An Overview of Senior Corps Programs & Collaboration with SCSEP November 18, 2010 – 8:30 a.m.

Agenda  Senior Corps basics – overall and by program  Senior Corps and SCSEP: Similarities Differences Interaction and collaboration  Ways to work together  For more information… Angela Roberts, Senior Corps Associate Director

Senior Corps Basics  “Senior Corps” is an umbrella term for 3 federally administered national service programs-  Foster Grandparent Program (1965)  RSVP (1971)  Senior Companion Program (1974)  1,300 projects, 65,000+ placement sites, nearly 500,000 annual volunteers  Enables volunteers ages 55 and over to meet the needs of their communities and benefit from a meaningful volunteer experience.

Senior Corps Space Holder Insert Project Map

RSVP RSVP volunteers provide a wide array of community services:  Health and nutrition  Mentoring children of prisoners  Environmental activities  Assisting with homeland security assignments  Recruiting volunteers and helping expand capacity of nonprofit organizations in their communities

RSVP – How It Works  Volunteers age 55 and over  Volunteers choose how, where and how often they want to serve  Commitments range from a few hours a week to 40 hours per week  Volunteers are eligible for mileage reimbursement and insurance coverage while on assignment

Foster Grandparent Program  Provide aid, support and service to children and youth with exceptional needs;  Mentor children and troubled teenagers;  Care for premature infants and children with disabilities;  Model parenting skills for adolescent mothers; and  Volunteer at schools, hospitals, drug treatment centers, correctional institutions and Head Start and child care centers.

FGP – How It Works Foster Grandparents:  Serve between 15 to 40 hours per week;  Provide one-on-one service to children and youth  Must be age 55 or over  Must be 200 % of poverty to receive monetary stipend  Receive accident, liability, automobile insurance during assignment.

Senior Companion Program (SCP) Senior Companions:  Assist frail, homebound individuals, mostly elderly, with daily living tasks;  Provide companionship;  Serve as “eyes and ears” for social service case managers;  Serve in adult day care or respite centers;  Serve directly in private homes of clients providing respite to caregivers; and  Provide transportation to medical appointments.

SCP – How It Works Senior Companions: Must be age 55 or over Serve weekly schedules ranging from 15 to 40 hours per week Receive on-going training in topics including Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, diabetes, and mental health Receive an hourly stipend if 200

Senior Corps Programs and SCSEP Similarities Participants FGP and SCP  Age 60 and over to participate (becomes 55 October 1)  125% of poverty to receive hourly monetary compensation - stipend of $2.65/hour (becomes 200 % October 1) SCSEP  Age 55 and over to participate  125% of poverty  Receive hourly minimum wage

Senior Corps Programs and SCSEP Similarities Program Elements Senior Corps  Volunteers serve through network of community organizations called “Volunteer Stations”  Required training (FGP and SCP) SCSEP  Participants learn job skills by performing community service assignments at host agencies  Required training

Senior Corps Programs and SCSEP Similarities Structure Senior Corps Administered by Federal Agency - CNCS Grants provided to local sponsors Focus on demonstrated outcomes – grantees self- nominate performance measures at the local level; CNCS has standard measures for each program aggregated at the national level - # of volunteers, hours served, # of clients served by type, percent of grantees meeting their own performance measures SCSEP  Administered by Federal Agency - DOL  Grants provided to state and national grantees  Focus on helping older adults building their skills so they may enter or return to the job market and be self-sufficient

Differences FGP and SCP  Compensation – hourly stipend to offset costs of volunteering  Terms of service open-ended – no expectation of volunteers separating from the program after a given amount of time SCSEP  Compensation – minimum wage – employment focus  Terms of service – durational limits

Interaction between Senior Corps and DoL/SCSEP  Many sub-grantees of SCSEP’s national contractors also sponsor Senior Corps projects.  Senior Corps and SCSEP staff are located in the same offices, and have opportunities to participate as part of the organization’s team to foster opportunities for seniors in the community.  SCSEP and Senior Corps provide significant support to the aging network – AAA, senior centers, nutrition sites, etc.

Collaboration Examples  In Chemung County, New York, RSVP and SCSEP are partners in a community-wide TRIAD public safety program to help reduce crime against seniors. Title V participants coordinate community and council meetings that are facilitated by RSVP volunteers. RSVP volunteers also coordinate community outreach and education sessions.  In Las Vegas, Title V participants coordinate Meals on Wheels through Catholic Social Services, with RSVP volunteers as the main source transportation and delivery.

Collaboration, continued  In Mt. Ephraim, New Jersey, Title V participants and RSVP volunteers work and serve together to help coordinate transportation services for seniors in the community. Title V participants coordinate transportation for veterans and for seniors in need of rides to medical appointments and errands. RSVP volunteers serve as the drivers.

Expanding Collaboration Among Senior Corps and SCSEP in the Community  SCSEP participants could have training assignments at the volunteer stations where Senior Corps volunteers  In the San Francisco area Senior Companions and RSVP volunteers serve side by side with Title V participants at adult day care centers, senior centers and nutrition sites. Dozens of Senior Corps volunteers assist clients during mealtime, and the Title V participants help to coordinate as organization staff.

Expanding Collaboration in the Community (continued)  SCSEP Title V participants could have training assignments that support Senior Corps project staff. In this capacity, the Title V participants generally are clerical and office assistants, although in one large Texas project, a total of 10 Title V participants are county volunteer recruitment coordinators.  Other working relationships such as SCSEP project staff serving on the Advisory Councils of Senior Corps projects.

Other Ways to Work Together  Sharing Resources –Training –TA –Effective Practices –Outreach –Success stories  Sharing Talent –Cross referral of potential volunteers and participants –Community and other presentations

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