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Work Support Strategies and North Carolina <br />In February 2011, North Carolina was one of nine states to be awarded grant funding for the Work <br />Support Strategies initiative. North Carolina received a$250,000 planning grant, which runs through <br />early 2012. <br />The Work Support Strategies team includes staff from divisions in North Carolina Department of Health <br />and Human Services (DHHS) that have a direct relationship with local departments of social services as <br />well as local DSS directors and staff from within local social services offices. <br />With year one of the grant coming to an end, the project team recently submitted North Carolina's <br />application for an implementation grant. States chosen for an implementation grant will experiment with <br />new integrated approaches to delivering work supports to low-income families, including health coverage, <br />nutrition benefits, and child care subsidies. <br />What are North Carolina's t;oals for Work Support <br />Strategies? <br />"In the new service delivery <br />The overall goal of this is initiative is to create a new service <br />delivery model for North Carolina families in need. This model, families will tell their <br />redesigned system will serve families and individuals in a holistic story once and receive the <br />manner. In the new service delivery model, families will tell their benefits they need." <br />story once and receive the benefits they need. <br />North Carolina aims to eliminate duplicative or redundant steps in `~- -'` <br />application and recertification processes, improve coordination among human service benefit programs, <br />support the integration and automation among program-based systems, and eliminate the silo approach to <br />benefit delivery. <br />What is Orange County's Role? <br />Orange County Department of Social Services staff inembers have been serving on the project team for <br />North Carolina. Nancy Coston, Director of the Orange County Department of Social Services, was part <br />of the delegation from North Carolina that presented at the national conference on Work Support <br />Strategies. <br />Orange County has also taken a lead role in piloting new Work Support Strategies initiatives. Currently, <br />staff inembers are participating in a certification period alignment pilot to streamline the participation in <br />both Medicaid and Food and Nutrition Services for Orange County families. Other pilot opportunities for <br />Oran~e County are likely. <br />