CalWORKs Public Service Training Program - continued from page 2 Building Success: Staff Reflections on CPSTP

When asked about how her engagement style helps clients succeed, Employment Counselor Rachelle Bolton says: “When I am assigned a new case, I look at it with a fresh pair of eyes; remembering to leave all biases and past experiences at the door. I meet the clients where they are and ask open-ended questions to determine the best way to engage them, so they can take full advantage of the Welfare-to-Work program. Lastly, I conduct weekly to monthly check-ins with my participants as their accountability partner to ensure they are meeting the goals they set for themselves and have all the resources they need to overcome their barriers.”

Employment Counselor Gizelle Calvin says, “I’m a firm believer in accountability and I am an active listener. I try to find out what their barriers are along with what their goals are. We must tackle many of their barriers to get to their end goal. We work as a team in Employment Services. We are composed of Employment Counselors, Career Development Specialists, service providers, community-based organizations, Family Stabilization staff, social workers, and clerical staff. We put together the puzzle pieces of each case and communicate with each other to best assist our participants. The most important contributor to the participant’s success is the participant themselves. We are here to be supportive and to follow up with our participants on a regular basis.”

Employment Counselor Percival Arcibal observes that “determining families for the program has actually gotten easier over the past few years as the word is getting around among the participants and community and I’ve encountered a few who are expressing their desire to be a part of CPSTP. If the participant didn’t already know about the program, I informed them during the EC Introduction process. This way, they know there’s an actual path to self-sufficiency through the County.”

SSA Staff Out and About

In celebration of Older Americans Month, more than 60 staff in the Department of Adult & Aging Services volunteered up to 4 hours in support of community partner organizations, including SOS Meals on Wheels/Mercy Brown Bag, JSei, Alameda County Community Food Bank, Open Heart Kitchen, Oakland LGBTQ Center, Age Well Center, and Life Elder Care.

“Great experience to help the senior community, plus I got to meet coworkers from other units that I probably wouldn’t ever meet. ~ Mary Laso, Specialist Clerk I