Owens Valley Career Development Center Lake Isabella Tribal TANF Program Newsletter Volume 17 Issue 12 Serving the Native American Communities of Boron, California City, Cantil, Kern Valley, Mojave, Ridgecrest, Rosamond. FAMILY TRADITIONS With the holiday season here it is good to get together and do family traditions. Family traditions are important to the health and well-being of today s busy families. They promote a sense of identity and a feeling of belonging. A tradition has some emotional significance while routines are more ordinary. Traditions are often handed down from generation to generation, are cultural, ethnic, or faith based and therefore connect us to the past. Traditions are important because they allow us time to communicate, problem solve, and balance our time together. They provide opportunities to affirm family values, faith and life experiences, and time to celebrate together. As family bonds are weakened by busy lifestyles, families can stay connected only by being intentional about maintaining important rituals and traditions. Source: Www.puttingfamilyfirst.org/family_rituals.php The Lake Isabella OVCDC Office Will Be Closed: Friday: December 22nd Monday: December 25th Friday December 29th We are trying something new! The winners for last month s trivia are MELISSA MENTAL, ANGELA VANVLEET, & KARL VILLA. Congratulations you three. Please come pick up your prize at our office by Friday, December 8th. To win this month s trivia, there is a trivia question below. This question coincides with the article on the next page. You must read the article to find the answer. Once you have an answer, give Tiffani, Loretta, Serena, or Johnny a call at the office. If you have the correct answer your name will be entered into a drawing for one of three prizes. You must call us by 12pm on December 7th, in order to be entered in the drawing. Only one entry per person. Winners will be announced in January s Newsletter along with a new Trivia Question. Winners have until January10th to come and claim their prize. Good Luck! Office Phone Number: (760)379-4770 How many Native American women served in the Army Nurse Corps in World War 1? The office is located at: 6404 Lake Isabella Blvd, Lake Isabella, Ca 93240 Hours: Monday-Friday @ 8:00am to 5:00pm Phone: (760) 379-4770 Fax: (760) 379-4775 www.ovcdc.com Site Case Counselor Site Project Youth Activity WEX Employment Language Manager Coordinators Leaders YAL Coordinator Artist Samantha Renee Tiffani Ballew Alberta Garret Serena Jose Martinez Miguel Stockton Garcia Johnny Brown Loretta Motley Winston Carvajal
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Page 3 Case Management TANF Participant Reminders Monthly Eligibility Reports: TANF Policy 128 To ensure your Monthly Eligibility Report is received complete and is able to be processed when it is received without delay, please submit the Monthly Eligibility and Change Report along with the Weekly Work Participation Reports and all supporting documents; check stubs, child support verification, resource verification, etc. together and at one time. Take your time when completing the report, review each step thoughtfully and ensure that each adult signs and dates in the appropriate areas. The monthly report may be completed beginning the first day of the following month after the reporting month. Example: when the reporting month of November is over, as of December1st you may complete, sign/date your report to be submitted with all required verification and supporting documents to be received in the office no later than December 10th to ensure timely benefits for January1st. Reports received after the 10th of the month are considered late and are not guaranteed processing for timely benefits. Late benefits are made available on the 10th of the benefit month. If you know your report will be late, please include the 10 Day Waiver Notice of Action with your report. The month/year will be the benefit month/year. For late reports received in December, the benefit month/year will be January/2017. Supportive Services: TANF Policy 117 Supportive Service Payments often make the difference between continued unemployment and the participant's ability to attain employment and/or meet assigned work activities. The need must be specific, identified in the Family Self Sufficiency Plan (FSSP), and directly related to an approved work activity/goal. Supportive service payments are not automatic or an entitlement. Each request must be examined to determine if the participant truly has a need for the service and will assist the family in achieving self-sufficiency. The participant's personal resources may be considered prior to authorization of a service. To ensure Supportive Service Requests are received complete and are able to be processed without delay, please submit the Supportive Service Request form along with all supporting documents for the request together and at one time. Requests are due by 12:00pm on Tuesday s.
Page 4 TANF Participant Reminders Student Report Cards: TANF Policy 100-3, 108-4, 112-8, 119-3 As part of eligibility, all school age children are required to attend school full time and with regular attendance. Verification of enrollment and current status is required ongoing. Regardless if the student is eligible for a Performance Incentive or not, regular report cards and attendance records are required to be submitted each reporting period. TANF Policy: Satisfactory school attendance is based on the respective school district s attendance policy. If the school district does not have a policy on what constitutes satisfactory attendance, or the policy is not readily available, then OVCDC will apply a 90% attendance rate as satisfactory school attendance. Cash benefits will be reduced until child(ren) return to school or attend regularly. Postage Due: When mailing paperwork to the OVCDC office As a courtesy, we provide envelopes that have been meter stamped with postage for up to 2 oz. Prior to mailing your envelope, please check with the postal service counter to ensure the postage is sufficient for your mailing. If not, you will need to pay the postage due. OVCDC offices do not have petty cash on hand to pay for postage due to accept incoming mail. Any postage due mail will be returned to the sender by the postal service which will delay your mail reaching our office and may affect timely receipt and processing of reports, Supportive Service Requests and verification documents. Mandatory Drug Testing Requirements: TANF Policy 111-1 All mandatory work participants and adult recipients in the assistance unit are required to complete substance abuse testing once eligibility is established, at redetermination and when specific circumstances warrant an automatic drug test. A positive test will require recipients to be referred to the appropriate local service provider for assessment and/or treatment. TANF assistance will continue through vendor payments. Any individual that refuses to participate in drug testing, treatment plan, substance abuse, or mental health assessments or treatment when referred by OVCDC assigned staff, will automatically be placed on vendor payment. Continued noncompliance or refusal will result in ongoing vendor pay, or a reduction or sanction of benefits.
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Page 6 Our family nights are a great way to have some enjoyable times with your family and to get to know other native families throughout the community. DECEMBER: (Friday, December 15th) MOVIE NIGHT JANUARY: SCRAPBOOKING (PART TWO) FEBRUARY: VALENTINES DAY CRAFT MARCH: GAME NIGHT APRIL: MOVIE NIGHT MAY: OUTDOOR ACTIVITY JUNE: SURPRISE
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Page 8 Outlying areas will be serviced by interest.
Page 9 TUTORING & A.S. ENRICHMENT(PROPOSED) *Cultural Curriculum *DIY Crafts *Physical Activity Don t let homework sneak up on you!! Tuesdays 3:30-6:30pm & Wednesdays 1:30-4:30pm Starting October 17th through May 9th Get it done at OVCDC call the PREVENTION team to sign up if you dare (760)379-4770 FAMiLY NiGHT Positive Family Time Hosted by OVCDC Staff Make positive family memories! Call the PREVENTION team to reserve a spot for your family (760)379-4770 Native Wellness Curriculum Once Monthly beginning in July 2017 - June 2018 Next Family Night: December 15th, 2017 Friday Evenings @5:30-7:30pm
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Page 11 Resource Information: Salvation Army Locations: Ridgecrest 151 No. Down Street Ridgecrest, CA 93555 Phone: 760.375.7219 Mojave: 15662 K St. Mojave, CA 93501 Phone: (661)824-2100 Lake Isabella: 6105 Lake Isabella Blvd. Lake Isabella, CA 93240 Phone: (760) 379-5100 Rosamond: 2881 C St. Rosamond, Ca Phone: (661)256-9153 Food Distribution Information: Lake Isabella Senior Center 6405 Lake Isabella Blvd Lake Isabella, CA 93240 December 18th, 2017@ 10:00 am 12:00 pm Mojave Park Veteran s Building 15580 O Street Mojave, CA 93501 3rd Wednesday Of Every Month @9am. New Life Assembly Of God 21924 Calhoun Dr. California City, CA 93505 First Saturday Of Every Month @9am. Family Resource Centers are neighborhood-based services that provide outreach, case management and supportive services to families with children who are at risk of abuse and neglect or who may not be ready to enter kindergarten successfully. The Family Resource Centers serving Ridgecrest and outlying areas are the Indian Wells Valley Family Resource Center in Ridgecrest and the East Kern Family Resource Center in Mojave. The services offered include comprehensive assessments (health, psycho-social, education and basic needs), individual service plans, case management, home visits, linkages to community services, advocacy, school-readiness activities, and parent education. Indian Wells Valley Family Resource Center: 825 N Downs Street, Suite A Ridgecrest, CA 93555 Phone: (760)375-4357 East Kern Family Resource Center: 16804 Highway 14 Unit C Mojave, Ca. 93501 P h o n e : (661)824-4118 The Kernville Union School District's Family Resource Center offers a variety of support services to families in the Kern River Valley. The Family Resource Center's Family Advocates and Early Education Advocates provide local families support with concerns ranging from medical, dental, parenting, and nutritional issues to assistance with school readiness and referrals for utility costs. Since our opening in 1999, the Family Resource Center has served over 2,500 families; equaling over 6,500 individuals! located at 5109 Lake Isabella Blvd. Lake Isabella, Ca 93240 (right next to NAPA) Office phone: (760) 379-2556
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3 4 5 17 18 19 1 2 14 15 21 22 OVCDC 23 28 29 OVCDC 30 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 10 11 Entrepreneurship program @10am-12pm 12 24 25 OVCDC 26 31 Tutoring 3:30-6:30 (Older Kids) Tutoring 3:30-6:30 (Older Kids) Tutoring 3:30-6:30 (Older Kids) NO TUTORING 6 Tutoring 1:30-4:30 (Younger Kids) 13 Tutoring 1:30-4:30 (Younger Kids) 20 Tutoring 1:30-4:30 (Younger Kids) 27 NO TUTORING ATTENTION TANF CLIENTS MERs are due every 10th of the month. Each blank on the form must be completed in ink with information or n/a (not applicable). MERs being turned in late or incomplete may result in a late cash aid payment. Supportive Service requests may not be processed or may be denied until MER has been turned in. 7 8 MER DUE FAMILY NIGHT 5:30-7:30pm 9 Winter Gathering 3pm-7pm 16 Dates/times may be subject to change.
Tribal TANF Program PO Box 2895 Lake Isabella, CA 93240 Serving the Native American Community of the Kern River Valley If you would like to be taken off our mailing list please call 760-379-4770 OVCDC Mission Statement The Owens Valley Career Development Center is a consortium of Sovereign Nations advancing quality of life for Native people through education and self-sufficiency, protecting, preserving and promoting our cultures through Nation building, today and tomorrow. OVCDC Core Values Compassion: We will deal with each individual and the communities that we serve with compassion. Self-Sufficiency: We will promote and encourage self-sufficiency through education and increased opportunities for Native Americans and above all, do no harm. Respect: We will deal with every client, community member, tribe, Board member and employee with respect at all times. Native Culture: We will strive to preserve, enhance and promote indigenous Native American culture and traditions. Integrity: We will operate in an ethical manner with integrity and honesty at all times. Sovereignty: We will respect tribal sovereignty. Generosity: With our clients and tribal communities we will give back and share, practicing the principle of reciprocity.