Partnership in Self-Sufficiency

Guided by Mary Beth Dunkenberger, David Moore, and Holly Lesko, VTIPG and five Local Departments of Social Services (LDSS) in the New River Valley, collectively known as the Partnership for Self-Sufficiency (PSS), provided tailored wrap around services to address employment barriers and service needs for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) clients. The partnership expanded and engaged the existing community networks of employers and human service providers with an emphasis on intensive vocational case management through referrals to Vocational Specialists in each jurisdiction.

The overarching goal of the regional employment placement, retention, and advancement model was to expedite preparation of Virginia Initiative for Employment Not Welfare (VIEW) participants for entry-level positions with employers who offered benefit packages, greater job security, and some potential for upgrading skills, as well as those with a strong focus on job retention. In addition to employment-based services, the PSS program focused on other barriers that influenced clients' job readiness and retention. Specific research and programmatic efforts identified needs and services in areas such as domestic violence, mental health, disability, and multi-generational poverty prevention efforts.

The services provided were 1) the integration of an intensive job readiness program, job development activities, and concentrated vocational case management activities; 2) continued development and refinement of community resources that facilitated employment of TANF recipients; 3) an SSI/SSDI application support service that helped local agencies better evaluate disabled TANF recipients and helped provide access to additional resources to assist them; and 4) focused job retention efforts coordinated with employers.

The PSS program operated in the region from 2000-2013 and served over 5,000 clients during that tenure.