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Work First New Jersey Welfare Services
The state’s welfare reform program is called Work First NJ because it emphasizes work as the first step toward building a new life and a brighter future.
<<wfnj welfare services>>

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TANF SURVEY
The 1998 New Jersey Survey of Recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
<<tanf survey>>

County Welfare Agencies
List of welfare agencies by county in New Jersey.
<<county welfare agencies>>

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The Work First New Jersey Substance Abuse Initiative (SAI)
Close cooperation among DHS, DFD, the New Jersey Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (DMAHS), the DHS’ Commissioner’s Office on Policy and Planning, and DHSS/DAS resulted in the design, planning and implementation of the WFNJ-SAI. The program implementation was reviewed by an Advisory Committee comprising interested representatives of county and municipal welfare offices, state agencies, county alcohol and drug directors, child advocacy and treatment provider groups.

The Work First New Jersey Substance-Abuse Initiative (WFNJ-SAI) is a program intended to serve WFNJ recipients whose previous job seeking or employment record indicates that drug or alcohol use is impeding their ability to fully participate in a work activity or to get and keep a job. Unless deferred for medical or other reasons, all Temporary Assistance to Needy Family (TANF; parents with dependent children) and General Assistance (GA; single adults without dependents) clients must participate in a work activity in order to remain eligible for welfare benefits. Under the SAI, participation in a drug treatment program satisfies the Work First work activity requirement for TANF and GA recipients. Through the SAI program, recipients of either TANF or GA whose drug or alcohol use prevents participation in welfare-to-work activities may be referred by welfare case workers or case managers to National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence-New Jersey for Care Coordination Services, including assessment, treatment placement, and coordination of treatment and work activities.

<<highlights>>
<<the initiative>>

The ultimate objective of SARD was to discover better and more cost-effective means for assisting women on welfare to overcome drug use, to become employed, and to lead more fulfilling and satisfying lives. By implementing and evaluating these two approaches, the project is expected to provide a wealth of much-needed empirical knowledge as well as practical “know-how” on how best to transition women on welfare to gainful employment. The innovations of this project will put the State of New Jersey at the cutting edge of welfare reform.

Among the SARD services which were evaluated:

Intensive Case Management - during and after treatment, advocacy, home visits, job coaching, mentoring, referrals to self-help groups, legal services, medical services, as appropriate. This group of recipients were screened by SARD staff to assess eligibility for the SARD.

The SARD provided linkages to family counseling, housing, transportation, and referrals to childcare, and in some cases, on-site “babysitting” whenever childcare is unavailable at time of the assessment interview, or face-to-face contact with her case manager.

<<program evaluation>>