Overview

Greater Syracuse Works and Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services (OCM BOCES) received $3,947,065 for the US Department of Labor in 1999 to create and operate The Parent Success Initiative (PSI), a 4 year program targeting non-custodial parents in Onondaga County .  During that time the program served over 1400 non-custodial parents, placed 519 individuals into jobs, and was responsible for generating $2,295246.90 in new child support and arrears payments back to the County.  The program’s innovative model has been recognized locally and nationally.  As a project of Greater Syracuse Works, the Parent Success Initiative has built a foundation of existing partnerships to create a neighborhood network of services and supports.  

From 2004 until 2005, PSI operated under funding through the Onondaga County Department of Social Services.  Unfortunately, in 2005 the program was forced to close due to lack of sufficient funding.  PSI was then awarded funding in 2006 by the NY State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) as one of five pilot program sites in NY State. PSI was utilized by OTDA as the program model for all pilot sites operating under the Fatherhood Initiative. The state pilot program is slated to end in September 09’.  

The current PSI program (PSI 5) is a collaboration being administered by CCA and GSW and is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and is a research project to see if the Transitional Work Model (and other program elements) is the most effective.

Employment assistance is provided to non-custodial parents through the Parent Success Initiative's. Employment Specialists who assist participants in resume development, interviewing skills, arranging for needed education and training, finding and maintaining employment, and pursuing employment advancement. Participants can also receive direct legal assistance through the Parent Success Initiative in order to assist in employment, career advancement and increased child support.

PSI 1 Program Outcomes 

Background

The Parent Success Initiative began in 1999 as a federally funded program and worked with many of the same collaborators involved in the current program.

In June 2006, the New York State Legislature enacted the Strengthening Families Through Stronger Fathers Initiative, which authorizes the implementation of two innovative approaches to help low-income noncustodial parents (nearly all of whom are fathers) to work and pay their child support in full. The first provision of the legislation authorizes funding for pilot programs in five sites to provide intensive employment and other supportive services to low-income noncustodial parents (NY Social Services Law § 335-c).  

To operate the pilot programs, NYS Office of Temporary and disability Assistance (OTDA) contracted with five large, well-established organizations with considerable experience serving low-income adults in general and noncustodial parents in particular.

OTDA selected the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services (OCM-BOCES) as the contracting agency for a pilot site in Syracuse. OCM-BOCES operates similarly to a school district but provides a wide range of educational, vocational, and employment services (http://www.ocmboces.org). OCM-BOCES was the contracting agency for a Welfare-to-Work competitive grant awarded in 1999 for $3.9 million. Under this grant, OCM-BOCES operated a voluntary employment program for low-income noncustodial parents called the Parent Success Initiative, using (a collaboration of) 11 different subcontractors to provide direct services.

OCM-BOCES generally does not provide direct services to pilot participants, but provides contractual and fiscal management for the pilot. In addition, OCM-BOCES contracts with two individuals, a full-time project coordinator and an intake specialist, to oversee the program’s project office. Project office staff are responsible for providing general oversight and managing program operations between the pilot’s many partners. Through its project office, OCM-BOCES has instituted procedures to monitor the activities of its service providers to ensure consistency and quality of service, including regular staff training and on-site case file le reviews. In addition, project office staff spend a considerable amount of time recruiting participants to the program using TV ads, brochures, regular contacts with referring agencies, and outreach events. Project office staff also perform initial intake functions and orientations for new referrals. OCM-BOCES retained the name of its welfare-to-work program, the Parent Success Initiative (PSI), for the current OTDA initiative. OCM-BOCES initially contracted with three private community organizations to provide case management and employment services to PSI participants. They were: Center for Community Alternatives (CCA), Westcott Community Center, and the Spanish Action League (SAL). SAL was phased out as a contracted partner for employment services in February of 2008 because it had trouble recruiting pilot participants. It was replaced by Syracuse Model Neighborhood. OCM-BOCES also contracted with the Consortium for Children’s Services and SAL to provide parenting services. In addition, they have contracts with two legal aid societies and CCA to provide legal services. These organizations are described below.

Center for Community Alternatives (CCA) provides community-based alternatives to incarceration. The mission of the organization is to promote re-integrative justice and reduce reliance on incarceration (http://www.communityalternatives.org). CCA serves people in trouble: youth at risk; families in crisis; people with drug and alcohol problems and HIV/AIDS. CCA’s programs provide court services, health and HIV/AIDS education, drug treatment, employment, re-entry, and community services.

Westcott Community Center (WCC) is a non-profit t community center serving the Westcott neighborhood of Syracuse. The community center’s goal is to provide a safe, accessible community space for activities and programs that meet community needs. Most of their program services are directed toward youth and seniors (http://www.westcottcc.org).

The Spanish Action League (SAL) of Onondaga County Inc. is a non-profit, bilingual organization that provides comprehensive services to the Latino community in Onondaga County (http://www.indiraguzman.com). The Spanish Action League provides the following social services: housing assistance; domestic violence prevention; family support; and translation and interpretation services. Although SAL’s contract to provide employment and case management services was cancelled in early 2008, the organization continues to provide parenting classes.

Syracuse Model Neighborhood (SMN) was founded in 1975 as a settlement house.Its mission is to help people better manage their lives by offering a wide array of services through community oriented programming (http://www.swccsyr.org). It is also the governing agency of the Southwest Community Center (SWCC), which focuses its services on residents of the predominantly African-American, low-income neighborhood of southwest inner-city Syracuse. SMN was added as an employment and case management service provider in the spring of 2008.

Consortium for Children’s Services is a non-profit organization that works with caregivers to promote successful emotional, physical, educational, and economic outcomes for children and their families (http://www.consortiumchildren.org). They provide home- and center-based services that target family literacy, parent education and employment opportunities in Onondaga County, New York.

Frank H. Hiscock Legal Aid Society was founded in 1949 to provide free legal assistance to indigent residents of Onondaga County. The Hiscock Legal Aid Society currently employs a staff of 36, including 21 attorneys (http://www.hiscocklegalaid.org).

Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York is a non-for-profit law office that provides free legal information, advice, and representation in civil matters to people who can’t afford a lawyer in 13 counties in Mid-New York (http://www.lasmny.org). Eligibility for services is based on income and family size.

Program Services

• Intake and Assessment

• Case Management

• Employment Services

• Parenting Services

• Child Support–Related Services

• Financial Literacy

• Legal Services

• Other Services - The pilot sites provide assistance with a long list of other services, including help in obtaining GEDs, mental health services, and housing assistance.

   

As of June 2008, the pilots enrolled 2,118 people, far exceeding the overall enrollment goal of the first contract period.