IOWA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS DIVISION OF COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCIES COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM (CSBG)

Transcription

1 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS DIVISION OF COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCIES COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM (CSBG) NR NARRATIVES REPORT PROGRAM YEAR 2016 CSBG Program Year Ending September 30, 2016 Identification Information: Agency: >Upper Des Moines Opportunity, Inc. Contact Person(s) : >Jamey M. Whitney, Executive Director >Katie Cook, Operations Director >Kayla McKinney, Administrative Assistant Agency Certification: Executive Director's Signature: > Typed or Printed Name: >Jamey M. Whitney Date of Certification: >

2 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS Due Date: November 4, 2016 April 2016 Submission: Questions: Mail or e mail the completed report to the following address. Certification of the report requires the Executive Director's signature; the DCAA will accept an electronic signature. CSBG Program Division of Community Action Agencies Iowa Department of Human Rights Lucas State Office Building 2nd Floor Des Moines, IA Greg.Pieper@iowa.gov Questions concerning the CSBG Narratives Report should be directed to: Greg Pieper (515) or Greg.Pieper@iowa.gov IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION AND AGENCY CERTIFICATION The Executive Director's signature and date signed indicates agency review and approval. Agencies are expected to distribute and present the CSBG Narratives Report to their governing board. INSTRUCTIONS Please respond to the following questions. The responses should be on separate sheets of paper and attached to these report forms. FY 2016 Agency Accomplishments and Coordination of Funds 1) Strategic Thinking for Long Term Solutions Describe an agency strategy which addressed a long term solution to a persistent problem affecting members of a low income community. The description must include the following: a) How did your agency identify the community need? b) How were CSBG funds used to plan, manage, and/or develop the approach? c) What local partners were involved, and how did each contribute to the program? d) What outcome indicators did your agency use to measure success? e) What outcomes resulted in FY 2016? If no outcomes yet, when? 2) Delivering High Quality, Accessible, and Well Managed Services Describe what your agency considers to be the top management accomplishment achieved by your agency during FY Explain how responsible, informed leadership, and effective efficient processes led to high quality, accessible, and well managed services. 3) Mobilizing Resources to Support Innovative Solutions Describe how your agency addressed a cause or condition of poverty in the community using an innovative or creative approach. Explain how your agency relied on mobilization and coordination of resources to help reach interim and final outcomes; and explain how CSBG "works" as it funds staff activities, investments, or services to meet a community need. The description must include the following: a) The program name. b) The CSBG service category. c) Describe the program (include: capacity, duration, and targeted population). d) How was your agency's approach innovative or creative? Be specific.

3 e) Outcomes achieved (include: number of people enrolled and areas affected). f) How were CSBG funds used? Be specific. g) What local partners were involved, and how did each contribute to the program? 4) Providing Results for Vulnerable Populations Describe one youth focused OR one senior focused initiative that illustrates how CSBG funding was used and coordinated with other programs and resources. The description must include the following: a) Describe the initiative. b) What local partners were involved, and how did each contribute to the program? c) Outcomes achieved (include: number of people enrolled and areas affected). d) How were CSBG funds used? Be specific.

4 1) Strategic Thinking for Long Term Solutions Describe an agency strategy which addressed a long term solution to a persistent problem affecting members of a low income community. The description must include the following: a) How did your agency identify the community need? b) How were CSBG funds used to plan, manage, and/or develop the approach? c) What local partners were involved, and how did each contribute to the program? d) What outcome indicators did your agency use to measure success? e) What outcomes resulted in FY 2016? If no outcomes yet, when? a) How did your agency identify the community need? In past years, UDMO reported on our Housing program, UDMO s Emergency Solution Grant and how we met the needs of low income individuals through alternative housing solutions. This year we are going to report on our Service Coordination program, which we fully implemented in July, UDMO uses numerous approaches to identify the needs within the communities we serve. UDMO developed Service Coordination Program to connect families and individuals with the services to better access resources needed within their communities. UDMO s Family Support Coordinators work with individuals, homeless, families on TANF and/or families that want to find jobs, find a home, get out of poverty, and sustain their homes and families to live better lives for themselves and their young children. UDMO uses the FaDSS model by implementing best practices, budgeting, guidance, and coordination with the ultimate goal of self sufficiency. We are seeing more and more individuals seeking assistance to transition off of state funded programs yet they don t have the resources and support in place to help them become more self sufficient. UDMO s goal with the funding being sought is to have the resources available for families to access within their communities from trained Support Coordinators. To which, the ultimate goal of self sufficiency and off of state funded programming. Family needs are assessed through the Iowa Community Action Agencies (ICAA) Needs Assessment developed by the Iowa Department of Human Rights, Division of Community Action Agencies in partnership with the Iowa Community Action Association, this assessment provides specific feedback and questions to the 17 community action agencies in Iowa who then distributes to key stakeholders in their service areas. Additionally, family needs are addressed in the Head Start Needs Assessment.

5 Further, Community needs are assessed through UDMO s Head Start assessment, updated in This Community Assessment addresses all of Head Start s mandates for a significant self assessment. The following criteria is laid out in UDMO s Head Start Assessment: 1. The demographic make up of eligible children and families, including their estimated number, geographic location, and racial and ethnic composition; 2. Other child development and child care programs that are serving eligible children, including publicly funded state and local preschool programs, and the approximate number of eligible children served by each; 3. The estimated number of children with disabilities four years old or younger, including types of disabilities and relevant services and resources provided to these children by community agencies; 4. Data regarding the education, health, nutrition and social service needs of eligible children and their families; 5. The education, health, nutrition and social service needs of eligible children and their families as defined by families of eligible children and by institutions in the community that serve young children; 6. Resources in the community that could be used to address the needs of eligible children and their families, including assessments of their availability and accessibility. Agency capacity needs are assessed and met through UDMO s Community Assessment. UDMO s Community Assessment was last fully updated in 2012 and is in the process of being updated currently. It addresses needs, supports, and what is being offered through UDMO s multiple programs. Further, trends from reports to Board of Directors that are obtained from management staff monthly, quarterly, and annually give guidance to whether new programming needs to be added or changes made to existing programs. b) How were CSBG funds used to plan, manage, and/or develop the approach? CSBG funds are used to cover the Service Coordination time for recruitment and delivery of client services. CSBG funds allow for administrative staff to develop the proposal and develop plans for implementation. Administrative staff also complete ongoing, quarterly and annual reporting to the state and UDMO s Board of Directors. CSBG funds, allow for 4 FTE Service Coordinators and 1 FTE Family Support Director who oversees the four Service Coordinators.

6 Administrative staff still provide the quality assurance and insure that all of the required paperwork is collected and paid for the services. c) What local partners were involved, and how did each contribute to the program? The partners involved in this project were: Iowa Department of Human Services in our 12 county service area Fort Dodge Community Foundation and United Way Fort Dodge Housing Agency Community Housing Initiatives (CHI) Family Life Awareness Council (FLAC) O Brien & Osceola Counties Northwest Iowa Regional Housing Authority Each of the partners listed may serve as a referral source for the program. In some cases, they further served as supportive service providers for our clients. d) What outcome indicators did your agency use to measure success? UDMO s Service Coordination Program helps client s secure self sufficiency with the assistance of a Support Coordinator. Additionally, clients may gain resources and knowledge they lacked previously. Service Coordinators input client demographic data, goals, objectives, and outcomes in THO this system tracks client outcome measurements for the program. e) What outcomes resulted in FY 2016? If no outcomes yet, when? We were able to assist 54 individuals/families since July, 2016 and successfully exited 6 individuals/families from the program.

7 2) Delivering High Quality, Accessible, and Well Managed Services Describe what your agency considers to be the top management accomplishment achieved by your agency during FY Explain how responsible, informed leadership, and effective efficient processes led to high quality, accessible, and well managed services. Staff, Board and policy council review, edit and approval of the Fiscal Policies to which they approved our Fiscal Manual. CSBG Organizational Standards Agency Self Assessment FY16 successfully accepted. Hired a Family Community Support Director for the agency. Added Service Coordination under our CSBG umbrella of programming. Upgraded our Polycom System at Central Office (Graettinger) through local gaming grant. Continue to expand our WRAP around services in Early Childhood Services to include additional classrooms as well as childcare. On going Board recruitment and training

8 3) Mobilizing Resources to Support Innovative Solutions Describe how your agency addressed a cause or condition of poverty in the community using an innovative or creative approach. Explain how your agency relied on mobilization and coordination of resources to help reach interim and final outcomes; and explain how CSBG "works" as it funds staff activities, investments, or services to meet a community need. The description must include the following: a) The program name. b) The CSBG service category. c) Describe the program (include: capacity, duration, and targeted population). d) How was your agency's approach innovative or creative? Be specific. e) Outcomes achieved (include: number of people enrolled and areas affected). f) How were CSBG funds used? Be specific. g) What local partners were involved, and how did each contribute to the program? a) The program name. Youth Enrichment b) The CSBG service category. The primary CSBG service category for Youth Enrichment would be Linkages. From partnerships that have formed within our communities it enables resources, which bring services to the clients such as recreational programs for youth. c) Describe the program (include: capacity, duration, and targeted population). Youth Enrichment is focused on helping low income families at or below 175% federal poverty level or below participate in sporting events, enrichment camps, swimming pool camps, bible camps, wellness center passes, activity summer program fees, youth campus fees, ballet, wrestling, football, tutoring fees, additional day care fees for working parents, and/or literary programs. d) How was your agency's approach innovative or creative? Be specific. Outreach staff implements this program through our outreach centers. Nothing is too creative or innovative in regards to this project. The innovative approach here, is the youth who are being impacted from this program. Families normally wouldn t be able to financially compensate for these activities although, with our programming it allows the youth to participate. This is the innovative approach here.

9 e) Outcomes achieved (include: number of people enrolled and areas affected). UDMO s Outreach Center served 633 individuals in our Youth Enrichment programming in the previous year. UDMO served the following counties with this program: Dickinson, Emmet, Hamilton, O Brien, and Osceola Counties. f) How were CSBG funds used? Be specific. CSBG funds are used to operate our Outreach centers and compensate our employees, which in turn provide the direct services to the client receiving the Youth Enrichment services through local grant dollar received from UDMO. g) What local partners were involved, and how did each contribute to the program? UDMO partnered with the local schools and community organizations to assist with identify children/families in need of the Youth Enrichment Program. Local YMCA s Local Schools Day Care Centers Local Dance Studios Community Foundations Kiwanis Lake Park, IA Lutheran Lake Side Service Rotary Polaris Industries Wingert Law IGL Tele connect Gene Krueger Construction Sandy Law Firm Immanuel Lutheran Church Dickinson Grace Lutheran Church Dickinson Co. Dennis Lippon Agency Bomgaars Northwest Bank Bank Midwest United Community Bank Farmers Bank Rembrandt Enterprises Citizens Credit Union Valero Renewable Energy

10 4) Providing Results for Vulnerable Populations Describe one youth focused OR one senior focused initiative that illustrates how CSBG funding was used and coordinated with other programs and resources. The description must include the following: a) Describe the initiative. b) What local partners were involved, and how did each contribute to the program? c) Outcomes achieved (include: number of people enrolled and areas affected). d) How were CSBG funds used? Be specific. a) Describe the initiative. UDMO s Back to School Program, which is a youth focused program provides backpacks, school supplies and school clothing, if needed to children. UDMO s Back to School program is locally funded by business, private donors, ministerial associations, and/or local grant dollars. Individuals/families that qualify are considered based on the greatest need with the emphasis on disability, age and income. Families with income at or below 175% the federal poverty level are eligible for the Back to School program. b) What local partners were involved, and how did each contribute to the program? UDMO partnered with community organizations and schools to assist with identify children/families in need of the Back to School Program. Local Schools Day Care Centers Community Foundations Kiwanis in our local counties Rotary in our local counties Polaris Industries Grace Lutheran Church Dickinson Co. Bomgaars Northwest Bank Bank Midwest United Community Bank Farmers Bank Rembrandt Enterprises Citizens Credit Union Valero Renewable Energy Walmart c) Outcomes achieved (include: number of people enrolled and areas affected). In the previous fiscal year (October 1, 2015 September 30, 2016), UDMO served 1,030 individuals in 230 households. The outcome to be achieved here is for individuals/families to obtain the necessary supplies for their children to obtain the adequate education needed.

11 d) How were CSBG funds used? Be specific. CSBG funds will only be used for the staff time given to the project which is coordinating and managing the program through our outreach centers.