Skip to sections below

Share this program

PrintEmail

Summary

Paths to Promise (P2P) provided intensive team-based case management, extensive support services, and other services, including adult basic education, occupational skills training, work-based learning opportunities, and job search and placement assistance, to new and current SNAP work registrants (participants who had not met any Federal exemptions from SNAP work requirements and were required to register for work).

After an initial intake process, a career navigator either worked directly with individuals pursuing immediate employment on job search and placement assistance or referred them to a provider for education and training activities aligned with their goals. Education and training activities included adult basic education, short-term education or occupational skills training, or short-term certification programs. Work-based learning opportunities were available for participants who needed additional work experience. Case management was provided using a team-based approach with a career navigator coordinating with staff at other providers to ensure service coordination.

Case management included biweekly team meetings and individual meetings could occur as frequently as daily or weekly for those involved in basic education. Work-based learning opportunities could last from 320 to 480 hours. Education and training activities were designed to last two semesters, on average, with the exception of the short-term certification programs.

The program was implemented in eight counties in Kentucky.

101036.07-Study of Paths to Pr
Populations and employment barriers: Public benefits recipients, Unemployed

Effectiveness rating and effect by outcome domain

View table definitions

Scroll to the right to view the rest of the table columns

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 unfavorable $-401 per year -0.011 2536
Long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable $401 per year 0.011 2536
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Increase employment Short-term Supported favorable 4% (in percentage points) 0.090 2536
Long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable 1% (in percentage points) 0.024 2536
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Decrease benefit receipt Short-term Not supported favorable $-7 per year -0.002 2536
Long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable $-76 per year -0.022 2536
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
Back to top

Implementation details

Dates covered by study

P2P enrolled participants between April 2016 and August 2018. Study data collection occurred through August 2021, with outcomes measured over a three-year follow-up period after enrollment.

Organizations implementing program

The Kentucky Department for Community-Based Services; Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program; Kentucky Adult Education; Kentucky Community and Technical College System; local community action agencies

Populations served

P2P was targeted to new and current SNAP work registrants (participants who had not met any Federal exemptions from SNAP work requirements and were required to register for work, with new registrants not having received SNAP in the past six months). Most participants were White (94 percent) and unemployed (84 percent). The majority of participants had a high school diploma or equivalent (76 percent) and were female (59 percent).

Description of services implemented

P2P offered team-based case management and identified whether participants were initially interested in immediate employment or in education or training opportunities. Key services included:

  • Education and training. Kentucky Adult Education (KYAE) provided adult basic education services, Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) provided short-term education or occupational skills training, and other local training providers provided shorter-term certification programs. P2P covered all tuition and fees.
  • Work-based learning. Opportunities included internships, work experience, on-the-job training and work study. Work experiences were provided through a community action agency (CAA) at minimum wage. Success coaches at KCTCS coordinated work study and internship opportunities.
  • Job search and placement assistance. Career navigators worked with participants to identify job search strategies and provided job placement services.
  • Team-based case management and support services. Career navigators at CAAs were the primary staff for delivering team-based case management that included coordination with success coaches at KCTCS and KYAE staff. Navigators also led provision of support services, which were delivered through a monthly check of $50-$200 depending on participant need and level of engagement with P2P.

Service intensity

P2P service intensity varied by activity. Education and occupational training programs typically lasted up to two semesters. Work-based learning opportunities could last from to 320 to 480 hours. For case management, the career navigator met biweekly with the case management team to coordinate services. KCTCS success coaches met regularly with participants. KYAE staff met as frequently as daily or weekly with participants in adult basic education.

Comparison conditions

The comparison group was eligible for any employment and training services available in the community. Kentucky did not offer a SNAP Employment and Training program in any of the implementing counties at the time of the study.

Partnerships

Kentucky Department for Community-Based Services (DCBS) partnered with multiple existing education and training providers in the state to implement P2P, including:

  • Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP). Managed contracts with local CAAs to provide program services.
  • Kentucky Adult Education (KYAE). Provided adult basic education services and assisted with program enrollment.
  • Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). Provided education, occupational skills training, and work study placements. Also assisted with program enrollment.
  • Community Action Agencies (CAAs). Local providers for Work Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs who provided case management and coordinated enrollment, intake, and assessment processes as well as support services through contracts with EKCEP.

Staffing

Career navigators at CAAs provided primary case management and support services. Navigators led team collaboration with partner agencies, including success coaches at KCTCS and staff at KYAE who also regularly met with and provided guidance to participants enrolled in their programs. Other staff were involved in direct service provision at their respective providers, but specific roles or requirements for these staff were not discussed in the study.

Fidelity measures

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

Funding source

The program was funded by federal SNAP Employment and Training Pilot demonstration funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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

Local context

P2P was implemented in eight counties in Kentucky. Kentucky Department for Community-Based Services had multiple locations statewide with a central office in Frankfort, KY. Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program was located in Hazard, KY. Kentucky Community and Technical College System was headquartered in Versailles, KY. 

Characteristics of research participants
Black or African American
3%
White, not Hispanic
94%
Another race
1%
More than one race
2%

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

Pathways to Work refers to programs by the names used in study reports or manuscripts. Some program names may use language that is not consistent with our style guide, preferences, or the terminology we use to describe populations.