Colorado
Colorado
Department of Human Services
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Challenge:
There has been little investment in marketing messages,
materials, and strategies at the State level. County staff are
unsure of how to best ‘sell’ the SNAP E&T program
to clients. Eligibility workers and case managers do not receive
much training on why someone would want to participate in the
Employment First program. There are no marketing materials other
than one standard State-offered flyer that counties can
customize. All other marketing happens during outbound telephone
calls that case managers make although many clients do not answer
these calls. As a result, case managers believe that most clients
do not know what the Employment First program offers, including
supportive services and E&T activities, and enrollment is
low.
Intervention:
The site will use a suite of marketing materials consisting of
text messages, emails, and postcards to conduct outreach to
referred work registrants, or SNAP participants who do not meet a
federal exemption from general work requirements, in place of
making outbound phone calls. Four treatment groups will receive
different combinations of text messages and emails at different
frequencies. Three treatment groups will get text messages and
emails one week after a SNAP certification or recertification
interview: one group will receive three text messages one week
apart, a second group will receive two text messages two weeks
apart, and a third group will receive two text messages and two
emails two weeks apart. A fourth treatment group will receive the
same series of messages as the third group except the first text
and email will be sent two weeks after the certification or
recertification interview. A fifth treatment group will receive
two postcards one week apart, starting one week after the
certification or recertification appointment. A control group
will continue to receive telephone recruiting calls from
Employment First case managers.
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Target
population: SNAP participants who are work
registrants
Intervention
locations: Four counties (Larimer, Montrose, Denver,
Broomfield)
Target
number of participants: 9,000
Evaluation
design: Multi-arm RCT, with equal probabilities used to
assign individuals across research groups.
Research
questions:
What
package of behaviorally informed marketing outreach is most
effective in increasing enrollment in SNAP E&T, compared to
existing marketing practices?
What
frequency of text messaging outreach is most effective in
increasing enrollment?
What
mode of outreach is most effective in increasing enrollment?
Is
an up-front or delayed approach to outreach more effective?
Outcomes:
The intervention is designed to increase engagement in an
initial phone call or in-person meeting with a case manager to
enroll in SNAP E&T services.
Survey
sample size: 800
Survey
design: Strata will be formed (1) based on research groups
(four treatment groups and the control group) and county for
three of four counties and (2) based on research groups (two
treatment groups and the control group) within the fourth county.
(There are fewer treatment groups in this county due to reduced
cell phone coverage and inability for SNAP participants to
receive text messages.)
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Connecticut
12
Connecticut community colleges
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Challenge:
Standard strategies and tools with which SNAP E&T coaches or
coordinators can address students’ challenges are lacking.
Coaches use ad-hoc approaches for assessing student barriers,
including conversational approaches, questions on an intake form,
and formal assessment tools (typically focused on assessing
educational readiness). Coaches also feel unprepared to respond
to students’ challenges. Additionally, students lack
awareness about the program and the supports available to them.
Together, these conditions contribute to inadequate mitigation of
barriers, potentially hindering students’ ability to
participate in and complete the SNAP E&T program.
Intervention:
Coaches at the site will administer a new type of assessment
to SNAP E&T participants on community college campuses. This
assessment will use a strengths-based approach to identify a
range of barriers students may be facing by asking students to
identify both areas where they need help and areas in which they
are thriving. This approach will include a goal-setting process
intended to increase participants’ motivation to achieve
their goals. Coaches will use the assessment to determine the
participant reimbursements or support service referrals each
student needs. Students who get a referral to receive support
services will receive a behaviorally informed text message to
remind them of the referral information and to motivate them to
pursue the service. Individuals will be randomly assigned to one
of three research groups: a treatment group that receives the new
participant-driven assessment and, if referred to a provider,
receives behaviorally informed text message reminders for the
referral; a treatment group that receives the new
participant-driven assessment and, if referred to a provider,
does not receive text message reminders; and a control group that
receives the existing assessment that coaches currently use.
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Target
population: SNAP-participants who are also work
registrants attending community colleges
Intervention
locations: 12 community colleges
Target
number of participants: 808
Evaluation
design: Multi-arm RCT with two treatment groups and one
control group
Research
questions:
What
is the effect of a participant-driven assessment compared to a
provider-driven assessment?
What
is the effect of a behavioral nudge compared to no text message
among individuals who receive a participant-driven assessment?
What
is the effect of the “full package” of receiving a
participant-driven assessment along with a behavioral nudge text
compared to receiving only a provider-driven assessment?
Outcomes:
The intervention is designed to increase participation in and
completion of SNAP E&T services.
Survey
sample size: 808
Survey
design: The participant survey sample will include all SNAP
participants enrolled in Connecticut’s community colleges
to ensure sufficient statistical power with which to identify
intervention effects
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District
of Columbia
District
of Columbia Department of Human Services, Economic Security
Administration (DHS)
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Challenge:
Current assessment tools used to support case management are
lacking in several areas. Assessments need to be more customer
and goals-focused and need to help guide conversations around
goal setting, action planning around goals and potential
barriers, and strategies for finding and maintaining meaningful
employment. Additionally, participants may not have a strong
understanding of the various dimensions that make a job a good
fit. Most participants focus on wages, but understanding factors
like benefits, flexibility in work schedule, career trajectory,
and having a supportive work environment are important. The lack
of goals-based assessments and participant awareness may
contribute to low engagement and misalignment between program
offerings and participants’ needs.
Intervention:
The site will create a participant-driven assessment tool
that guides case managers’ conversations with participants
around goal setting, identifies barriers to employment, and
describes steps involved in finding and maintaining meaningful
employment. Staff also will receive training to provide enhanced
case management to participants. The new assessment and enhanced
case management will be provided to all SNAP E&T
participants; individuals will not be randomly assigned to
receive these components. Individuals will be randomly assigned
to receive behaviorally informed text message reminders for
appointments.
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Target
population: SNAP E&T
participants ages 16 and older
Intervention
locations: District wide
Target
number of participants: 375
Evaluation
design: Quasi-experimental pre-post design to evaluate change
in assessment and case management approach.
Single-arm
RCT to evaluate effectiveness of electronic message reminders.
Research
questions:
Are
the new assessment and case management approaches more effective
in increasing SNAP E&T engagement than pre-intervention
practices? Do they increase the likelihood of individuals
identifying and obtaining participant reimbursements? Are they
associated with individuals being more informed about the
quality of jobs they accept and having better matches with
employers?
Compared
to participants exposed to pre-intervention practices, are
participants who receive new assessment and case management
approaches more likely to consider long-term career goals with
short-term goals?
To
what extent is there a difference in the pre-and
post-intervention percentages of participants who, after
becoming employed, stay engaged in SNAP E&T or enroll in
education or training programs?
Are
reminders and behaviorally informed text messages more effective
in increasing SNAP E&T engagement and improving attendance
of appointments than current practices?
Which
type of reminder message or message content is most effective in
increasing SNAP E&T engagement with a case manager?
Outcomes:
The intervention is designed to strengthen case management
approaches to motivate participants to remain engaged in SNAP E&T
and focus on their long-term goals. Engagement will be measured
using administrative records (e.g. whether an appointment was
attended, number of months in which they attend at least one
appointment, enrollment in education or training programs).
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Kansas
Kansas
Division of Children and Families (DCF)
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Challenge:
Kansas’s SNAP E&T program transitioned from a voluntary
program that served anyone over 18 years of age with no
dependents to a mandatory program that served ABAWDs only, as of
October 2022. Early reports from DCF staff indicate low levels of
engagement among ABAWDs. SNAP participants who are referred to
E&T are notified via a letter that they must participate in
the E&T program and are given an appointment date with a
Career Navigator. At that point they are considered a mandatory
SNAP E&T participant, and will lose their benefits if they do
not meet participation requirements. Staff estimate about 30% of
participants attend their first scheduled appointment, and it is
difficult for staff to reach participants by telephone to
reschedule meetings. As the mandatory program continues, DCF
expects high good cause determination and/or sanction rates among
the mandatory participants, as many are not a good fit for the
program or are not meeting participation requirements.
Intervention:
The site will send a series of text messages informed by
behavioral science to SNAP E&T participants to increase
engagement in SNAP E&T activities. After completing an
assessment, reminder messages and/or behavioral nudges will be
sent to E&T participants to remind them of SNAP E&T
appointments and events. There will be four research groups:
three treatment groups and one control group. One treatment group
will receive text messages reminding them of appointments. A
second treatment group will receive behavioral nudges designed to
promote engagement in the program. A third treatment group will
receive both appointment reminder messages and behavioral nudges
related to engagement. The control group will receive neither
reminder messages nor nudges.
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Target
population: SNAP E&T
participants who are Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents
(ABAWDs)
Intervention
locations: Statewide
Target
number of participants: 1,200
Evaluation
design: Multi-arm RCT with three treatment groups and one
control group
Research
questions:
Do
text message reminders increase attendance to appointments?
Do
behavioral messages (nudges) motivate participants to stay
engaged in the SNAP E&T program?
Do
text message reminders and behavioral messages (nudges) reduce
the likelihood of being sanctioned?
Is
sending both text message reminders and behavioral messages
(nudges) more effective in improving engagement in SNAP E&T
than only sending one type?
Outcomes:
The intervention is designed to increase individuals’
appointment and event attendance and engagement in SNAP E&T
activities.
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Massachusetts
Massachusetts
Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA)
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Challenge:
DTA eligibility staff do not have a clear assessment process or
referral protocol for potential SNAP E&T participants,
resulting in some participants being unaware of the services
available to them. Additionally, there are no dedicated E&T
staff or case managers who work with SNAP participants, and a
clear process does not exist for staff to assess participants’
E&T needs and interests and match them to a provider that can
meet their needs. Staff currently provide participants with a
link to a DTA Path to Work website to locate providers. There
also is a lack of communication with career centers, the only
statewide E&T provider, including challenges related to
referring participants to the centers. These factors have
contributed to low E&T enrollment and inadequate referrals in
the state.
Intervention:
The site will use a new referral process with four
components. A text message will be sent inviting potential SNAP
E&T participants to learn about E&T services. Individuals
who affirm they are interested in learning more will receive an
online, self-administered screening form to assess their work
readiness. Based on their level of work readiness, individuals
will receive a one-on-one assessment by an E&T worker to
assess participant fit and readiness for a referral to a local
career center. Those deemed to be work ready in the one-on-one
assessment will receive a referral and warm handoff to a career
center. There will be two treatment groups that are
differentiated only by the behaviorally informed content used in
the initial text message. Individuals will be randomly assigned
to one of those two groups or to a control group that has access
to a website to independently learn more about E&T services
available at the local career center. Within each treatment
group, individuals who pass the online, self-administered
screener will be randomly assigned to receive a one-on-one
assessment by an E&T worker. Individuals deemed to be
work-ready in the one-on-one assessment by the E&T worker
will then be randomly assigned to receive a warm handoff to the
career center. At each of these points of random assignment,
control group members will be referred to the career center
website to independently learn more about E&T services
available.
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Target
population: Adult SNAP participants
who do not receive Supplemental Security Income benefits and who
have agreed to receive communication from DTA through text
messages
Intervention
locations: Five counties where there is a DTA office and at
least one career center location were purposively selected
Target
number of participants: 30,000
Evaluation
design: Multi-arm RCT
Two
treatment groups and a control group to evaluate the
effectiveness of electronic messaging. One treatment group and
one control group to evaluate effectiveness of one-on-one
assessment. One treatment group and one control group to evaluate
effectiveness of warm handoff and referral to career center
Research
questions:
Which
types of outreach messages yield the highest percentage of
individuals who express interest in learning more about SNAP E&T
services?
Which
types of outreach messages lead to higher rates of enrollment in
SNAP E&T?
Does
completing a full assessment lead to higher rates of enrollment
among individuals who express interest in learning more about
E&T services and pass a pre-screener survey for the
assessment?
Does
a warm handoff referral to career center staff among work-ready
participants lead to higher rates of SNAP E&T enrollment?
Outcomes:
The intervention is designed to increase enrollment in SNAP
E&T and improve assessment of work readiness for SNAP E&T
services.
Survey
sample size: 1,200
Survey
design: Three strata will be formed based on research groups
(treatment group 1, treatment group 2, and the control group) and
the five geographic locations where the intervention will be
implemented. The team will also create strata based on the
assessment and referral treatment and control groups within
treatment groups 1 and 2 to ensure sufficient numbers of
respondents who will be eligible for an assessment or a referral
to a career center.
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Minnesota-Hennepin
Hennepin
County Department of Human Services
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Challenge:
Individuals referred to SNAP E&T currently receive a
system-generated letter with information about the program. SNAP
E&T staff do not believe the letter is effective at
encouraging potential participants to enroll in the program,
particularly given low enrollment.
Intervention:
The site will send a series of behaviorally informed text
messages to ABAWDS to encourage enrollment in SNAP E&T to
help them meet their work requirements and avoid losing SNAP
benefits. SNAP participants will receive up to three text
messages at three different time points: immediately after SNAP
certification; 30 days after SNAP certification; and 30-45 days
before losing SNAP benefits if they do not comply with the work
requirements. The content of each of the three messages will vary
across each point in time: the first message will try to increase
awareness (mere-exposure effect), the second message will
encourage the participant to reach the goal of enrolling (endowed
progress effect and endowment effect), and the third message will
emphasize that inaction could lead to the loss of benefits (loss
aversion). The timing and behavioral message content will be the
same for each of the three treatment groups; the groups will only
differ according to whether they include the participant’s
name (first treatment group), exclude the participant’s
name (second treatment group), or include the participant’s
name but send only the first two messages (third treatment
group). The control group will continue to receive a
system-generated letter with information about the program and
will not receive text messages.
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Target
population: SNAP participants who are newly
certified ABAWDs
Intervention
locations: Hennepin County
Target
number of participants: 4,700
Evaluation
design: Multi-arm RCT
Three
treatment groups and one control group
Research
questions:
Which
text messaging approach (existing versus text messaging
intervention) yields the most enrollment in SNAP E&T?
Which
approach yields the most contact with the SNAP E&T team?
Which
of the three text messaging outreach approaches was most
effective in increasing enrollment in SNAP E&T, compared to
existing outreach?
Outcomes:
The intervention is designed to increase the number of
participants who contact the county SNAP E&T team and enroll
in SNAP E&T.
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Minnesota-
Rural
Minnesota
Department of Human Services on behalf of E&T providers in 33
rural counties
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Challenge:
E&T provider staff report that staff who interact with
potential SNAP E&T clients at all levels and across counties
often have different or inconsistent ways of communicating the
benefits of SNAP E&T. SNAP E&T providers are left to
develop recruitment messages on their own, but often lack
in-house expertise in marketing and confidence that their
messages will be effective at reaching their target population.
This can lead to inconsistent messaging about the program which
may impact referrals.
Intervention:
The site will send a series of behaviorally informed text
messages to SNAP participants to encourage enrollment in SNAP
E&T. Individuals will be randomly assigned to either a
treatment group that receives up to three text messages or a
control group that receives providers’ existing recruiting
materials, consisting of word-of-mouth approaches, flyers, or
community partner referrals that are not specifically targeted to
SNAP participants. Treatment group members will receive the first
text message within three weeks after SNAP certification, and the
second and third message approximately one and two months later,
respectively. The content of each message will vary across each
point in time: the first message will try to increase awareness
(mere-exposure effect), the second message will emphasize that
SNAP E&T staff want to support participants without the need
for them to take many additional steps to enroll (endowed
progress effect ), and the third message will aim to increase the
feeling of entitlement to or ownership of the E&T program and
reiterate that staff want to support them in getting employment
(endowment effect).
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Target
population: SNAP participants who
are work registrants
Intervention
locations: 33 counties
Target
number of participants: 4,500
Evaluation
design: Single-arm RCT
One
treatment group and one control group
Research
questions:
Which
approach (existing recruiting and outreach model versus text
messaging intervention) yields the most contact with SNAP E&T
providers within 90 days?
Which
approach (existing recruiting and outreach model versus text
messaging intervention) yields the most enrollments in SNAP E&T
within 90 days?
Of
participants that have enrolled in SNAP E&T, what percentage
are engaged in a component within 60 days of enrollment?
Outcomes:
The intervention is designed to increase the number of
participants who contact SNAP E&T provider staff, enroll in
SNAP E&T, and engage in a program component.
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Rhode
Island
Rhode
Island Division of Human Services (DHS)
Local
Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
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Challenge:
Outreach messaging needs to be strengthened. Existing recruiting
approaches consist of sending emails to eligible SNAP
participants referring them to the SNAP E&T website, mailing
letters or brochures, attending community events, discussing with
SNAP participants in SNAP offices, and distributing flyers to
community service providers. Improvement to the referral process
also is needed. SNAP E&T staff receive few referrals which
could reflect a lack of staff discussing the program and its
offerings with potential participants or a lack of participants’
interest in the program.
Intervention:
The site will send a series of behaviorally informed text
messages and emails to eligible SNAP participants to encourage
enrollment in SNAP E&T. The intervention will target two
groups separately: (1) work registrants who are not also an ABAWD
and (2) ABAWDs. The follow up messages for ABAWDs will focus on
loss aversion, as Rhode Island anticipates the ABAWD waiver will
expire in July 2022 and many of those they are targeting will
have a time limit. Individuals will be randomly assigned to one
of five research groups: a treatment group in which individuals
receive the text message containing a link to the SNAP E&T
website to learn more about the services available; a treatment
group in which individuals receive an email containing a link to
the SNAP E&T website to learn more about the services
available; a treatment group in which individuals receive a text
message requesting them to reply directly to the text for more
information; a treatment group in which individuals receive an
email requesting them to reply directly to the email for more
information; or a control group that receives the existing,
standard outreach materials. In the treatment groups that request
a reply from participants to learn more about available services,
individuals who affirm their interest are randomly assigned again
either to receive an existing assessment or an enhanced,
provider-informed assessment that determines participant skills
and interests, and matches them with providers that accommodate
the person’s background, skill level, and interests.
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Target
population: SNAP participants: both ABAWDs
and work registrants who are not also ABAWDs
Intervention
locations: Statewide
Target
number of participants: 5,000
Evaluation
design: Multi-arm RCT
Four
treatment groups and one control group to evaluate effectiveness
of electronic messaging
One
treatment group and one control group to evaluate effectiveness
of new, enhanced assessment
Research
questions:
Are
targeted, behaviorally informed emails more effective than
current practices in increasing rates of contact with SNAP E&T
staff and rates of enrollment in SNAP E&T?
Does
new behaviorally informed messaging using text messages or
emails lead to higher rates of initial contact with DHS staff
and enrollment in E&T?
Do
requests to reply to outreach messages yield higher rates of
contact with DHS staff and higher rates of enrollment in SNAP
E&T than current practices of providing website links for
individuals to contact E&T staff on their own?
Does
receiving a provider-informed assessment lead to greater
percentages of individuals who finish the assessment and are
referred to a provider, compared to those receiving a current
assessment, among individuals who express interest in learning
more about E&T services?
Outcomes:
The intervention is designed to determine whether the format
and content of outreach messaging, along with an optimized
assessment process, increases SNAP E&T enrollment and
engagement in program components.
Survey
sample size: 1,200
Survey
design: Five strata will be formed based on research groups
(treatment groups 1 to 4 and the control group). The team will
also create strata based on the assessment treatment and control
groups within two of the initial-stage treatment groups to ensure
sufficient numbers of respondents who will be eligible for an
assessment.
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