Understanding trauma and being able to implement trauma-informed programming is critical to the success of any youth organization working with marginalized populations. Although many organizations might talk about trauma, they also struggle to take that knowledge and implement changes to programs and policies that are truly trauma informed. The National Youth Employment Coalition will host the second webinar of a two-part series on November 9, 2023 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET, where participants will hear discussions on the behaviors that adults working with young people can engage in that are trauma-informed and supportive. This workshop will also discuss how helping relationships can go awry, mimicking, usually unintentionally, the types of abusive relationships that young people have experienced.

Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Accounts are tax-advantaged savings accounts that are available to eligible individuals with disabilities. ABLE account funds can be used for "qualified disability-related expenses" (QDE). A QDE is any expense the beneficiary incurs because of the disability. These may include expenses related to education, housing, transportation, employment training and support, or other expenses that help improve health, independence and/or quality of life. This Social Security Administration blogpost explains who is eligible for an ABLE account, what the funds are used for, and the effect it has on Social Security disability benefits.

Many of the men who participate in fatherhood programs may have experienced trauma from adverse childhood experiences, community violence, or incarceration. Traumatic experiences can have a negative impact on fathers’ own functioning as well as on their children’s well-being, particularly for men of color or those with low incomes. In recent years, fatherhood programs and other social service providers have become more aware of how traumatic experiences can impact program participants. However, there is still a need to ensure that practitioners incorporate recognized, trauma-informed (TI) practices into their services. This MDRC brief provides practical information and easy-to-use tools designed to support TI practices in a fatherhood program context.

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.

World Mental Health Day is October 10, 2023 and the objective is to raise awareness of mental health issues, as well as to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals and Dynamic Works Institute will co-host two virtual sessions; the first being on October 10, 2023 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CT and will provide tools for practitioners’ toolbox and reflection activities. The second part of the series will take place on October 24, 2023 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CT and will develop potential self-care plans for those heading towards burn-out. There is a fee for registration.

In 2021, over 46.3 million people ages 12 and up in the United States met the criteria for having substance use disorder (SUD). Compared to other developmental periods, the co-occurrence of serious mental health conditions and SUD is concentrated in young adulthood. Young adults experiencing homelessness or housing instability are at particularly high risk for developing a SUD and experiencing challenges accessing care and support. Harm reduction is an evidence-based approach critical to engaging with people who use drugs and equipping them with life-saving tools. This Administration for Children and Families brief provides information and resources about harm reduction services for young adults experiencing homelessness.

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the employment landscape, with effects that persist. Many people lost their jobs, lost childcare, or otherwise experienced negative changes to their income and ability to work. These shifts disproportionately affected people of color, women, parents, and workers earning low wages, exacerbating longstanding systemic inequities. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation brief explores how the pandemic shifted employment, earnings, and unemployment benefit receipt among workers who have historically faced obstacles to finding and keeping jobs in a more typical economic context—workers who were disproportionately affected by the pandemic. The brief focuses on experiences across geographic locations during the pandemic period, which may reflect differences in local economies, COVID-19 infection rates, and public policies.

Columbia University's Center on Poverty and Social Policy will co-host a virtual session on September 21, 2023 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT to discuss the policy takeaways from the COVID-19 pandemic for reducing poverty and promoting economic well-being moving forward. This webinar will include a policy panel to discuss the challenges faced by low-income households, how the federal government achieved a record-low poverty rate in 2020 and again in 2021, and what lessons ought to be carried forward from those experiences.

The Skills and Experience for the Careers of Tomorrow (SECTOR) program provides employment and training services, cognitive behavioral interventions, and connections to mental health and substance use disorder services for people with previous legal system involvement. It uses a sector-based approach, which connects individuals to training opportunities that offer a livable wage, career advancement opportunities, and benefits for job seekers. The model anticipates that behavioral health, well-being, employment, and earnings improvements will reduce future interactions with the criminal legal system. This MDRC report presents the findings of the SECTOR program evaluation as part of the Los Angeles County Reentry Integrated Services Project. The evaluation focuses mainly on employment and criminal legal system contact and whether SECTOR successfully connects individuals to mental health and substance use disorder services.

In 2014, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a treatment improvement protocol manual entitled Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services, as well as Concept of Trauma, which served as a landmark publication that has influenced service provision beyond the areas of behavioral health and health care. Trauma continues to be a cross-SAMHSA priority, given its significant role in behavioral health prevention, treatment, and recovery. This updated guide expands the discussion presented in SAMHSA’s earlier resources, specifically focusing on tools and strategies for implementing a trauma-informed approach (TIA). The guide highlights the need for organizational assessment of readiness and capacity before implementing TIA and describes strategies for such assessments.