This Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) issue brief is drawn from a jointly funded initiative from the ARC and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, “Creating a Culture of Health in Appalachia: Disparities and Bright Spots.” The brief presents statistics on opioid abuse and deaths in Appalachia, discusses strategies and resources for addressing the opioid crisis in this location, and offers recommendations for further study and program implementation of community-based solutions.

This United States Interagency Council on Homelessness issue brief reviews the relationship between housing costs and housing stability; more affordable housing options reduce the likelihood of families becoming homeless, and help homeless families exit homelessness more quickly. The issue brief also notes recent reports identifying housing affordability and stability challenges and efforts the Council has made to address them.

The blogpost, co-authored by the Associate Commissioner of the Children’s Bureau at the Administration for Children and Families and the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) at the U.S. Department of Justice, highlights the partnering efforts between both federal agencies to reduce the frequency and impact of child abuse and neglect. Key highlights in this post are the Children’s Bureau’s and OJJDP’s resources, including an information memorandum, resource guides and tip sheets, and toolkits, as well as collaborative efforts to engage child welfare and law enforcement professionals.

This Chapin Hall report reviews the implementation of a “housing first” approach that addresses the needs of families in the child welfare system. The case study of supportive housing in Connecticut was a demonstration project, funded by the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Researchers used a randomized controlled trial to identify the impact of supportive housing on child and family outcomes to include family reunification, as well as removal from and placement into foster care.

This report, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and other organizations, suggests how state policy makers in Maine could reform the child welfare or juvenile justice system for youth. It presents national research that identifies how a full continuum approach – covering prevention to reintegration – could help youth successfully transition to adulthood.

This blogpost from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service identifies the activities and experiences that occurred at the first SNAP E&T State Institute, “Taking SNAP E&T to Scale.” The blog highlights best practices shared, as well as the strategic planning processes used to develop a road map for an effective state SNAP E&T program. Successful programs find in-demand jobs and pair them with skills training that employers need for high-growth occupations.

The Administration for Children and Families developed the Prevention Services Clearinghouse to implement the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) of 2018 funded under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act. The Clearinghouse evaluates programs and services intended to provide enhanced support to children and families and prevent foster care placements. The Clearinghouse rates programs and services in the areas of mental health prevention and treatment options, substance abuse prevention and treatment services, in-home parenting programs, and kinship navigator programs. Their Handbook of Standards and Procedures describes the standards used to identify and review the programs and services, as well as the procedures followed by the Prevention Services Clearinghouse staff.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance of the Office of Justice Programs issued a solicitation for grant funding to support probation and parole agencies in identifying effective practices that reduce recidivism and create comprehensive violent crime reduction strategies. Required deliverables for grant recipients are: an action plan to design and implement an evidence-based program or practice, a mid-term (at 30 months) analysis and research report, and a final (at the conclusion of the four-year grant period) analysis and research report. Five grants of up to $1,000,000 each will be awarded, starting on October 1, 2019. Applicants should submit grant applications via Grants.gov by June 25, 2019.

This National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report to Congress identifies evidence-based programs and policies intended to reduce child poverty. The report, drawn from experts in psychology, cognitive science, public policy, education, sociology, and pediatrics, presents four packages of policies and programs. Within the existing set of programs, the report discusses expansion of SNAP, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit programs; it also offers new ideas for a national job training program and universal child allowance.

This Corporation for Supportive Housing policy brief is the first in a series, offering guidance on how to build and enhance collaboration between affordable housing and substance abuse treatment providers. The brief is in response to the SUPPORT Act of 2018 (Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities) which created additional opportunities for treatment services expansion, overdose prevention, and training for addiction treatment counselors.