How to Engage With the Public Sector to Sustain THP-Plus

How Boards of Directors Can Play a Key RoleAdvocacy to Obtain Interim Increase in Funding for Social Workers in FFAs

How Can You Help?Write letters of support to your legislatorsMeet with legislators and/or staff in districtMeet with county Boards of Supervisors and/or staff Meet with legislators and/or staff at the Capitol in SacramentoTestify at budget hearings (Assembly: April 9. Senate: May 1.)Testify at policy hearings for the Assembly Bill (no date scheduled yet).

The Alliance will provide you with:Template of a Support LetterMeeting Request ScriptTalking PointsCharts, graphs, statistics and background materialFAQsAll day 24/7 assistance to help write, call and answer anything

The Problem

$15/hour for Social Worker payThe amount built into the FFA Rate for a Social Worker = $15.13/hourSocial Work component of the rate has been frozen since 2001 13 years and was cut additional 10% in 2009FFA Social Workers are required by law to be Masters level professionalsLower than wages of all other publicly funded Social Worker positions offered by schools, counties, prisons, the state, group homes and hospitals.

Compare wages and salariesPositionHourly WageAnnual SalaryFFA Social Worker: MSW (rate)$15.13$31,470Group Home Social Worker: MSW (rate)22.8847,590Child, family, & school Social Workers (EDD avg.)24.2250,373LA Co. DCFS Social Worker II (actual mid-point)27.3756,936CDSS Adoption Specialist (actual)29.4861,320Medical & Public Health Social Workers (EDD avg.)30.9464,350Sacramento Co. Human Services SW (actual mid-point)31.9966,534San Mateo Co. Social Worker III (actual mid-point)35.1173,032Alameda Co. Child Welfare Worker II (actual mid-point)36.0875,056

Cant competeIncreasingly difficult for FFAs to recruit, hire and retain qualified social workers FFAs are competing with hospitals, counties, schools and many other fields that offer social work positions with better wage and benefit packages and more convenient working hours. FFA social workers must be available when it best serves the foster youth and families; not just days, but weekends, evenings, holidays, 24/7 on call, and with no hope of significant salary increases. Especially difficult to hire and retain bilingual and bicultural social workers.

Cant keep qualified staffTurnover rates as high as 50%/year in some FFAsLack of competitive wages leads to low morale and burnout, forces skilled staff to look elsewhere for employment, and results in extremely high social worker turnoverNot uncommon for social workers to take on second full time jobs, as documented by the Los Angeles Times.

Turnover disrupts family-child-Social Worker bonds of trustFamilies and children lose trusting and committed working relationship with Social Worker Family and children lose Social Worker who understands complex needs and challenges of child and familyFoster children re-experience grief and trauma of loss of trusted adultNot uncommon for a disruption in permanency plans to occur.

The solution

Increase Social Work component of FFA rateThe Legislature should adopt budget trailer bill language directing the California Department of Social Services to adjust the Social Work component in the FFA rate by 47% to reflect CNI adjustments back to July 1, 2001, increasing the funding for the average hourly wage for FFA social workers to $23.91 ($49,732 annually), with automatic annual CNI indexed increases until a new rate system is implemented.

What does that mean?4 components of FFA rateBasic RateIncrement for the ChildSocial WorkRecruitment/Training/Certification/Support/AdministrationSocial Work component may only be used for social work activitiesWere asking the legislature to raise Social Work component of the rateIncrease would be interim until new rate system is implementedPassed through directly to foster parents for care of child

Some of our Social Workers make more than $31,000Q: Where does the money come from to pay our Social Workers more?A: Recruitment/Training/Certification/Support/Administration; private fundraising; operating reservesQ: What does that usually pay for?Recruitment, screening, training and certification of foster familiesAdministrative overhead including rent, telephone, IT, HR, etc.Transportation of children to family visitsSupervision of family and sibling visits Respite for foster parentsAny other costs that are not social work related or paid to the foster family.Q: Whats sacrificed if this moneys used for Social Work?A: See above

How did we get here?

Brief history 1985

FFAs created by statute to encourage the development of private, nonprofit foster family agencies which recruit, screen, certify, train, and provide professional support services to foster parents. 1987-1988Current rate system implemented1990Annual CNI increases made discretionary1990-1997FFA rates frozen2001-2012FFA rates frozen200910% cut to entire FFA rate2012-2014Court mandated increases to Basic Rate to families2012-20143 other components of FFA rate frozen, including Social Work

Purchasing power of Social Work component

What can you do right now?

Do you know any of these Democratic leaders?SENATEPresident pro Tempore: Darrell SteinbergMajority Floor Leader: Ellen Corbett

ASSEMBLYSpeaker: John PerezSpeaker Elect: Toni AtkinsSpeaker pro Tempore: Nora CamposAssistant Speaker pro Tempore: Kevin Mullin

Do you know any of these Republican leaders?SENATEMinority Floor Leader: Bob Huff

ASSEMBLYMinority Floor Leader: Connie Conway

Do you know any of these key Senators on the Budget and Fiscal Review Committee and Subcommittee?Full Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee Chair: Senator Mark Leno (D)Vice-Chair: Senator Jim Nielsen (R) Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human ServicesChair: Senator Ellen Corbett (D)Members:Senators William Monning (D), Mimi Walters (R)

Do you know any of these key Assembly members on the Budget and Fiscal Review Committee and Subcommittee?Full Assembly Budget Committee Chair: Assembly member Nancy Skinner (D)Vice-Chair: Assembly member Jeff Gorrell (R) Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human ServicesChair: Assembly member Shirley Weber (D)Members:Assembly members: Wes Chesbro (D); Roger Dickinson (D); Shannon Grove (R); and Allan Mansoor (R)

Do you know any other legislators?Senators?Assembly members?

What you can doGet a meeting with the legislatorThe ask:Put the Interim Increase in the Social Work Component of the FFA Rate on the agenda for hearing in Assembly Sub #1 and Senate Sub #3Vote for/support the Interim Increase in the Social Work Component of the FFA Rate so FFAs can pay their Social Workers a living wageFollow up letter/emailThank-you for the meetingThank-you for your helpUrge support of the Interim Increase in the Social Work Component of the FFA Rate so FFAs can pay their Social Workers a living wage

The more participation, the greater the odds of success!