Padua
Last Revised: October 30, 2025
- Issue Areas
- Financial security
Program overview
Reducing poverty: Padua is a wrap-around case management program for low-income individuals and families. The intervention aims to help participants identify barriers to self-sufficiency and overcome them, with the goal of raising participants out of poverty.
Setting simple entry requirements: Padua was designed and is implemented by the Catholic Charities in Fort Worth (CCFW). Participation is open to Tarrant County residents whose household income falls below 125% of the federal poverty line. In addition, at least one person between the ages of 18 and 62 per household must be willing and able to work. Participants are typically referred to the program when they seek other social assistance from CCFW.
Assessing need: Once enrolled, households are assigned a two-person case management team made up of a case manager who holds a master’s degree and a case worker who holds a bachelor's degree. Case managers assess the participants' needs over the course of five to seven meetings conducted within 45 days of enrollment. These include home visits, and assessment is based on a standardized tool used by CCFW.
Developing a plan: Based on assessment results, the case management team, in consultation with the client, creates an individualized plan for moving forward based on participant needs and goals. For example, if a household is experiencing housing instability, the immediate focus of the plan would be finding stable housing. Caseworkers will connect participants to various resources in order to achieve these goals.
Providing on-going support: Throughout the program, participants meet with their case management team biweekly to discuss progress toward their priorities. Case management teams often refer individuals to other CCFW services, which may provide employment, education, transportation, and housing resources. Padua participants may also receive cash assistance (e.g., to cover a security deposit when moving into an apartment). In an evaluation of Padua, participants received an average of $2,742 in cash assistance over two years of program enrollment.
Achieving self-sufficiency: Participants may remain in the program until they reach all of the CCFW-identified poverty reduction related benchmarks. These include earning a living wage, little reliance on means tested public programs, increased savings, and lower levels of debt. Many individuals remain in the program for more than two years.
- Strategies
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Job placement services and supports
- Cost per Participant
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$22,950 (2016 USD) per participant
- Location
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Fort Worth (TX)
A single study with a rigorous design provides some evidence for Padua as a strategy for increasing employment and housing stability.
A 2025 randomized controlled trial found that Padua increased employment and housing outcomes for enrolled individuals. After two years of program participation, full-time employment increased by 25 percent. Padua also had a significant and positive effect on self-reported health outcomes relative to a comparison group. Given the individualized nature of program goals, these outcomes may not capture the full benefits of Padua.
Maintaining small caseloads: Two-person case management teams work on the same small set of clients, approximately 18-24 cases at any given time. This consistency facilitates a good working relationship between case managers and case workers. Small case loads allow staff to develop close relationships with their clients and provide more individualized attention, facilitating trust and mutual respect. Given participants are often in the program for a long period, continuity in staffing is particularly valuable.
Ensuring access to a wide range of resources: CCFW is a relatively large, well-resourced social services organization. As such they are able to provide many of the services Padua participants need – like employment, transportation, education, and housing assistance – themselves. For smaller social service organizations to implement a similar program, with similar services, they should partner with other local organizations to cover the wide range of assistance their clients may require.
Offering financial incentives: Financial incentives may be used to encourage and reward client progress toward their goals for self sufficiency (e.g., increasing clients’ savings). If a participant is reluctant to put aside funds in lieu of other spending, Padua may match that individual’s savings to encourage saving. This, and other financial assistance services, are available at the discretion of case managers.