1008-4           INFORMED FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PLANNING – FAMILIES FIRST SERVICE TRACK

1. An IFSSP Informed Family Self Sufficiency Plan includes all the elements of a FSSP Family Self Sufficiency Plan plus more advanced steps that will assist a client in obtaining self-sufficiency.

The FF Families First case manager will develop a wraparound Family Support Team (FST) (WSPM MS 1011) Family Support Teams include other agencies the family is working with and natural supports. Natural supports include: neighbors, clergy, friends, extended family or anyone the family identifies who offer support to the family informally. 

This FST Family Support Team will collaboratively develop the ATAP Alaska Temporary Assistance Program Informed Family Self-Sufficiency Plan (IFSSP). The purpose of the IFSSP is to recognize competing priorities and align efforts across multiple life areas.

The IFSSP will include activities and steps that the family is currently engaging in as identified on other agency plans. Inclusion of these activities is done by writing them on the IFSSP or adopting them through reference and attaching the partner agency plan to the IFSSP.

An Informed FSSP will be written when there are one or more outside social service agencies a client is or should be working with. A client might have cause to work with any of the following:

1. Housing Authority,

2. Office of Children’s Service

3. Vocational Rehab

4. Behavioral Health/counseling,

5. Juvenile Justice

6. Probation

7. other

2. The development of the Family Support Team (FST) is an integral part of the development of the IFSSP.

3. The Informed FSSP should include service plans from other agencies to the same client. To facilitate this the case manager will:

1. Obtain signed release of information (Attachment XI) agreements and copies of all agency plans;

2. Incorporate  other agency plans into the Informed FSSP;

3. Work toward agency agreement with the FSSP;

4. The IFSSP must be signed and agreed upon by the client and all Family Support Team members. 

5. If, after applying due diligence, the case manager is unable to engage other agencies, the FFF Families First Facilitators may be enlisted to assist with the process. See example below:

Example:  

Sophie is a single parent with five children, two of which are disabled twins and require a lot of care.  Sophie has been on Public Assistance and exempt from work activities since her twins were born two years ago (24 months on ATAP).  During a meeting with her Case manager, she expressed her desire to go back to work. Sophie has work experience in the administrative field and now has an interest in working with children with disabilities as an advocate.  The local school district has expressed an interest in possibly hiring her as a Para-educator as a result of her volunteer activities at the school and told Sophie that if she had a sign language certification (ASL) she’d be better qualified for any of their Para-educator vacancies.  

The Case manager tells Sophie that she supports her in her decision to return to work.  She also explains that an informed FSSP has to be developed which will include input from all other agencies she is currently working with and asks Sophie for a list of the agencies and their related contact information.  The Case manager then takes the necessary steps to form a Family Support Team.  She also tells the client that she can bring any of her natural supports to the meeting.  After Sophie’s signed approval and working with the Case manager to set up the coordinated meeting, all agency partners describe the nature of their respective plans including timelines, short term, intermediate and long term employment goals and together with Sophie they develop a more in-depth plan that takes in to account all agency involvement and Sophie’s family needs. Sophie’s neighbor is there to offer emergency childcare when it is needed.  

A new IFSSP is developed with measurable goals and timelines, with the support of each member of the Family Support Team to support Sophie to attain her work goals.

6. To ensure due diligence an IFSSP Informed Family Self Sufficiency Plan will include the following elements and considerations:

1. Identify all aspects of the client’s life complexities;

2. Contact all other agencies involved with the client.

1. Obtain signed release (Attachment XI) of information agreements and copies of all agency plans;

2. Other agency plans should be part of the Informed FSSP Family Self Sufficiency Plan;

3. Work toward agency agreement with the FSSP;

3. Set an appropriate employment goal(s) that will lead to self-sufficiency;

4. Collaboratively identify all steps necessary that will lead to self-sufficiency;

5. Set measurable and adequate timelines of achievement for each identified step;

• Provide short, intermediate and long term goals;

6. Timeline shows incremental benchmarks toward overall goal(s);

7. All support service needs have been identified (i.e., transportation, childcare, education);

8. All back-up documentation is in the file and/or in the CLNO Client Notes’s;

9. Assessment of and action taken on needed client referrals;

10. IFSSP signed by the client and Family Support Team members. (ATAP Manual Section 705)

11. Families First Facilitators (WSPM MS 1018) can upon request assist in this process.