FY 2017 Annual Performance Plan and Report - Goal 3 Objective B

Topics on this page: Goal 3. Objective B | Table of Related Performance Measures | Analysis of Results | Plans for the Future | FY 2014 Strategic Review Objective Progress Update Summary

Goal 3.  Objective B:  Promote economic and social well-being for individuals, families, and communities

Strong individuals, families, and communities are the building blocks for a strong America.  Many vulnerable Americans live in poverty, lack the skills needed to obtain good jobs, need supportive services to get or retain jobs, experience unstable family situations, or live in unsafe, unhealthy communities.  Community disorganization and poverty can reduce the social capital of residents and can lead to a lack of accountability of, and trust in, public institutions like those dedicated to public safety and education.  Lack of employment opportunities and low levels of academic achievement can lead to juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, and criminal activity that are major drivers of community violence and family disruption.

Promoting economic and social well-being requires attention to a complex set of factors, through the collaborative efforts of agencies, policymakers, researchers, community members, and providers.  HHS agencies work together and collaborate across departments to maximize the potential benefits of various programs, services, and policies designed to improve the well-being of individuals, families, and communities.  Many HHS agencies fund essential human services for those who are least able to help themselves, typically through the Department’s state, local, and tribal partners. 

ACF is the principal agency responsible for promoting the economic and social well-being of families, children, and youth through income support, financial education and asset-based strategies, job training and work activities, child support and paternity establishment, and assistance for the provision of child care.  State Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Support Enforcement programs provide critical income assistance to some of the nation’s poorest families, while helping mothers and fathers prepare for and secure employment.  ACL and SAMHSA also provide essential supportive services to highly vulnerable individuals and families.

HHS and the U.S. Department of Labor are developing strategies to integrate and enhance skills development opportunities to help low-income individuals enter and succeed in the workforce.  HHS is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand access to nutritional supports for low-income youth and families.  Below is a sample of the performance measures that are used by HHS to promote economic and social well-being for individuals, families, and communities.  The Office of the Secretary led this Objective’s assessment as a part of the Strategic Review.

Objective 3.B Table of Related Performance Measures

Increase the number of caregivers served.  (Lead Agency - ACL; Measure ID - 3.1)

Increase the percentage of refugees who are not dependent on any cash assistance within the first six months (180 days) after arrival.  (Lead Agency - ACF; Measure ID - 16.1LT and 16C)

Increase the percentage of refugees entering employment through ACF-funded refugee employment services.  (Lead Agency - ACF; Measure ID - 18.1LT and 18A)

Increase the recipiency targeting index score for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) households having at least one member 60 years or older.  (Lead Agency - ACF; Measure ID - 1.1LT and 1A)

Increase the recipiency targeting index score for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) households having at least one member five years or younger.  (Lead Agency - ACF; Measure ID - 1.1LT and 1B)

Increase the percentage of Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) state subgrant-funded domestic violence program clients who report improved knowledge of safety planning.  (Lead Agency - ACF; Measure ID - 14D)

Maintain the IV-D (child support) collection rate for current support.  (Lead Agency - ACF; Measure ID - 20C)

Increase the percentage of newly employed adult TANF recipients.  (Lead Agency - ACF; Measure ID - 22B)

Increase the percentage of homeless clients receiving services who were currently employed or engaged in productive activities (Lead Agency - SAMHSA; Measure ID - 3.4.24)

Increase the percentage of clients receiving services who had a permanent place to live in the community (Lead Agency - SAMHSA; Measure ID - 3.4.25)

Analysis of Results

The National Family Caregiver Support Program provides grants to states, territories and tribal organizations to fund a range of supports that assist family and informal caregivers in caring for their loved ones at home for as long as possible.  ACL succeeds in serving community-based elderly individuals by supporting family and friends who are caregivers of these frail individuals.  Increasing the number of caregivers served is a critical component of ACL's efforts to prolong the ability of vulnerable elderly persons to live in their homes.  In FY 2014, over 900,000 caregivers received services exceeding the target of serving 790,000 caregivers.  Performance has trended upward with year to year performance experiencing some variability.  These fluctuations are likely due to yearly variation in the mix of five services delivered to meet the needs of the caregivers in the program (i.e. if caregiver needs result in a service mix with more of the expensive services (e.g. respite versus caregiver training) then fewer caregivers can be served with a given amount of resources).  In addition to the program's increasing reach to serve more caregivers, several specific indicators of program outcomes are also high.  Nearly three-quarters of caregivers receiving services report that the services have "helped them provide care longer"; 74 percent of caregivers report experiencing less stress as a result of services; and nearly 40 percent of caregivers report that without services their care recipients would be unable to maintain their current living arrangements. 

HHS has several measures related to economic well-being.  Refugees are another vulnerable population targeted by ACF programming with economic well-being performance measures.  In FY 2015, 82.19 percent of refugees served by the Matching Grant program were not dependent on any cash assistance within 180 days of arrival, exceeding the target of 76.84 percent, an increase of 7.01 percentage points over the previous year's result.  All grantees showed year over year performance increases on this performance measure, which represents a return to program achievements not seen since before the recession.  In addition to robust economic conditions, several grantees attributed the increases to the ongoing focus on performance improvement plan process.

In FY 2014, the percentage of refugees entering employment through ACF-funded refugee employment services was below the target of 54.00 percent with an actual result of 47.28 percent.  This is a result of various challenges in terms of performance on this measure given the changing demographics of the U.S. Resettlement Program, as many populations require extended employment services in order to enter the U.S. labor market and integrate into U.S. society.  Lower performance by the three largest programs: Florida, Texas, and California significantly affected the overall outcome.  Many recent arrivals have spent protracted periods of time in refugee camps in countries of first asylum, have experienced intense trauma, and have limited work skills.

ACF also focuses on targeting services to populations in need with its recipiency targeting index for families that receive Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding.  The recipiency targeting index scores are the national percentage of LIHEAP-eligible households that receive services and have either a senior citizen or a young child (under the age of five) in the household, compared to the percentage of households estimated by the Census Bureau as being LIHEAP-income-eligible and having a senior citizen or young child in the household.  If the recipiency score was 100, it would mean LIHEAP served these target populations at precisely the level they appear in the U.S. population of eligible clients.  The recipiency targeting index decreased to 80 for FY 2014, falling short of the established target of 84 for FY 2014.  The index score still indicates that elderly households receiving heating assistance were served at a level below their representation in the income eligible population of elderly households.  Families with young children also experienced challenges with recipiency.  In FY 2014, the recipiency score for households with children fell short of the FY 2014 target of 117. 

Providing the survivors of domestic violence with tools that will assist them to remain safe is important to social and community well-being.  The percentage of clients who have improved knowledge of safety planning is correlated with other long-term client safety and well-being measures.  ACF again exceeded its target on a measure of the percentage of clients who reported improved knowledge of safety planning with more than 90 percent of clients served through Family Violence Prevention services programs.  In FY 2014, the result for this measure increased by 0.3 percentage points. 

The ACF Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) and state Child Support Enforcement programs implement a wide variety of strategies to increase current collections, including early intervention, caseload segmentation and data analysis, income withholding, unemployment compensation interception, state or federal tax refund offsets, new approaches to facilitate stable employment for non-custodial parents, and new strategies to strengthen parent engagement.  As a result, the collection rate for FY 2014 of 64 percent exceeded the target for this measure for a fourth year in a row, a significant accomplishment for states considering data for this measure is most influenced by economic factors beyond the control of the program.

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) measure assesses the extent to which recipients transition from cash assistance to employment.  In FY 2013, 32.4 percent of TANF adult recipients became newly employed, which was an improvement over the previous year's result and exceeded the FY 2013 target of 30.7 percent.  However, in FY 2014, the rate of newly employed decreased slightly to 31.4 percent, missing the FY 2014 target of 32.5 percent, which was based off the previous year’s result.  The Grants for the Benefits of Homeless Individuals Services in Supportive Housing (GBHI-SSH) seek to use a permanent supportive housing approach to expand and strengthen substance use treatment or co-occurring substance use and mental disorders treatment services for individuals who experience chronic homelessness and veterans who experience homelessness.  GBHI-SSH supports innovative strategies and services that help integrate individuals who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and who also have substance abuse and mental health disorders into the community.  For example, GBHI-SSH assists providers in strengthening the infrastructure for delivering and sustaining housing to support recovery.  The FY 2015 target for homeless clients receiving services who were currently employed or engaged in productive activities was not met due to increased focus in case management associated with activities that led to (contributed to) stable employment.  Homeless clients receiving services who had a permanent place to live in the community experienced consistent performance improvements, increasing from 23.6 percent in FY 2008 to 45.8 percent in FY 2014.  In FY 2015, 46.1 percent of clients receiving services had a permanent place to live in the community, exceeding the target.  The GBHI-SSH measures are sensitive to external factors, such as employment. 

Plans for the Future

The ACL data collection for the “process evaluation” of the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) is expected to be completed in FY 2015.  The results from that portion of the evaluation will be useful in helping ACL and the Aging Services Network understand how the program has developed over the past 15 years, including the challenges being faced at the state and local levels.  This information will be disseminated broadly and will likely be an invaluable tool in guiding future program implementation decisions at the federal, state, and local levels.  Additionally, evaluation results will help inform guidance and technical assistance to the Aging Services Network as it implements any changes to the program that occur as a result of reauthorization and to more efficiently and effectively meet the growing demand for caregiver supports as the population of older adults increases dramatically.

The ACF refugee employment program aims to continue to increase performance by improving Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)'s collaboration with states and Wilson-Fish agencies to better communicate ORR priorities and to share knowledge of best practices that can be transferred across programs.  This endeavor includes increasing ORR monitoring activities in which program challenges are followed up with technical assistance and further monitoring.  ORR is working closely with ACF's Office of Family Assistance to increase collaboration between TANF and refugee service providers.  ORR is also intending to work more closely with technical assistance providers to ensure effective guidance to states and Wilson-Fish agencies.  ORR plans to work with states and Wilson-Fish agencies to improve engagement through a new regional structure and expects positive trends to continue in FY 2017 thus reaching the goal of 55.00 percent of refugees entering employment through ACF-funded refugee employment services.

ACF is committed to assisting states with helping TANF adult recipients enter employment by finding innovative and effective employment strategies through research, identifying and disseminating information on promising employment and skill-building strategies, and providing a range of targeted technical assistance efforts to states.  Through these efforts, the ACF Office of Family Assistance (OFA) supports state, tribal, and community partners to design and implement programs that focus simultaneously on parental employment and child and family well-being.  In August 2015, OFA convened state TANF administrators and human services commissioners/secretaries at the Gateway to Opportunity national conference to explore how state TANF programs can incorporate job-driven and career pathways training, two-generation approaches, and more innovative practices to improve family economic security.  Tribal TANF leaders also convened at this time, creating an opportunity for shared learning and relationship-building across state and tribal programs.  OFA launched the Systems to Family Stability National Policy Academy (the Academy) in FY 2015.  The Academy will continue to engage eight teams of key leaders, administrators, and stakeholders from a select group of TANF jurisdictions to develop and implement TANF program improvements over an 18 month period.  The Academy will support state and local TANF programs to improve employment outcomes and strengthen service delivery.  In FY 2015 OFA also initiated facilitation of a year-long peer exchange designed to help eight state teams explore strategies for successful integration of TANF and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs.

Grants for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals (GBHI) grants are designed to expand and strengthen treatment services for those experiencing homelessness, with substance use and co-occurring mental and substance use disorders.  This program seeks to provide treatment and recovery support services for individuals experiencing homelessness.  In addition to strengthening access to treatment and housing support, grantees are linked to primary health care services.  SAMHSA will continue to provide targeted technical assistance to grantees and use strategies to improve the percentage of adult clients who have a permanent place to live in the community.

FY 2014 Strategic Review Objective Progress Update Summary

Please note that this section summarizes the result of the FY 2014 HHS Strategic Review process, limiting the scope of content to that available prior to spring of 2015.  Due to this constraint, the following may not be the most current information available.

Conclusion:  Progressing

Analysis:  Strong individuals, families, and communities are the building blocks for a strong America.  Promoting economic and social well-being requires attention to a complex set of factors.  With its partners, HHS is working to provide a path of opportunity to help families leave poverty, to enter the middle class, and to revitalize communities.  While some progress has been made on this Strategic Objective more could be done.  There are significant challenges of HHS work in this area.  One challenge is that many of the factors that influence economic and social well-being are out of HHS's control (i.e. the economy and the availability of jobs that pay a family-supporting wage).  Another is the nature of block grants and the variation in the programs that are implemented at the state and local level. 

Recent accomplishments include work expanding knowledge about effective programs to promote employment, family economic security, and child and family well-being.  HHS has partnered with the Department of Labor to encourage the use of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funds to support subsidized employment programs, including summer youth employment, as a pathway to unsubsidized employment and economic security.  In addition, HHS collaborated with the Departments of Labor and Education on WIOA guidance and technical assistance, as well as to encourage engagement of human services agencies in WIOA implementation to help ensure that TANF and CSBG participants and other individuals with significant employment barriers are well served in the one-stop system.  

HHS continued to make progress in supporting the prevention of, and effective intervention into, abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults and adults with disabilities.  The Lifespan Respite Program in cooperation with ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center completed and disseminated a document entitled Measuring Systems Change and Consumer Outcomes: Recommendations for Developing Performance Metrics for State Lifespan Respite Programs.  This document can serve as a guide to developing Lifespan Respite Programs for how to measure performance of new and developing programs for family caregivers across the lifespan.

 Performance data shows that HHS criminal justice related programs are effective in improving the lives of participants.  The drug court program served 7,357 individuals in 2014.  The percentage of those receiving services that were employed or engaged in productive activities increased to 55.8 percent compared to 34.7 percent at intake.  The percentage of individuals receiving services who had a permanent place to live in the community increased to 40.8 percent compared to 29.5 percent at intake.  The percentage of adults receiving services who had no past month substance use increased to 81.9 percent compared to 50.2 percent at intake.

Though HHS is working to increase economic and social well-being, there are many influences outside of HHS’s control.  For example, the TANF program has not been fully reauthorized in many years.  The flexibility that is inherent in TANF as a block grant has enabled states to use their TANF dollars in a variety of ways, including filling budget gaps for human services programs that are not part of their welfare program.  In FY 2013, states spent less than 30 percent of their federal TANF and state maintenance-of-effort dollars on cash assistance to families and only six percent on work activities.  Further, between 1995 and 2011, the share of eligible families receiving TANF declined from 84 percent to 34 percent.  Another challenging example is adult protective services (APS) which are state-based systems and which can vary widely across states.  A number of challenges exist that impede the Department’s ability to achieve the biggest impact with program efforts to address abuse neglect and exploitation of older adults and adults with disabilities.  There is a lack of information about the risk and protective factors for being a victim or perpetrator of abuse.  In addition, there is a lack of information about effective and evidence-based prevention, intervention, and remediation practices.

The Department continues to provide intensive technical assistance oriented towards strengthening TANF programs to create better outcomes for families.  TANF administrators and state commissioners/secretaries will meet to explore how state TANF programs can more effectively assist parents in their efforts to achieve economic security in a 21st century economy, while also supporting child and family well-being.  The first report of data submitted using the National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System (NAMRS) is expected by June, 2017.  This report will be the first systematic look at the experience of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults and adults with disabilities, as reported to state Adult Protective Service programs across multiple states.

v>