Policy & Practice articles from September 2006

Policy & Practice archives from September 2006

APHSA conferences and major meetings in 2006.(Calendar)
September 1, 2006... Information about upcoming conferences and meetings is posted, once available, on the APHSA web site at www.aphsa.org. Click on "Conferences and Events" on the home page. Please join us. September 2006 10-13 IT Solutions Management for...

TANF: reauthorization or AFDC redux?(Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Act)
September 1, 2006... John Gardner once wrote that the world has "too many unloving critics and too many uncritical lovers. What we really need are more loving critics." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the spirit of a "loving critic," I want to comment on the...

Inside story.(website enhanced)
September 1, 2006... While many of you are aware of the editorial improvements and content expansion of Policy & Practice, the flagship publication of the American Public Human Services Association, there is a parallel revolution that has been taking place with and...

Can't afford to replace your legacy system? Can you afford not to?
September 1, 2006... Legacy systems--existing systems that are deployed in an organization that are usually considered stable--were great in the 80s, but are now obsolete technology. For the most part, the systems still perform their main function in spitting out...

APHSA briefs Senate Finance Committee on citizenship requirements.(first things first)
September 1, 2006... On July 31, the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) staff briefed a bipartisan group of Senate Finance Committee staff members on the new Medicaid citizenship and identity documentation requirements. Nearly 15 committee members...

Tommy Thompson advises Medicaid reforms.(first things first)(health insurance)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Tommy Thompson, the former secretary of health and human services, has proposed overhauling Medicaid in ways that he says would be good for the country. Thompson said the federal government should assume primary responsibility for elderly...

New Treasury secretary sees rising inequality.(first things first)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Henry Paulson, the new Treasury secretary, has made the wide gap between rich and poor Americans one of the nation's top, long-term economic challenges. "Amid this country's strong economic expansion, many Americans simply aren't feeling the...

New regulations address adoption of health information technology.(first things first)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... On Aug. 1, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced two final regulations that will support physician adoption of electronic prescribing and electronic health records technology. The first is a final rule concerning new...

States struggling to comply with new welfare rules.(first things first)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The new welfare rules that require states to move more welfare clients to work are discouraging activities, such as study and health programs, that might help struggling families and individuals become independent, according to an article in...

Rural Assistance Center unveils new state information resource.(first things first)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The Rural Assistance Center (RAC), a national resource for rural health and human service information in Grand Forks, N.D., has launched "State Resources" on its web site, which allows easy access to continuously updated demographics and...

Kapilendra Patnaik.(staff spotlight)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Name... Kapilendra Patnaik Time at APHSA... Almost two years Title... Web Master [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Place of Birth... Cuttack, Orissa, India A Typical Day Starts With... Coffee, Virgin...

The nation's healthcare crisis.(Interview)
September 1, 2006... Many in the public human service world consider the rising cost of health care the most serious problem facing the nation's poor and uninsured. The federal government has been trying to make Medicare and Medicaid programs more effective, less...

What states are doing with Medicaid.
September 1, 2006... 2006 will be remembered as a year in which a number of changes were made to the Medicaid program. There are four overall trends occurring: the use of some of the flexibilities made possible under the Deficit Reduction Act, covering health-care...

APHSA summer Conference: photo highlights.
September 1, 2006... Richard Anderson, director of Child and Family Services from Utah, introduces the Tuesday plenary speaker, Bob Lavigna. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bob Lavigna of CPS Human Resource Services talks about the future of work-force development...

Agency culture and supervisor key to tackling high turnover.
September 1, 2006... Staff turnover is a costly and perpetual nemesis, especially for public human service organizations. Traditionally, agency officials have estimated the cost when an employee leaves to average the amount of that person's salary for one year....

The many faces of human service lawyers.
September 1, 2006... Attorneys who call themselves human service lawyers are not all of one species, on the same side, and of one mind. Let's outline some of the common types of jobs a human service lawyer can fill: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1) Public...

Utah Division of Child and Family Services.(newsmakers)(Richard Anderson awarded)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Richard Anderson, director of the Utah Division of Child and Family Services, was named Utah Manager of the Year in May. He received his award from Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert.

Casey Family Programs.(David Berns appointed)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... David Berns, the Arizona director of economic security, has joined the Casey Family Programs as the executive vice president of Child and Family Services. The position was held by William C. Bell, who is now chief executive officer and...

Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation.(newsmakers)(Barbara Blum awarded)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Barbara Blum, president of the Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation in New York, was honored with the American Public Human Services Association's 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award. Blum was president of APHSA's Board of Directors from...

Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.(newsmakers)
September 1, 2006... Christia Calamas was named secretary of the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. She was assistant general counsel to Gov. Jeb Bush.

New Mexico Department of Children, Youth and Families.(newsmakers)(Dorian Dodson appointed)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Dorian Dodson has been named secretary of the New Mexico Department of Children, Youth and Families after Tommy Jewell, a former chief judge of the Children's Court, declined to serve in that capacity. Dodson will succeed Mary Dale-Bolson, who...

Minnesota Department of Human Services.(newsmakers)(Kevin Goodno resigns)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Kevin Goodno has left his position as the chief executive officer of the Minnesota Department of Human Services to head the government practice unit of a Minneapolis law firm. Cal Ludeman is the acting commissioner.

Allegheny County Public Assistance Office.(newsmakers)(obituary of Anthony Massarelli)(Obituary)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Anthony Massarelli, former director of the Allegheny County Public Assistance Office, died June 1, 2006, at his home in Murrysville of complications from emphysema. He was 67. Massarelli had nearly a 30-year career as a social worker in...

N.J. Department of Children and Families.(newsmakers)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... On July 11, New Jersey set up a Cabinet-level agency, the N.J. Department of Children and Families, to be led by Kevin Ryan, who has served as commissioner of the N.J. Department of Human Services since January 2006. James W. Smith Jr. was...

Missouri Department of Social Services.(newsmakers)
September 1, 2006... Gary Sherman resigned as the head of the Missouri Department of Social Services. No successor has been named yet.

Texas Health and Human Services Commission.(newsmakers)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Chris Traylor has been named associate commissioner for Medicaid and CHIP at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. He has been chief of staff at HHSC since 2004.

Department of Human Services.(newsmakers)(Cheryl Ternes appointed)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Cheryl Ternes has been named director of the Arapahoe County (Colo.) Department of Human Services, replacing Brian Field, who retired Aug. 1. Ternes was deputy director of the Jefferson County Human Services Department.

APHSA.(newsmakers)(American Public Human Services Association)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... APHSA welcomes new members to its Board of Directors: Richard Anderson, director of the Division of Child and Family Services at the Utah Department of Human Services; Robin Arnold-Williams, secretary of the Washington Department of Social and...

Welcome, new and returning local agency members.(Amy Correia, Johnson County Social Services Department, Frederick Crawford, Logan County Department of Social Services, John Davis, Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Amy Correia Director Johnson County Social Services Department Iowa City, Iowa Iowa City is home to the University of Iowa, with its famous Writers Workshop. Frederick Crawford Director Logan County Department...

Alabama County DHR workers earn state honors.(state and local news)(Department of Human Resources )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... HARTSELLE, Ala. -- Two Morgan County Department of Human Resources (DHR) employees were recently recognized by the state for their work with foster/adoptive parents. Pam Jones was named Alabama's Foster Care Worker of the Year and Wendy Crane...

Iowa pool to lower Medicaid drug costs.(state and local news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowa is joining with Maine and Vermont to negotiate lower prices for the drugs they buy for Medicaid recipients. Gov. Tom Vilsack said Iowa and the federal government would save about $11 million a year under the new...

Child support checks give way to debit cards in Missouri.(state and local news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The child support check is giving way to payments delivered directly to debit cards in Missouri. The new debit cards began going out in August to residents in Cole County, and the switch from paper checks should be...

New Iowa law for youth aging out of foster care seen as model for other states.(state and local news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowa's new law to extend financial support and assistance for youth in foster care to age 21 is a model for other states to improve services for youth making the difficult transition from foster care to adulthood, said a...

Allegheny County (Pa.) unveils new Human Service web site.(state and local news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... PITTSBURGH -- HumanServices.net, the web site launched by The Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) in June, has been chosen by the Exemplary Systems in Government (ESIG) Review Committee of the Urban and Regional Information...

Ethics and technology in human services.
September 1, 2006... We'll all agree that the world we live in is becoming increasing affected by the evolution of technology. The Internet, mobile computing and communication, Open Source are all emerging evidence that this trend is continuing and intensifying. As...

Ism honors three states at its 39th annual conference.(IT Solutions Management)(Missouri Department of Social Services, Virginia Department of Social Services, Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Three states will be recognized by IT Solutions Management for Human Services for Excellence in Human Services Information Technology at the APHSA affiliate's 39th annual conference, which will be held in Minneapolis, on Sept. 10-13. The...

NASMD tackles DRA, State Medicaid Director Letters.(affiliates' corner)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... Throughout the summer, the National Association of State Medicaid Directors (NASMD) has been busy tackling the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) and guidance issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). A total of 10 State...

Working together for Maryland's kids and families.
September 1, 2006... The mantra at the Maryland Department of Human Resources (DHR) is "Putting Children First." It is a daily reminder to our 7,000 employees to work collaboratively across the agency toward the best interest of children and their families, no...

The Promise of Welfare Reform.
September 1, 2006... The Promise of Welfare Reform Political Rhetoric and the Reality of Poverty in the Twenty-First Century By Keith M. Kilty and Elizabeth Segal, editors. 329 pages/The Haworth Press. 2006. ISBN-13:978-0-7890-2922-5. Softcover. $34.95 ...

At the Front Lines of the Welfare System.(At the Front Lines of the Welfare System: A Perspective on the Decline in Welfare Caseloads )(Book review)
September 1, 2006... At the Front Lines of the Welfare System A Perspective on the Decline in Welfare Caseloads By Irene Laurie. 284 pages/Rockefeller Institute Press. First edition. 2006. ISBN-1-930912-17-X. Softcover. $15 Scholars who have focused on...

How to write a news release.
September 1, 2006... Many nonprofit organizations have a hard time getting press attention. Often officials think the subjects they deal with are not "sexy" enough for the press. Many also have an aversion to dealing with the press. To make matters worse, many...

Report finds increase in Food Stamp Program participation rates.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released a report on Food Stamp Program participation rates for 2004. The overall national participation rate, defined as the rate of those receiving benefits compared with those eligible for the program,...

Report provides details on food stamp disaster program.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The 2006 The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) Advocate's Guide to the Disaster Food Stamp Program highlights how advocates, public agencies and social service providers can assist with disaster relief and connect needy families to food...

Survey finds diverse state initiatives with a common focus on improving child care.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... States are exceeding minimum funding requirements in the quality of their child care programs while launching initiatives aimed at improving child care quality, according to a new report. The report, Investing in Quality: a Survey of State...

GAO releases child welfare disaster planning report.(Government Accountability Office)("Child Welfare: Federal Action Needed to Ensure States Have Plans to Safeguard Children in the Child Welfare System Displaced by Disasters")(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report, Child Welfare: Federal Action Needed to Ensure States Have Plans to Safeguard Children in the Child Welfare System Displaced by Disasters. The report was conducted in response...

Study says promoting food stamps has helped cut number of clients.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana released findings of a hunger study that portray a typical food bank client as a single white female in her 30s or 40s with a young child and a high school diploma, earning about $7.70 an hour....

Keep them married.(I making things happen)
September 1, 2006... Federal and state leaders, the press, advocates, faith communities and others are paying lots of attention to marriage. Strengthening marriage is important, given the growing evidence that, on average, children do best when they are raised by...

U.S. Census Bureau.(numbers in the news)(household income)(Survey)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... 2004 marked the second consecutive year in which real median household income showed no change. Black households had the lowest median income in 2004 ($30,134) among racial groups. Asian households had the highest median income ($57,518)....

U.S. Census Bureau.(numbers in the news)(poverty rate )(Survey)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... There were 37.0 million people in poverty (12.7 percent) in 2004, up from 35.9 million (12.5 percent) in 2003. There were 7.9 million families in poverty in 2004, up from 7.6 million in 2003. The poverty rate for families remained unchanged...

Social Service Review.(numbers in the news)(day care centers)(Survey)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The adoption of a child from foster care results in a savings of $21,000 in government funds over seven years. The adoption of 50,000 foster children each year could save the government $3.3 billion to $6.3 billion over time. The savings...

The U.S. Census Bureau.(numbers in the news)(stay-at-home parents)(Survey)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... In 2005, the United States had an estimated 5.8 million "stay-at-home" parents: 5.6 million moms and 143,000 dads. About 8 percent of all children (6.1 million) lived in a household that included a grandparent. Among 12.8 million children...

The U.S. Census Breau.(numbers in the news)(disability rate)(Survey)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... About 18 percent of Americans in 2002 said they had a disability, and 12 percent had a severe disability. Among people with disabilities, more than half of those 21 to 64 years old had a job, more than four in 10 of those age 15 to 64 used...

Pew Research Center for People and the Press.(numbers in the news)(online news usage )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Nearly one in three Americans regularly used the Internet to get their news in 2006, compared with one in 50 in 1996. The growth rate in online news usage has been slower among younger readers. The percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds who get...

Journal of the American Medical Association.(numbers in the news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Gaining 22 pounds increased a woman's risk of breast cancer by 18 percent. Women who lost the same amount lowered their risk by 57 percent. Women who gained 55 pounds or more after age 18 and kept the weight on had a 45 percent greater...

Our do'ers profile.(Lucy D. Hadi)
September 1, 2006... In Our Do'ers Profile, we highlight some of the hardworking and talented individuals in public human services. This issue features Lucy Hadi of Florida's Department of Children and Families. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Name: Lucy D. Hadi...