BPA conducted an evaluation of the OPTIONS (Opportunities for Participants to Identify Options for New Self-Sufficiency) program for the Napa County Health and Human Services Agency. The OPTIONS program is a two-year Changing the Culture of Welfare Demonstration project funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. The program is specifically designed to promote self-sufficiency among potential welfare clients, by changing the culture of welfare for the County Health and Human Services Agency and its employees; the recipients and potential applicants; and the community at large and other agency partners. The program's focus on self-sufficiency was designed to divert potential welfare clients who have other options from applying for public assistance and reduce the length of time welfare clients receive public assistance.

The evaluation of the OPTIONS program was completed in two phases. In the first phase, BPA developed a research design to evaluate the proposed program. BPA then assessed the program's success in changing the organizational culture of the County Health and Humans Services Agency, diverting potential applicants from seeking public assistance and reducing the length of time clients receive public assistance.

The evaluation design included implementation and outcomes analysis and relied on both qualitative and quantitative data. The implementation analysis focused on the extent to which the OPTIONS Program was implemented as planned. The outcomes analysis measured whether the welfare caseload has declined during the demonstration.

Phase II Evaluation of the OPTIONS Program
Adding on to a previous BPA evaluation of the OPTIONS program, which focused on planning and early implementation, the Phase II evaluation tracked the program from its actual implementation through two years of program operation. The evaluation effort was designed to provide early findings with regard to the implementation of OPTIONS and the new TANF provisions. Interim process study findings were based on the implementation of OPTIONS on a pilot unit serving new TANF applicants. These findings helped refine the services being piloted for expansion of the program to continuing TANF clients. Our design also included reporting of research findings over 18 months of OPTIONS Phase II implementation in order to assess the outcomes of clients receiving these services and to provide additional feedback for ongoing program improvement. Using administrative records and case worker follow-up with clients over the period, we examined the experiences of both diverted and non-diverted clients.

Publications:

Evaluation of the Napa County CalWORKS Program: Participant Outcomes and Post-Program Experiences (Oct, 1999)
This report tracks cash aid caseload trends through June 1999 to examine the reasons for the cash aid decline. Includes description of the characteristics of Napa County's remaining CalWORKs caseload. Presents results from a telephone survey with those CalWORKs recipients who have left aid and remained off aid for at least three months to see how former recipients are faring off aid.

Evaluation of the Early Implementation of the OPTIONS Project in Napa County: Final Report (Feb, 1997)
BPA conducted an evaluation of the early implementation of OPTIONS (Opportunities for Participants to Identify Options for New Self-Sufficiency). Data focuses on the design and implementation of OPTIONS through several visits to Napa. Report summarizes our findings.