On September 25 and 26, 2012, Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Administrators along with other key stakeholders gathered in San Francisco for the Region IX 2012 Tribal TANF Technical Assistance Workshop. The central purpose of this workshop was to enable attendees to dialogue with one another and hear from field experts on a variety of critical topics pertaining to Tribal TANF program administration. Attendees were also provided with the opportunity to network amongst their peers and share recent successes and challenges. Over the course of the two-day workshop, a number of important topics were addressed, including: case management to achieve successful outcomes; creating opportunities for Tribal TANF participants via partnerships and collaborations; successful work placements for Tribal TANF participants; TANF penalty process; and supporting Tribal TANF participants with co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders.

On August 14 and 15, 2012, State and Territory Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Administrators along with other key stakeholders gathered in San Francisco for the Region IX 2012 TANF Innovations in Action Forum. The central purpose of this forum was to enable attendees to discuss critical issues pertaining to TANF program administration and to explore new strategies for improving TANF programs for low-income and working families in their States and Territories. Attendees were also provided with the opportunity to report on the current status of TANF programs at the local level and to receive updates on current TANF policy developments. Over the course of the two-day forum, a number of important topics were addressed, including: work-oriented programs for vulnerable populations and youth; subsidized employment and transitional jobs programs; innovative case management and service coordination models; career pathways and work study programs for TANF participants; and privatization models and call centers.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA), Region IX hosted representatives from Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, and Nevada at the 2013 Region IX TANF Peer Collaboration and Technical Assistance Workshop in American Canyon, California on September 10-11, 2013. State and territory representatives shared strategies they are utilizing to improve program performance and outcomes for TANF participants. Experts from the field added to the discussions with presentations on the role of TANF in resolving homelessness; engaging non-custodial parents as a strategy to facilitating family self-sufficiency; utilizing peer mentor approaches to improve client engagement; and emerging research opportunities in the TANF field.

The Region IX Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance convened a meeting for the Region IX Tribal TANF grantees in California and Nevada from September 26-27, 2011. The meeting, the second of two, provided TANF directors and administrators with an open forum for discussing critical issues impacting their TANF participants and an opportunity to network both amongst themselves and with Region IX leadership. The meeting brought together TANF programs to discuss and share information on a number of topics. Region IX Tribal TANF grantees shared lessons learned and gathered strategies that can improve their own programs’ ability to identify and address multiple barriers, develop career pathways, create subsidized employment and asset building opportunities for participants, and effectively manage fiscal requirements. Region IX Tribal TANF programs had the opportunity to discuss relevant topics with experts in the field that provided insight, ideas, and strategies for enhancing their own programs. In addition, the meeting gave Tribal TANF participants an opportunity to meet with Region IX staff to discuss ongoing questions regarding Tribal TANF in California and Nevada.

The Region IX Administration for Children and Families convened a meeting for the Region IX Tribal TANF grantees in California and Nevada in July of 2011. The meeting, the first of two, provided TANF directors and administrators with an open forum for discussing critical issues impacting their TANF participants and to network both amongst themselves and with Region IX leadership. The meeting brought together TANF programs to discuss and share information on detecting and investigating fraud and supporting victims of domestic violence on their path to achieving self-sufficiency. The meeting was held July 27-28, 2011, in San Francisco, California.

For many Tribal communities throughout the Pacific West the challenges of meeting the self-sufficiency needs of Tribal members have increased during the economic downturn. Improving the responsiveness and applicability of Tribal TANF programs requires strategic thinking and broad visioning and as a result the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Region IX organized a two-part training and technical assistance meeting for Tribes in California and Nevada. The meetings—hosted in San Francisco, California—were held August 16-17, 2010 and October 18-19, 2010 and were targeted to the specific program needs of Tribal TANF programs throughout the region. Specific topics included organizational assessment and strategic planning, capacity building, program assessments, data management and usage, and client assessment. As requested by the participants of the 2009 Tribal TANF meetings in ACF Region IX all care was used to develop a more interactive session between presenters and participants. As a result, the 2010 ACF Region IX Tribal TANF meetings were developed as discussion forums and there are no additional printed resources available at this time. For any additional information on these meetings, please contact ACF Region IX.

At the request of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, Peer TA sponsored this event to assist participants in improving job retention among TANF participants who have relocated to new areas. The Roundtable’s intent was to address systems and resources for providing services to TANF participants residing in rural areas. This Roundtable included participants from the Mississippi Department of Human Services Regional Offices, and representatives from partner programs in Mississippi, Nevada, North Dakota, and Ohio. Features of the Roundtable included interactive dialogue among participants to facilitate action planning for Mississippi to strategize about next steps for necessary programmatic and policy changes, and opportunities for participants to learn from one another and share ideas.

This report summarizes the key issues and lessons learned at the joint ACF and SAMHSA national conference, Welfare Reform: Employment Strategies for Overcoming Substance Abuse/Mental Health Barriers, held in Reno, Nevada, on July 26-27, 2000.