Almost 16% of men in the U.S. report having a mental health problem, yet only around half receive treatment. This crisis in care has far-reaching consequences for the entire family, as fathers with mental health issues tend to have lower-quality co-parenting relationships and children who struggle to regulate their emotions and behaviors. The National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse will host a webinar on March 8, 2023 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET about the mental health needs of fathers and practices and resources to help address them. By attending the webinar, participants will learn:

• The impact of paternal mental health on parenting, children, and relationships
• How the COVID-19 pandemic has opened the door to more discussion about the importance of mental health and treating mental health issues
• Barriers to treatment and ways to overcome them
• Where fathers can access work- and community-based mental health services

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Child Care and Development Fund subsidy programs scrambled to respond to families’ changing needs. This brief is part of a series to examine state-level policies that shape access to social service and safety net programs, and the ways in which state and federal policy implementation at the local level may affect the reach of program benefits among Latino families. The brief draws from a survey of local child care subsidy staff in North Carolina to explore their perspectives about engaging Hispanic families during the pandemic.

Those with lived experience in child welfare have a unique, firsthand perspective on issues that can inform partnerships, policies, and solutions that best meet the needs of children and families. Child welfare agencies and organizations should prioritize collaborating with individuals who have lived experience to gain a better understanding of how people are affected by the social issue. This podcast features a panel discussion from the 2022 Child Welfare Virtual Expo. Topics discussed included actionable ways to engage in authentic, nonexploitative storytelling endeavors with those with lived expertise, and strategies to authentically engage people with lived experience and mitigate harm.

Studies show much higher rates of physical health issues and mental health and/or substance use disorders among populations experiencing homelessness than among people who are stably housed. This Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration guide provides strategies and implementation considerations for behavioral health providers and other practitioners to engage people currently experiencing homelessness and includes four case studies to highlight strategies for providing treatment and recovery support services to people experiencing both unsheltered and sheltered homelessness.

There are approximately 1 million new disaster displacements in the United States every year that often leave people with critical human services needs. A webinar was held on February 28, 2023 where speakers from the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, the Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response, and Mathematica presented findings from the report, Human Service Needs and Disaster Displacement. Topics covered included what disaster displacement looks like and who is most affected by it, what the human services needs are for those displaced by disaster, and how human services are delivered to people displaced by disasters.

The first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic put extraordinary demands on program administrators and front-line staff members, as service delivery methods and client needs rapidly changed. Workers providing essential services during this stressful period were in need of extra social and emotional support themselves, and managers scrambled to find ways to create work environments that were more sensitive to staff well-being. This blogpost illustrates a self-care plan that managers can use to support their teams. A downloadable self-care worksheet template is also provided.

Congress established the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood, known as Chafee, in 1999. Chafee provides support to assist young adults transitioning out of the foster care system until they turn 23 years old, the same age when a young person who has experienced foster care stops receiving any federal support from the child welfare system. Chafee was one of the first pieces of legislation to call attention to the distinct needs of young people transitioning out of the foster care system and sheds light on the shortage of federal investments dedicated to this critical transition when many young adults struggle with unemployment, homelessness, and other challenges. This blogpost presents four lessons that could help Chafee better prepare transition-age young people for stability and success in adulthood.

Case management is an important and required element of SNAP E&T programs. This session from the SNAP E&T 2022 National Forum shared findings from the Food and Nutrition Service’s Survey of SNAP E&T Case Management study, which included a national survey of SNAP agencies and four case studies to learn about case management implementation and best practices. In the presentation from the session, representatives from Arkansas’ Division of Workforce Services, Adult Education Section and Oregon’s Department of Human Services shared how they provide case management to SNAP E&T participants and discussed their best practices and lessons learned.

When people struggle to make ends meet, public benefit programs have the potential to help them meet their basic needs for food, housing, health care, and cash. Yet many families and individuals do not participate in the programs that could help meet their needs and for which they are eligible. This report presents a menu of strategies that have the potential to increase access to individual public benefit programs or a package of benefits. Strategies for improving public benefit access can involve revising service delivery practices and processes, changing state or local policies, or using or improving technology. The report focuses on Illinois, but the strategies identified are relevant throughout the country.