This presentation was given as part of the Urban Partnerships for Welfare Reform's National Academy, which was held in Atlanta, Georgia in May 2006. Hennepin County, Minnesota (Minneapolis) shared strategies on utilizing diversion and emergency assistance programs.

This Webinar was part of the Rural Communities Initiative's Rural Economic Development Webinar series. This Webinar provided an overview of successful entrepreneurship/microenterprise strategies and small business development models in rural communities. Presenters offered suggestions and strategies for improving small business development that will provide career opportunities to rural TANF participants moving from welfare to work.

This Rural Communities Initiative Webinar included information on strategies for economic development through job creation in rural areas to improve service delivery to rural TANF programs. The challenge of improving economic development was identified by many Rural Community Initiative sites as one of the most critical issues facing rural organizations serving TANF participants. Presenters included Mr. Nick Goulette from the Watershed Research and Training Center, Ms. Elizabeth Ehrlich from the New York City Parks Opportunity Program and Denise Tolbert from the New York City Human Resources Administration, and Ms. Pauli Ojea from Green for All.

This is a presentation on motivational interviewing that was given by Alyssa Forcehimes, Ph.D. at the New Mexico Works 2009 Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Client motivation is the key to change in terms of addressing barriers to work such as substance abuse.

This Webinar explored how rural TANF programs can expand technology access in rural areas. Presenters included Axiom Technologies, Business Access, and Connect Kentucky.

On July 9–11, 2007, in Memphis, Tennessee, the Urban Partnerships Initiative brought together employers and key leadership from 26 cities with the goal of continuing the exchange of innovative strategies and solutions for moving people from welfare to work, and identifying ways to enhance collaboration among TANF stakeholders, employers, and other community resources. During the event, the partners participated in panels, roundtable sessions, and other in-depth discussions about strategies for achieving universal engagement, improving work attachment, promoting job retention, and increasing wage advancement. For the city representatives, improving job placement services for their low-income residents is a critical, although extremely challenging, endeavor.

On October 21, 2008, the Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network conducted a site visit to support the New Mexico Human Services Department (HSD) Information Technology Division (ITD) to assess technical options to transferring the Wisconsin ACCESS system to New Mexico. The purpose of the site visit to New Mexico was to provide technical assistance to New Mexico because they wanted to replace their Income Support Division system (ISD2). Several New Mexico Human Services Department assistance programs use ISD2 for eligibility determination, benefit delivery, case management, financial, reporting, and claims processing. The ISD2 system interfaces with other government agencies and private sector companies, and has been in operation for about twenty years.

The Hoopa Valley Positive Indian Family Network in California requested technical assistance (TA) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance to help improve Hoopa Valley’s Positive Indian Family Network and their collaboration with other Hoopa Valley human service agencies, particularly Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The Network operates through a Tribal TANF-Child Welfare Coordination Grant. An event was held on July 8-9, 2008, that focused on wraparound case management practices and the Systems of Care framework from the perspective of the Medicine Moon Initiative through the Native American Training Institute.

Welfare Peer Technical Assistance (TA) staff attended the 2008 National Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Institute that took place July 21-24, 2008. Sponsored by the University of California, Center for Human Services, U.C. Davis Extension, the Institute consisted of a three day training course designed to promote the development of culturally sensitive case management practices and delivery of services to Tribal TANF participants in a culturally appropriate way. The Institute was designed to offer solutions to Tribal TANF programs and to offer skill building and networking opportunities for participants.

The Collaboration Institute was held in Arlington, Virginia on September 15-17, 2008. The meeting was designed for teams from medium-sized urban areas composed of three partners representing senior level managers from TANF, Child Support Enforcement, and Workforce Development agencies. The Institute provided a hands-on intensive opportunity for strategic planning and culminated in the development of an action plan to be implemented upon return to participants’ jurisdictions. The areas of focus during the Institute were on: ways to increase collaboration between State and local TANF, Workforce Development, and Child Support Enforcement agencies; examining the close link between welfare, workforce development, and child support; understanding how collaborative efforts are addressing State work participation rates; and providing a platform for key issues in child support and workforce development that impact TANF participants.