18 Miss. Code. R. 15-1-1-14

Current through December 10, 2024

Section 18-15-1-1-14 - CSBG Programmatic Assurances and Information Narrative (Section 676(b) of the CSBG Act)

14.1.Use of Funds Supporting Local Activities

CSBG Services

14.1a.676(b)(1)(A) Describe how the state will assure "that funds made available through grant or allotment will be used -

(A) to support activities that are designed to assist low-income families and individuals, including families and individuals receiving assistance under title IV of the Social Security Act, homeless families and individuals, migrant or seasonal farmworkers, and elderly low-income individuals and families, and a description of how such activities will enable the families and individuals--

(i) to remove obstacles and solve problems that block the achievement of self- sufficiency (particularly for families and individuals who are attempting to transition off a State program carried out under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act);

(ii) to secure and retain meaningful employment;

(iii) to attain an adequate education with particular attention toward improving literacy skills of the low-income families in the community, which may include family literacy initiatives;

(iv) to make better use of available income;

(v) to obtain and maintain adequate housing and a suitable living environment;

(vi) to obtain emergency assistance through loans, grants, or other means to meet immediate and urgent individual and family needs;

(vii) to achieve greater participation in the affairs of the communities involved, including the development of public and private grassroots partnerships with local law enforcement agencies, local housing authorities, private foundations, and other public and private partners to -

(I) document best practices based on successful grassroots intervention in urban areas, to develop methodologies for widespread replication; and

(II) strengthen and improve relationships with local law enforcement agencies, which may include participation in activities such as neighborhood or community policing efforts;

MDHS-DCS ensures compliance with this assurance by making funds available to the sixteen (16) eligible entities. These entities use funds to support activities such as disaster assistance, job training, educational support, career development, volunteer efforts, nutritional support, health education and access, tax preparation assistance, mentoring, parenting development, childcare services, and other activities as needed for low-income families and individuals. A review of eligible entities program performance ensures these activities are accomplished and/or referred to other local and state providers. Program areas offered by entities include: Early childhood programs, economic development/education, emergency services, housing, income management, nutrition and health programs, independent living/aging programs, transportation, community improvement/quality of life programs, youth programs, and employment programs.

Needs of Youth

14.1b.676(b)(1)(B) Describe how the state will assure "that funds made available through grant or allotment will be used -

(B) to address the needs of youth in low-income communities through youth development programs that support the primary role of the family, give priority to the prevention of youth problems and crime, and promote increased community coordination and collaboration in meeting the needs of youth, and support development and expansion of innovative community-based youth development programs that have demonstrated success in preventing or reducing youth crime, such as--

(i) programs for the establishment of violence-free zones that would involve youth development and intervention models (such as models involving youth mediation, youth mentoring, life skills training, job creation, and entrepreneurship programs); and

(ii) after-school childcare programs;

Entities are required as part of their community action plan to describe youth programs and activities they will sponsor to address the needs of youth. The state reviews the CAP annually to ensure these services are provided and reviews monthly progress reports to keep track of services/referrals provided. MDHS-DCS ensures compliance with this assurance by making funds available to eligible entities to conduct after school tutorial programs, summer programs, year round educational programs and activities, and summer reading programs for youth. These programs will promote educational excellence and youth development which prevents youth problems and crime. Support will be given to eligible families of the participants to ensure family needs are met through the case management process, and referrals made to other local providers.

Coordination of Other Programs

14.1c.676(b)(1)(C) Describe how the state will assure "that funds made available through grant or allotment will be used -

(C) to make more effective use of, and to coordinate with, other programs related to the purposes of this subtitle (including State welfare reform efforts)

Through case management, low-income families are assessed and referred to other DHS programs and local programs. Entities are required to develop partnerships and pool resources with social service providers, local organizations, religious organizations to increase support and opportunities for low-income families and communities, and to avoid duplication of services. In order to fully address the needs of families and to evaluate the outcome of their work, entities must follow up with families to ensure services were provided by the organizations they were referred to.

The State requires eligible entities to submit documentation on their partnerships with other service providers and organizations as part of their community action plan in their subgrants for funding. Eligible entities link families to resources within the entity and within the community.

State Use of Discretionary

Funds

14.2.676(b)(2) Describe "how the State intends to use discretionary funds made available from the remainder of the grant or allotment described in section 675C(b) in accordance with this subtitle, including a description of how the State will support innovative community and neighborhood-based initiatives related to the purposes of this subtitle."

Note: the State describes this assurance under "State Use of Funds: Remainder/Discretionary," items 7.9 and 7.10

[No response; links to items 7.9 and 7.10.]

Eligible Entity Service Delivery, Coordination, and Innovation

14.3.676(b)(3) "Based on information provided by eligible entities in the State, a description of..."

Eligible Entity Service Delivery System

14.3a.676(b)(3)(A) Describe "the service delivery system, for services provided or coordinated with funds made available through grants made under 675C(a), targeted to low-income individuals and families in communities within the State;"

The service delivery system used to deliver CSBG services is provided by eligible entities to meet identified needs of eligible families and communities, and to achieve outcomes based on the six national goals. Service delivery systems vary from entity to entity, just as the communities and people served. Commonalties to the service delivery system include:

a.Community outreach to ensure awareness of opportunities for low-income people;

b.Holistic, family-oriented approaches to assessing and addressing needs;

c.Use of multiple and convenient access points for direct service delivery;

d.Provision of multiple and wide-ranging services in order to address the causes and effects of poverty;

e.Common, entity-wide consumer intake forms and processes and

f.Use of community partnerships and referral processes to make the most of efficient use of available resources.

Eligible Entity Linkages - Approach to Filling Service Gaps

14.3b.676(b)(3)(B) Describe "how linkages will be developed to fill identified gaps in the services, through the provision of information, referrals, case management, and follow up consultations."

Note: The state describes this assurance in the State Linkages and Communication section, item 9.3b.

[No response as the state describes this assurance under 9.3b.]

Eligible entities are required as part of their community action plan to develop partnerships with local and state social services providers, religious organizations, local governments to fill gaps in the services the entity cannot provide. Referrals are made and follow up is done to ensure services were delivered. The State assures this requirement by requiring entities to submit a list of the local and other partnerships to fill gaps in their service delivery, as part of their annual subgrant for funding.

Coordination of Eligible Entity Allocation 90 Percent Funds with Public/Private Resources

14.3c.676(b)(3)(C) Describe how funds made available through grants made under 675C(a)will be coordinated with other public and private resources."

Note: The state describes this assurance in the State Linkages and Communication section, item 9.7.

[No response as the state describes this assurance under 9.7]

Eligible entities use their CSBG funds to leverage additional public and private resources, which assist with achieving outcomes within the framework of the national goals. CSBG resources are used to support the infrastructure of the entities to include sound governance, fiscal, programmatic, and personnel management. This results in greater accountability and capacity, thus enabling entities to leverage public and private resources through their community outreach and partnerships. As reported in the 2022 Leveraging Report, eligible entities leveraged $2,198,255.

Eligible Entity Innovative Community and Neighborhood Initiatives, Including Fatherhood/Parental Responsibility

14.3d.676(b)(3)(D) Describe "how the local entity will use the funds [made available under 675C(a)] to support innovative community and neighborhood-based initiatives related to the purposes of this subtitle, which may include fatherhood initiatives and other initiatives with the goal of strengthening families and encouraging parenting."

Note: The description above is about eligible entity use of 90 percent funds to support these initiatives. States may also support these types of activities at the local level using state remainder/discretionary funds, allowable under Section 675C(b)(1)(F). In this State Plan, the state indicates funds allocated for these activities under item 7.9(f).

Local entities hold community events or in-office sessions to promote family and parenting in which various activities, information sharing, and referrals are done to assist families with the skills needed to strengthen their ability to provide for their families and be more engaged in the lives of their children. Eligible entities use funds to develop, implement, and support initiatives such as fatherhood, healthy marriage, and family development activities designed to enhance the quality of family life and strengthen families. Entities are encouraged to partner with other local or state service providers to convene teen, fatherhood and parental summits and training as part of family development activities. These activities will facilitate dialogue and provide valuable data for entities to use in planning services and projects to address challenges expressed by the low-income population.

Eligible Entity Emergency Food and Nutrition Services

14.4. 676(b)(4) Describe how the state will assure "that eligible entities in the State will provide, on an emergency basis, for the provision of such supplies and services, nutritious foods, and related services, as may be necessary to counteract conditions of starvation and malnutrition among low-income individuals."

Entities are required as a part of their community action plan to address the provision of food and supplies to CSBG eligible households. The state reviews their plans annually to ensure these services will be provided and reviews monthly performance reports to keep track of the services provided. Eligible entities are required to partner with their local DHS Economic Assistance offices to refer clients for expedited SNAP benefits in emergency situations. If SNAP benefits cannot be provided that same day, entities must provide nutrition assistance by giving food vouchers to meet emergency nutritional needs. Entities are required to coordinate with local soup kitchens and food banks to meet emergency nutritional needs.

State and Eligible Entity Coordination/linkages and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Employment and Training Activities

14.5.676(b)(5) Describe how the state will assure "that the State and eligible entities in the State will coordinate, and establish linkages between, governmental and other social services programs to assure the effective delivery of such services, and [describe] how the State and the eligible entities will coordinate the provision of employment and training activities, as defined in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, in the State and in communities with entities providing activities through statewide and local workforce development systems under such Act."

Note: The state describes this assurance in Section 9, State Linkages and Communication, specifically under 9.1 - 9.4b.

[No response as the state describes this assurance under Section 9.1 - 9.4b]

State Coordination/Linkages and Low-income Home Energy Assistance

14.6.676(b)(6) Provide "an assurance that the State will ensure coordination between antipoverty programs in each community in the State, and ensure, where appropriate, that emergency energy crisis intervention programs under title XXVI (relating to low- income home energy assistance) are conducted in such community."

Note: The state describes this assurance in Section 9, State Linkages and Communication section, items 9.2 and 9.5.

[No response as the state describes this assurance under 9.2 and 9.5]

Federal Investigations

14.7.676(b)(7) Provide "an assurance that the State will permit and cooperate with Federal investigations undertaken in accordance with section 678D."

Note: The state addresses this assurance in Section 10, Fiscal Controls and Monitoring under 10.13.

[No response as the state describes this assurance under 10.13]

Funding Reduction or Termination

14.8.676(b)(8) Provide "an assurance that any eligible entity in the State that received funding in the previous fiscal year through a community services block grant made under this subtitle will not have its funding terminated under this subtitle, or reduced below the proportional share of funding the entity received in the previous fiscal year unless, after providing notice and an opportunity for a hearing on the record, the State determines that cause exists for such termination or such reduction, subject to review by the Secretary as provided in section 678C(b)."

Note: The state addresses this assurance in Section 10 Fiscal Controls and Monitoring under 10.7.

[No response as the state describes this assurance under 10.7]

Coordination with Faith-based Organizations, Charitable Groups, Community Organizations

14.9.676(b)(9) Describe how the state will assure "that the State and eligible entities in the State will, to the maximum extent possible, coordinate programs with and form partnerships with other organizations serving low-income residents of the communities and members of the groups served by the State, including religious organizations, charitable groups, and community organizations."

Note: The state describes this assurance in Section 9 State Linkages and Communication, under 9.6.

[No response as the state describes this assurance under 9.6]

Eligible Entity Tripartite Board Representation

14.10.676(b)(10) Describe how "the State will require each eligible entity in the State to establish procedures under which a low-income individual, community organization, or religious organization, or representative of low-income individuals that considers its organization, or low-income individuals, to be inadequately represented on the board (or other mechanism) of the eligible entity to petition for adequate representation."

Note: The state describes this assurance in Section 11 Eligible Entity Tripartite Boards, under 11.3.

The State has a Board Policy in place to ensure this requirement. The Board Policy is given to all entities and the State conducts reviews of eligible entity bylaws to ensure bylaws have policies for tripartite board representation.

Eligible Entity Community Action Plans and Community Needs Assessments

14.11.676(b)(11) Provide "an assurance that the State will secure from each eligible entity in the State, as a condition to receipt of funding by the entity through a community services block grant made under this subtitle for a program, a community action plan (which shall be submitted to the Secretary, at the request of the Secretary, with the State plan) that includes a community- needs assessment for the community served, which may be coordinated with community-needs assessments conducted for other programs."

Note: The state describes this assurance in Section 13 ROMA, under 13.5 and 13.6.

[No response as the state describes this assurance under 13.5 and 13.6]

State and Eligible Entity Performance Measurement: ROMA or Alternate system

14.12.676(b)(12) Provide "an assurance that the State and all eligible entities in the State will, not later than fiscal year 2001, participate in the Results Oriented Management and Accountability System, another performance measure system for which the Secretary facilitated development pursuant to section 678E(b), or an alternative system for measuring performance and results that meets the requirements of that section, and [describe] outcome measures to be used to measure eligible entity performance in promoting self-sufficiency, family stability, and community revitalization."

Note: The state describes this assurance in Section 13 ROMA under 13.1 - 13.4.

[No response as the state describes this assurance under 13.1 - 13.4]

Validation for CSBG Eligible Entity Programmatic Narrative Sections

14.13.676(b)(13) Provide "information describing how the State will carry out the assurances described in this section."

Note: The state provides information for each of the assurances directly in section 14 or in corresponding items throughout the State Plan, which are included as hyperlinks in section 14.

[No response for this item]

[x]By checking this box, the state CSBG authorized official is certifying the assurances set out above.

18 Miss. Code. R. 15-1-1-14

Adopted 9/3/2015

Amended 10/15/2016

Amended 12/13/2017

Amended 12/20/2018

Amended 2/14/2020

Amended 4/12/2021

Amended 1/9/2022

Amended 2/23/2024

Amended 11/18/2024