February 25, 2004 |
2004-R-0142 | |
FAITHWORKS CT | ||
| ||
By: Susan Price, Associate Attorney | ||
You asked a series of questions about FaithWorks, Connecticut’s faith-based initiative. We have responded to each of these questions separately below.
The governor established the initiative through Executive Order 31 on October 24, 2003 in order to foster broader collaboration between the faith community and the government in the delivery of social services. The initiative is administered by a FaithWorks Council comprised of eight agency commissioners, the governor’s deputy chief of staff, and representatives from eight faith-based organizations. The eight commissioners represent the departments of Children and Families (DCF), Correction (DOC), Education (DOE), Labor (DOL), Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), Mental Retardation (DMR), Public Health (DPH), and Social Services (DSS).
What process do faith-based institutions go through to get funding?
Deputy Chief of Staff Brian Mattiello, chairman of the council, reports that existing social service funding procedures are not affected by the initiative at all. Faith-based organizations must go through the same application, financial disclosure, and qualifying processes for receiving state grants or funding as any other organization.
Is priority given to faith-based groups?
Mattiello indicates that the initiative is not a set-aside program. But agencies are encouraged to include programs offered by faith-based organizations among the options their clients can choose. FaithWorks seeks to strengthen collaboration between agencies and people motivated by their faith to enhance mentoring, prisoner re-entry, substance abuse/mental health, health and aging, employment, and child and youth development services.
The governor’s mid-term budget includes $ 755,000 for FaithWorks, $ 450,000 of which is reserved for grants. These are expected to be small, time-limited “Compassion Grants” for faith-based organizations to use for capacity building or specific events. Mattiello indicates that once the grant program is established, it may be opened up to community based organizations as well.
Has there been a year-to-year analysis of what groups have been funded and for how much?
No. The initiative is still in the implementation phase, and has not been funded. But the state has contracted with faith-based organizations to provide social services for many years. Table 1 shows the results of an informal survey performed by seven of the eight FaithWorks Council member agencies of existing and planned future contracts.
Table 1 – Existing and Planned Collaborations
DCF | |
Existing Contracts |
Covenant to Care – contracts cover (1) Adopt-a-Social Worker program for foster children, (2) foster care and adoptive parent recruitment, and (3) mentoring for children in DCF care |
Future Plans |
Expand collaborations to child welfare, children’s behavioral health, juvenile justice, and prevention services |
Contact Person |
Irma Bradford (860) 560-5023 |
-Table 1 Continued-
DOC | |
Existing Contracts |
Catholic Family Services – contracts cover assessment, mental health and substance abuse treatment, referral, and case management services in Hartford, New Britain, New Haven, and Torrington Torrington Council of Churches – contract to administer the Co-Op program in Bridgeport, providing assessment, mental health, substance abuse and medical treatment, referral, and financial assistance Fellowship House Ministeries – contracts to operate residential facilities in Groton providing work release and transitional supervision services to recently released offenders ISAIAH – contracts to administer residential work release programs in Bridgeport Open Hearth – contracts to provide residential work release programs in Hartford |
Future Plans |
Increase collaborations for transitional and after care programs and residential and nonresidential services |
Contact Person |
Fr. Anthony Bruno (860) 692-7577 |
DOE | |
Existing Contracts |
Local public schools use DOE funds to subcontract with several faith-based organizations for nutrition and preschool based programming |
Future Plans |
Increase technical assistance and resource and data sharing; inform faith-based organizations about federal grant opportunities for safe and drug free schools; after school programs; and Title I funding for reading, language arts, and mathematics programs |
Contact Person |
Agnes Quinones (860) 807-2126 |
-Table 1 Continued-
DOL | |
Existing Contracts |
Subcontracts with several faith-based family service agencies to provide employment services for clients |
Future Plans |
Partner with faith-based organizations on federal grant applications |
Contact Persons |
Maria Houser (860) 263-6523 Patricia Mayfield (860) 263-6502 |
DMHAS | |
Existing Contracts |
Provides financial support to about 20 faith-based organizations for prevention, treatment, and recovery support services |
Future Plans |
Expand faith-based participation in prevention and early intervention, treatment, crisis response, and community-based recovery supports |
Contact Person |
Sue Tanner (860) 418-6966 |
DMR | |
Existing Contracts |
Contracts with seven faith-based organizations for a range of supports and services for DMR clients |
Future Plans |
Develop grants to enable faith-based organizations to develop and operate respite programs for families in their local communities |
Contact Person |
Matthew McKeever (860) 418-6077 |
DSS | |
Existing Contracts |
Provides financial support to more than 90 faith-based organizations for services including emergency shelter, family crisis intervention, adult respite and child day care, refugee social services, residences for persons with AIDS, before- and after-school programs, and adult day care |
Future Plans |
Enhance information and referral and resource sharing and skill development training and other learning opportunities |
Contact Person |
Horace McCaulley (860) 424-5283 |
Source: FaithWorks CT Council
Is there a central state location that tracks federal and state grants to faith based groups?
Both DOL and OPM have websites at http: //www. ctdol. state. ct. us/fbo/default. htm and http: //www. opm. state. ct. us/pdpd1/faith/works. htm, respectively. OPM’s site is currently under construction.
What monitoring systems are in place to ensure a grant is being used appropriately and not being used to proselytize?
Like all contractors and grantees, faith-based organizations must agree to use the funds only for the non-secular purposes specified in the contract or grant, and to comply with all state and federal laws. Mattiello reports that there is no special monitoring of how they use their state funds. Most are subject to quarterly program and fiscal reporting, where they must document how they used the money.
How much federal and state money has been given to “new” groups in the past two years, both state and federal?
We found no source for this information, but federal agencies have issued grants in recent years with special emphasis on making them available to faith-based organizations.
Are state agencies allocating or restricting a portion of their contracts to faith-based groups?
It does not appear so, except to the extent that agencies seek to include faith-based programs as one of several options clients can select for services such as substance abuse treatment or mentoring.
The governor’s proposed interim budget would allocate federal and state funds for FaithWorks CT as follows:
Table 2: Proposed Funding Sources
Federal Funds | |
Americorps/Nat’l and Community Service |
$ 40,000 |
Social Services Block Grant (Patriot Fund) |
200,000 |
Temporary Assistance To Needy Families (TANF) (High Performance Bonus) |
100,000 |
Community Services Block Grant |
125,000 |
State Funds |
|
OPM (O/E funds) |
40,000 |
General Fund |
250,000 |
TOTAL |
$ 755,000 |
Source: OPM
Annually, how much money is directed to faith-based organizations through state agencies and how much is given federally?
We found no source for this information.
SP-ts