Date

5-2024

Document Type

Capstone Project (Open Access)

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Department

Health, Human Services and Public Policy

Major

Social Work

Abstract

Socioeconomic disadvantage significantly impacts educational outcomes, with 81% of Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) Alternative Education program students facing economic hardships. Serving youth in grades 9-12 and adults in Monterey County, including those within the county jail and juvenile facilities, the MCOE Alternative Education program strives to facilitate high school diploma attainment. This project sought to bridge the knowledge gap surrounding the Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and CalWORKs benefit programs through presentations shared within the MCOE community and partner agencies. A partnership between MCOE and the Monterey County Department of Social Services (MCDSS) was established to further this goal. The anticipated outcome was that at least 50% of participants would demonstrate increased knowledge of benefit programs. Evaluation revealed a significant achievement, with 95% of survey respondents reporting enhanced knowledge. It is recommended that MCOE continues its collaboration with MCDSS, given its substantial benefits, and considers translating presentations into Spanish to better serve the diverse linguistic needs of the community.

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