Loading...
Generating Opportunities to Attain Lifelong Success (GOALS) Final Report
Tipton, Ruth A. Welch Buller, Jennifer
Tipton, Ruth A.
Welch Buller, Jennifer
Citations
Altmetric:
Abstract
Generating Opportunities To Attain Lifelong Success (GOALS) was a three-year pilot program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) as part of a national effort to test innovative approaches to employment and training programs for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants. The GOALS project was the combined effort of state staff, community partners, program participants, and employers working together towards a common goal: to help eligible Kansans receiving food assistance get on a path to successful careers that pay living wages, offer advancement opportunities, and enhance their sense of value to themselves, their families, and communities.
The pilot launched on January 25, 2016, in 36 Kansas counties across two urban and two rural regions and concluded services on March 31, 2019. DCF enrolled 4,167 individuals in the pilot program during the 24-month random assignment intake phase, surpassing the original goal of 3,890 and attracting national attention for messaging and enrollment success. Throughout implementation, half of the participants received GOALS services, and the other half had access to regular employment and training services (where available), in order to compare outcomes for SNAP participants through a comprehensive evaluation process. Unique to the southeast region, individuals selected for the control group were referred to community-based services, and there were no regular employment and training services. This created yet another layer to the study, allowing for a third group for comparison.
To achieve the GOALS objectives, while also undertaking significant program expansion and rigorous evaluation requirements, DCF tasked a statewide project manager and a pilot leadership team to develop, implement, and monitor the pilot model across the four regions. The leadership team developed pilot-specific staff trainings and facilitated quarterly collective impact meetings in each region. They also partnered with adult education and community colleges to develop short-term trainings, engage employers in programming, and on-board mental health and substance use disorder partners.
The GOALS service model individualized services to meet each participant’s needs, with a career navigator providing guidance and support through four service phases: Stabilize, Train, Place, and Sustain. Intensive, strengths-based case management was at the core of services. Participants learned job-seeking skills, including preparing applications and resumes, effective interviewing, essential skill development, and job retention skills. They also had access to self-awareness/improvement classes, occupational skills training, and support services such as transportation and uniforms. When necessary, the GOALS-funded substance use disorder services and mental health services helped participants reach their employment objectives. Employer liaisons provided retention support to both employees and employers for 90 days after employment. Data on services were gathered and monitored on a regular basis to be used for programmatic improvement and external evaluation. Staff and partners reviewed internal benchmarks as part of the collective impact process, an intentional approach to collaboration.
Description
Date
2019
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Center for Published Partnerships and Research, University of Kansas
Files
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Keywords
Employment support, Pilot program, Evaluation
Citation
Tipton, R. A., Counts, J., Cox, O., & Buller, J. W. (2019). Generating Opportunities to Attain Lifelong Success (GOALS) final report. Prepared by the University of Kansas Center for Public Partnerships and Research on behalf of the Kansas Department for Children and Families. https://hdl.handle.net/1808/36300