matches each Bright Star with a reading buddy in the second or third grade. We became a part of WVPT Public Television's outreach program for at-risk children called, "Ready to Learn." Both of these programs enable the children to receive free books during the year that they can take home to become part of their home library. In addition, WVPT provides program guides for public television viewing and a monthly newsletter from Mister Rogers. In the spring, Bright Stars attended Albemarle County Day and rode in the Dogwood Parade. Field trips were scheduled throughout the year to introduce the children to the community outside of their family, school and neighborhood. Efforts were undertaken to more formally assess and evaluate progress that children made in the program. The Child Observation Record, the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening and the Quantitative Reading Inventory were identified as measures to assess growth and progress during and after the Bright Stars year. Presentations were made to the School Board and the Board of Supervisors about Bright Stars. The School Board formally requested that they be informed about the Bright Stars Program through the Thursday Letters. During 1999-2000, we were made aware of additional available funding through the Virginia Preschool Initiative. The Advisory Board developed plans to expand to a 5th site in the southern part of the County. Working closely with the School Division, Scottsville was selected as the new site and a large Wailer with a restroom was ordered and paid for with carry-over funds from previous budget years and the appropriation of additional funds by the School Board. This site will enroll up to 16 children from the Scottsville and Red Hill Districts. 1999-2000 was a year of significant activity and achievement for all aspects of the Bright Stars Program. The Advisory Board presided over on- going and new initiatives that fulfilled the Mission of the program: to increase the opportunities to learn for our children and their families by promoting family involvement and addressing risk factors that affect school performanc~ Annual Report FY 2000 Page 14 Bright Stars Program - Continued BRIGHT STARS ~;.St~U,UUU.UU - l~J~u uuu uu $320,000.00 · onn nnn nn $280,000.00 g8/gg gg/00 FY FY fi~ BUDGET $308,474.00 $350,g~ 7.00 E~ENDI~RE $308,475.00 $3~ 7,7gg.o~ REV BUDGET $30~,475.00 $350,g~7.00 REVENUE I $3~7,372.43 $34g,750.00 lla EXP BUDGET [] EXPENDITURE [] REVBUDGET [] REVENUE Annual Repo]l FY 2000 Page 15 Family Support Program The Family Support Program made some minor adjustments as it began the new school year in August 1999. We reassigned some workers to create more balanced caseloads. One worker implemented a middle school pilot program to follow 5th graders from Stony Point Elementary School to Sutherland and Burley Middle Schools. The program strengthened its relationship with school staff by inviting elementary principals to a meeting to discuss the role of the Family Support Worker, the strengths and weaknesses of the program so far and the goals and objectives that the schools had for the program. Workers became more visible in the school buildings and attended committee meetings and child study meetings on a regular basis. We strengthened relationships with the Social Services staff at the County Office Building by actively participating in meetings, volunteering to help out on projects or filling in as needed. A protocol between the Child Protective Services Unit and Family Support helped in the process of transitioning cases when they moved from one service to another. Family Support Workers addressed professional development by seeking training in family systems, childhood development, behavior management, ethical practices and understanding poverty. Several staff became trained in the Motheread-Fatheread program. More families and children were served in 1999-2000. In ali, 189 families with 427 children ages 0-18 received services. Children in grades K-5 benefited primarily.More of the referrals were made because of a parent-caretaker feeling overwhelmed. Community parmers helped us identify more than 1.7 million local and state dollars that were being expended on Albemarle County youth for early intervention and prevention activities/services. These dollars made it possible for the Albemarle County Department of Social Services to draw down about $800,000 Federal dollars to reinvest in human services programs for the County. All the partners, Children, Youth and Family Services, the Thomas Jefferson Health Department, Monticello Area Community Action Agency, the Juvenile Court Assessment Center and the Commission on Children and Families received funds to support their programs and benefit families and children. FAMILY SUPPORT 2000 $800,000.00 $600,000.00 $400,000.00 $200,000.00 FY 2000 PROJE EXPEN ACTUA EXPEN PROJE REVEN ACTUA REVEN CTED DITURES L DITURES CTED UE L UE Annual Report FY 2000 Page 16 Budget and Finance FY 1999-2000 Local Dollar Progress Jun Jul Aug S~p Oct Nov Dee Jan Feb Mar Apr May Month According to the Local Dollar Spreadsheet year-end review, the agency consistently underspent each month for FY 2000. Albemarle County Cost Center Breakdown 40/0 0% 70/0 11% 6O% [] V.PA. Managam~ [] V.PA. Bene~ ~ograrm 53011 53012 O V.PA. Emp~yma~ Sen~ces ~V.PA. M~a~ - UVA 53014 53O15 n V.PA. Sen~ce ~ograms 53O13 a V.PA. Enemy Ass~mce 53O16 As evidenced in the chart to the left, V.P.A. Service Programs Cost Cemer comprised 60% the entire D.S.S. County Budget in FY 2000. 11% 0% 14% lOO/. BV. PA Managa-,-a~ 1VPX Bene~ Roga~ 53~1 ~3~2 nV. PA En~o~¥a~ Sa~oes IV. PA ~c~d- UVA 53~4 53~5 OVPA Sense Program 53013 I~IVPA Enagygss~lalce 53O16 According to the chart, the Service Programs and the Benefit Programs equal 65% of total salary budget. It is also important to note that Energy Assistance incurs only part-time wages.