Survey of County TANF and CW Respondents

Attachment D

Web-based Survey

of

County Respondents (CW and TANF)

Form Approved

OMB No. 0920-XXXX

Exp. Date:

Public Reporting burden of this collection of information is estimated at 15 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to CDC/ATSDR Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road NW, MS D-74, Atlanta, GA 30333; Attn: PRA (0920-XXXX).

Web-based Survey of County Respondents (CW and TANF)

Informed Consent

ICF International is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on a study to understand how Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)/Colorado Works and child welfare work together to assist families and how their policies and practices may affect rates of child maltreatment. The findings from this project may be used to inform other agencies throughout the country.

• Your participation in this survey is voluntary. Whether or not you take part in this survey will not affect your job or your relationship with your colleagues. Your supervisor will not be made aware of your participation in this survey and they will not have access to the information in the survey.

• All of the information that we collect from you will be secure and the only people that will have access to this information are the researchers who are conducting this project.

• The survey should take about 10-15 minutes to complete.

• If you have questions about this survey or project, you may contact the project director, Cathy Lesesne, at (404) 321-3211, or at [email protected].

By advancing to the next screen, you are agreeing to complete this survey.

Respondent Information

Department or agency name: ____________________________________________________

County: [drop-down menu]

Job title: ____________________________________________________________________

In what year did you begin working at the Department of Human/Social Services (e.g., “1998”)? _____]

Survey Introduction

In this survey, we will be asking questions about service integration. We define service integration as the coordination of TANF/Colorado Works and child welfare policies and processes that link services across service boundaries for newly identified clients, dual-system clients, or clients with multiple co-occurring needs. Integration can be used to describe a range of activities, such as several agencies providing a service at one location and the creation of shared planning and budgeting. We use the term integration here to describe the activities taking place between TANF/Colorado Works (“welfare”) and child welfare agencies or divisions.

Section I

This section asks several questions about the overall relationship between TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare in your organization.

1. In your county, which of the following best describes the physical location relationship of your Child Welfare and TANF/Colorado Works programs? (Check all that apply.)

• They are located in the same building and share physical space.

• They are located in the same building but do not share physical space (such as located on different floors or separate areas of the building).

• They are located in different buildings.

• Our County Department of Human Services has satellite offices in other locations in the county.

• Other (please describe): _______________________________________________

2. Has your county worked to develop or implement a plan to integrate TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare activities?

• No (If no, skip to 3.)

• Don’t know

• Yes

2.a. (If yes) In what year did this work begin (to the best of your knowledge)? Please select the year. [drop-down menu]

2b. (If yes) In what year did this work end (to the best of your knowledge)? Please select the year. [drop-down menu]

3. Given the reality that your county has many priorities, how do you rank the integration of Colorado Works and Child Welfare activities?

• Not a priority

• Low priority

• Medium priority

• High priority

4. Is there a formal committee or other structure that oversees the integration of the planning and service activities between TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare?

• No

• Don’t know

4.a. (If no) Is such a committee being considered?

• No

• Don’t know

• Yes

• Yes

4b. (If yes) In what year did this committee or structure begin (to the best of your knowledge)? Please select the year. [drop-down menu]

4c. (If yes) In what year did this committee or structure end (to the best of your knowledge)? Please select the year. [drop-down menu]

4. Have there been any discussions at the management level, or elsewhere within your agency, to increase coordinated case planning for TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare clients?

• No

• Yes

(If yes) 5a. Has there been…

• Considerable discussion?

• Limited discussion?

6. Has coordinated case planning (between Child Welfare and TANF/Colorado Works) been implemented?

• No

• Yes

6a. (If yes) In what year did coordinated case planning begin (to the best of your knowledge)? Please select the year. [drop-down menu]

6b. (If yes) In what year did coordinated case planning end (to the best of your knowledge)? Please select the year. [drop-down menu]

7. Does your county have any protocols that require Child Welfare workers to determine if their clients are concurrently in the TANF/Colorado Works system?

• Yes

• No

8. Does your county have any protocols in place that direct Child Welfare workers to determine if a client has a possible need for TANF/Colorado Works cash assistance and/or employment services?

• Yes

• No

9. Now, we will be asking a series of questions about the time period from 1995-2014.

On a scale of zero to four (0 = not integrated at all, 4 = highly integrated), how integrated do you consider your county’s TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare services during the following time period (2010-2014)?

As a reminder, we define integration as the coordination of TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare policies and processes that link services across service boundaries for newly identified clients, dual-system clients, or clients with multiple co-occurring needs. Integration can be used to describe a range of activities, such as several agencies providing a service at one location and the creation of shared planning and budgeting. We use the term integration here to describe the activities taking place between TANF/Colorado Works (“welfare”) and child welfare agencies or divisions.

Select one number for each year below. You may indicate “Don’t know” if you were not working with your county’s TANF/Colorado Works or Child Welfare agencies/divisions at the time, or if you do not know.

	0-Not integrated at all	1 2-Somewhat 3 integrated			4- Highly integrated	Don’t Know
2014	0	1	2	3	4	9
2013	0	1	2	3	4	9
2012	0	1	2	3	4	9
2011	0	1	2	3	4	9
2010	0	1	2	3	4	9
2009	0	1	2	3	4	9
2008	0	1	2	3	4	9
2007	0	1	2	3	4	9
2006	0	1	2	3	4	9
2005	0	1	2	3	4	9
2004	0	1	2	3	4	9
2003	0	1	2	3	4	9
2002	0	1	2	3	4	9
2001	0	1	2	3	4	9
2000	0	1	2	3	4	9
1999	0	1	2	3	4	9
1998	0	1	2	3	4	9
1997	0	1	2	3	4	9
1996	0	1	2	3	4	9
1995	0	1	2	3	4	9

10. To what extent does the leadership in your county’s agency support integration between Colorado Works and Child Welfare?

• Leadership does not show support for integration between TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare.

• Leadership shows some support for integration between TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare and other agencies.

• Leadership shows high degree of commitment and investment in TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare integration.

Section II

The next set of questions looks at areas that could present barriers to collaboration or services integration between Child Welfare and Colorado Works. Whether or not you view collaboration and integration between these systems as desirable or useful, your assessment of barriers to integration efforts is extremely helpful.

On a scale of zero to four (0 = not a barrier, 4 = substantial barrier), what is your perception of how much each of the following items serve as a barrier to collaboration between and integration of TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare services in your county? Select one number for each item.

			0- Not a Barrier		1 2- moderate barrier	3 4- Substantial Barrier
	Extent of agency consensus on appropriate integration model			0 1 2 3 4
	A common assessment tool			0 1 2 3 4
	A common client information system			0 1 2 3 4
	Ability to share client information between programs			0 1 2 3 4
	High staff workloads (difficult to add additional tasks)			0 1 2 3 4
	Difficulty in hiring new staff (lack of availability)			0 1 2 3 4
	Human resources classification limitations and/or union constraints			0 1 2 3 4
	Middle manager or supervisor commitment to integration			0 1 2 3 4
	Line staff commitment to integration			0 1 2 3 4
	Extent of line staff understanding of need for services integration			0 1 2 3 4
	Challenges with blending Colorado Works and Child Welfare funding			0 1 2 3 4
	Lack of funding			0 1 2 3 4
	Colorado Works client’s fear of potential Child Welfare involvement			0 1 2 3 4
	Integration not a high priority for executive staff			0 1 2 3 4
	Competing/conflicting goals for the two programs			0 1 2 3 4
	Competing/conflicting client timelines for the two programs			0 1 2 3 4
	Colorado Works restrictions on serving families while the child is out of the home			0 1 2 3 4
	Extent of flexibility in the Colorado TANF Plan			0 1 2 3 4
	Extent of flexibility in Colorado Child Welfare laws / regulations			0 1 2 3 4
	Public perception or spotlight on social services agencies			0 1 2 3 4
	Lack of adequate training			0 1 2 3 4
	Other: (please specify below)			0 1 2 3 4

If “Other, please specify response here. _________________________

Please provide any additional comments you want us to know about the level or nature of integration between Child Welfare and TANF services. _______________

Thank you very much for taking the time to fill out this survey! If you have any questions about this survey or the study, please feel free to contact Cathy Lesesne at (404) 321-3211 or [email protected].