braided funding finding the dollars to make it …€¦ · braided funding finding the dollars to...
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BRAIDED FUNDINGFinding the Dollars to Make it Work
Susan Schonfeld, Executive Director, CESP
Kelly Carroll, Director of Operations, CESP
WHO IS CIS???Community Integrated Services is one of the largest Philadelphia-area job search and job support agencies assisting people with
disabilities in locating employment and succeeding in a job. Our job seekers have found fulfilling employment throughout diverse sectors, including clerical services, retail, food service, hospitality & tourism,
gaming, child care, and healthcare. We work with job seekers in Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, and Bucks counties
as well as the state of Delaware!
WHO IS CIS??? Through creativity, flexibility, and a commitment to community-based services, CIS provides individualized, person-centered support and training to help individuals with disabilities attain their employment goals.!
Image of words MISSION & VISION in sky. Road signs PAST & FUTURE below them.
MISSION Community Integrated Services’ mission is to empower people with disabilities through individualized employment opportunities that foster self-sustainability, equality, and community. Through partnerships with area businesses and organizations, CIS works to find jobs that fulfill the employment goals and desires for the people they serve. !
VISION
We believe that all people have the right and responsibility to be an active part of their community, regardless of their disability, and Community Integrated Services helps people with disabilities Live an Everyday Life through employment. !
OUR BEST KEPT SECRET, OUR STAFF!!!
We have innovative, creative staff that come from diverse backgrounds. We use our talent and expertise to help find jobs that are a great match for each individual’s skills and interests!
DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS
• Architect!• Small Business Owners!• Journalist!• Musicians!
• Master of Business Administration!• Educators!• Retail and Hospitality Management!
• Marketing!• Artists!
!
DEVELOPING A CREATIVE CULTURE
• Capitalizing on Staff's "Personal Genius" !
• Constantly staying on top of trends in the field!
• Ensuring staff hold credentials (CE, ACRE, CESP, Certified Investigators, Communication Champion, CWIC)!
• Creative hiring practices.!
• Creating hybrid positons and looking for staff with diverse backgrounds and work experiences.!
• Tapping into staff resources, connections, contacts and experiences.!
COMMUNITY INTEGRATED SERVICES
• Non-Profit organization 501(c)3 !
• Established in 1991 in Philadelphia, PA!
o 25 individuals/ $250,000 budget- all Program Funded!
• Supported Employment Agency in Philadelphia, PA, surrounding counties, and the state of Delaware !
• Employment First Agency!
• 35 staff who have obtained CESP!
• 47 staff who are ACRE Certified!
COMMUNITY INTEGRATED SERVICES
• Currently serve 605 individuals !• 173 New Job Placements in 2015!• Employment for Everyone!!
EARLY YEARS – 1990’s
• Individualized Supported Employment Model!
• Originally utilized 3 employment specialists!
• Served 10-15 individuals utilizing individual supports model!
• Utilized multiple funding sources depending on customers served – (approx $250,000) – program funded that was grant based.!
• Office of Mental Retardation (OMR)!
• Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR)!
• Office of Mental Health Services (OMH)!
Image of graph with arrow sweeping upwards. The words “Time for Growth” are alongside the arrow, with a clock leaning against the graph bars.
MICHAEL’S STORY
MICHAEL’S STORY • Developed Internship at Neighborhood Gym while in high school following
discovery through ESY.!
• Gym Owner wanted to find a mutually beneficial opportunity for Michael in the gym once he graduated.(social capital)!
• Resource Ownership Partnership!
• Braided Funding (5 Sources):!
• Internship – HS – IEP !
• Equipment - Parents, DD Grant!
• Coaching - Office of Intellectual Disabilities, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.!
UNDERSTANDING SUSTAINABILITYSustaining the work we do meant finding a way to fund and support our individualized model without relying on one funder. Sustainability requires a long-term plan for funding and managing funding and resources from partners, as well as the capacity to mobilize those resources. Sustainability also includes plans to increase staff capacity so that the model can expand.!
Image of a $100 bill with a hand at each of the 4 corners. The bill is made up of 8 puzzle pieces.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BRAID FUNDING???
Weaving state, federal and private funding to provide a sustainable funding stream to support individuals.!
BRAIDED FUNDING TO INCREASE AGENCY CAPACITY
• State and Federal Funding!• Private Funding!• Ticket to Work (EN and AEN)!• Fundraising !• Consultation!
THE APPROACH OF CIS TO INCREASE INDIVIDUAL RESOURCES FOR SERVICES
• School Districts!• Settlement Agreements!• Vocational
Rehabilitation!• Medicare Waivers!
• Private Funding!• Social Security!• Grants!• Fundraising!• Consulting!
STUDENT SERVICES: Capitalizing on Opportunity
• School Districts ! Contract directly with multiple school districts!
• Settlement Agreements!
STUDENT SERVICES: Capitalizing on Opportunity
Job Coaching!
• 1:1 Services!
• On the job coaching and support!
• Facilitating natural supports!
• Increasing independence
STUDENT SERVICES: Capitalizing on Opportunity (cont.)
Comprehensive Community Based Work Assessments/Discovery!
• Opportunity to perform job tasks in real work environments!
• Exposure to various types of work and multiple work environments!
• Insight to student around work preferences!
• Provides information around students interests, skills, abilities, learning styles, environmental considerations, support needs, etc. !
• Allows for informed choice!
• An on-going process!
• Drives job development!
Student Services: Capitalizing on Opportunity
• Volunteer Opportunities !
• Internship Opportunities – Labor laws allow for flexibility while in school !
• Employment: wage jobs !
• Customized Employment!
• Business within Business!
• Resource Ownership!
• Self-Employment!
• Entrepreneurship!
• Arts Focus- ArtWorks!
• Benefits Counseling!
• Coordinating Adult Funding and Services!
OFFICE OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION- OVR
• The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) serves people who have disabilities that present a substantial impediment to employment. Services are provided to individuals to prepare for, enter into, engage in, or retain employment. OVR has 21 District Offices located around the State. OVR counselors work every year with thousands of persons who have physical, mental, and emotional disabilities.!
• Individuals qualify if..!
• they have a disability,!
• the disability causes substantial problems in preparing for, obtaining, or maintaining a career, and!
• they want to work.!
OVR SERVICES: Capitalizing on Opportunity• Vocational Rehabilitation!
o PA – 2 Regional offices serving 5 counties!
• CIS provides 6 Services under OVR !o Letter of Understanding (LOU) for CBWA and Job
Placement!
o Customized Employment Pilot!
o Pre-Employment Transition Services (PETS)!
o Innovation & Expansion Grant (I&E)!
o On The Job Training (OJT)!
o Project Search!
OVR SERVICES: Capitalizing on Opportunity• Letter of Understanding (LOU) for CBWA and Job Placement!
• Community Based Work Assessment (CBWA)-are used to assess an individual’s current vocational skills, abilities, goals, and strengths using experiential opportunities in work environments based on the candidate’s interest and capabilities. !
• Job Placement/Job Coaching- Assistance in finding a suitable job based on previous work experience and skills. Support with resume development, interview preparation and on the job training up to 90 days. !
OVR SERVICES: Capitalizing on Opportunity
• CE Pilot!
• Piloting CE for OVR!
• There are 3 pilot programs state wide!
• CIS is one of 4 agencies in Philadelphia!
• Customized Employment is a different model for OVR, this is an opportunity for OVR to see the process and agencies to provide feedback.!
OVR SERVICES: Capitalizing on Opportunity
Innovation and Expansion Project!• Provides Students with Disabilities an offering of work-based learning
opportunities in competitive employment sites for high school students.!
• CIS is focusing on 15 youth aging out of school district services. Students are participating in Discovery and job exploration with the goal of obtaining and maintaining competitive employment by December 2016.!
OVR SERVICES: Capitalizing on Opportunity
Pre-Employment Transition Services (PETS)!• With the implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act (WIOA), which reauthorized the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) is making new opportunities available for students with disabilities. !
CIS Provides the Following Services under “Pre-Employment Transition Services”!
• Job Shadowing- Job Shadowing provides students a one to five day job shadowing experience, for a maximum of 25 hours per school year in an occupation of interest within a community setting. Students will be provided an opportunity to shadow employees and obtain an overview of the knowledge, tasks and abilities needed to work in their field of interest. CIS would supervise the student to ensure student progress.!
OVR SERVICES: Capitalizing on Opportunity
Work Based Learning Experiences!
• Students can patriciate in work based learning experiences, which may include in-school or after school opportunities, or experience outside the traditional school setting including internships that are provided in an integrated community environment. Students will be provided experiences to gain knowledge and skills needed to obtain competitive community integrated employment or transition to post-secondary training. CIS would supervise the student to ensure student progress on site for a maximum of 90 hours per school year. Students will be provided with a stipend. The stipend will be equal to wages received by employees in comparable positions and must be at least a rate equal to minimum wage. !
OVR SERVICES: Capitalizing on Opportunity
OVR SERVICES: Capitalizing on OpportunityOn the Job Training for Adults and Students (OJT)!
• OVR recognizes there are costs associated with training an employee to learn a new job. The Jobs for All OJT will provide reimbursement of a percentage of an OVR customer’s wage to absorb some of these training costs. !
OVR SERVICES: Capitalizing on Opportunity
Project Search - Drexel University!• Project Search is a business-led program. Students learn relevant,
marketable skills while immersed in the business and those businesses are active partners, participating without subsidies. The Program focus is on serving young adults with a variety of developmental disabilities (acquired before age 22 such as intellectual disability, visual impairment, hearing impairment, orthopedic impairment, autism, etc.).
OVR SERVICES: Capitalizing on Opportunity
Project Search - Drexel University (cont.)!• Program participants experience total immersion in the workplace.
Students are on site at the business each school day for a minimum of six hours for an entire academic year.!
• The partners provide consistent on-site staff including a special education teacher from the school district and job coaches (usually funded by Vocational Rehabilitation and a supported employment agency and/or the school). !
MEDICAID WAIVERS: Capitalizing on Opportunity
Pennsylvania Office of Development Programs!• Medicaid Waiver Programs- Consolidated and PFDS Waiver!• BAS-!• OBRA- OLTL!
County Funded Intellectual Disability Services!• Base Funding!
TICKET TO WORK: Capitalizing on Opportunity
• Social Security funding provided to ‘Employment Networks’ when consumer earns above specific wages at work!
• Not based on work done on the consumer’s behalf!!• Funding can be used in conjunction with waiver and other funding sources!!• Funds are unrestricted!
• Became an Employment Network in 2008-$10,000 in revenue!• Current fiscal year $135,000 in revenue!
ADMINISTRATIVE EMPLOYMENT NETWORK: Capitalizing on Opportunity
• Not many Employment Networks in the Philadelphia area!
• Underutilized funding!
• Program difficult to understand!
• CIS is an Administrative Employment Network !
• Agencies can sign on to receive benefits of Ticket to Work!
• Agencies receive training on the Ticket to Work program and when ready become their own Employment Network!
• Payments are divided between CIS and partnering agency!!
• Currently have 1 agency participating and several others in the works!
PRIVATE FUNDING:Capitalizing on Opportunity
• Private Funding !o Private Pay!o Trusts!o Consultation Services!
Grants and Fundraising: Capitalizing on Opportunity
• Beacons of Excellence!• Awarded 7 Philadelphia Mini Grants!• OVR Innovation and Expansion Project!• PA Department of Education Grant (2 yrs)!• Barra Foundation Grant!• Enterprise CarShare!• Mosaic of Talents fundraising event!• Annual Giving Campaign!
CHALLENGES• Need to dedicate the time and staff to research opportunities and have an
internal liaison to look at each unique situation to determine the best path to create the most resources.!
• Understanding all the systems rules and ensuring that you remain in compliance. Everyone has very different rules and requirements.!
• Strong systems in place to never overlap funding- AUDITS are scary.!• Disseminating this information to individuals, families, rep payees, team
members, etc.!• Educating staff on creative funding possibilities to maximize outcomes and
resources.!
TIPS FOR ENSURING FUNDING NEVER OVERLAPS!
Keep clear documentation about when each funding source starts and stops and make sure you do not overlap!!
If you have an automated billing system, make sure to change funding sources in advance of changes if possible, so staff don’t bill the wrong funding source. If you accidentally bill the wrong funding source, VOID those claims, so that you are not double billing and out of compliance.!
As much as possible, make the funding changes on the back end so staff do not even need to be aware. If that is not possible, and staff are responsible to designate the funding source give them frequent reminders and check their work
MORE TIPS FOR ENSURING FUNDING NEVER OVERLAPS!
Establish a system for inserting consumer-specific alerts on how to differentiate funding sources for the type of activity; utilize billing software or other internal agency documents, i.e. schedules.!
!
From a QA perspective, we stay current on billing and data review in order to catch incorrect billing before it is submitted and needs to be backed out and adjusted, or voided altogether.
MORE TIPS FOR ENSURING FUNDING NEVER OVERLAPS!
• Compile a list of individuals who have multiple authorizations, and carefully review all billing for those consumers on a weekly basis in order to ensure the correct funding source is utilized for each activity. !Format the list to clarify start/end dates for authorizations, and include notes that specify which funding source should be applied for each type of activity. !!
• When feasible and appropriate, provide feedback to staff directly as a mentoring tool. If staff are made aware of errors, but in a way that's presented as a learning opportunity, this feedback can instill a stronger sense of personal responsibility, and promote increasingly mindful practices moving forward.
MORE TIPS FOR ENSURING FUNDING NEVER OVERLAPS!
• If there are staff with recurring issues, revisit training opportunities to reinforce best practices, and review their billing going back in time to ensure nothing was submitted incorrectly. If so, then work with the data team on making needed adjustments. !
• Pay extra attention to HCH services to ensure no indirect, non face-to-face activity is being billed as HCH.!
• Emphasize caution around billing practices and a need to differentiate funding sources during the onboarding process, and throughout subsequent, routine training sessions.!
CHRISTIAN R.
Christian’s Story
Braided Funding Utilized!• School District Funding!• OVR!• ODP- Waiver!• Barter Agreement with a Comic Book Store!• Family Contributions!
PATH FROM DISCOVERY TO BUSINESS OWNER
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/03/19/local-teen-doesnt-let-disability-hinder-his-business-dreams/
DAN’S STORY
• Primary funding through Adult Autism Waiver!• Receives employment services, behavioral support, and community
inclusion!• Waiver says he can receive a maximum of 40 hours per week of services!• Offered full time position as a Clerk (40 hours per week)!• Dan needs job coaching at work to help learn the job !• Dan still needs his other services !
DAN’S STORY• Dan keeps other services!!• Dan receives the job coaching!!• CIS utilizes Ticket to Work as a secondary funding source to fill the gap !• Win-win situation for everyone!
Questions?????