CASAWORKS for Families (Printer-Friendly Format)

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CASAWORKS for Families

General Information

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Evaluator(s)	Treatment Research Institute, Inc. M. Gephart Associates
Investigator(s)	Fay Gibson (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University)
Sponsor(s)	National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University
Funder(s)	Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Annie E. Casey Foundation Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in US DHHS City of New York
Subcontractor(s)	Not applicable

Domain	Income Security/TANF
Status	Operational with Findings
Duration	Jul 1998 - Jul 2001
Type	Research and/or Program Evaluation
Goal	To implement and evaluate CASAWORKS for Families.
Program/Policy Description	Designed as a response to welfare reform, CASAWORKS for Families specifically endeavors to help substance-abusing women receiving cash assistance decrease substance use, secure employment, and increase their parenting capacity and assure family safety. The program is a multi-site "treatment/training" program to help drug or alcohol-dependent mothers on welfare to reduce or end their substance use, improve their parenting capacity, and assure family safety.
Notes	Visit the project web site.

Last Updated	12/13/01
Type of Summary	Reviewed
External Reviewer(s)	Fay Gibson (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University)
Contact(s)	Fay Gibson (fgibson@casacolumbia.org) National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University 633 Third Avenue 19th floor (T) (212)-841-5213 (F) (212)-956-8020
Publications Department	CASA Publications (not reported) National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University 633 Third Avenue 19th floor (T) (212) 841-5200 (F) (212) 956-8020

Populations Studied

Target Population	Recipients/participants/clients
Subgroups Analyzed	Persons with substance abuse problems
Sample Size and Unit	Across the 11 sites, 1100 women and their children will be served under the CASWORKS model in Phase 1.

Sites Studied

North County Interfaith Council, Escondido, CA
PROTOTYPES, Pomona, CA
SHIELDS for Families Project, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
Johns Hopkins Hospital Comprehensive Women's Center, Baltimore, MD
Lakes Country Rehabilitation Center, Springfield, MO
Horizons Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Women's Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDCO), The Bronx, NY
Clermont Recovery Center, Cincinnati, OH
Norman Alcohol Information Center (NAIC), Norman, OK
Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Inc., Philadelphia, PA
Renewal House, Nashville, TN

Program Components, Policies, and Activities Evaluated

Other

To Be Determined

Employment activities

Job skills training
Job readiness activities
Job search
Job placement
On the job training
Job development
Employment Activities - misc.

Educational activities

Adult Basic Education (ABE) courses
English as a Second Language (ESL)
GED courses
High school completion
Educational Activities - misc.
Literacy education

Financial incentives

Cash bonus for program completion
Earnings disregards
Earnings supplements/work subsidies
Elimination of 100 hour rule
Excluding the value of one vehicle
Coverage for work-related expenses
Increased asset limit
Individual Development Account (IDA)
Increase in income benefits for program enrollment
Increase in income benefits for program participation
Tax reduction/rebate (e.g. Earned Income Tax Credit)
Transitional income benefits
Financial Incentives - misc.

Financial disincentives/Sanctions

Reduced benefits for non-compliance
Strengthened JOBS sanctions
Multi-program sanctions

Program requirements

Work requirement
Community or alternative work
Child support order
Enrollment in substance abuse program
Mandatory JOBS for younger teens
Parenting or social contract
Paternity identification
School attendance
Living arrangements for unwed pregnant or parenting minors

Child support

Support paid directly to parent
Increased efficiency in collection

Food stamps

Cash out
Simplified program

Social/Support services

Child care
Transitional child care
Health benefits
Transitional health benefits
Transportation
Case management
Employment support for job retention
Multiple services in single location
Parenting classes/training
Counseling
Substance abuse/dependence treatment
Social/Support Services - misc.
Community/social services

Administration/Implementation

Changes in welfare office environment/culture
Simplification of program rules and procedures
Development of partnerships with private organizations
Development of new welfare policies
Administration/Implementation - misc.

Time limits

Time Limits - misc.

Family caps

Family Caps - misc.

Eligibility

Eligibility - misc.

Variation in program components across sites?

Yes

Notes on program components

Changes in child support: Depending on state policy, changes in child support will be studied.

Changes in eligibility: Depending on state policy, changes in eligibility will be studied.

Educational activities: All educational activities may be provided.

Employment activities: Employment-related activities such as job skills training and job preparation will be provided.

Family caps: Depending on state policy, family caps may be enforced.

Financial disincentives/sanctions: All financial disincentives may be offered.

Financial incentives: All financial incentives may be offered.

Food stamps: Changes in food stamp policy will be studied.

Other: Substance abuse treatment that is tailored to the specific needs of the mothers (such as vulnerability to depression) will be provided.

Program operations: Program implementation is studied.

Program requirements: Any or all requirements may be offered.

Social/Support services: Parenting education and training will be provided.

Time limits: Time limits will be enforced (limit depending on state).

Outcomes Assessed

Employment

Job readiness/training
Job attainment
Job retention
Employment - misc.

Family and relationship outcomes

Births/pregnancies
Parent-child interactions
Family formation and stability/Living arrangements
Foster care

Income security

Earnings
Food stamps receipt
Medicaid receipt
Welfare receipt

Substance abuse

Patterns and severity of substance use
Legal problems related to substance use
Substance abuse - misc.

Housing

Housing - misc.

Attitudes towards work, welfare, and program

Attitudes towards work, welfare, and program - misc.

Standard of living

Standard of living - misc.

Service utilization

Service utilization - misc.

Sanctions

Sanctions - misc.

Program implementation

Program Implementation - misc.

Emotional well-being

Emotional well-being - misc.

Health/ physical well-being (including prenatal health)

Health/ physical well-being - misc.

Policy changes

Policy changes-misc.

Types of Studies

Type	Descriptive/Analytical Study
Aim	Program Analysis: To describe how the CASAWORKS model is implemented at the 11 different sites by 1) establishing the nature of the model, including substance abuse treatment, employment and training, domestic violence, child care, transportation, parenting skills, housing services, and financial services; 2) identifying specific local characteristics of the program components; and 3) determining how the varied program components are integrated and implemented.

Type	Descriptive/Analytical Study
Aim	Quantitative Outcomes Evaluation: To assess the impact of the program on client sobreity, family safety, parenting, and employment status.

Type	Descriptive/Analytical Study
Aim	Organizational Learning and Capacity Building: To assess 1) service integration; 2) inter-agency collaboration; and 3) staff capacity.

Type	Descriptive/Analytical Study
Aim	Qualitative Study of Clients' Experiences: To 1) improve our understanding of the impact of welfare reform for substance abusing women; 2) gain an understanding of clients' social reality; 3) explore factors related to relapse, such as social and family relations; and 4) assess the overall impact of CASAWORKS for Families from the client's perspective.

Type	Descriptive/Analytical Study
Aim	Policy Analysis: To quantify the potential value to state and society of implementing the comprehensive approach embodied in the CASAWORKS model and clarify policy and practice changes essential to these benefits, by 1) estimating the potential value to states and to society of achieveing the goals of TANF and the CASAWORKS model; 2) defining the range and extent of the needs of the target population that must be met if the welfare reform goal of promoting self-sufficiency is to be realized; 3) identifying state and local policies and practices that facilitate or impede the meeting of the needs defined in Part II; and 4) proposing changes in policy and practice to better realize the goals of TANF, which are embodied in CASAWORKS, and to benefit the state and society.

Data Sources

Source	Administrative data
Title	Documentation data
Sample Characteristics/Data Collection	Local and/or state databases that contain individual level informationn on welfare/TANF participation, child custody actions and status changes, criminal justice system actions, and wages/employment status.
Sites	All 11 sites
Response Rate/Attrition Notes	Not yet available.
Additional Execution Notes	No notes reported.

Source	Interview
Title	Structured interview
Sample Characteristics/Data Collection	1100 welfare recipients (100 women at each site). Collected at baseline and at 6 and 12 months after baseline.
Sites	All 11 sites
Response Rate/Attrition Notes	Not yet available.
Additional Execution Notes	No notes reported.

Findings Available

Interim Descriptive/Analytical Findings

Findings

03/03/98: CASAWORKS for Families: A Proposal for Phase One of a Two-Phase Study of an Integrated Service Delivery and Treatment Model for Substance Abusing Welfare Mothers and their Children

Findings not yet available.

05/01/01: CASAWORKS for Families: A Promising Approach to Welfare Reform and Substance-Abusing Women

Interim Descriptive/Analytical Findings

After 12 months, participants showed statistically significant increases in past month abstinence from marijuana, alcohol, and cocaine. For all sites, the proportion of women abstinent from alcohol, as measured by no use in the past month, increased by 60%; the proportion abstinent from marijuana increased by 20%; and the proportion abstinent from cocaine increased by 34%.
In addition to reductions in alcohol and other drug use, those still struggling to recover used substances on fewer days.
Nationally, after 12 months in the program, participants spent significantly less money on illegal drugs and alcohol in the past month.
Longer stays in treatment have been correlated with better recovery times.
For participants who have been followed for 12 months, employment during this time frame more than doubled.
Among those employed, the average number of days worked in the past 30 days increased from 3 to 13 days.
Employed participants' average income from the past 30 days increased from $105.00 to $546.65.

Recommendations

CASAWORKS for Families: A Proposal for Phase One of a Two-Phase Study of an Integrated Service Delivery and Treatment Model for Substance Abusing Welfare Mothers and their Children (03/03/98)

Recommendations not yet available.

Existing Publications

03/03/98	CASAWORKS for Families: A Proposal for Phase One of a Two-Phase Study of an Integrated Service Delivery and Treatment Model for Substance Abusing Welfare Mothers and their Children	CASA
12/01/98	CASAWORKS for Families: FamilyWorks: Substance Abuse Treatment and Welfare Reform	CASA
12/01/98	CASAWORKS for Families: FamilyWorks: Substance abuse treatment and welfare reform (Public Welfare, Winter, 23-32)	CASA
01/01/01	CASAWORKS for Families: CW Field Guide	CASA
05/01/01	CASAWORKS for Families: A Promising Approach to Welfare Reform and Substance-Abusing Women	CASA