A Look at Poverty - Making a Difference Training

About the Program

Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)

Year: 2013

In December 2010, San Diego County’s Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) received 69 recommendations from our Social Services Advisory Board (SSAB) on ways to improve efficiency and increase CalFresh (California’s name for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps) participation in our communities. SSAB, a citizen community based volunteer board, met with various community partners, advocates and HHSA program administrators to study eligibility operations and provide recommendations. One suggestion was to remove perceived barriers that impede CalFresh participation by instituting trainings. They would focus on issues related to poverty; such as causes, types of poverty, challenges facing families in poverty and the role of government programs in addressing the issue. HHSA worked closely with the community based partners to develop the curriculum and “A LOOK AT POVERTY – MAKING A DIFFERENCE” training was rolled out to staff at the Family Resource Centers throughout the county. More than 1,500 eligibility staff members took part and the result was an increase in CalFresh participation rates. The training helped add more than 50,000 children and seniors to the CalFresh program and increased the participation rate from 26 percent in 2006 to approximately 46 percent in 2012.