This document discusses benefit enrollment coordination efforts in Massachusetts and Washington state supported by funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). In Massachusetts, a web-based system is being developed to better coordinate enrollment across state agencies and community partners. Washington state funded several pilot projects using ARRA funds, including placing benefit coordinators at free tax preparation sites and food banks to screen for and enroll eligible individuals and families in available programs. The pilots aimed to test strategies to sustain effects of prior ARRA funding and break down barriers to accessing services. Outcomes of the pilots included hundreds of individuals receiving referrals and tens of thousands of dollars in benefits obtained. Challenges implementing the pilots included their temporary nature and ensuring follow up.

1. Benefits Enrollment Coordination:
ARRA and Beyond
Presented by
The National Association for
State Community Services Programs
With
Akm Rahman (Massachusetts)
Jessica Simon (Washington)
www.nascsp.org 1

2. Each year more than $54 billion in work
supports available under existing government-
funded programs are unclaimed by eligible
Americans who do not apply.
Source: The Work Supports Initiative
www.nascsp.org 2

3. The National Governors’ Association identifies
inconvenience and time off from work as
primary reasons why eligible households do
not apply for work supports.
www.nascsp.org 3

4. OMB Memorandum M-10-21
Change comes from the community level and often through
partnership; complex problems require flexible, integrated
solutions.
The Administration must break down Federal “silos” and
invest in such a way that encourages similar coordination at
the local level. To make the Federal government a more
effective and nimble partner, agencies also should pursue
opportunities to engage State, local, and tribal governments,
faith institutions, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and
community members at-large as collaborators. Effective
collaboration rests on developing shared agendas for action,
strategies that are smart, success measures that make sense,
and implementation focused on results.
www.nascsp.org 4

5. Center for American Progress
Coordinate and Consolidate
Federal programs often perform similar functions,
serve the same people, or have resources that
could help other programs achieve better results.
These programs would benefit from closer
coordination and in some cases consolidation. Yet
executive branch agencies and programs frequently
exist in their own separate silos, with little
communication between them.
www.nascsp.org 5

6. Efforts Outside of the CSBG Network
• Stakeholders Outreach Initiative (SOI)
– Connecting small businesses to federal
government contracts
– www.sba.gov/fedcontractingtraining/
• Seedco’s EarnBenefits
– Facilitates enrollment services to connect low-
wage workers to a range of income-enhancing
public and private benefits, such as tax credits,
food stamps, health insurance, and bank accounts.
www.nascsp.org 6

7. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
“…1 percent of the funds made available to each
State from this additional amount shall be used
for benefits enrollment coordination activities
relating to the identification and enrollment of
eligible individuals and families in Federal, State,
and local benefit programs…”
www.nascsp.org 7

8. Amount of Funds
• $9,733,039 total for Benefits Enrollment and
Coordination Activities.
• $37,000 – smallest amount (Alaska)
• $891,500 – largest amount (California)
www.nascsp.org 8

9. Outreach, Education, Marketing
• 41 States
– Educational Materials (brochures, pamphlets)
– Earned Income Tax Credit
– Individual Development Accounts
– Referrals to partners
– Debt Assistance, Budgeting courses
– Foreclosure Prevention
www.nascsp.org 9

10. Technology Enhancements
• 25 States
– Creation/Enhancement of online eligibility
systems
– Streamlining Information and Referral Processes
– Integrating State-wide data collection systems
www.nascsp.org 10

11. Coordination of Benefits Providers and
Other Stakeholders
• 14 States
– Coordinating with Federal, State, local, and private
organizations
– Assessment of barriers to benefits enrollment,
information sharing, coordination of benefits
enrollment criteria or procedures
www.nascsp.org 11

12. Percentage of Funds by Category
www.nascsp.org 12

13. Benefit Enrollment &
Coordination of Services –
How to Use the
Cyberspace to Create
Partnerships
Massachusetts Department of Housing & Community Development
Division of Community Services
Presented by: Akm Rahman, Senior Information & Program Coordinator
The 2010 Community Action Partnership Annual Convention, Boston, Massachusetts
Thursday, September 2, 2010

14. The Landscape – On the Surface
 Community Action Agencies
 Fuel Assistance and Energy Efficiency Providers
 Regional Career Centers
 Housing Consumer Education Centers
 Regional Homelessness Prevention Network
 Housing Authorities
 Regional and Local Non-Profit Organizations
Akm Rahman, DHCD

15. The Landscape – Let’s drill down
 Over 1,000 Community Action Agency
Programs.
 Many Major Common Programs.
 Fuel Assistance is a Gateway to Home Energy
Assistance & Energy Efficiency.
 Homeownership Counseling and Foreclosure
Prevention.
 Housing Stabilization through the Homelessness
Prevention Network.
 Health Insurance Enrollment.
Akm Rahman, DHCD

16. The Landscape – Let’s Drill-Down More
 Over 290,000 households or 600,000
unduplicated individuals receive services
through CAAs.
 Fuel and Energy Assistance for 220,000
households.
 About 8,000 – 10,000 families indicated
homelessness as an issue.
 About 50,000 tenants in subsidized housing.
 CSBG ARRA and ARRA-WAP added close to
50,000 families.
 CAAs created over 250 CSBG-ARRA funded jobs.
Akm Rahman, DHCD

17. MA Benefit Enrollment and Coordination of Services – Why?
 Institutionalize State Plan concepts.
 Sustain effects of CSBG ARRA Funding.
 Create New Access Points or Modify Current
Access Points.
 Transform program silos to a Multi-Service
Model.
 Create Synergy (2+2) > 4
 Bring down barriers to services.
 Provide customized assessment and referral.
 Initiate cross-functional communication.
Akm Rahman, DHCD

18. MA Benefit Enrollment and Coordination – Hub and Spokes?
CAAs
Other DHCD/
Community
CAA
Health Center
Partners
DHCD E.Gov
Network
Home Energy
Housing
Efficiency
Authorities
Network
Regional
Homelessness HCECs
Prev. Network
Akm Rahman, DHCD

19. MA Benefit Enrollment and Coordination of Services – Why
This Way?
 In a traditional sense “benefit enrollment” refers
to benefits offered by employers.
 A 165% growth in web-based technology for
benefit enrollment – paper > stand alone
servers > web-based systems.
 A web-based system is needed to support data
exchange between legacy systems, disparate
databases, and the future…
 Meets today’s security standards.
 Builds upon MA’s progress in web-based
systems.
Akm Rahman, DHCD

20. MA Benefit Enrollment and Coordination of Services
LIVE DEMONSTRATION
DHCD – CAA E.GOVERNMENT NETWORK
MA BENEFIT ENROLLMENT AND COORDINATION
OF SERVICES
WWW.MASS.GOV/DHCD
Akm Rahman, DHCD

21. WASHINGTON STATE CSBG
BENEFITS ENROLLMENT COORDINATION:
ARRA AND BEYOND
September 2, 2010
CAP Convention

22. Washington State CSBG Office
• Department of Commerce mission:
“Grow and Improve Jobs in Washington State.”
• CSBG office is in the Community Services &
Housing Division
• 30 community action agencies statewide covering
39 counties
• CSBG ARRA funds: $11,916,784, of that $119,167
for benefit coordination.

23. CSBG ARRA Benefit Coordination Projects
• Benefit Coordinator at Free Tax Prep Sites - $50,000
(5 grantees x $10,000 each)
• Washington Information Network 211 - $40,000
• Community Voice Mail National - $2,750
• Benefit Coordinator at local food banks - $26,417
(3 grantees x $8,805.66 each)

24. Free Tax Prep Sites Pilot
• 5 agencies, multiple tax sites
• January – April (tax season)
• CSBG ARRA invested in:
• part time salary and benefits for Benefit Coordinator
position
• computer equipment
• Benefit Coordinator helps individuals determine
eligibility for benefits available
• Final report of outcomes

25. Closer Look at Free Tax Prep Sites:
Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners
• Temporary, part time position: January 25-April 24
• 254 people received referrals at 5 tax prep sites from
January 30-April 15
• Followed up with 151, of those 63 received a benefit
• The documented cash benefit received for 45 people
was $14,433 (36 people receiving energy assistance)
• Completed a desk manual for the next person hired in
the Benefit Coordinator role

26. Closer Look at Free Tax Prep Sites:
Lower Columbia Community Action Council
• Part time Benefit Coordinator attended 4 tax sites
weekly
• Assisted 284 clients with general benefits
information
• Websites used for benefits checkup:
• www.benefitscheckup.org • www.ParentHelp123.org
• www.withinreachwa.org • www.needymeds.org
• Advertised the Benefit Coordinator available at
sites

27. Tax Prep Sites Pilot Successes and Challenges
Successes
• “The cost of the project was small compared to the amount of
visibility it gave to the working poor of the benefits and resources
available to them.”
• “The Community awareness of benefits and resources was increased
and more clients received benefits because of the project.”
• People came in for services long after they received the referral at
the tax site.
Challenges
• Individuals reluctant to share information at tax site due to the lack
of private space.

28. Tax Prep Sites Pilot Suggestions for Future
• Have a separate private place at the tax prep site OR
set up appointments for a later date at the CAA.
• Recruit bilingual benefit coordination staff.
• Introduce/integrate Benefit Coordinator into target
communities prior to initiation of tax preparation
services.
• More time spent bringing together resource
organizations in order to facilitate more successful
referrals.

29. Washington Information Network 211 (WIN 211)
• CSBG ARRA invested in supporting the WIN 211
system in their role as partners in the Earned Income
Tax Credit (EITC) outreach campaign and to assist
callers with general benefit coordination information.
• WIN 211 to join with other statewide EITC campaign
partners to assess what worked and what did not and
provide recommendation for the next year.
• January-May total tax prep/tax assistance calls totaled
12,275.

30. Community Voice Mail (CVM) National:
Broadcast message
• Broadcast message to direct CVM clients to call
WIN 211 for general benefit information and free
tax prep sites
• Two messages were sent, March 12 and April 4
• Approximately 3,708 messages were left each time
• In King County (Seattle area) 111 receiving free tax
prep heard of the service through the CVM broadcast
message. (approximately 1,086 people in King County using CVM.)

31. Local Food Banks Pilot
• 3 agencies, multiple food banks
• CSBG ARRA invested in:
• part time salary and benefits for Benefit Coordinator
position
• computer equipment
• advertising (radio/TV/newspaper ads)
• Final results due October 30, along with a desk
manual for the Benefit Coordinator position.

32. Closer Look at a Local Food Bank Pilot
Community Action Council of Lewis, Mason and Thurston County
• Mason County targeted—high rate of eligible
individuals, but a low rate of enrollment in programs
• 5 food banks
• Food banks have strong concerns of privacy and
confidentiality
• All meetings with individuals held off site
• Introduction of Benefit Coordinator to clients while in
line at food bank

33. Closing
• Projects were innovative and new for the agencies
that participated
• Projects thus far met their goals
• Learned what worked and what did not for the
future
“The Community awareness of benefits and
resources was increased and more clients received
benefits because of the project.” tax site

34. Contact Information
Jessica Simon, CSBG Specialist
Washington State Department of Commerce
360-725-2850
Jessica.Simon@commerce.wa.gov