In this three-part video podcast series, Paul Rada from the Truman Medical Center Behavioral Health unit in Kansas City, Missouri presents information and strategies for TANF programs to better serve participants experiencing toxic stress. This resource is intended to aid TANF program administrators and staff in: 

• Understanding the concepts of toxic stress and trauma‐informed care (TIC)
• Distinguishing between toxic stress, trauma, PTSD, and specific related interventions
• Explaining and applying toxic stress and TIC principles within TANF serving systems—specifically as they relate to improving employment outcomes and achieving program goals
• Identifying administrative areas within TANF programs that can be assessed for TIC integration, as well as opportunities for cultural/organizational change which integrates TIC principles
• Understanding methods for TANF participants to assess levels of toxic stress and apply appropriate coping strategies.

For long-term employment and career advancement, it is important that clients are placed in jobs that align with their education, experience, interests, and skills, as well as local labor market information (LMI). Workers can utilize assessment data and labor market information (LMI) to help clients make informed decisions about their career aspirations, including potential earnings, projected number of job openings, and entry level education needed.

The Online Work Readiness Assessment (OWRA) has linked work experiences and career interests of individuals with LMI to strengthen client pathways toward self-sufficiency. In this facilitated webinar, attendees learned how programs have used assessment data and LMI to enhance the types of services offered to clients and improve employment outcomes. The webinar also explored the comprehensive OWRA tool and its LMI functionality. The interactive webinar was held on December 6, 2017 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

To learn more about OWRA and access a variety of resources, visit https://peerta.acf.hhs.gov/owra.

A virtual roundtable was held on November 30, 2017 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. EST, co-presented by the Office of Family Assistance, the Office of Child Support Enforcement, and the Family and Youth Services Bureau. Via plenaries and breakout sessions, the roundtable  defined family violence, explained good cause, and highlighted examples of excellence across the nation.

The Opening Plenary Session was titled, "Family Violence and Accessing and Applying for Public Benefits and Work Supports: Challenges and Solutions," and was led by Dr. Janet Mickish, Lead Trainer and Manager of Staff Development, Colorado Department of Human Services and Krista Del Gallo, Public Policy Manager, Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV).

The Plenary was followed by 4 breakout sessions to include:

• Breakout Session #1: Discussion Around Building Good Relationships with DV Coalitions and Programs
• Breakout Session #2: Promoting Disclosure and Safety for Victims Accessing Child Support
• Breakout Session #3: Establishing Good Cause
• Breakout Session #4: Family Violence with Native American Populations

The roundtable closed with a plenary titled, "State and Local TANF/Child Support Programs of Excellence," led by Meghan McCann, National Conference of State Legislatures; Amber Harchuk, Temporary Assistance to Domestic Violence Survivor’s (TA-DVS) Policy Analyst and DHS Domestic Violence Co-Located Advocates Program Coordinator; Belit Burke, Self-Sufficiency Program Administrator, Oregon Department of Human Services; and Traci Underwood, Program Coordinator, Economic Justice Project, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.