Transitioning out of the military can be daunting; for the many years that they served, veterans haven't experienced what the transitioning period of leaving the service brings to the forefront. There isn't a guaranteed 1st and 15th paycheck, and there is no healthcare unless they retired (20 years or more served or medically retired from the military). Veterans must move their families to a location that they deem fit for success of employment, education, and housing. The most important aspect of transitioning is finding constant employment to be able to survive in the civilian world. This National Association of Workforce Development Professionals webinar will take place on November 13, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET, to discuss the importance of supporting transitioning service members and strategies to support them through their journey.

Despite the significance of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to the nation’s social safety net, advocates argue it is in desperate need of modernization. Many of its program rules have not been updated in four decades, despite dramatic changes in the country’s attitudes about and policies meant to support full community inclusion of people with disabilities. Applying for SSI can be a lengthy and complicated process, program eligibility and payment requirements can be confusing, and asset limits discourage saving for life’s unexpected events. Mathematica and the National Academy of Social Insurance will host a virtual event on October 8, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET to examine the state of SSI 50 years after the program's first payment and to discuss evidence-based reforms that could strengthen the program for the next 50 years.

The most sustainable Tribal responses to domestic violence, sexual violence, sex trafficking, and related disparities are those rooted in Indigenous cultures and values. The challenge for those receiving federal funds is balancing the development of their responses with administering varying requirements of federal funds. This recorded Fireside Session, hosted by the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, shares how Tribes and Tribal organizations can develop their sustainable responses, including responding to challenges to best meet the needs of survivors and Tribal communities by pooling together different federal funds and maximizing impact.

Child Trends partnered with Generation Work, an initiative that connects employers to young adults, especially young people of color and those from low-income families, with stable jobs. As a result, they developed a series of three case studies to explore how employers can use positive youth development practices to better support young workers. These case studies highlight discussions from focus groups at Generation Work sites in Chicago and Birmingham and interviews with workforce development practitioners.

In 2021, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) began a community engagement effort called Community-Driven Policies and Practices (CDPP). CLASP facilitated a series of power-building sessions in Baltimore, Las Vegas, and Tribal Nations in the Pacific Northwest to establish a safe space for people experiencing poverty to dream up policies with the potential to deliver economic justice and strategies to advance them. The sessions culminated in an advocacy plan to implement a policy goal that each group believed would advance their vision for economic justice. This CLASP report summarizes CDPP, including the project’s guiding principles, planning team, and engagement strategy. It also spotlights the advocacy plans that community members drafted while participating in CDPP power-building sessions.

In today's rapidly evolving job market, the importance of social capital, connections, and robust networks for youth career success cannot be overstated. Social capital plays a critical role in helping young people navigate the complexities of career development, and building it requires intentional effort and strategic planning. The National Youth Employment Coalition is hosting a webinar on September 26, 2024 at 2:30 p.m. ET to discuss the transformative power of social capital and potential strategies to help young people build it.

The Administration for Native Americans is partnering with the Office of Early Childhood Development to host a four-part webinar series, focused on key strategies and initiatives to support the optimal growth, development, and well-being of Native children and families. Three sessions remain: 

• Session 2: Strategies for Supporting the Success and Well-being of the Native Early Childhood Education Workforce will take place on September 5, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. ET;
• Session 3: The Power of Data in Native Early Childhood Development — Strategies for Effective Data Use and Impact will take place on October 3, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. ET; and
• Session 4: Native Early Childhood Development Funds — Maximizing Impact Through Flexible Funding Strategies will take place on November 7, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. ET.

The Rehabilitation Services Administration funds the Disability Innovation Fund-Subminimum Wage to Competitive Integrated Employment (SWTCIE) projects designed to decrease subminimum wage employment and increase competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities currently employed in or contemplating subminimum wage employment. This Mathematica practice brief explores how SWTCIE staff promote their projects to potential participants and employers. It summarizes interviews with four SWTCIE projects from agencies in Connecticut, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Texas. The brief shares promising practices including (1) meeting people where they are and proactively addressing their concerns, (2) engaging a wide network in their communities, (3) consulting external resources such as communications firms to shape their branding, and (4) promoting success stories and using family and peer mentors. The lessons learned could help vocational rehabilitation agencies and other organizations interested in implementing aspects of their programs.

Social safety net programs can help low-income people afford necessities like food, health care, and utilities. However, many older Americans do not receive assistance from the government programs they are eligible for. Understanding where these gaps in eligibility and participation exist is an important step in reaching older adults and providing them with the resources to improve their economic security. This Urban Institute paper reviews information on US households from the American Community Survey to estimate how many people ages 65 and over are eligible for each of three programs that provide essential support to older adults: the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the Medicare Savings Program (MSP).