Policy & Practice articles from December 2003

Policy & Practice archives from December 2003

The most precious gift.(director's memo)(Editorial)
December 1, 2003... As we approach the holiday gift giving season, I want to share the story of the most precious gift our family has ever received. On October 16, my stepson, Christopher, was the recipient of a double lung transplant at Baylor Methodist Hospital...

Inside story.
December 1, 2003... The winter holidays are upon us once again. Whether it is a religious or cultural celebration, this time of year is an important part of most people's lives. For some, this is the time to reaffirm religious beliefs, for others it involves rich...

Streamlining customer service.(first things first)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... With a focus on quality of service, New York City's Human Resources Administration launched its Medicaid Assistance Program. The program has redesigned the application and case management process for public health insurance. With five model...

Congratulations, Washington's Disease Management Program!(first things first)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The Disease Management Association Of America (DMAA) cited Washington's Disease Management Program, which is managed by the state's Medicaid program, and its primary contractor, McKesson Health Solutions, as the "Best Disease Management...

Fathers can help.(first things first)
December 1, 2003... For decades, the child welfare system has focused its intervention on mothers. One way to involve fathers, however, and build family responsibility for protecting children is family group decision-making (FGDM), which is being implemented in...

Where troubled teens live.(first things first)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Researchers at Rutgers University have found some of the most vulnerable adolescents in the country--teenagers who are severely emotionally disturbed and often victims of abuse or neglect--are likely to be found not in psychiatric hospitals,...

A snapshot of America's welfare caseload.(first things first)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... A report from the Urban Institute, "Work and Barriers to Work Among Welfare Recipients in 2002," compares the current work status and barriers to employment of adults on welfare in 2002 with those of adults in 1999. The analysis focuses...

Declines in out-of-wedlock births recognized.(first things first)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Four states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S.Virgin Islands were cited for having the largest decreases in out-of-wedlock births between 1998 and 2001. Maryland, Colorado, Wyoming, Texas, and the District of Columbia will each receive a...

Serving children of incarcerated parents.(first things first)
December 1, 2003... When parents are incarcerated, they often leave children behind. Who cares for children when a parent is incarcerated, and the services they and their caregivers receive, are clearly pressing issues. "Children of Incarcerated Parents," a policy...

Staff spotlight.(first things first)
December 1, 2003... Name... Patricia "Pat" Shapiro Time at APHSA a... October marked my 20th year! Title... Senior Research Analyst for the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators Place of Birth... Brockton, Massachusetts ...

Report tracks health care for elderly.(California)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Los Angeles Times Most California senior citizens report they are in good health, but elderly Latinos and others who speak limited English say they have more health complications and poorer access to care than their peers, according to a...

SCHIP budget request surprises leaders.(Idaho)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Idaho Statesman The Department of Health and Welfare is asking state taxpayers to pay for a health insurance program that wasn't supposed to cost them anything. Lawmakers, who agreed to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program...

Feds oppose Louisiana care program.(Louisiana)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The Advocate A state plan to restrict a new program of in-home care to people who otherwise would be nursing-home bound is running into resistance from federal health care officials. Under federal law, Medicaid services must be offered to...

Food stamp rolls swell with jobless.(Michigan)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Detroit News Rising unemployment and a steep drop in good-paying manufacturing jobs are taking a wider toll on Michigan residents, including a 50 percent explosion in the number of people collecting government food assistance. Currently...

12,000 in Mississippi on child care list.(Mississippi)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The Clarion-Ledger More than 12,000 Mississippians are on a waiting list for the state's child care assistance program. Low-income families on state welfare programs and those that make 50 percent and 85 percent of the state's median...

What happened to the welfare department?
December 1, 2003... Enter the Fastforward Center, Hampton, Virginia's, new welfare reform initiative, and you'll see a high-impact space where customers are exposed to new ways of living and working. Giant-size exhibits, with eye-popping graphics, curve around the...

Unconditional child care.(Cover Story)
December 1, 2003... The importance of quality child care cannot be stressed enough. Yet oftentimes, families with children with behavioral problems lose their access to child care. Their children are repeatedly rejected from child care facilities, only to be...

Human services dot net.
December 1, 2003... The Challenge The human services field is fueled by knowledge. Insights into how human service programs work and why practices succeed or fail rests in the experience of exceptional practitioners. Systematically organizing agency staff to...

Minimizing agency and worker liability.(legal notes)
December 1, 2003... A well-organized filing system is imperative for any human service agency that hopes to run smoothly, efficiently, and economically. Each agency should select filing equipment and procedures that are tailored to its unique needs. Whatever...

Department of Social Services.(newsmakers)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford appointed Kim Aydlette to direct one of the largest government agencies in the state, the Department of Social Services. She is responsible for a multimillion dollar budget, and the supervision of more than...

El Paso County (Colorado) Department of Human Services.(newsmakers)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Barbara Drake was named director of the El Paso County (Colorado) Department of Human Services. For the past six years, she served as deputy director of the department. Drake has more than 25 years of professional experience in human...

Tennessee Department of Human Services.(newsmakers)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Virginia Lodge was appointed commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Human Services in January 2003. The department is responsible for administering more than 20 types of services throughout Tennessee, including Families First, food stamps,...

Georgia Department of Human Resources.(newsmakers)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Gov. Sonny Perdue removed Jim Martin as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Resources. He was commissioner of the department for two years. Martin's departure had been long expected at the state Capitol because of his strongly...

Pennsylvania's Department of Public Welfare.(newsmakers)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Estelle B. Richman was appointed secretary of Pennsylvania's Department of Public Welfare. Her career spans more than 25 years of public service, including her most recent position as the first female managing director for the city of...

New Hampshire's Health and Human Services Department.(newsmakers)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... In October, John Stephen became the new head of New Hampshire's Health and Human Services Department. Since 1998, he served as assistant safety commissioner of the Department of Safety, which includes the state police and motor vehicles...

Our do'ers profile.(Interview)
December 1, 2003... In Our Do'ers Profile, we highlight some of the hard-working and talented individuals in public human services. This issue features Howard Hendrick of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services in Oklahoma City. Name: Howard H. Hendrick ...

Say what?
December 1, 2003... It's interesting how a word becomes vogue and soon everyone is using it. We impact everything now; it is as if "affect" was banned. And take "extreme." We've all heard of "extreme sports." Now there is a television show called "Extreme...