Modernizing CalFresh: Improving Program Performance, Processes & Participation

September 5, 2012

Welcoming Remarks

Will Lightbourne , Director, California Department of Social Services;

Allen Ng , Regional Administrator, USDA Food and Nutrition Service

Elliot Robinson , Director, Monterey County representing CWDA

Keynote: “ Where Are We Headed in Social Service Delivery ?”

Stan Dorn , Urban Institute - How innovative states across the country as well as federal policymakers are departing from the traditional methods of determining eligibility for public benefits based on interaction between a consumer and a caseworker and moving to 21st-century methods of eligibility determination.

Presentation


Stacy Dean , Center for Budget and Policy Priorities - Research and results with the Work Support Strategies initiative, lead by the Urban Institute, supports states’ efforts to improve service delivery across and participation in SNAP, Medicaid, child care and other work support programs.

Presentation


James P. Mayer , Executive Director, California Forward -A comprehensive overview of public sector strategies being deployed in California and other states in partnership with foundations and non-governmental bodies to improve efficiencies and effectiveness in government.

Presentation


Group “A” Workshops

A1 - Removing Barriers to Application through Community Partnerships

Diana Alexander, Leo O’Farrell, Annette Gallegos, Lino Rios & Elliot Robinson

Los Angeles, Monterey, San Bernardino, and San Francisco Counties will discuss how their counties have been able to push barriers aside when it comes to the application process with the assistance of technology and community partnerships.

LA’s Presentation
Monterey Presentation
San Bernardino Presentation
San Francisco Presentation


A2 - Using Telephone Interviews for Intake

Marcetta Brewster, Cheryl Davis, Patricia Lopez & Linda Wright

Placer, Riverside, and San Diego, will share with attendees what their experience with using the telephone technology as a method to interview clients at Intake. They will discuss the benefits as well as the challenges they faced while implementation of various telephonic technologies in their business practice.

Placer Presentation
Riverside Presentation
San Diego Presentation


Leadership Counts: Making the Transition from Case Management to Process/Task Management

Richard Armstrong , Idaho Dept. of Health and Welfare; David Stillman , Asst. Sec., Washington Dept. of Social and Health Svcs.; Pankaj Bhanot , Administrator, Benefit, Employment and Support Svcs, Hawaii Dept. of Human Svcs; Blake Shaw , Change and Innovation Agency; Jason Britt , Tulare County & Vail Dutto, InTelegy

Leaders from four states and counties that have successfully made the change from the traditional case processing of CalFresh (SNAP) applications to process/task management of applications will address the following issues:

• What motivated them to make the change?
• How did they lead the change?
• How did they overcome resistance to change?
• What tools did they use to facilitate the change?
• What measurable outcomes did they achieve to evaluate the change?

Idaho Presentation
Washington Presentation
Hawaii Presentation
Tulare Presentation

September 6, 2012

Preparing for ACA - Update on CalHEERS and Horizontal Integration
Pete Cervinka , Chief Deputy, CDSS; Larry Goolsby/Rick Friedman , APHSA; Meg Sheldon , CWDA & Juli Baker , Health Benefits Exchange (HBEX)

The panel will update participants on the latest in terms of implementing the Affordable Care Act and how Horizontal Integration will affect the way we do business. Panelists will provide a national perspective, the view from those overseeing the effort and from the viewpoint of CWDA.

APHSA Presentation
CWDA Presentation
HBEX Presentation


Group “B” Workshops

B1 - Call Centers

Debra Baetz, Brian Tam & Keira Vink

Orange and Stanislaus counties will discuss the success of their call centers in assisting clients receive quality service while providing needed benefits. Questions such as how do call centers maximize efficiencies and effectiveness, how performance standards are established, and how call centers divert clients from office walk-ins to thereby improving office flow will be answered.

Orange Presentation; Stanislaus Presentation

B2 - Pathways to Increased Participation

Vienna Barnes, Todd Bland, Belit Burke, Kathy Houle & Sanja Kovacevic

The state with the best participation rate (Oregon) and counties from the Central Valley Partnership which rank the best in California in terms of participation rates will share the secrets of their success.

Oregon Presentation
Calaveras Presentation
Fresno Presentation
Tulare Presentation


Group “C” Workshops

C1 - Using Technology to Improve Client Communication and Access

Laura Chavez, Nathaniel Rodriquez, Angela Shing & Tiana Wertheim

Counties (Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Francisco) will describe new ways they are using technology to communicate with clients, provide clients with easy ways to communicate with the county and make the best use of their benefits.

Los Angeles Presentation
San Bernardino Presentation
San Francisco Presentation


C2 - CWDA CalFresh Committee

This will be the monthly scheduled meeting of the CWDA CalFresh Committee. Awards will be presented to counties based on recent performance in terms of accuracy.

Group “D” Workshops (See Descriptions on Previous Day)

D1 - Removing Barriers to Application through Community

D2 - Using Telephone Interviews for Intake

Closing –Reflections on the Conference: View to the Future

Linda Patterson , CalFresh Branch Chief, CDSS

Elliot Robinson , Director, Monterey

Cheryl Davis , Director, Placer

Todd Bland , Deputy Dir., CDSS WTW Division

Panel members will recap key takeaways from the conference and how that will inform and guide future efforts to improve program participation and performance.