Systems to Family Stability State Profiles

Record Description
The Office of Family Assistance’s (OFA) Systems to Family Stability National Policy Academy (Policy Academy) was an 18-month intensive technical assistance (TA) initiative in 2015–2016 for seven states and one county interested in modernizing and improving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practice. During the initiative, sites received dedicated coaches, onsite strategic planning, access to expert consultants, and tailored written resources. Additionally, they participated in several in-person convenings, peer exchanges, and virtual training. These state profiles detail the journey and lessons learned of the 8 teams that participated in the Policy Academy.
Parent Record
Systems to Family Stability National Policy Academy 2015-2017
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2017-09-18T20:00:00
Source
OFA Initiatives
SFS Sites
Region
City/County
Publication Date
2017-09-19
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)
Upload Files
Attachment Size
Colorado 702.51 KB
Connecticut 787.06 KB
Maryland 670.75 KB
Ramsey County, Minnesota 856.54 KB
North Carolina 774.71 KB
Utah 682.35 KB
Washington 894.15 KB
West Virginia 676.46 KB

Building America’s Infrastructure Workforce: Partnering with Industry to Meet the Demand for Skilled Workers

Record Description
Upgrading America’s transportation and physical infrastructure is a bipartisan priority, and also an opportunity to provide millions of jobs to Americans who are unemployed or underemployed. This National Skills Coalition report describes the education and training policies that are necessary to prepare enough skilled workers to meet the demand that a large investment in infrastructure would create. The authors recommend creating and expanding sector partnerships in the infrastructure industry, creating incentives for apprenticeships and work-based learning, and funding support services to ensure that work-based learning participants are fully ready to work. This report also includes examples of successful transportation sector partnerships from Seattle and Central Iowa.
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2017-06-14T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
https://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/resources/publications/file/Building-Am…
Publication Date
2017-06-15
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

Understanding “Benefits Cliffs”: Implications for Helping Washingtonians Advance to Self-Sufficiency through Workforce Strategies

Record Description
The goal of workforce development efforts serving individuals in poverty is to provide them with the skills and credentials they need to increase their earnings in the labor market and advance to self-sufficiency. It is important for workforce stakeholders to understand that low-income families’ household income is often partly comprised of public benefits (such as supports for housing, child care, and health care) that phase out as increases in earnings are made through higher wages and/or more hours on the job. Rapid phaseouts of benefits – what are known as “benefits cliffs” – can have the effect of canceling out large portions of a family’s earnings gains, or even make a family substantially worse off from a self-sufficiency standpoint that prior to its earnings gains. This latest research by the Seattle Jobs Initiative examines the impact of benefits cliffs on low-income Washington families. The goal is to support workforce and social service providers in their efforts to better help these families to navigate the potential loss of benefits as they assist them to make earnings gains.
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2015-03-23T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
http://www.seattlejobsinitiative.com/wp-content/uploads/SJI_BenefitsCliffs_Repo…
Publication Date
2015-03-24
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

Evidence-Building Capacity in State Workforce Agencies: Insights from a National Scan and Two Site Visits

Record Description
The U.S. Department of Labor funded this national scan to collect information on the research and evaluation capacity of state workforce agencies. The scan included 41 states, and the researchers from the National Association of State Workforce Agencies conducted site visits to Ohio and Washington, two states that have substantial research and evaluation capacity. Three quarters of the agencies reported having at least one unit that initiates research and evaluation efforts, but a majority of agencies reported staff capacity as inadequate or fair. The site visit findings from Ohio and Washington showed two states with a strong culture of using workforce research to inform policy, longitudinal administrative data sets, and buy-in from the governor and other agency heads. To help bring other states to the level of Ohio and Washington, the researchers recommend additional grant funding, training, and technical assistance to help build the capacity of state workforce agencies to conduct research and evaluation.
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2017-02-14T19:00:00
Source
OFA Initiatives
Region
City/County
URL
https://wdr.doleta.gov/research/FullText_Documents/ETAOP-2017-13_Evidence_Build…
Publication Date
2017-02-15
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

Labor Market Information Shops as Assets for Workforce Development: Lessons and Examples from Three States

Record Description
The National Association of State Workforce Agencies released this report about State labor market information (LMI) shops. State LMI shops have varying roles and responsibilities in different State governments, and may be part of the State workforce agency or a separate agency, but all LMI shops can foster effective workforce development through the products they disseminate and the services they provide. The report uses Michigan, Utah, and Washington as examples to demonstrate the integral contributions of these States’ LMI shops to the workforce system.
Record Type
Combined Date
2017-01-02T19:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
https://lmi.workforcegps.org/announcements/2017/02/07/14/48/NASWA_LMI_Committee…
Publication Date
2017-01-03

OFA Regions IX and X 2016 Tribal TANF Meeting

Record Description
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA), Regions IX and X hosted the Tribal Technical Assistance Meeting on July 25‐27, 2016 at the Isleta Resort and Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The meeting brought together Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) stakeholders to discuss innovative strategies and collaborations to promote economic and social well‐being for individuals, families, and tribal communities. During the meeting, tribal representatives engaged in listening sessions, shared best practices, and participated in workshops in order to more successfully serve the program participants in their communities.
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2016-08-31T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
Publication Date
2016-09-01
Upload Files
Attachment Size
Agenda 337.72 KB
Participant List 435.39 KB
Speaker Biographies 216.74 KB
Case Management Presentation 8.93 MB
Cook Inlet Tribal Council - 2Gen in Tribal Communities 1.02 MB
Cookie Cart Presentation 4.06 MB
Gila River Indian Community Employment & Training Department - Career Pathways 1.66 MB
Pascua Yaqui Center for Employment Training 2.4 MB
OCAT Implementation, Shasta County 81.93 KB
Online Work Readiness Assessment (OWRA) Presentation 657.47 KB
Tribal TANF - The Basics and Beyond 726.07 KB
Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards 2.16 MB
OCAT Implementation, Stanislaus County 1.36 MB
Family Independence Initiative Presentation 2.6 MB
White Earth Coordination Assessment Resources and Education (WECARE) Presentation 3.22 MB
Summary Report 1.92 MB

OFA Webinar: Possibilities for Coordination between SNAP Employment and Training Programs and TANF Programs

Record Description

This webinar from the Office of Family Assistance’s PeerTA Network explored promising practices and programs from Washington and North Carolina that are increasing coordination between TANF and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training (E&T) programs to better support low-income families. Webinar participants were provided with an overview of TANF program areas that can be enhanced and/or expanded through alignment with SNAP E&T. The webinar was held on July 21, 2016 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET.

Presenters included:

*Caitlin Lowell, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance
*Kaila Wilson, USDA Food and Nutrition Services, SNAP Employment&Training
*Rick Krauss, Seattle Jobs Initiative
*Babs Roberts, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services
*Nancy Coston, Orange County Department of Social Services

Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2016-07-21T10:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
Publication Date
2016-07-08
Upload Files
Attachment Size
SNAP Office of Employment and Training Presentation 597.85 KB
Seattle Jobs Initiative Presentation 416.87 KB
OFA Presentation 113.85 KB
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services Presentation 87.06 KB
Webinar Transcript 185.16 KB

Washington State Department of Social and Health Services' WorkFirst Handbook

Record Description

Washington State’s WorkFirst Handbook has a section with information about medical conditions, including learning disabilities, that can interfere with a person’s ability to work, prepare for work, or look for work. The handbook emphasizes the importance of obtaining medical evidence in order to appropriately accommodate any limitations, including the possibility of exemptions from program requirements on the basis of disability. The Learning Needs Screening Tool is a brief oral interview originally developed for the State of Washington’s Division of Employment and Social Learning Disabilities Initiative. Washington also has a Medical Evidence Evaluations Basic Flow Chart, which shows different participation outcomes based on screening and assessment.

Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2016-03-29T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
View Handbook
View the Medical Evidence Evaluations Basic Flow Chart
View the Learning Needs Screening Tool
Innovative Programs

Innovations in Creating Access To Careers in Healthcare (I-CATCH)

Mission/Goal of Program

I-CATCH (Innovations in Creating Access To Careers in Healthcare) is healthcare training support for individuals aiming to achieve income independence through well-paying and high-demand careers in the healthcare industry.  Utilizing a partnership with three community colleges (Edmonds Community College, Everett Community College, and Skagit Valley College) and an active and vibrant partnership with social services, community, and healthcare leading business organizations, I-CATCH has built a stackable credential model to engage low income individuals in a health career pathway in high-demand jobs in the industry.

I-CATCH utilizes an online/hybrid and competency-based instruction throughout stackable certificates in a range of healthcare career ladder options in allied health/nursing, social and human services, and medical information technology.  It works to improve student achievement through intensive virtual and on-ground support services and builds student work readiness and technical skills, and supports employment success through strong engagement with employers and work-based learning opportunities.  I-CATCH strengthens and expands the education and training options to high-demand jobs in healthcare while providing seamless pathways from pre-college level to associate and baccalaureate degree programs.  Finally, it leverages partnerships with Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) agencies, community based organizations and employers to expand training and support capacity in both urban and rural areas.

Programs/Services Offered

Services include, but not limited to:

  • Tuition assistance
  • Fees and supplies assistance
  • Financial Aid assistance
  • Wrap around support services
  • Academic advising
  • Social and crisis supports
  • Transportation assistance
  • Digital Literacy resources
  • MiFi Internet access
  • Loaned laptop you can earn
  • Job development and coaching
  • Employer-trusted career training

Occupational training targets the following positions that currently are identified as opportunities for career growth and employer needs: Nursing Assistant, Patient Care Technician, Medical Assistant, Licensed Practical Nurse, Registered Nurse, Phlebotomist, Clinical Laboratory Assistant, Pharmacy Technicians, Social and Human Service Assistants, Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors, Medical Secretaries, and Medical Records and Health information Technicians.

I-CATCH promotes, supports and sustains long-term intrusive and holistic advising and support relationships. Using in-person and on-line technology enables staff to engage in advising and community crisis support relationships that: 1) approaches participant support as a teaching function; 2) touch participants on a regular basis; and 3) connects them to the information and services they need when they need to keep the participant and their families on track to career success. Program participants will have access to a community of support services via referrals for childcare, transportation, mental health services, veterans’ assistance, health services, housing, legal services, domestic violence services, tax preparation, SNAP, academic supports, tutoring and employment services, among others.

Recognizing the tremendous advantage that having computer and broadband access in the home to allow great flexibility to balance education with employment and family, the program loans each participant a strong laptop computer and one year of wireless high speed broadband access in the home. Participants have the opportunity to earn the computer if they complete the program.

Start Date
Friday, January 1, 2010
Type of Agency/Organization
Community College
City
Lynnwood
State
Washington
Geographic Reach
Onesite
Clientele/Population Served
TANF and other low income adults in Snohomish, Skagit and Island Counties
Topics/Subtopics
Employment
Education and Training
Career Pathways
URL
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ofa/hpog_promising_practi…

Strengthening Systems to Family Stability

Record Description
This post from a TANF program specialist at the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) describes OFA’s efforts in improving TANF programs across the country. To share ideas about improving case management, integrating two-generation approaches, engaging workforce partners, and enhancing training, OFA has launched a national policy academy. The first groups to enter the academy are Connecticut, Colorado, Maryland, North Carolina, Ramsey County (Minnesota), Utah, Washington, and West Virginia.
Parent Record
ACF Blog Spotlight
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2015-05-18T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/blog/2015/05/strengthening-systems-to-family-stability
Publication Date
2015-05-19