What is Self-Sufficiency? - Jewish Family Service of San Diego

Executive Summary: What is Self-Sufficiency?
Self-Sufficiency has been a focus among human service organizations since the mid 1980’s, when it
became the goal and objective of many programs and funding sources. Although the term was used
with increasing regularity, self-sufficiency remained a broad and complicated concept that was not
used consistently throughout the sector. In the 1990s, a researcher and professor at the University of
Washington developed a self-sufficiency standard for use as a tool and a benchmark for helping
families move out of poverty.
This tool, the Self-Sufficiency Matrix, defines self-sufficiency as more than an economic assessment of a
family’s situation, incorporating less quantifiable aspects of a person’s life, including education,
housing stability, life skills, and mental health; The Matrix has a total of 25 scales, with each scale
developed independently on a continuum from “in-crisis” to “thriving.” Jewish Family Service of San
Diego is in the process of identifying which scales will be used as organization-wide metrics to
demonstrate our collective efforts. The outcome scales are client-oriented and include:
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Access to Services
Career Resiliency/Training
Childcare/Eldercare
Clothing
Education
Employment
English Language Skills
Food
Functional Ability
Housing
Income (including Self-Sufficiency
Standard, Area Median Income, and
Federal Poverty Level)
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Legal
Life Skills (including Household
Management, Human Resources,
Financial Matters, and Setting Goals
& Resourcefulness)
Mental Health
Parenting
Physical Health
Safety
Substance Use
Support Systems
Transportation
Figure 1 below illustrates the path to self-sufficiency for a client who presents with
unemployment or underemployment as the primary issue. The top section indicates what type
of services would be offered to the client during each stage and the bottom section describes
the client’s situation. A full matrix is attached at the end of this document.
Service Mix and Partnerships
Integrated, holistic support services are often an essential part of the path to self-sufficiency.
Strategic partnerships with other public and private organizations along the self-sufficiency
continuum are key to providing clients with the full range of support that may be needed.
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Funding and Timeframe
Achieving self-sufficiency is a long-term process that requires deep and wide supports. Organizations
that have adopted a self-sufficiency approach to working with clients have funded their work through a
combination of private, philanthropic, and state funds.
Value to Organizations: Why Focus on Self-Sufficiency?
Better meet the needs of clients. A focus on self-sufficiency helps community based organizations
better meet the needs of their clients. Note the importance of understanding the full array of clients'
assets and barriers which are identified during a thorough assessment and screening process. Program
staff will use this multi-dimensional assessment to determine client needs, and to work with the client
to bundle appropriate supports and services and establish a plan for moving toward self-sufficiency.
With a thorough baseline assessment in place, staff and clients can periodically reassess the situation
and adjust supports and services as necessary. The long-term nature of the continuum also requires
that organizations reassess assets and barriers with their clients periodically over time to track
progress. This approach helps to keep an organization client-centered instead of program-centered (a
shift JFS is making). By starting with an understanding of a client's overall “balance sheet”,
organizations are encouraged to fit programs and services to clients instead of the other way around.
Providing access to education, training, and support services along a continuum also helps to ‘level the
playing field’ for low-income individuals and families who often do not have the knowledge, skills, and
social capital to negotiate family stability and career advancement on their own. Another advantage of
the continuum is that it helps providers and clients recognize and celebrate milestones, which can help
ward off discouragement due to the length of the journey to self-sufficiency. Because the selfsufficiency continuum maps stages along the path to economic independence, it provides clear points
to mark progress, measure performance, and celebrate success.
Improve programs and services. A focus on self-sufficiency helps organizations to clearly identify the
short- and long-term services and supports required to help move individuals and families out of
poverty. Once these are identified, organizations can determine how to expand or partner with other
organizations to deliver necessary ‘wrap around’ services many clients need are essential. Partnering
with other organizations helps to not only accomplish goals with our individual clients, but also in
terms of goals for community impact on a broader scale.
Self-Sufficiency in San Diego County
The current estimate of the San Diego Self-Sufficiency Standard, a county-specific measure of the
minimum income needed to cover basic expenses for individuals and families is outlined in the
following report “Making Ends Meet 2014”. Unlike the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPL), the Self
Sufficiency Standard takes into account the regional cost of living.
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Self-Sufficiency and the Senior Population
Self-sufficiency is not a concern for only younger
families; many San Diego seniors find that they cannot
make ends meet. 41% of seniors fall below the Elder
Index, a county-specific measure of the minimum
income needed to cover basic expenses: housing, food,
medical care, and transportation. Unlike the Federal
Poverty Guidelines (FPL), the Elder Index takes into
account the regional cost of living.
When the median Social Security payment and the
maximum Supplemental Security Income payment is
combined, there is still a nearly $2,000 shortfall in
covering a senior’s basic needs in San Diego County.
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JFS Self-Sufficiency Matrix---18 Scales (of the 25)
Domain
0
N/A
2
3
Homeless, couch
surfing, or threatened
with eviction or forced
displacement.
Transitional, temporary
or substandard housing;
and/or current rent/
mortgage payment is
unaffordable (over 30%
of income).
In stable housing that is
safe but only marginally
adequate.
Household is in safe,
adequate subsidized
housing.
Household is safe,
adequate, unsubsidized
housing.
No job.
Temporary, part-time, or
seasonal; inadequate
pay, no benefits.
Employed full time;
inadequate pay; few or
no benefits.
Employed full time with
adequate pay and
benefits.
Maintains permanent
employment with
adequate income and
benefits.
No income, basic needs
not met.
Inadequate income for
meeting basic needs.
Income is adequate to
meet basic needs with
subsidy
Income is sufficient and
stable, meets basic
needs, little or no
savings.
Income is sufficient,
stable; has discretionary
income and is able to
save.
Food
No food or means to
prepare it. Relies to a
significant degree on
other sources of free or
low-cost food.
Household is on food
stamps; little knowledge
of resources.
Can meet basic food
needs, but requires
occasional assistance;
has some knowledge to
purchase & prepare
nutritious food.
Can meet basic food
needs without
assistance; knowledge
to purchase and
prepare nutritious food.
Can choose to
purchase any food
household desires;
knowledge to purchase
and prepare nutritious
food.
Child/Eldercare
Needs childcare or
eldercare, but none is
available or accessible
and/or child/adult is not
eligible.
Childcare or eldercare
is unreliable/
unaffordable,
inadequate supervision
is a problem for
available childcare.
Affordable subsidized
childcare or eldercare is
available, but limited.
Reliable, affordable
childcare or eldercare is
available, no need for
subsidies.
Able to select quality
childcare or eldercare of
choice.
Literary problems
and/or no high school
diploma/GED are
serious barriers to
employment.
Enrolled in literacy
and/or GED program
and/or has sufficient
command of English to
where language is not a
barrier to employment
Has high school
diploma/GED.
Needs additional
education/training to
improve employment
situation and/or to
resolve literacy
problems to where they
are able to function
effectively in society.
Has completed
education/training
needed to become
employable. No literacy
problems.
Housing
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Employment
Income
Adult
Education
4
5
Score Participant
Goal
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Domain
0
N/A
1
Family/Social
Relations
Transportation
Community
Involvement
Parenting
Skills
Legal
3
4
5
No medical coverage
with immediate need.
No medical coverage
and great difficulty
accessing medical care
when needed. Some
household members
may be in poor health.
Some members (e.g.
children) have medical
coverage.
All members can get
medical care when
needed but may strain
budget.
All members are
covered by affordable,
adequate health
insurance.
Unable to meet basic
needs such as hygiene,
food, activities, of daily
life.
Can meet a few but not
all daily living needs
without assistance.
Can meet most but not
all daily living needs
without assistance.
Able to meet all basic
needs of daily living
without assistance
Able to provide beyond
basic needs of daily
living for self and family.
Lack of necessary
support form family or
friends; abuse (DV,
child) is present o there
is child neglect.
Family/friends may be
supportive but lack
ability or resources to
help; family members
do not relate well with
one another; potential
abuse or neglect.
Some support from
family/friends; family
members acknowledge
and seek to change
negative behaviors; are
learning to support and
communicate.
Strong support from
family/friends;.
Household members
support each other’s
efforts.
Has healthy/expanding
support network;
household is stable and
communication is
consistently open.
No access to
transportation, public or
private; may have car
that is inoperable.
Transportation is
available, but unreliable,
unpredictable,
unaffordable; may have
car but no insurance,
license, etc.
Transportation is
available and reliable,
but limited and/or
inconvenient; drivers
are licensed and
minimally insured.
Transportation is
generally accessible to
meet basic travel
needs.
Transportation is readily
available and
affordable; car is
adequately insured.
Not applicable due to
crisis situation; in
“survival” mode.
Socially isolated and/or
no social skills and/or
lacks motivation to
become involved.
Lacks knowledge of
ways to become
involved.
Some community
involvement (advisory
group, support group),
but has barriers such as
transportation, childcare
issues.
Actively involved in
community.
There are safety
concerns regarding
parenting skills.
Parenting skills are
minimal.
Parenting skills are
apparent, but not
adequate.
Parenting skills are
adequate.
Parenting skills are well
developed.
Has significant legal
problem(s) and does
not understand problem
or know what to do.
Has legal info/advice
lacks ability to proceed
with solving problem.
Has legal assistance
and is moving towards
resolution.
No legal issues or legal
issues fully resolved.
Health Care
Coverage
Life Skills
2
Has legal assistance
sufficient to respond to
legal issues.
Score Participant
Goal
12
Domain
0
N/A
1
2
3
Outstanding judgments
or bankruptcy/
foreclosure with no
credit repair plan
Outstanding judgments
or bankruptcy/
foreclosure with a credit
repair plan or debt in
collections with no
credit repair plan.
No credit history or debt
in collections with a
credit repair plan.
Moderate credit rating.
Good credit;
manageable debt ratio.
Danger to self or others;
recurring suicidal
ideation; experiencing
severe difficulty in dayto-day life due to
psychological problems;
cannot care for self.
Recurrent mental health
symptoms that may
affect behavior but not a
danger to self/others;
persistent problems with
functioning due to
mental health problems.
Mild symptoms may be
present but are
transient; only moderate
difficulty in functioning
due to mental health
problems.
Minimal symptoms that
are expectable
responses to life
stressors; only slight
impairment in
functioning.
Symptoms are absent
or rare; good or superior
functioning in wide
range of activities; no
more than everyday
problems or concerns.
Meets criteria for severe
abuse/dependence;
resulting problems so
severe that institutional
living or hospitalization
may be necessary.
Meets criteria for
dependence;
preoccupation with use
and/or obtaining drugs/
alcohol; withdrawal or
withdrawal avoidance
behaviors evident; use
results in avoidance or
neglect of essential life
activities.
Use within last 6
months; evidence of
persistent or recurrent
social, occupational,
emotional, or physical
problems related to use
(such as disruptive
behaviors or housing
problems); problems
have persisted for at
least one month.
Client has used during
last 6 months, but no
evidence of persistent
or recurrent social,
occupational, emotional,
or physical problems
related to use; no
evidence of recurrent
dangerous use.
No drug use/alcohol
abuse in last 6 months.
Safety
Home or residence is
not safe; immediate
level of lethality is
extremely high; possible
CPS involvement.
Safety is
threatened/temporary
protection is available;
level of lethality is high.
Current level of safety is
minimally adequate;
ongoing safety planning
is essential.
Environment is safe,
however, future of such
is uncertain; safety
planning is important.
Environment is
apparently safe and
stable.
Physical Health
Untreated and chronic
medical and life
threatening condition(s)
with minima l follow-up
care.
Chronic medical
conditions, potentially
life threatening, with
inconsistent follow-up
care.
Chronic illness well
managed, attempting to
make & keep routing
medical & dental
appointments.
No chronic illness or
illness is stable;
maintaining good
preventive medical &
dental practices.
No chronic illness and
maintaining preventive
medical & dental care
practices.
Credit History
Mental Health
Substance
Abuse
4
5
Score Participant
Goal
Other
(optional)
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