San Francisco DOS presents Dignity Fund needs assessment, flags digital divide, transportation and mental-health gaps

RDA Consulting presented the 2021–22 Dignity Fund Community Needs Assessment to a joint meeting of the San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services (DOS) and the Dignity Fund Oversight & Advisory Committee on March 16, 2022. Dina Devier and Leah Jarvis walked commissioners through methods, equity analyses and nine findings aimed at guiding DOS’s four-year service and allocation plan.

The consultants said the assessment combined discovery interviews, 16 community forums, 13 focus groups and a 7-week survey that yielded 2,187 unique responses from consumers, caregivers and service providers. "Older adults and people with disabilities need Internet access, devices, digital literacy training, tech support, and assistive technology," Daniel Gallagher said in an earlier case report tied to the assessment, adding that digital access is now "not a nice thing to have, but a basic human right." The assessment found technology both a strength and a barrier, and recommended expanding hybrid (virtual/in-person) services and digital-inclusion supports.

Key findings included widespread lack of awareness about available services and confusing eligibility rules; adults with disabilities using services at much lower rates than older adults; increased loneliness and unmet mental-health needs—particularly among LGBTQ+ and BIPOC consumers; transportation and safety concerns that limit access to services; and housing-related needs that exceed DOS’s direct service scope. RDA recommended a centralized online resource directory, a shorter screening tool to clarify eligibility, targeted outreach for hard-to-reach groups, expanded application-assistance services, stronger interagency coordination on housing and transportation, and investments in culturally responsive provider capacity.

Commissioners and Dignity Fund oversight members praised the report’s equity focus but pressed for stronger outreach to non–service-connected populations and earlier contracting to allow deeper community engagement in the next cycle. OAC Chair Ramona Davies said the assessment provides a "launch" for targeted deep dives but cautioned that the short November–January engagement window likely limited participation by disconnected communities.

The study’s findings will inform the DOS Dignity Fund allocation and service plan that staff expect to finalize and bring back to commissioners for implementation decisions. Several commissioners and presenters noted that parts of the assessment align with ongoing budget requests and ARP-funded pilot proposals discussed later in the meeting.