2026 USAging Aging Innovations & Achievement Award Recipient: Project Butterfly 

Sourcewise is proud to share that one of our pilot programs, Project Butterfly, was recognized by USAging at the 2026 USAging Aging Innovations & Achievement Awards. USAging is a national association that represents and unites the nation-wide network of Area Agencies on Aging, as well as Title VI Native American Aging Programs. Every year, USAging showcases programs by its member agencies to spread awareness and to encourage the replication of innovative programs.  

Project Butterfly was conceptualized, designed, and led by Angelina Soria, Registry Manager, and Georgina Ruiz, Care Coordinator, who leveraged their decades of hands-on experience working with both IHSS consumers and independent providers to create a hands-on, high-touch model that combined care coordination, barrier resolution, and uncovering unmet needs to produce meaningful outcomes.  

The program is operated through cross-functional collaboration between internal members of Public Authority Services by Sourcewise – Care Coaching, Registry specialists, and On-Call Registry specialists – as well as external partnerships with Adult Protective Services (APS) and In-Home Supportive Services social workers. 

A client-centered initiative, Project Butterfly was developed to address one of the most critical challenges facing In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) consumers: prolonged gaps in caregiving services that threaten their independence, safety, and quality of life. Project Butterfly was a direct response to post-pandemic workforce shortages and systemic barriers that left certain IHSS consumers without a caregiver for extended periods of time.  

To combat these prolonged gaps, proactive outreach was conducted to IHSS consumers who had experienced 6-12 months without a caregiver. These consumers were then provided direct care coordination services to ensure that they could be reconnected to care. Care coordination included interview support and hiring guidance, as well as identifying additional barriers to receiving care, including securing additional authorized hours, addressing Medi-Cal share-of-cost issues, troubleshooting transportation limitations, and resolving system navigation challenges.  

In its first year, Project Butterfly produced the following outcomes:  

•  Outreach uncovered 300 IHSS consumers who had not had a provider for 12 months or more.  

•  Of those consumers, approximately 43% were successfully reconnected to providers, restoring their access to essential IHSS services.  

•  30 of these consumers hired providers after receiving 1:1 coaching help, while the other 100 hired providers from referral lists specially created by the Registry Care Coordinators. 

•  There was a reduction in long-term service gaps and prevention of potential loss of independence or placement into an institution.  

•  Many consumers reported other unmet needs, and so were able to be connected to other Sourcewise programs for further support.  

We are proud of the impact of Project Butterfly and grateful for the recognition from USAging. As the Area Agency on Aging in Santa Clara County, we are consistently looking to uncover new unmet needs and devise solutions that apply current staff and capabilities in new, innovative ways. Ultimately, Project Butterfly is a perfect encapsulation of the Sourcewise mission: to advocate, plan, and deliver equitable services for older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers using a person-centered approach to enhance independence and quality of life.