This paper reviews the literature on the policy context of the HPOG program and the challenges and opportunities related to developing healthcare occupational training and support programs. It discusses the structure of the healthcare industry and trends in healthcare employment, implications of ACA for entry-level employment in healthcare, and resulting challenges and opportunities for training programs. (author overview)

The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness recently released a fact sheet on preventing and addressing tuberculosis among people experiencing homelessness. According to the authors, ttuberculosis is a serious health concern for people experiencing homelessness and those working with homeless populations. The authors noted that tuberculosis rates are ten times higher for people experiencing homelessness, and of the patients involved in tuberculosis outbreaks investigated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2010 – 2012, over half did not have a place to call home.

Many TANF staff are unfamiliar with the SSI Program but want to learn more. This brief describes the basic SSI disability determination process and compares and contrasts it with several procedures different TANF agencies use to identify recipients who meet TANF work-limitation criteria in states or localities. It goes on to discuss topics including different strategies TANF agencies use to assess which individuals are most likely to qualify for SSI. (author abstract)

This brief focuses on the analysis of merged national-level SSI data and TANF data from the 26 states that report to the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) on their full TANF caseload. It found, counter to popular narratives, that the overlap between the two programs was small. It also found that TANF recipients who applied for SSI were not at particularly high risk of losing their TANF benefits. Finally, it found that medical award rates among TANF recipients who applied for SSI were comparable to that of SSI applicants who had not recently received TANF, once important age differences were taken into account. (author abstract)

This brief provides an overall summary of the lessons learned from the TANF-SSI Disability Transition Project. It brings together material spread across other documents in a concise format, and it also offers new insights from state-level data analyses that largely back up the conclusions drawn from federal data. (author abstract) 

With over 95 percent of people in the nation's State prisons expected to be released at some point, officials at all levels of government recognize the need for initiatives to support the successful reentry of these individuals to their communities. The program snapshots released in this publication by the Council of State Governments illustrate the positive impact reentry initiatives can have by focusing on areas vital to successful reintegration back into the community, including employment, education, mentoring, and substance abuse and mental health treatment. Also highlighted are programs that address the needs of a particular population, such as women, youth and their families, and Tribal communities. Representing a wide range of populations served, these programs also demonstrate the diversity of approaches that can address recidivism and increase public safety.

The Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) was authorized by Congress to reduce teen pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and associated risk behaviors. Grantees across the country had flexibility in how they would implement their programs. This report is the first report from the PREP evaluation sponsored by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation and conducted by Mathematica Policy Research. Authors interviewed State grantee officials to document the program decisions made across 44 States and Washington DC in designing the program. Among the key findings, researchers found that many of the programs are evidence-based and targeting high-risk youth. Additionally, States have developed their programs in different ways to educate on abstinence and contraception. The evaluation will include an additional round of interviews in 2014, performance management data analysis, and an analysis of program impacts using random assignment across four to five sites.

Brookings released a social mobility memo discussing how poor health as a child hinders future success. It states that health inequality may play a large role in holding back mobility in the United States. Examples of evidence-based relationships between income and health are given, as well as suggestions on how to use this information to better promote an improved health and social environment in the United States.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released a Data Spotlight report addressing the reasoning behind why over five million adults every year have an unmet need for mental health care and do not receive mental health services. According to the 2009 to 2011 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), cost/insurance issues were the most frequently mentioned reasons for not receiving mental health services. Unmet mental health needs can have a direct effect on the well-being of the individual, their relationships, and their employment.