Understanding Fiscal Barriers at the Local Level

Based on the Colorado Guide to Blending & Braiding

Jewlya Lynn &

Natalie Portman Marsh

Overview

• Blending and Braiding Your TANF Initiative

• Funded by the Statewide Strategic Use Fund

• Led by José Esquibel, family leaders, Family Resource Center Association, and Center for Systems Integration.

• Regional trainings on Blending and Braiding

• Guides to Blending and Braiding

Defining Blending

• Blending funding involves co-mingling the funds into one “pot” where case managers can draw down service dollars, personnel expenses can be paid, or other program needs can be met.

Defining Braiding

• Braided funding involves multiple funding streams utilized to pay for all of the services needed by a given population, with careful accounting of how every dollar from each funding stream is spent.

 

Eligibility

Eligibility Financial

The youth receives an array of allowable services from a variety of program staff.

Youth arrives at Front Door

Front Door staff confirm eligibility & document allowable services.

Front Door staff determine youth is eligible for Funding Streams A and C. This means youth can receive services 1, 2, and 3.

As services are delivered, Back Door staff bill Funding Stream A for Service 1 and Funding Stream C for Services 2 and 3.

Service 1

Service 2

Service 3

Service 1

Service 2 Service 3

Funding Stream A

Funding Stream C

$$

Client Experience

Braided Funding Process

Programmatic vs. Fiscal

• Programmatic braiding:– Program staff braid their time and effort

• Fiscal braiding:– Program staff deliver services and complete activities– Fiscal staff braid the services and activities

The Barriers to Blending and Braiding

–“Fair Share”–Time reporting–Budget vs. actual–Sustainability–Complexity and shifting mandates–Multiple contracts with unique

requirements–Federal to State to Local accountability

Local Funding Wheel

–Focus on long-term, locally controlled funding–Transition from using local funding to

fund entire programs, to funding services or populations within programs

• Pooled funding agreements with federal funding streams

• Coordinated contracts from state to local level• Flexible contract design (case rate, fee-for-

service)• Ongoing, two-way relationships between

auditors and local partners• Technical assistance and training to local

communities

What can the state do?

For more information:http://www.csi-policy.com/blendandbraidThe Colorado Guide to Blending and Braiding

Or contact us at:Jewlya@csi-policy.comNatalie@csi-policy.com

303-455-1740