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To subscribe, submit the form in the left column of this e-newsletter or visit www.nassembly.org. HSN: Human Service Newsbytes May 12 , 2008 Human Service Newsbytes is the biweekly e-newsletter of the National Human Services Assembly that contains information for and about the nonprofit health and human services sector. Please pass this timely information along to your network. The 2.0 Nonprofit How Technology Tools & Trends Meet Human Services The nation's technology gurus are gathering in Washington, D.C. from June 3-4 to divulge the inside scoop on the latest online solutions for nonprofits, and we want you to be there! Expert panels and small-group workshops are just a few of the unique learning opportunities you’ll encounter at The 2.0 Nonprofit: How Technology Tools & Trends Meet Human Services, hosted by the National Assembly and Idealist.org. Discover how today’s technology tools (most of which are free!) are changing and improving the way nonprofits increase visibility, connect with constituents and drive in the money! Interested? Register online and find more details at www.nptechsummit.org *************************************************************************************** Editiorial-bytes: Kids Shortchanged: Children’s Budget 2008, produced by First Focus, an affiliate of America’s Promise, reveals in stark terms that spending for children’s needs is not a federal priority. Non-discretionary spending for children declined by more than 6% since 2004, at the same time that overall discretionary spending increased by 8%. There are lots of child and youth coalitions out there, but how do we unify our voices on this unacceptable state of affairs? Perhaps we should all e-mail our favored presidential campaigns the link to this report to start.. Helping Displaced Colleagues: A corollary of public funding cuts and tightening budgets all around is that more than a few human service organizations are undergoing waves of “reductions in force.” As a result, there are talented, proven people out there who could be making great contributions at other organizations. Let’s give some thought to how those who are laying off and those who are hiring can share these valuable resources. The National Assembly is exploring starting a “Talent Pool” listing of interested displaced employees of member organizations to be shared in HR circles. Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome. Contact irv@nassembly.org. Homeownership Remains a Costly and Risky Proposition As Congress debates solutions to the mortgage meltdown and ever more homeowners find themselves facing foreclosure, a report released by the Center for Economic and Policy Research and the National Low Income Housing Coalition shows that in many bubble-inflated markets, homeownership remains a costly and risky proposition. The findings of the report again show the importance of not relying on a one-size-fits-all solution to the current housing crisis. According to the report, which analyzed data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), the most inflated markets currently see monthly homeownership costs outpacing rental costs by as much as 300 percent. This creates a substantial and unnecessary drain on household income, especially for middle- and lower- income families. To read more.. The Medicaid Buy-In Program Continues To Be a Popular Coverage Option The Medicaid Buy-In program is part of a broader federal effort to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities by allowing states to expand Medicaid coverage to workers with disabilities whose income and assets would ordinarily make them ineligible for Medicaid. This report presents a national profile of the enrollment, employment, and earnings of Buy-In participants in 2006 and investigates the association between participant characteristics, state program features, and employment outcomes. The report notes that the Buy-In program continues to be a popular coverage option for states and enrollment is growing nationwide from 29,398 to 97,491 participants between 2001 and 2006. (Mathematica). Click here.. States' Welfare Caseloads Starting to Rise In the midst of a slowing economy, an article from USA Today reports on the rising number of welfare rolls across 27 states. This increase follows more than a decade of steady decline in government assistance since passage of welfare reform legislation in 1996. A state-by-state breakdown of nationwide recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is also included. Click here… In Understanding the Uninsured: Tailoring Policy Solutions for Different Subpopulations, the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) Foundation examines subgroups within the uninsured population and describes policy options that might be used to extend coverage to specific subgroups, including working parents. For example, solutions for reaching the 34.5 million uninsured non-elderly persons who are not eligible for current public programs may include expansions of these public programs and strengthening private market options. The much-publicized comprehensive health care reform recently enacted by Massachusetts is discussed as well. Click here.. Improvements in Domestic Food Assistance Programs The conference agreement on the 2008 Farm Bill makes numerous improvements in domestic food assistance programs to help low-income Americans put food on the table in the face of rising food and fuel prices. The nutrition title of the conference agreement includes more than $10 billion over ten years in increases in these programs — including $7.8 billion for the Food Stamp Program, $1.26 billion for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and $1 billion for the free fresh fruits and vegetable snack program, which is targeted to schools with high shares of low- income families. The nutrition title of the farm bill would end years of erosion in the purchasing power of food stamps and dramatically increase the availability of fruits and vegetables in low- income schools. (The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities). To read more click here.. Health Insurance and Access Does Not Guarantee Health Care This study from the Annals of Family Medicine was designed to identify barriers faced by low-income parents when accessing health care for their children and how insurance status affects their reporting of these barriers. The study found that low-income families identify three major barriers to obtaining health care for themselves and their children: lack of insurance coverage, poor access to health care services, and unaffordable costs. Obtaining health insurance is most important to parents. If they obtain insurance, they face issues of access to care. Families that overcome insurance and access barriers struggle with costs such as co-pays for office visits, insurance deductibles, and prescription drug costs. To read more… Parent Training Effective at Preventing Early Childhood Behavior Problems A recent analysis set out to identify the components of parent training programs that have the greatest impact on parent and child behaviors. Training that can help parents acquire positive communication skills - and that reinforces those skills - has the greatest impact on parent and child behaviors. The study also found programs that included training in emotional communication had a positive impact on parent behavior. (Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology). To read more… Improving Reentry from Jail to the Community Life After Lockup synthesizes key findings from the Jail Reentry Roundtable and examines opportunities on the jail-to-community continuum where reentry-focused interventions can make a difference. Included in the brief is an overview of U.S. jails and their population and how reentry from jail differs markedly from reentry from state and federal prisons. The report examines concrete reentry steps, profiles 42 reentry programs around the country, and explores probation’s role in the process. (Urban Institute). Click here.. A companion report, “The Jail Administrators’ Toolkit for Reentry,” is a handbook on such issues as assessment of inmates’ needs, identifying community resources, educating the public, and measuring success. Other News... New from the Family Strengthening Policy Center... We are pleased to announce a new Family Strengthening Initiative titled Caring Workplaces, Committed Employees! Like many other nonprofit human services organizations, you may be experiencing challenges attracting qualified people for paid or volunteer openings and retaining good workers. Decades of corporate and public sector experience have established that employees – and volunteers – perform better at work and stay with organizations that help them shoulder their family responsibilities. To help the nonprofit human services sector keep pace, the year-long Caring Workplaces, Committed Employees initiative aims to make the case, provide best practices and case studies, and offer learning events. The Family Strengthening Policy Center is pleased to release the first of these resources:
For more info about this initiative go to www.nassembly.org/fspc New Resources... The Coalition for Community Schools, with support from the MetLife Foundation, has created a one-stop-shop for principal preparation and professional development programs and practicing principals. The website features the best research and tools on nine essential topics that will help principals effectively engage communities and families. Click here.. NeighborWorks America Launches New Center for Foreclosure Solutions Web site The new site now provides tips, data, helpful links and information on training and best practices in foreclosure prevention. Click here.. Cornerstones for Kids’ Workforce Planning Portal provides hands-on tools and resources for human services agencies looking for solutions to workforce challenges . Court Performance Measures in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases This website provides information on the types of performance measures that can be used to assess court performance in child abuse and neglect cases. Youth Engaged in Service
Got Jobs? Members and friends of the National Assembly can post positions on the National Assembly's web site. Click the link. Create your own password, and post the job. Got Conferences, Events? Post events that are open to the broad human service sector (i.e., not just your own members). Click the link. Click on "Add Your Own Event," and follow the instructions. Got News? Email your news and grant announcement suggestions to newsletters@nassembly.org. Grants, Notices & Awards (listed in chronological order by deadline) $5 Million in Grants Available for Student Service and Service-Learning Projects More than $5 million in Learn and Serve America grant funding will be available to support community service and service-learning through three new grant competitions: the 2008 College Student Social Media Initiative, School-Based Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Curriculum (STEM), and the Indian Tribes Drug Abuse Prevention Initiative. For more info.. The UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation announced the availability of new grants to help children who need critical health care treatment, services or equipment that are not covered or not fully covered by their parents’ health benefit plans. Grants of up to $5,000 are available to help families pay for child health care services such as speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy sessions, prescriptions, and medical equipment such as wheelchairs, orthotics and eyeglasses. Parents and legal guardians may apply for grants of up to $5,000 for child medical services and equipment by completing an online application available at the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation website – www.uhccf.org. Champions for Minority Homeownership HOPE Awards The HOPE Awards is a national industry awards program that recognizes individuals and organizations that are making outstanding contributions to increase minority homeownership, revitalize communities and expand affordable housing opportunities. HOPE Awards Winners receive a $10,000 honorarium, national media coverage, paid travel expenses to attend and speak at a minority housing symposium, recognition at the HOPE Awards Gala in May 2009 in Washington, D.C., and much more. Deadline for entries is December 5, 2008. For entry forms and submission guidelines, visit www.hopeawards.org. Three national housing organizations—HomeFree-USA, National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), and NeighborWorks America—have announced new financial support in response to the homeownership financing needs of existing and prospective homeowners. The Homeownership Helps initiative, being funded with a two-year total of $2 million, will help households looking to purchase a home and those struggling with their current mortgage. For more info.. Bank of America Charitable Foundation Seeks Nominations for Neighborhood Excellence Initiative AwardsThe Bank of America Charitable Foundation is currently accepting nominations for these awards. NEI recognizes organizations, individuals, and students who have shown a commitment to improving and revitalizing their communities. Submissions for student leaders are due no later than February 29, 2008. Submissions for nonprofit organizations and individuals are due no later than June 27, 2008. For more info.. Literacy, Youth Leadership and Volunteerism Grants – Deadline: Rolling. The Comcast Foundation supports organizations that make communities stronger through literacy, youth leadership development and community service programs. Award amounts range from $1,000 to $570,000. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status that operate within a Comcast service area.
Webcast - Visits: Critical to the Well-Being and Permanency of Children and Youth in Care This webcast is a conversation between Dr. Hess, the leading expert in family visiting, and Dr. Mallon, the Executive Director of the National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning. Dr. Hess and Dr. Mallon will discuss and highlight promising visiting practices in various states. Click here to register Tuesday, May 20 at 1:00 EDT. Save the Children Advocacy Day 2008 Save the Children's sixth annual Save the Children Advocacy Day will press for American leadership to save the millions of children under five who die each year from preventable causes through passage of the U.S. Commitment to Global Child Survival Act. For more info.. June 11-12, 2008 Washington, DC 2008 Nonprofit Human Resources Conference: Advancing Mission Through People The 2008 Nonprofit Human Resources Conference is the first of a series of planned annual events designed to bring together nonprofit human resources practitioners, executives, thought leaders, and researchers to not only discuss human resources issues of critical importance to the nonprofit sector, but also to identify resources – human, financial, and programmatic – that will advance the missions and organizational effectiveness of individual organizations and position the sector more effectively for the future. National Assembly members will receive a discount on registration. Click here to register. September 28-29, 2008 Washington, DC Advanced Volunteer Management Conference
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