UBA Case Management Services is committed to helping clients both acquire and maintain competitive employment.
Consistent with the mission of moving clients from welfare to work, our UBA Case Management Services (CMS) program focuses on employability. We provide evaluation and offer case management services to individuals referred by New York City's Department of Social Services (DSS) (formerly Human Resources Administration). We are also committed to working with community based programs including substance-use treatment programs support DSS’s program standards for moving individuals with substance use from welfare to work or onto federal disability benefits.
Stable Employment Promotes Dignity
Employment is viewed as an activity that provides structure, which helps many individuals achieve and maintain significant reduction of or abstinence from substance use. Work activities and competitive employment are viewed as factors that can aid in the recovery process as opposed to adding stressors to one’s life.
Program Eligibility
Although many CMS program participants have substance-use issues, we provide case management to all individuals with medical, mental, and financial concerns, and also assistance navigating the NYC DSS system to obtain financial assistance. The general focus of our service is to facilitate fiscal stability and independence by helping public assistance recipients move either from welfare to work or onto federal disability benefits.
A Comprehensive Program
Clinical Evaluation
The primary goal of the evaluation is to determine each individual’s needs, particularly as they relate to employability. The evaluation is focused on the strengths and potential needs presented by the individual as well as any barriers to employment. The clinical evaluation incorporates motivational interviewing techniques to assess motivation for change.
Case Management
Participants work with their assigned Case Manager to develop an Individualized Service Plan (ISP) identifying their goals and the services they are interested in receiving to address their needs. The intensity level of services is based upon their needs.
CMS is committed to ensuring that individuals who require long-term support are referred to the appropriate services to address their needs. For individuals who find managing their medical and/or behavioral health needs and accessing services somewhat overwhelming or intimidating, CMS case managers will refer them to the Health Home Program, with the goal of reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and learning to manage their own care. CMS provides case management until the individual is enrolled into the Health Home Program and is engaged with the Care Coordinator.
Client Outreach and Retention
Outreach and retention services are integrated into all of our teams’ activities. The employment staff, in addition to the contact provided by the case managers, telephone employed clients and send them various outreach texts and letters to maintain lines of communication, remind them of services available through UBA CMS, send potential employment opportunities they qualify for, and alert them to when they are eligible for employment awards.
Case managers provide a wide array of concrete services intended to remove obstacles to compliance with behavioral health and medical treatment. Case managers often escort individuals to initial appointments to increase the likelihood of making that important first link. The case managers escalate levels of outreach (i.e. telephone calls, emails, texts, letters and in-person contact attempts, including a home visit to last known address) to individuals who are not consistently engaging in services and/or maintaining contact with the case manager.
HRA Work Activity Site
For individuals referred to DSS Work Activity services, the case manager tries to meet jointly with the participant and the Work Activity staff to discuss the needs of our shared participants to help determine how best to support the individuals in achieving their vocational goals.
Employment Services
Individuals, whether on the track to employment or applying for Federal benefits, can use the CMS Employment Services at any time during their enrollment. The employment specialists conduct an assessment to help individuals determine their employment goals and develop plans to achieve them. Barriers to employment, such as identification documents or job-interview clothing, are resolved by linking clients to the appropriate community-based organization. Additional links to services can include components at the DSS Work Activity site or referrals to other resources for education, DSS-approved training or job-search services. The CMS employment specialists develop or update résumés, assist with job searches and arrange job interviews. Once employed, we offer retention services to support individuals for up to 180 days post-employment, including employment incentives for achieving milestones and a monthly Job Club. We offer assistance with re-employment as well as referrals for education and training to support employed individuals in achieving their career advancement goals.
All individuals who have documented employment are invited to attend the monthly Job Club. This group provides the opportunity to talk about how they are doing on their job and challenges/stressors they are facing. It is an opportunity for peer support and input to help formulate coping strategies and remain employed and maintain their health.
The Job Club is a rich source of information where participants network and learn about other job possibilities and other resources that are available. Guest speakers provide information on such topics as banking, credit reports, child support in arrears and other topics of relevance to clients' efforts to move toward economic self-sufficiency.