This web page from the Office of Disability Employment Policy within the U.S. Department of Labor provides information and resources regarding customized employment – an employment strategy that has been shown to work well for those with disabilities. The web page offers videos, federal and state policy resources, and links to research about customized employment.

Prepared by the Police Executive Research Forum, this report looks at the opioid epidemic from the perspective of police, sheriffs, and health agencies and how these agencies can step up their response to the crisis. City law enforcement officials detail specific actions that police chiefs and sheriffs across the country can take. The report looks at the role of the police in getting addicted people into treatment; identifies how to teach communities about addiction risks; and looks at a New York City data-driven collaborative model that brings together multiple agencies to look at specific opioid crisis issues and determine resolution for those issues with the ultimate goal of reducing drug overdoses.

This web article from New America examines the Trump Administration’s apprenticeship goal to create five million apprenticeships over the next five years by looking at some of the more complex issues and potential answers. The article identifies potentially fractious issues about where apprenticeship is going in the U.S. by looking at who apprenticeships can serve – including among others, unemployed youth and low-skilled adults; how industry will need to lead with regard to shaping programs, thus ensuring that new programs meet employer needs; and how and what role education will play, in particular to make sure that apprenticeship is seen as high-quality post-secondary school education, not an alternative to it. It also looks at the role of public policy as it relates to investment in apprenticeship programs such as tax credits for employers and tuition reimbursement options. As well, the article highlights the importance of ensuring that strong and adaptive quality assurance programs are in place.

This brief is part of the Parents and Children Together (PACT) evaluation and summarizes the experiences of fathers interviewed during the first two rounds of in-depth interviews for the project. Themes from the interviews are explored, as well as how fathers provide for their children outside the formal child support system, and implications for further research are given.

This report from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation examines the earnings of justice-involved men over the course of their incarceration and release. The study analyzed state administrative and survey data to compose a picture of the men's earnings, their involvement in child support, and how it affected their children and partners.

This article, from the director of the Office of Family Assistance (OFA), discusses OFA’s response to the opioid crisis. OFA is targeting the hardest hit communities and focusing on the economic impact on low- income families. They are hosting workshops on community-based solutions, collaborating with other agencies, and meeting with workforce development partners to help alleviate the barriers to family self-sufficiency that can be caused by opiate use and addiction.

This web article from Psychology Today looks at how we are falling short in treating trauma victims and what we can do to fix it. The article addresses how coping mechanisms for post-trauma are poorly understood even by those in the best situation to provide assistance, and that it is important to understand that victims of trauma might not always react or behave as one might expect. It further suggests that many factors including public education, early identification, and effective trauma treatment are necessary to break the cycle of violence, and that we need to intensify and expand the availability of trauma-informed care. Various examples of trauma are illustrated, along with how victims react differently and often unexpectedly to trauma, and that just because someone might not show a lack of emotion, it does not mean they have not been abused. Without shattering the myths that limit the understanding of trauma victims, providers will not be able to deliver assistance effectively.

This working paper from the W.E. Upjohn Institute compares employment and earnings of veterans to non-veterans after accessing workforce development services in Washington State. The cohort was followed over the course of eight years, and the rate of veteran participation in workforce programs was predictably higher in programs specifically targeting veterans. The employment rates for veterans after receipt of program services were still substantially lower than non-veterans.

This brief by the Center for the Study of Social Policy and supported by The Annie E. Casey Foundation is based on more than 80 interviews with organizations, their workers, and the youth that they support. The intent of the brief is to generate and share knowledge that is useful in dealing with youth that face serious challenges. Findings include that when youth face serious adversity, the relationship they establish with a worker is often incremental. The report looks at these “transitional relationships,” what workers actually do to forge successful relationships with the youth, and what their organizations do to create a culture for the workers to succeed. Interviewees for this report are between 16-25 years old and have faced serious challenges including child welfare involvement, substance abuse, and homelessness. Workers interviewed are leaders of organizations noted for their exemplary work and who have repeatedly formed bonds and relationships with such youth.

This article summarizes several listening sessions that the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse held with fathers to gain information about workforce development efforts. It highlights three main themes and suggestions that emerged from the sessions – Put People before Performance, Motivate Everyone to Self-Actualization, and Utilize Multi-Generational Approaches.