Catherine Medina, PhD, LCSWRebecca Thomas, PhD, MSW

University of Connecticut School of Social Work

July 9, 2012 Joint World Conference-Sweden

LEVERAGING SOCIAL CAPITAL:

the infrastructure secures employment for welfare clients

Purpose of the study

• View the interactions of organizations through the lens of social capital theory

• How do governmental institutions, non-profit organizations, and social service providers coalesce and utilize social capital in order to address issues of poverty and inequality?

Theoretical framework of social capital

Woolcock (1998) argues compellingly for a model of social capital that includes integration (intra-community ties) and linkage (extra-community networks) on a micro level, and synergy (state society relations; social relations between representatives of formal organizations) and organizational integrity (institutional coherence, competence, and capacity) on a macro level. These multi-dimensional aspects of social capital must include micro (bottom-up development) and macro (top-down development) initiatives in order for collective action to be empowering and successful with lasting results.

Infrastructure Committee

The idea behind the Infrastructure committee was to have a coordinated, planned effort to leverage the social capital of organizations through the use of high ranking executives (top down). In this project, the goal was to utilize their power, influence and resources while simultaneously using the knowledge, experience, and expertise of case managers (bottom up) to create systemic change in employing “hard to employ women” who were at risk to losing their children based on the welfare state mandates (TANF- state relations).

Infrastructure Committee

• An Infrastructure Committee (IC) composed of executives from the private and public sectors, together with a university, leverage social capital to meet the service demands of a vulnerable population: welfare-to-

work participants. • The Infrastructure Committee met every month for 4

years over breakfast as a “think tank” to address systemic problems faced by clients with multiple barriers to success (lack of education and skills, housing, histories of felony convictions, need for family reunification).

Method

Aims• This exploratory research was qualitative in nature.• The purpose of this study was to understand the

relationship between social capital and the IC. The study gives voice to the executives regarding their understanding of their social ties and its influence on working together on behalf of TANF participants and making changes and policy recommendations.

• The researchers were interested in understanding the nature of the relationships among the executives, and their perceptions about the factors that influenced outcomes.

The infrastructure committee

• Department of Human Services (DHS)• Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA)• Department of Public Welfare (DPW)• Department of Labor (DOL)• Philadelphia Department of Public Health (DPH)• Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation

(PWDC)• North Philadelphia Empowerment Zone• A consortia of employers affiliated with the Philadelphia

Job Developers Consortium • Temple University CSPCD staff

Findings

• Expressed willingness to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (pledging serious commitment for purposeful collective action).

• It signified the use of social relations, formal and informal social networks, group membership, trust, reciprocity, collaboration and political engagement to effect change while recognizing the resiliency of the women and families.

Synergy

Lead Agency

TU CSPCDWtUF

program

Social Capita

l

Infrastucture CommitteeSubcommittees

MemberDedicationCommitmentParticipation

Assessment and planningDevelopment of subgroups

ExpertisePooled resourcesKnowledgeTrustReciprocityCollaboration

Implementation of strategiesSet of leadership relationshipsNetworkingPartnershipProblem solving

Increased job placements for TANF participants200 housing vouchersFamily reunification

IncreasedSocial capital

Policy recommen

dations

Formation Maintenance Institutionalization

Linking Social Capital: Infrastructure Committee

Implications• The social capital-forming dimension of this

group was the ability to command scare resources through a set of relationships that fostered an integrated system of services.

• The policy of the IC was not to blame the clients for their difficulties in securing employment, but rather, through the IC ’s leadership and expertise, to invest in individuals through case management services, and to engage the systemic issues that prevented them from achieving economic security.

Implications• It was through collaborative relationships

among the public and private sectors working within the legitimacy of a university that trust, reciprocity, and problem solving was sustained.

• The expertise of various members was often called upon by other members, and the networking continued long after the project ended.

• The collective cohesion is still evident in cooperation, coordination and referrals to programs that meet the needs of TANF clients.

Ability of IC to leverage social capital

• Increased referral to services, obtaining 200 housing vouchers, employment of both TANF participants and those with criminal records, reunification of children with their families, and the establishment of subcommittees responsible for tasks and policy recommendations.

• The success of the IC committee was a result of time, dedicated resources, and a set of collaborative relationships towards a macro goal of influencing systems

Social work education and issues

• Need to implement macro practice interventions (looking at the large issues, systems and leadership resources) to influence change for vulnerable populations.

• Simultaneously working from bottom up and top down capacity development.

• Building on social ties- collaborations, partnerships and networks from a global perspective.