Policy & Practice articles from December 2001

Policy & Practice archives from December 2001

Letter from the Executive Director.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... I have long contended that human services is among the most noble of all professions. At its very core, public human services is predicated on the principles of compassion, inclusion, integrity, and ethical practice. Often, human service...

Inside Story.
December 1, 2001... The winter holidays are here, and most of us can expect to spend extra time with our families, hear from those we haven't seen in a while, and perhaps eat a little more than we should. It's a time of year when we are reminded of where we...

Challenge Equals Opportunity: Food Stamp Reauthorization. (View from the Nation's Capital).
December 1, 2001... It would seem somehow hollow to write an article for this issue of POLICY & PRACTICE without commenting on the events of September 11, and the courage and resilience of the American people. So before I begin with any words about food stamp...

Florida High - Tech Child Abuse Investigations. (Dispatches from the States).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... It is oftentimes difficult for child protection workers to determine, for instance, whether a child actually fell down the stairs or is suffering from neglect and abuse. If such a case occurs in a rural or remote part of a state, it can be even...

Extensions Planned for Welfare Families. (News Watch - Alaska).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Anchorage Daily News Few Alaska families are expected to be booted off welfare rolls when the first recipients hit the state's five-year lifetime limit next year, the state's public assistance director told the Anchorage Daily News. The...

Challenge to Abortion Rules is Filed. (News Watch - Florida).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... St. Petersburg Times A Miami woman and a women's clinic have filed a lawsuit against state officials in an attempt to overturn regulations they say deny abortions under Medicaid to needy women. The lawsuit, filed in Leon Circuit Court by...

State Medicaid Law Passes. (News Watch - Florida).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Miami Herald After striking deals with two big drug companies, Florida got the green light from Washington on a new Medicaid law. The new law creates a list of preferred drugs for Medicaid prescriptions. Doctors who want to prescribe drugs...

Joblessness Likely to Strain Welfare Reform. (News Watch - Kansas).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Wichita Eagle Welfare reform, touted as a success for the past five years in Kansas and across the country; could soon be facing its first real test. The sweeping reform package of 1996 cut the number of welfare recipients across the state...

Medicaid Spending Higher Than Projected. (News Watch - Vermont).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Rutland Herald The amount of money the state spends on providing health care to Vermont's poor continues to grow, and a potential jump in the caseload and loss of revenue as the economy cools off could make that problem worse. Projections...

A Conversation with Secretary Tommy Thompson: In February, Tommy G. Thompson stepped down as governor of Wisconsin to serve as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).(Interview)
December 1, 2001... "I took this job because there is no other job in America where you have a greater opportunity to help people--to actually make a difference in people's lives and improve the quality of life they lead," Thompson told HHS employees after his...

Reforming Welfare and Restoring Marriage.
December 1, 2001... Our welfare debate, which is resumed intensively every six years, is the debate about how well we are taking care of our poor. Though most observers will agree the 1996 TANF reforms were heading in the right direction, there is much yet to do...

Coordinated Care for Dual-Eligibles: Minnesota Senior Health Options.
December 1, 2001... Frail seniors with chronic medical conditions may juggle dozens of physicians and medications, with or without the support of family and friends or committed health care providers. While all seniors over age 65 are eligible for Medicare...

Improving Program Performance: The Child Support Program.
December 1, 2001... The state child support (IV-D) program is now one of the largest programs providing income support to welfare leavers and other low-income working families. Poor families eligible for child support are significantly more likely to receive child...

Keeping Kids Out of the System: Creative Legal Practice as a Community Child Protection Strategy. (Book Notes).
December 1, 2001... Special education needs. HIV/AIDS. Incarceration. Mental illness. Substance abuse. Homelessness. These are all conditions that can trigger child protective interventions. But in many cases, connecting clients with appropriate legal services can...

Building New Partnerships for Employment: Collaboration Among Agencies and Public Housing Residents in the Jobs-Plus Demonstration. (Book Notes).
December 1, 2001... Provides a detailed look at a major current collaborative effort, the Jobs-Plus Community Revitalization Initiative for Public Housing Families. It shows how the seven cities in this national demonstration have attempted to build inclusive and...

How Welfare and Work Policies Affect Employment and Income: A Synthesis of Research. (Book Notes).
December 1, 2001... Describes and synthesizes results from evaluations by MDRC of 29 state welfare reform initiatives. Two consistent patterns emerge in the book. The first concerns the type of services used to get welfare recipients into employment. The book...

Our Do'ers Profile.(social worker Janet K. Schalansky)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... In "Our Do'ers Profile," we highlight some of the hard-working and talented individuals in the public human services field. This issue features Janet Schalansky of the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services in Topeka, Kansas. ...