The Office of Family Assistance developed this guide to help state TANF agencies recognize the important role they have in identifying and serving families experiencing homelessness and families at risk of homelessness. It is intended to help states better assess for homelessness and housing instability during intake and formulate cohesive strategies with state and local homelessness providers and systems, such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-funded Continuums of Care (CoC).

This report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities discusses the concept of “churn,” when the periodic review of public benefits eligibility leaves benefits-eligible households without benefits temporarily, and forces them to reapply. Churn costs benefit recipients and state agencies both time and money, so reducing churn is beneficial for all involved parties. The report uses the experience of states involved in the Work Support Strategies project to discuss lessons learned about churn and potential methods for reducing churn.

This report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities discusses how enhanced federal Medicaid matching funds made available because of the Affordable Care Act can be used for technology and services improvements to eligibility systems that are shared between Medicaid and other health and human services programs. The report discusses states that have used this opportunity to make systems improvements, including specific examples of initiatives and discussion of common themes between state efforts. Most states in the report have worked on improving client portals, enhancing call center technology, streamlining document imaging and management, and introducing mobile tools for consumer use.

This webpage from the Urban Institute includes several publications related to the Work Support Strategies (WSS) initiative evaluation. Topics include changes in joint Medicaid/CHIP and SNAP participation rates, using technology to improve delivery of benefits, and using behavioral economics to inform the integration of human services and health programs.

The Urban Institute, in collaboration with the Center for Law and Social Policy and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, hosted a discussion on how state and federal government can improve access to work support programs for low-income families. Over the past four years, as part of the Work Support Strategies (WSS) initiative, six states have worked to streamline low-income families’ access to benefits, reducing burdens on families and workers, and promoting cross-agency and cross-program integration and coordination. Results show that WSS state agencies improved benefit access and the delivery of benefits through coordination of technology, local office operations, policy, and use of data for management, and relationships between health and human services agencies and between state, county, and local offices.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities' Building Better Programs initiative collected this set of resources on the process of implementing a redesigned TANF program structure based on the experience of the District of Columbia. In 2011, DC redesigned its TANF program to better address the needs of its participants through a customer-centered design model. The new system follows a three-tiered structure in which individuals seeking employment are assessed and directed to one of the three tiers of need based on their job readiness and access to employment opportunities.

In this webinar from the Institute for Research on Poverty, the presenters examined population and employment trends in the rural United States and considered state and federal USDA initiatives to help recovering rural economies and households. The webinar was held on July 13, 2016.

This May 2016 presentation to Connecticut’s Two-Generational Interagency Workgroup, which supports legislative pilot projects across the state, was provided by Alice M. Forrester, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of the Clifford Beers Clinic in New Haven, CT. She discussed the importance of understanding trauma and its effects on behavior and development when implementing two-generation approaches.

This toolkit from the Child Welfare Information Gateway and National Technical Assistance and Evaluation Center for Systems of Care Resources was developed for the Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau Demonstration Initiative, “Improving Child Welfare Outcomes Through Systems of Care.” The toolkit provides practical information to help communities plan, build, and sustain systems to improve outcomes for children and families. The focus is on staff training, workshops, coaching, mentoring, and other learning opportunities that challenge employees to perform to the best of their ability. The resource also provides real-life examples from states that have implemented systems change models.

The National Crittenton Foundation, in partnership with Ascend at the Aspen Institute, developed this toolkit to guide use of the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) survey in direct service, education, and policy settings. The toolkit is designed to promote healing for individuals impacted by childhood trauma, educate the community about the impact of childhood adversity, and encourage implementation of two-generation policies to prevent ACEs for future generations. Materials provided include a tip sheet, sample protocol, case studies, testimonials, and links to additional resources.