Economic stability and employment during young adulthood are critical to long-term economic security, and today, many young adults face longer periods of financial insecurity than in the past. Young people affected by the justice system face additional barriers to achieving economic stability and employment with research showing that formerly incarcerated people are almost five times more likely than the public to be unemployed. This report details the findings of a joint project between The National Youth Employment Coalition and Urban Institute to conduct case studies of five sites that launched or implemented a broad-based, cross-system collaborative to promote workforce development and better provide labor market opportunities for justice-involved youth. The case studies include a detailed analysis of each site’s collaborative efforts, key stakeholders, best practices for systems collaboration, an exploration of funding sources, and sustainability efforts.

The Administration for Native Americans (ANA) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families has awarded $9 million to 32 Native American Tribes and Native organizations to help improve the social and economic well-being in their communities. Every year, ANA supports Native-led, community-based projects across the United States, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Funds will be awarded across three Notice of Funding Opportunities: Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS), Social and Economic Development Strategies Alaska (SEDS-AK), and Environmental Regulatory Enhancement Grant Awards (ERE). This ACF press release announces the new FY 2023 SEDS, SEDS-AK, and ERE community partners and highlights three tribal projects that will be supported with this funding.

This Chapin Hall research brief series evaluates the 100% New Mexico Initiative, a community-led, data-driven approach to ensure all New Mexicans have access to vital services, including job training, transportation, and parent supports. Local communities are guided by a seven-step process to survey community members, assess results, and target evidence-informed solutions to resolve barriers to all community members accessing vital services. The model was designed to alleviate adverse childhood experiences by targeting root causes by ensuring that all people have equitable access to services. 100% New Mexico is designed to develop leaders who have the skills and resources necessary to advocate with decision makers about the fundamental rights of children and families. These briefs describe the collective impact approach, a method to evaluate progress, and results from the first set of counties who surveyed local community members about barriers to accessing vital services.

Research clearly demonstrates that youth and young parents experience poverty at a disproportionate rate with severe consequences to not only their current and future well-being (mental, physical, and financial), but also for the overall health of the family unit. Organizations specifically designed to serve youth often are not equipped to utilize a consistent, evidence-informed approach. They may lack the tools needed to effectively support economic mobility. This EMPath paper provides an overview of the evidence surrounding the impacts of poverty on youth and young families, and the benefits of promoting family economic stability and mobility for these populations. It highlights the experiences and learnings from the cohort of youth-serving organizations to effectively engage and support their program participants with economic mobility coaching.

Watch a Video Held in Conjunction with this Paper Release

Some employment coaching programs and other human services programs offer financial incentives to reward desired behaviors such as engaging in specific activities or achieving certain goals. Employment coaching involves trained staff working collaboratively with participants to help them set individualized goals, directly or indirectly related to employment, and providing motivation, support, and feedback as participants work toward those goals. By addressing financial needs, the incentives can reduce some of the stress related to having low income and thus help participants focus on reaching their goals. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation brief highlights lessons learned from studying the experience of two employment coaching programs serving adults with low incomes that offered financial incentives: (1) LIFT and (2) MyGoals for Employment Success.

The Office of Family Assistance and Children’s Bureau have announced the 10 sites selected to participate in the FAST-LC. The FAST-LC is a 12-month initiative operating from September 2023 through September 2024. The Learning Community will focus on promoting innovative prevention strategies to mitigate and reduce families’ involvement with the child welfare system through partnerships between TANF and Child Welfare programs. Site teams will benefit from a robust suite of individualized training, technical assistance, and coaching support, as well as regular opportunities for collaborative learning and sharing across site teams.

The states and tribes participating in the FAST-LC are:
• Arizona Department of Child Safety and Department of Economic Security;
• Arkansas Department of Human Services;
• California Department of Social Services;
• Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boys Reservation (Montana),
• Iowa Department of Health and Human Services;
• Kentucky Department for Community Based Services;
• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services;
• Oregon Department of Human Services;
• Pascua Yaqui Tribe (Arizona); and
• West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.

The Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services (OFVPS) leads Administration for Children and Families' comprehensive approach to domestic violence prevention and administers the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) to improve support for families and individuals experiencing violence and trauma. Each October, OFVPS recognizes Domestic Violence Awareness Month by standing in solidarity with survivors, their loved ones, advocates, and communities to mourn those who lives have been lost to domestic violence; to celebrate the accomplishments to end and prevent further violence; and to connect with others leading this movement to transform communities to be more inclusive and supportive of all individuals and families fleeing violence. 

FVPSA grant recipients are hosting engaging events throughout October 2023. A few highlights are listed below: 

• October 11, 2023: 24th Annual Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day (HCADV Day) is hosted by Futures without Violence, starting at 1:00 p.m. EST. Participants who attend this webinar will be able to better describe the role domestic violence programs can have in addressing the health needs of survivors, gain access to at least two tools their organization can utilize to formalize a partnership with a health provider/program, and identify at least one health policy opportunity to increase health access for survivors.
• October 13, 2023: Pregnant and Surviving: Maternal Health in the Black Community is hosted by the Ujima Inc., starting at 12:00 p.m. EST. This virtual conversation will focus on the intersections of domestic violence and birthing, as well as ways to better support Black pregnant survivors. 
• October 19, 2023: Purple Thursday National Domestic Violence Awareness Day is an all day event where you are invited to wear purple, be a voice, and start a conversation about domestic violence! Take a photo of yourself wearing purple and share it on social media for #PurpleThursday! Be sure to tag the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence #DCCADV. 
• October 19, 2023: Supporting Survivors at the Intersections of Mental Health and Substance Use is hosted by the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health. This webinar will start at 3:00 p.m. EST and will share new and forthcoming tools to support survivors, advocates, behavioral health providers, and organizations. 
• October 25, 2023: Understanding the Dynamics and Tactics of Intimate Partner Violence through the Lens of Indigenous Survivors is hosted by the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, starting at 9:00 a.m. EST. This webinar will provide an overview of root causes by domestic violence in Indigenous communities as well as highlight the importance of traditional, cultural practices in strengthening and building the capacity to provide effective, respectful advocacy. 

OFVPS invites you to strengthen community-based partnerships and support meaningful action for individuals, youth, and families in your communities. Nationally, there are many opportunities for you to support and stand in partnership with survivors. Please help OFVPS raise awareness about these events by sharing the OFVPS 2023 DVAM Calendar of Events, which includes the above events and many more. 

Want to learn more? This domestic violence 101 course was developed by FVPSA grant recipients - the Battered Women's Justice Project, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence.

How can you help? FVPSA-funded helplines and hotlines have increased their texting and online services to better provide counseling and advocacy by phone, text, or online chat. Discussing domestic violence is never easy which is why the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and StrongHearts Native Helpline are available for anyone who needs support. Should you or someone you know need help talking about domestic violence or abuse, please reach out to a hotline or helpline for support. There are caring advocates standing by to discuss safety options and supportive services available in your community.

Your leadership and continued support will make a huge difference for those striving for meaningful social change for millions of survivors in their communities! Thank you! 

The U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau protects the interests of working women, advocates for their equality and economic security, and promotes quality work environments. In recognition of National Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, the Women’s Bureau is hosting a virtual conversation on October 17, 2023, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET about domestic violence (DV) awareness and how it relates to the principles of gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH). Participants will learn innovative ways employers can approach their response to DV and GVBH in the workplace.

A benefits cliff may occur when an increase in income (e.g., from working more hours, getting a raise, or taking a new position) pushes a worker above the income eligibility limit for one or more public assistance programs, and the loss of assistance is greater than the value of the increase. This forces people to choose between their family’s immediate financial best interest and their own longer-term wage growth and career advancement. The Federal Reserve is hosting a Connecting Communities webinar on October 12, 2023 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET to explore this economic challenge. Participants will learn about tools developed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta to identify and inform mitigation strategies, as well as innovation pilots including Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington D.C. that can inform state and community leaders working to develop solutions to the benefits cliff.

This Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration brief presents self-reports of recovery among adults aged 18 and older in the United States who thought they ever had a problem with their use of drugs or alcohol and/or mental health. Recovery for substance use or mental health problems differed by age, family income, education, marital status, and importance of religious beliefs. Adults who participated in at least one government assistance program, had a lower level of education, or had a lower family income relative to the federal poverty level tended to have a higher prevalence of substance use recovery, but a lower prevalence of mental health recovery. Some policy recommendations that SAMHSA identifies as supporting recovery include supportive employment programs and financial counseling and education as well as family support services.