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Summary

The Padua Pilot aimed to promote self-sufficiency among families with low incomes who had an adult willing and able to work,  offering individualized and holistic case management services, which included job training, housing assistance, budgeting, financial literacy, and coaching for overall well-being.

The Padua Pilot had five key components of its intensive case management services: detailed assessment of goals, skills, and barriers to success; a strengths-based individualized service plan; two-person teams of a case manager and case worker; case management services that included coaching, mentoring, direct services, and referrals; and providing flexible financial assistance to address obstacles.

Services were provided for up to 24 months, with the average participant spending 16 months in the program. The initial assessment was typically completed within 45 days of enrollment. The master’s level case manager and bachelor’s level case worker teams had caseloads of 18 to 24 participants. After the initial assessment process, case management meetings occurred at least bi-weekly. 

Eligible participants had to have low family income (approximately 185 percent of federal poverty line), reside in Tarrant County, TX, and have at least one adult in the household who demonstrated they were willing and able to work. The program was implemented in Fort Worth, TX.

101022-Study of Padua Pilot
Populations and employment barriers:

Effectiveness rating and effect by outcome domain

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Outcome domain Term Effectiveness rating Effect in 2024 dollars and percentages Effect in standard deviations Sample size
Increase earnings Short-term Little evidence to assess support favorable $547 per year 0.015 351
Long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable $3,135 per year 0.086 346
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Increase employment Short-term Little evidence to assess support favorable 5% (in percentage points) 0.123 351
Long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable 5% (in percentage points) 0.115 346
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Decrease benefit receipt Short-term Little evidence to assess support favorable $-199 per year -0.058 351
Long-term Supported favorable $-45 per year -0.013 427
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Increase education and training All measurement periods Cannot assess support

Effectiveness ratings

  • Well- supported
  • Supported
  • Mixed support
  • Not supported
  • Insufficient evidence
  • Cannot assess support

Studies of this program

Study quality rating Study counts per rating
High High 1
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Implementation details

Dates covered by study

The Padua Pilot enrolled participants between March 2015 and October 2016. Study data was collected through October 2018, with outcomes measured over a follow-up period of at least two years after enrollment.

Organizations implementing program

Catholic Charities of Fort Worth 

Populations served

The Padua Pilot aimed to serve adults between 18 and 55 years old who were willing and able to work; resided in Tarrant County, Texas; and had low family incomes (below 185 percent of the federal poverty line). Most participants were female (85 percent). The majority of participants were recipients of public assistance (65 percent) and single mothers (56 percent). Less than half of participants (40 percent) were employed at baseline, and 25 percent of participants had a high school diploma or GED.  The average age of participants was 37 years old. 

Description of services implemented

The Padua Pilot had five core aspects of the program:

  • Detailed assessment. A strengths-based assessment process completed across four to five meetings within 45 days of enrollment. The assessment identified goals, obstacles, and assets across twelve domains, assigning scores on a five-point scale from “In Crisis” to “Thriving”.
  • Service plan. Case management teams set strengths-based goals with clients with series of action steps and benchmarks. Clients were encouraged to complete at least one action step every three weeks.
  • Case management teams and caseloads. Two-person case management teams had caseloads of 18-24 clients and meet at least bi-weekly with clients. Teams included a master’s level case manager and a bachelor’s level case worker, with supervision from a program manager.
  • Case management services. Key activities included coaching and mentoring, referrals to external services, and regular evaluation of service plan progress. The case management team typically focused first on goals for stabilizing families and then on goals related to acquiring skills or employment. Case managers also coordinated with other Catholic Charities of Fort Worth (CCFW) staff and resources, including employment, education, housing, and transportation specialists.
  • Flexible financial resources. Financial assistance to address obstacles was made available on a case-by-case basis. These resources could address a variety of needs, including transportation, security deposits, or child care.

Service intensity

The Padua Pilot provided up to 24 months of assistance with the average participant receiving services for 16 months. The initial assessment process was typically completed over four to five meetings within the first 45 days after enrollment. Case management meetings after the assessment process typically occurred at least bi-weekly.

Comparison conditions

The comparison group received standard services from CCFW, most commonly a short-term, modest amount of emergency financial assistance.

Partnerships

No partners were indicated for delivering the Padua Pilot, though the Padua case managers coordinated with other CCFW staff and resources.

Staffing

The Padua Pilot had two-person case management teams, a case manager and a case worker, with supervision from a program manager. Case managers had at least a master’s degree; case workers had at least a bachelor’s degree. The case management teams received extensive training at onboarding and on an ongoing basis from CCFW.

Fidelity measures

The study did not discuss any tools to measure fidelity to the program model.

Funding source

The program was funded by CCFW.

The information contained here reflects how the program was implemented at the time of the evaluation.

Local context

Catholic Charities of Fort Worth was located in Fort Worth, TX. The study was conducted in Tarrant County, TX.

Characteristics of research participants
Black or African American
48%
White, not Hispanic
15%
Unknown, not reported, or other
8%
Hispanic or Latino of any race
30%

The race and ethnicity categories may sum to more than 100 percent if the authors reported race and ethnicity separately; in these cases, we report the category White, rather than White, not Hispanic.

State(s) where implemented

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY Canada

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