CT Paid Leave Authority highlights outreach gains, shares new application video and RFP timeline

Jessica, the authority's outreach lead, told members the CT Paid Leave program ramped up community outreach in June, with staff and partners attending what she estimated as "at least 10 different events" and producing a three-minute video that walks applicants through signing in on ct.gov, accessing the AFLAC claims portal, starting a new claim and uploading required documents.

The outreach video, produced with Miranda Creative, demonstrates logging in via ct.gov, choosing the AFLAC portal, completing the intake form, choosing a benefits delivery method and uploading verification documents. "We wanted to create that...to clarify this process," Jessica said, adding the authority will post the video on its website as a user aid.

Why it matters: staff said clearer digital guidance and in-person assistance are intended to reduce errors and speed claim processing for eligible workers. The outreach rollout is paired with website and accessibility work, improved FAQs, and a redesigned contact page intended to triage inquiries by user type (individuals vs. employers) to route requests to the right team.

Virginia, who oversees Community Engagement Centers (CECs), reported the program is halfway through the program year and that CECs identified 77 total work-plan activities; staff said 55 of those are ongoing and three were completed in the first quarter. Virginia summarized quarter-one outreach: CECs attended 85 events (including workshops, trainings and community events), which staff said reached roughly 5,000 attendees and resulted in 48 instances of direct application assistance.

"Because of the shortened first quarter, I would say in my opinion, this is about where we're hoping to see them," Virginia said of the early metrics, adding that staff expect numbers to rise in later quarters as partners refine outreach tactics and take advantage of summer event calendars. She said the authority collects demographic and activity-level data from CECs to track what sort of assistance people receive (form completion, portal navigation, eligibility questions).

On contracting and training, staff said they are finalizing a draft request for proposals to recruit additional CEC partners. The plan described in the meeting was to post the RFP on CTsource in early September, accept proposals in October, select proposers by mid-November, negotiate contracts and onboard contractors in December, and condense the training series into a one-month session in January ahead of a February–December program year.

Staff said they expect to contract with five to seven additional organizations and to consider renewing contracts with existing partners. In describing the possible network size staff also said this could result in "at most 14 CECs," a phrasing that staff did not reconcile during the update.

Board members asked whether the early outreach and direct-assistance numbers met expectations. Staff characterized the first quarter as a "learning" and ramp-up period during which some tactics were adjusted; they noted regular peer-sharing among CECs to improve outreach materials and data collection. Members also flagged that Sher Cody of the Small Business Administration, who had organized many business-focused outreach events, has left the SBA; members asked staff to circulate leads for business events that could fill that void.

The meeting opened at 9:02 a.m., included a routine approval of May 15 minutes, and adjourned at 9:25 a.m. with no additional formal policy votes recorded in the transcript.