As a part of continued support to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs and their endeavors to serve individuals and families virtually during the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Family Assistance recorded a PeerTA webinar on June 24, 2020. TANF staff and those they serve had to retool quickly to adapt to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Staff who conduct in-person case management and coaching are looking for ways to continue these needed services virtually in order to protect the health and safety of individuals and families, ensure the health and safety of their own families, and maintain confidentiality by using virtual services that are secure. Luckily, remote case management services are not new concepts, as they are increasingly being used across TANF and other client/student serving organizations to provide efficient and effective support to those they would normally see face-to-face.

This panel webinar discussed virtual TANF case management and coaching strategies considering the risks associated with COVID-19. Information was delivered in a panel format with question and answer dialogue with panelists. Through the panel webinar registration process, registrants had the opportunity to pose questions for the panelists and the field to consider as they make critical decisions about their ongoing operations, including use of virtual tools and processes to conduct coaching/case management sessions.

Speakers included:

• Annette Waters, Ph.D., Social Science Analyst, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)
• DaiJuan Wade, Supervisor -- Special Projects, Operations and Training, District of Columbia Department of Human Services
• Suzie Miller, Workforce Programs Manager, Arapahoe/Douglas Workforce Center 
• Mary Roberto, PeerTA Project Director, Manhattan Strategy Group (Panel Moderator)

This toolkit offers steps and guidance on how to use virtual communications for client engagement and internal staff management. Information is provided for voice and conference calls using Google Voice, FreeConferenceCall.com, and Google Hangouts; video conferencing using Zoom and WebEx; creating and sharing documents with Google Drive and Microsoft Office 365; and internal messaging using Slack and Google Hangouts Chat.

This research-to-practice brief profiles a needs assessment of TANF child-only cases undertaken as part of the Office of Family Assistance’s Assisting Special Populations to Improve Readiness and Engagement (ASPIRE) project. Researchers first conducted a literature search and then select interviews with state and local TANF agency officials in California, Idaho, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and Washington State. The brief describes three major categories of child-only TANF cases and provides a historical overview of how the TANF child-only caseload has changed in size over time. Additionally, the brief identifies needs pertaining to specific types of TANF child-only families, including non-parent caregivers, ineligible immigrant parents, and SSI recipient parents. Innovative models for alternative service delivery are highlighted.

As a result of the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the United States is amid a national emergency. In addition to the urgent public health crisis underway, families across the country are struggling to find work and access benefits as a result of business closures, stay in place orders, and social distancing measures. In addition, TANF agency business processes are upended as workers adjust their work schedules while working from a new location, caring for themselves or a sick relative, navigating the absence of childcare, or simply adapting to what is a stark contrast from previous expectations for everyday working and living. As more states adopt policies to combat COVID-19, TANF agencies and other human services providers are required to reimagine and adapt previous expectations, behaviors, and communication styles for a digital and dispersed environment.

In this facilitated webinar hosted by the Office of Family Assistance on April 9, 2020, presenters discussed the operational aspects of transitioning agency and frontline staff to remote work such as use of technology, data security, staff expectations and support, and communication. The webinar focused on sharing strategies for how TANF agencies can adapt to support their workforces, and in turn continue to address the growing needs of families across the country. Presenters included: Gerrie Cotter, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services; Susan Pugh, Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities; Maria Wortman-Meshberger, Nevada Department of Health and Human Services; and Beth A. Heinen and Joe Raymond, both of ICF.

As a result of the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the United States is amid a national emergency. In addition to the urgent public health crisis underway, families across the country are struggling to find work and access benefits as a result of business closures, stay in place orders, and social distancing measures. In addition, TANF agency business processes are upended as workers adjust their work schedules while working from a new location, caring for themselves or a sick relative, navigating the absence of childcare, or simply adapting to what is a stark contrast from previous expectations for everyday working and living. As more states adopt policies to combat COVID-19, TANF agencies and other human services providers are required to reimagine and adapt previous expectations, behaviors, and communication styles for a digital and dispersed environment.

In this facilitated webinar hosted by the Office of Family Assistance on April 9, 2020 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. ET, presenters discussed the operational aspects of transitioning agency and frontline staff to remote work such as use of technology, data security, staff expectations and support, and communication. The webinar focused on sharing strategies for how TANF agencies can adapt to support their workforces, and in turn continue to address the growing needs of families across the country. Presenters included: Gerrie Cotter, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services; Susan Pugh, Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities; Maria Wortman-Meshberger, Nevada Department of Health and Human Services; and Beth A. Heinen and Joe Raymond, both of ICF.

Thank you for your interest in attending today's webinar, TANF and the Transition to a Remote Workforce. We are currently attempting to increase capacity due to the overwhelming response. We are recording the webinar and will provide a link to all registrants as soon as possible.

This issue brief from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers guidance on how to implement virtual case management in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic guidelines for social distancing. These considerations include how to identify appropriate technology, how to provide training to caseworkers and clients on the use of the identified technology, and how to incorporate privacy concerns and information sharing among systems in a virtual environment.

This issue brief from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) defines virtual technical assistance (TA) and illustrates the types, use, and effectiveness of virtual TA across HHS programs. Included are programs delivered and managed by the Children’s Bureau, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, and Offices of Child Support Enforcement, Refugee Resettlement, Head Start, Regional Operations, and Family Assistance. While covering emerging practices in designing and delivering virtual TA, the brief offers guidance on how to choose technology tailored to the audience’s access and expertise, administration of virtual assistance to ensure recipient satisfaction, and how to supplement virtual TA with in-person meetings.

This TANF Program Instruction (PI) provides program guidance on TANF administration in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This PI offers questions and answers about the use of TANF funds, work participation rates, flexibility in case management regarding TANF participant requirements, and overall TANF administration.

This Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation report assesses the impact and outcomes of the employment coaching model. Key questions in this evaluation include analysis about the intermediate outcomes related to pursuing goals and employment and economic security outcomes for low-income people and whether the impacts of the coaching interventions change over time or differ among the diverse groups of participants. The report also examines how employment coaching models were implemented and what contributes to how and whether employment coaching is implemented.