Innovative Programs

Solutions for Change

Mission/Goal of Program

Solutions for Change solves family homelessness, one family and one community at a time, delivering a permanent solution to family homelessness and deep poverty through social enterprise. Founded in 1999 by social entrepreneurs Chris and Tammy Megison, Solutions for Change works to transforms lives and communities by permanently solving family homelessness.

Programs/Services Offered

Solutions for Change delivers permanent solutions to family homelessness through an innovative academy-like experience where parents of families in the deepest of poverty are equipped with the skills, knowledge and resources needed to reclaim a contributory stake in society through jobs and by ending dependency. The model blends affordable housing, education, health services, servant leadership and workforce training to create a "work therapy" community.

Participants tripled their income in the first year through employment. 74% achieve the 500-day milestone of full-time employment and achieve their own rental housing. For those participants, TANF and Food Stamp benefits decrease by 62% at 500-day mark and 87% by end of engagement contract (1000 days). 850 families and 2200 children have moved permanently out of homelessness and obtained housing and employment, resulting in $51 million dollars in public support savings and $120 million in employment revenue generated into local economy. 

Start Date
Friday, January 1, 1999
Type of Agency/Organization
Community-Based Organization
City
Vista
State
California
Geographic Reach
Onesite
Clientele/Population Served
Homeless Families with Children
Topics/Subtopics
Employment
Education and Training
Supportive Services
Health/Behavioral Health Referrals and Supports
Housing Assistance
Special Populations
Homeless Families
URL
http://solutionsforchange.org/

Connecting Justice-Involved Individuals with Health Homes at Reentry: New York and Rhode Island

Record Description
Justice-involved individuals have a high prevalence of mental health, substance use, and chronic health conditions. Connecting those individuals to health services during reentry could help improve their health and lower their risk of recidivism. This Urban Institute brief highlights how New York and Rhode Island have used Medicaid Health Homes to ensure that returning citizens have access to health care as they transition back into the community. Lessons learned from both states include the need for pre-release discharge planning so participants are immediately connected to health services upon release, and the value of having a liaison bridge the gap between the justice and health systems. Both states also needed creativity and commitment at the state level to fund the health home model, as well as formal structures for communication and collaboration across systems.
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2017-02-14T19:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
http://www.urban.org/research/publication/connecting-justice-involved-individua…
Publication Date
2017-02-15

Using Data and Evaluation in Policy Development, Implementation and Monitoring: Building Successful Policies to Reduce Prescription Opioid Misuse

Record Description
The National Governors Association released this brief to help governors and state policymakers incorporate data and evaluation into policy development, implementation, and monitoring, using the example of prescription opioid misuse. There are five steps to using data and evaluation in policy: creating a logic model, identifying data sources, collecting the data, analyzing the data, and making data analysis an ongoing part of the policy process. The authors break down each of the five steps in detail and provide examples from the perspective of a state attempting to reduce prescription opioid misuse.
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2017-03-16T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
https://www.nga.org/center/publications/using-data-and-evaluation-in-policy-dev…
Publication Date
2017-03-17
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

Medicaid Coverage of Effective Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: Trends in State Buprenorphine Prescriptions and Spending Since 2011

Record Description
For people with opioid use disorder, a buprenorphine prescription can improve outcomes related to staying in drug treatment, involvement in the justice system, and mortality. This Urban Institute Report analyzes how the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act affected access to buprenorphine among low-income individuals. For the 32 states that expanded Medicaid, the number of buprenorphine prescriptions per enrollee increased 70%. However, this increase may still not meet the demand for buprenorphine due to persistent capacity shortages. The report also includes state-by-state data on total Medicaid spending on buprenorphine.
Record Type
Combined Date
2017-06-06T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
http://www.urban.org/research/publication/medicaid-coverage-effective-treatment…
Publication Date
2017-06-07
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

Decisions in Recovery: Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

Record Description
This handbook from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides tools for individuals suffering from opioid use disorder to use in their recovery. A key feature of this handbook is medication’s role in opioid abuse recovery; there are sections on whether medication supports recovery, which medications can work for recovery, and how those medications function. Each section contains interactive tools that individuals can use as they progress through recovery.
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2016-12-30T19:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content//SMA16-4993/SMA16-4993.pdf
Publication Date
2016-12-31
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

Annual NAPIPM Education Conference: Reinventing and Soaring to New Heights

Record Type
Event
Posting Date
Combined Date
Source
Partner Resources
Sponsor
American Public Human Services Association
Location
Cincinnati, OH
Web Url
http://www.napipmconference.com/
Topics/Subtopics
Supportive Services
Child Care
Health/Behavioral Health Referrals and Supports
SNAP/Food Assistance
TANF Program Administration
Event Date
-

Investing in Workforce Program Innovation: A Formative Evaluation of Five Workforce Organizations' Experiences during the Human Capital Innovation Fund Initiative

Record Description
Between 2012 and 2016, the Capital One Foundation’s Human Capital Innovation Fund supported five workforce organizations in an effort to develop new strategies for serving unemployed and underemployed individuals. This report from the Aspen Institute describes the experiences of the five organizations, located in Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Louisiana, and New York, New York, as they developed and implemented their new strategies. Topics discussed include partnerships with other organizations and building employer relationships.
Record Type
Combined Date
2017-03-08T19:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
https://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/investing-in-workforce-program-inno…
Publication Date
2017-03-09
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

ACF Resource Guide to Trauma-Informed Human Services

Record Description
This guide provides human services leaders at the local, State, Tribal, and Territorial levels with information and resources on recent advances in our understanding of trauma, toxic stress, and executive functioning. It especially highlights what these advances mean for program design and service delivery. The guide helps professionals learn about trauma-informed care and helps those currently engaged in trauma-informed work to improve their practice. These resources provide an overview of key concepts related to trauma and a guide to resources from a range of HHS federal agencies and respected sources outside government. These materials are both a “front door” to the topic of trauma and a “road map” to relevant resources.
Record Type
Combined Date
2017-05-11T12:28:53
Source
OFA Initiatives
SFS Category
Region
City/County
URL
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/trauma-toolkit
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

OFA Webinar: Strengthening Success through Coordinated Mental Health and Substance Use Services for TANF Participants

Record Description

An interactive webinar Strengthening Success through Coordinated Mental Health and Substance Use Services for TANF Participants was held on May 30, 2017 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. EST; during the webinar, TANF programs shared how they support participants in addressing mental health and substance use challenges. This webinar included an in-depth look into how the featured programs have developed partnerships with mental health and substance use providers and how they ensure continuous support of TANF participants through ongoing collaboration.

Record Type
Combined Date
2017-05-30T09:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
MH & SU Srvcs for TANF Parts Webinar YouTube Video
Publication Date
2017-05-30
Upload Files
Attachment Size
Substance Use and Mental Health Webinar PPT 6.98 MB

Fostering Health: The Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and Youth Transitioning from Foster Care

Record Description
Based on provisions in the Affordable Care Act, approximately 180,000 youth who have aged out of the foster care system are eligible for extended health care coverage through age 26. However, only 13 states have made Medicaid coverage available to all former foster youth residing in that state. This brief from the National Center for Children in Poverty explores the health needs of youth in and aging out of foster care, restrictions applied by states, and recommendations that may help legislators remove barriers to access.
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2016-10-02T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
URL
http://www.nccp.org/publications/pub_1165.html
Publication Date
2016-10-03