Family Services Program

Background

In Santa Clara County SSA, the Family Stabilization services and the CHSP are incorporated into the FS Program. This includes intensive case management designed to address crisis situations. This strategy is designed to enhance and assist with participation, prior to, or concurrent with WTW activities. In addition to housing services, FS includes mental health counseling, substance abuse counseling, domestic violence services and access to Social Work staff.  This strategy is designed to enhance and assist with participation, prior to. or concurrent with WTW activities.  In addition to housing services, FS includes mental health counseling, substance abuse counseling, domestic violence services and access to Social Work staff.

Family Services Programs

FS is a multi-disciplinary approach to WTW services with the purpose of helping the client stabilize any family situation, issue, problem or barrier to employment that is adversely affecting the client’s ability to participate in WTW. Participation is voluntary and failure to comply with the FS plan without good cause is not subject to the non-compliance process.

The FS Program helps eligible both WTW and non-WTW CalWORKs families with housing assistance and support through three program offerings:  CalWORKs Housing Support Program which includes the At-Risk (Office of Supportive Housing (OSH) Prevention), and Family Stabilization Housing Assistance.  Families whose needs are not met through either the At-Risk or CHSP programs will be assessed for Family Stabilization Housing Assistance. 

At-Risk Services will provide housed families with homeless prevention assistance to help navigate a temporary crisis and preserve existing housing.  The supporty Agency for this program will be OSH.  Abode Services and Sacred Heart Community Services are OSH providers that will support the Agency's housing programs.

Eligibility Criteria

With the exception of the CHSP criteria, FS participants must meet eligibility criteria:

  • An active CWES registrant, or
  • In Good Cause Status, or
  • Exempt Status, or
  • WTW sanctioned who agree to cure sanction and sign curing sanction plan; or
  • An active CWES registrant’s family member in the AU, and
  • Have time remaining on the WTW 24-month time clock.

Family Services Referral

Eligible WTW clients may be referred for FS at any point in the participant flow as follows:

  • Client request (self-referral)
  • Service Provider recommendation
  • Eligibility Worker
  • Employment Counselor
  • Social Worker

Family Services Housing Assistance

Housing is a major barrier to WTW participation and family stability. As part of its wrap-around services, the Family Services Program helps eligible CalWORKs families with housing assistance and support. The Family Services Program includes the Family Stabilization Housing Assistance Program, which focuses on homeless prevention, while the CHSP aims to assist families who are already homeless or At-Risk of homelessness by providing housing support. Each of the two housing programs has its own rules and procedures, although some may be the same.

CWES clients who are eligible for either program are referred to the Family Services Unit for housing assistance and support. The first housing program options to be explored with the client is CHSP and the At-Risk (Office of Supportive Housing) Services.

Supplemental Housing Assistance Payments

In coordination with Eligibility Workers, FS Employment Counselors issue supplemental housing assistance payments to eligible CalWORKs families who are in receipt of THA. The Eligibility Worker issues the first homeless assistance payment, followed by the FS EC who issues supplemental payments via the Employment Services Subsystem. Refer to Homeless Assistance Payment Information for the Family Services Supplemental Housing Assistance Payments Process.

CalWORKs Housing Support Program

CHSP is designed to assist eligible CalWORKs families who are experiencing homelessness. This program is separate from the Homeless Assistance that is issued by the Eligibility Worker, and is in addition to the Family Stabilization Housing Assistance program. The FS ES Specialist is to explore CHSP as the primary housing program. The CHSP is included within the menu of services offered through the FS Unit. The FS EC Specialist coordinates these services for eligible CWES participants and initiates the referral to the CHSP service provider.

Eligibility Criteria

CHSP

Eligible CalWORKs families must meet the criteria below to be eligible to apply for the CHSP:

  • Lacking a fixed and regular nighttime residence and either is:
    • Having a primary nighttime residence that is a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations, or
    • Residing in a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, or
  • Lacking stable housing:
    • Lives in a motel paid by government or nonprofit organization, or
    • Had a place to stay last night, but not available tonight (i.e., will be in their car or on the streets, etc.) or 
    • Fleeing domestic violence.
  • In receipt of a judgment for eviction, as ordered by the court.

At-Risk of Homelessness

Eligible CalWORKs families must meet the criteria below to be eligible to apply for the At-Risk Services:

  • Families who are currently housed and at-risk of losing their housing due to unpaid monthly rent, or
  • Families who require more than one-time financial assistance to retain their housing.

Homeless Prevention Services

  • These families will be subject to a monthly assessment of the family's at-risk of homelessness condition to receive a month-to-month extension of their rent payment assistance.
  • Also, they must demonstrate the ability to assume the cost of their housing expenses to continue to receive assistance.  Demonstration of sustainability is required to receive an extension of the client's month-to-month rent payment assistance.

At-Risk Services will provide housed families with homeless prevention assistance to help navigate a temporary crisis and preserve existing housing.

Note:  Families may self-attest that they meet the definition of at-risk of homelessness.

Eligible CalWORKs Families

All CWES clients (active, exempt, curing sanction), including those who have exhausted their WTW 24-Month Time Clock are eligible to receive CHSP.

In addition, Non-WTW CalWORKs Safety Net (Timed-out) families or families with a parent(s) that is excluded by law (ineligible non-citizen, SSI, Fleeing Felon, etc) are eligible.

Referral Guidance

If the client is... Then...
An Active CWES Participant, The client shall be referred to their CWES Employment Counselor (EC). The EC will initiate a referral via the existing Family Stabilization referral process.
Sanctioned or exempt, The EW shall instruct the client to call (408) 758-3500 and request to speak to the Engagement Unit.
An adult in a Safety Net/Child Only case due to parent excluded by law, The assigned EW will complete the Housing Support Referral via the DEBS Referral App.  Indicate whether the referral is for a family that is "Homeless" or "At-Risk of homelessness" on the referral.

 

Services Offered

The CHSP includes, but is not limited to the following services:

  • Intensive case management
  • Assistance locating and securing housing
  • Payment of security deposit (first month rent, deposit/last month rent) required to secure housing
  • Emergency lodging/hotel assistance
  • Utility payments needed to retain/obtain housing
  • Moving arrangements and moving costs
  • Assistance understanding leases
  • Renter’s insurance if required to secure housing
  • Short-term housing subsidy where household transitions gradually to full payment of rent
  • Mediation and outreach to landlords
  • Financial education referrals
  • Incentives
  • Other service referrals to support housing stability

Cal-OAR Measure

The California Outcomes and Accountability Review (Cal-OAR) includes the Homeless Assistance (HA), both Temporary and Permanent housing, and CHSP. The calculation for the measure is a combined measure for both the HA and CHSP.

Eligibility Workers complete the CalSAWS pages for both HA and CHSP (in CalSAWS that will be the Housing Support Program (HSP) when there is a HA request and the client meets the eligibility criteria listed in Home Visiting Program Benefits and Services Available or Eligible CalWORKs Families. Entries in CalSAWS  are as follows:

  1. EW-completes the Homeless-Temp Detail page and process Temporary Homeless Assistance.
  2. EW-adds a Status of "Active" to the Housing Support List and the Begin and Request Date based on current process.
  3. HSP-adds the Need Category of "Housing Support Program (HSP) and "Approved" Status in the Service Arrangements List page.

Note: Services are defined generally as any initial related HSP services.

Related Topics

Home Visiting Program

Benefits Staff Procedures

Welfare to Work (WTW) Activities