Riverside County Department of Public Social Services

Introduction

The Initial Contact Case Management (ICCM) program was implemented in Riverside County in 1999, to meet the requirements of Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) 11266.5. The statute mandates that all California counties offer a CalWORKs Diversion program.

To meet this requirement and consistent with the Riverside County “work first” philosophy, we determined that all applicants for CalWORKs would benefit from exposure to employment strategies and specific CalWORKs program information at the earliest possible time in the application process. In response, a three-hour interactive Self Sufficiency Through Employment workshop was developed. This workshop, attended by all adult applicants for CalWORKs within one to two days of their initial application, provides:

Information regarding the rights and responsibilities of a CalWORKs recipient
CalWORKs Temporary Assistance eligibility requirements
CalWORKs Employment Services requirements
Challenges to employment
Job application and resume assistance
Interviewing skills
Motivational topics
CalWORKs Diversion opportunities

English and Spanish workshops are conducted Monday through Thursday in every CalWORKs office (Office Locations) Contact your local office for more specific dates and times.

Interesting ICCM Statistics

Approximately 25% of the applicants who attend the 3 hour session are employed within 60 days of completion of the workshop.
2,822 Diversion payments have been issued since ICCM implementation
Two percent of all applicants for Diversion have returned at any time to the county to apply for cash aid.
Less than 1% of applicants for Diversion have returned within the prescribed Diversion period.

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What Does ICCM Do?

· Works with applicants for cash assistance for 60 days whether approved for aid or not

· Uses community base services exclusively for resources and referral

· Promoted the Diversion program as an avenue to self-sufficiency

· Informs applicants of their responsibilities as a recipient of CalWORKs Temporary Assistance.

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ICCM Goals

Promote the philosophy of Self-sufficiency Through Employment
Provide applicants a vision of alternatives to living dependent upon welfare
Increase the interest, cooperation, and participation of applicants in moving toward self-sufficiency
Address applicant emergency needs through non-traditional and appropriate resources
Identify significant barriers to employment and provide referrals for community services

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How Does ICCM Do It

Employ workshop facilitators with innate motivational qualities
Screen all applicants for potential eligibility to CalWORKs Diversion (link to definition of Diversion)
Utilize a comprehensive database of community resources for customer referrals
Control all aspects of case manager work functions and supervisor audit capabilities through usage of the Case Control Database
Provide employment leads to customers via the Employer/Job Match Database
Maintain employment focused contact with applicants for 60 days following workshop attendance

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What is CalWORKs Diversion?

CalWORKs legislation required that all 58 California counties implement a Diversion program for applicants of cash aid. In general, this program is a one time, non-recurring payment by the county to an applicant for goods or services that will enable him/her to obtain or retain employment. The law allowed county flexibility in the administration of this program. In Riverside County, Diversion is:

An alternative to cash aid
A payment up to $2000 made to a vendor for goods/services that will assist CalWORKs applicants to obtain or retain employment
Expedited processing to assist the applicant in returning to the workforce within a week in most cases
Payments made for a broad range of work related barriers such as purchase of tools of the trade, automobile repair, automobile registration, rent, utilities and insurance
Offered to CalWORKs applicants after attendance at a three-hour interactive Self-Sufficiency workshop

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FAQ

How do I apply for Diversion?

You may not apply for Diversion directly, you must apply for CalWORKs
You must be apparently eligible for CalWORKs
You must attend a Self-Sufficiency workshop
You must be offered Diversion by your ICCM facilitator
You must have a verifiable job offer at the time Diversion is offered to you
Your earnings must be equal to the amount specified in the Self-Sufficiency workshop

How do I register as a vendor for Diversion services?

(Link to the vendor registration information in the Contracts section
Complete an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) W9 form
Offer an eligible good or service to the CalWORKs customer
Agree to accept a county payment for goods and/or services rendered
Provide a receipt/invoice for any good or service purchased by the CalWORKs customer

How do I receive CalWORKs Mental Health/Substance Abuse Services?

Request a referral from your ICCM facilitator
Go to http://mentalhealth.co.riverside.ca.us/ for more detailed information
Inform your CalWORKs eligibility technician or GAIN employment services counselor or your need for mental health/substance abuse services

How do I get job leads?