Top 10 PeerTA Resources of 2016
Ø OFA Webinar: Integrating 2-Gen Strategies into TANF Programs, April 2016
The Office of Family Assistance held a webinar on Integrating Two-Generation Strategies into TANF Programs on Thursday, April 28, 2016. In this facilitated webinar, presenters provided an overview of the policy components of an intentional two-generation approach and offered tools and resources that may be applicable to the audience’s TANF programs, wherever they lie on the two-generation continuum. Through a “Town Hall” format, presenters also provided planning, policy, and implementation strategies and lessons learned from their own experiences with two-generation integration.
Ø Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Trauma, January 2016
This factsheet discusses the nature of trauma, abuse, and neglect, as well as the effects of trauma on children and youth. Additionally, it suggests ways to help a child who has experienced trauma. Parents or foster parents who do not understand the effects of trauma may misinterpret their child’s behavior, and attempts to address troubling behavior caused by trauma may be ineffective or even harmful.
Ø OFA Webinar: Emerging Practices in Staff Training for TANF Programs, September 2016
As a part of the Systems to Family Stability (SFS) National Policy Academy technical assistance efforts, the Office of Family Assistance hosted a webinar on Emerging Practices in Staff Training for TANF Programs on Wednesday, September 21, 2016. This webinar was designed to help the Systems to Family Stability National Policy Academy sites, the TANF field, and other human service system stakeholders understand how to assess their own training systems, become more familiar with components of effective training, and ultimately work to improve training systems in their state and local agencies.
Ø OFA Webinar: Providing Mental Health Services for TANF and Other Low-Income Participants, June 2016
The Office of Family Assistance hosted a webinar on Providing Mental Health Services for TANF and Other Low-Income Participants on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. Presenters provided examples from programs that have taken different approaches to addressing the mental health needs of TANF and other low-income participants, through work opportunities coupled with supportive services, partnerships with outside mental health services, and connection to Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
The Office of Family Assistance held a webinar on Introduction to Social Capital on April 27, 2016. Traditionally, attention has been focused on the human capital (e.g., education level, technical expertise, soft skills, hard skills) of TANF participants to improve their connection to and success in the labor market. Additional focus has been paid to an individual’s social capital (e.g., education, faith-based, neighborhood, cultural, and social networks; access to information and institutions; interpersonal interactions) and the important role it plays in improving employment and economic stability.
Ø OFA Webinar: When TANF Intersects with Pregnant Teen and Young Parent Services, May 2016
The Office of Family Assistance hosted a webinar titled “When TANF Intersects with Pregnant Teen and Young Parent Services” on May 11, 2016. Pregnant teens and young parents have been a focus of national attention and intervention over the past two decades. While teen pregnancy rates have declined nationally, rates are still high for minority and low-income teens, and teen parents continue to be at great risk for living in poverty.
On November 5, 2014, the Office of Refugee Resettlement hosted a webinar on the ORR-6 Performance Report. The webinar included a review of each section of the ORR-6, highlighting key points and important details, and a question and answer session with ORR personnel.
Ø OFA National Policy Academy Webinar: Family Assessment Tools, May 2016
The Office of Family Assistance and its Systems to Family Stability National Policy Academy hosted a webinar on Assessing Family History, Needs, and Well-Being to Improve TANF Services to Families. Speakers discussed how family assessment tools are administered and used by TANF, child welfare, and other stakeholder programs. They also addressed how these tools can be used to measure improvements in family well-being and create opportunities to use data to improve service planning.
Ø Webinar: Best Practices in Serving LGBT Refugees, September 2015
On Thursday, September 17, 2015, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) hosted the webinar, "Best Practices in Serving LGBT Refugees." LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) refugees resettled in the U.S. share a story of resilience with all refugees. This webinar highlighted what resettlement agencies are doing to support LGBT refugees, including LGBT children. We discussed how to ensure LGBT refugees are made to feel welcome and other topics specific to the LGBT resettlement experience.
The Office of Child Care and the Office of Family Assistance published an Information Memorandum (IM) on opportunities for coordinating the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs. In particular, the IM focuses on how the 2014 CCDF reauthorization offers new ways for the two programs to align.