North Carolina Work Support Strategies (WSS) Action Plan Overview Summer

Work Support Strategies Grant 2 North Carolina was one of nine states to participate in the WSS Planning Year, during which a state-county project team reviewed, analyzed, and reflected on data, national best practices, and current operations (March, 2011-February, 2012). At the conclusion the planning year, NC developed an Action Plan for achieving a more effective and efficient service delivery model (February, 2012). North Carolina became one of six states to receive funding for Implementation (04/12-03/15).

Tenets of WSS Initiative 3 1. Families will tell their story once and receive the services they need. 2. There will be no wrong door to accessing benefits. Clients will have a choice in when, where, and how they receive benefits. 3. Community partners will provide new avenues for accessing services. 4. The state and counties will work together to make operational improvements, maximize the use of technology, and make the service delivery system as efficient as possible. 5. Customer service, efficiency, and data will drive the development of service delivery models and the development of staffing roles. 6. Counties will retain flexibility in how they implement, but outcomes, performance, and a positive customer experience will provide the ultimate measure of success. 7. Accessing benefits will not be a hindrance to working families. Service delivery will be designed in a way that supports working families and their ability to maintain employment.

Planning Year Activities 4 ActivityFinding County Operations Review Programs collect much of the same eligibility information Administrative churning occurs frequently Communication across program areas is oftentimes limited Data Analysis Enrollment has increased significantly in recent years Application processing time varies greatly from county to county Nearly half of recipients receive more than one benefit Many cases denied for procedural reasons More capacity is needed to collect and analyze data Policy Review Opportunities were identified to streamline policies across programs Policy requirements tend to vary by program, resulting in a confusing application/recertification processes for clients and staff There is no body dedicated to focusing on joint policy development

Planning Year Activities 5 ActivityFinding Client Surveys Many clients coming into a DSS office already receive one program, and are applying for another Clients would most like to see shorter wait times, the ability to apply for multiple benefits simultaneously, and receive benefits sooner County Promising Practices A review of promising new practices in counties led to streamlined services, staff-time savings, and improved client experience Examples included express application Center (Wilson), task management model (McDowell), integrated caseloads (Brunswick), case banking (Mecklenburg), intake teams (Sampson), and electronic document management (Robeson)

Implementation Overview – Action Steps 6 1. Formalize and strengthen county and state partnerships. 2. Develop organizational culture that supports new service delivery system. 3. Build infrastructure to support new service delivery system. 4. Communicate the vision for a new service delivery system. 5. Increase capacity for data collection and analysis. 6. Reduce burdensome policies and procedures. 7. Perform staff development and readiness activities.

Action Step 1: County/State Partnerships Formalize and strengthen county and state partnerships. Develop cross-program state and county leadership bodies. Economic Policy Governance Board Work Support Strategies Committee Develop and implement more systemic state-county communication process. 7

Action Step 2: Organizational Culture Develop organizational culture that supports new service delivery system. Create and implement practice model. Continue implementing and monitoring local process improvement work. Engage staff and supervisors in WSS planning, implementing, and monitoring. 8 …a centralized practice model, informed by the counties themselves, will give the state a much needed structure for laying out core requirements, expectations, outcomes, and consistency in customer experience while capitalizing on the innovation and expertise of counties who are implementing best practices.

Action Step 3: Infrastructure Build infrastructure to support new service delivery system. Drive a focused effort to put infrastructure in place. Maximize opportunities created by NC FAST. Leverage infrastructure created by Health Care Reform. Design and implement a local approach to No Wrong Door. Develop and implement a central data security plan. 9 By addressing…infrastructural barriers through a mindful strategy, we can lay the groundwork for business process improvements that will ultimately benefit both the client and county line staff.

Action Step 4: Communication Communicate vision for a new service delivery system. Undertake focused communication efforts to support/reinforce WSS vision. Conduct client education efforts. Indentify and implement quick wins. 10

Action Step 5: Data Increase capacity for data collection and analysis. Prioritize standard reports currently available and streamline state/local reporting. Develop WSS dashboard. Provide additional resources to counties to empower them to optimize data usage on the local level. 11

Action Step 6: Policies and Procedures Reduce burdensome policies and procedures. Streamline policies across programs in order to reduce the burden on counties and clients wherever possible. Design and implement a more systemic process to execute policy changes, especially those that support the new WSS vision for service delivery. Charter joint state-county policy and quality control work group to develop quality assurance practices that support the new vision for service delivery. 12 …the cumbersome policies currently in place result in clients spending a lot of time managing their benefits rather than working toward self- sufficiency.

Action Step 7: Staff Development Perform staff development and readiness activities. Develop and implement a staff development plan that includes staff roles, skills, and development strategies. Develop and implement a staff hiring and classification plan that incorporates new, required roles and identifies strategies for hiring. 13

Anticipated Results 14 Reduction in administrative churn Increased operational efficiency Improved quality assurance Increased value of DSS-Client interaction Increased human capital among clients, staff, and communities Help families move beyond crisis mode and get back on track Maximize client self-sufficiency

Measures 15 The Action Plan includes several quantitative targets. Examples: In the first year, case processing times will be reduced by 75%. Within three years, 75% of programs that support working families, including Medicaid, FNS and child care cases will be processed in one day. Within three years, the percentage of denials for procedural reasons in FNS and Medicaid will be reduced by 75%. 100% of staff will have their own professional development plan that is addressed and updated on a regular basis. The Action Plan includes several quantitative targets. Examples: In the first year, case processing times will be reduced by 75%. Within three years, 75% of programs that support working families, including Medicaid, FNS and child care cases will be processed in one day. Within three years, the percentage of denials for procedural reasons in FNS and Medicaid will be reduced by 75%. 100% of staff will have their own professional development plan that is addressed and updated on a regular basis. The Action Plan also includes two major long-term goals: Help families move beyond crisis mode and get back on track. Maximize client self-sufficiency. The Action Plan also includes two major long-term goals: Help families move beyond crisis mode and get back on track. Maximize client self-sufficiency.

Implementation Structure 16

Implementation Year One Priorities 17 TeamObjective Data There is a need to begin having intentional conversations about data: Asking what it can tell/show us and going beyond the obvious Being able to compare counties to each other and look at historical performance Using data to launch experiments, and Making sure we have the data for strategic and day-to-day decision- making. The goal of this team is to provide staff with the tools identify outcomes and measures as well as ensuring data is easily accessible. Final Deliverable: Data Toolkit for County Staff Communications Develop and carry out a targeted communication plan to reinforce the messages of WSS and NCFAST. This effort will be targeted toward: County and state staff County commissioners and boards of social services Community partners, and Clients The communication campaign will be built around a specific strategy and take place through various media (including videos, literature, and a website). Final Deliverable: Communication Strategy and Materials

18 TeamObjective Practice Model The goal of the practice model is to identify and document core expectations across the state and help empower county agencies to innovate and customize their processes in accordance with the goals of WSS. The practice model will: Lay forth initial expectations for counties Define success in terms of customer experience and outcomes, and provide counties with key measures with which to self-assess Provide key competencies for staff (i.e. critical thinking and problem solving skills) Include an implementation/rollout plan for building the infrastructure to support continuous improvement Provide the structure and design for an on-going, sustainable effort. Final Deliverable: Practice Model with Core Expectations Implementation Year One Priorities

How YOU Can Get Involved 19 1.Constantly assess: 1.How can I serve my clients better? 2.What improvements can I make to the way my unit/division/department does business 2.Solicit and share ideas for improvement 3.Participate on an Implementation Team 4.Share the message of WSS and NCFAST with staff: 1.Check for updates on the webpage – 2.Watch the video with staff

Key Contacts Sherry Bradsher Director, Division of Social Services Erin Henderlight Project Manager, Public Consulting Group 20 Judy Lawrence State Consultant, Division of Social Services

21 Public Consulting Group, Inc. 148 State Street, Tenth Floor, Boston, Massachusetts (617) ,