Policy & Practice articles from September 2007

Policy & Practice archives from September 2007

APHSA conferences and major meetings in 2007.(American Public Human Services Association)(Brief article)(Calendar)
September 1, 2007... 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 2007 7-10 National Association of...

Musings on policy.(director's memo)(Viewpoint essay)
September 1, 2007... Dean Atchison once wrote that "the purpose of memos is seldom, if ever, to inform the reader. Rather, they are almost always intended to protect the writer." I think the same could be true for much of the policy development activity that occurs...

Reaching for new heights.(editor's note)(Editorial)
September 1, 2007... Much has happened at the American Public Human Services Association since the last issue of Policy & Practice. A number of employees have moved on and we are recruiting new talents. The occasion provided APHSA with an opportunity for...

My turn.(health insurance policy)
September 1, 2007... For those of us who have raised children, it would be absurd for us to tell our 18-year-old that we will give a little money for college, but not keep him on our health insurance (which for many of us goes to age 23 or 25 on our employer-based...

Family Services Technology Council to identify best practices for adopting caseworker technologies.(first things first)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... A coalition of leaders from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors have formed the Family Services Technology Council. The objective of the council is to identify and publish best practices for state and local governments on the...

Low-income families can't afford to follow USDA dietary guidelines.(first things first)(Department of Agriculture)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The Food Pyramid symbolizes the U.S. Department of Agriculture's guidelines for a healthy diet. It represents the six major food groups--and how much should be eaten from each. But you may not know that the pyramid comes with a seven-day sample...

Troubled homes better than foster care.(first things first)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Children whose families are investigated for abuse or neglect are likely to do better in life if they stay with their families than if they go into foster care, according to a pioneering study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ...

Domestic, intercountry adoptions increase.(first things first)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
September 1, 2007... Comprehensive research on statistics and trends in American adoption reveal a rise in both domestic and intercountry adoptions from 1996 to 2002. Data and analysis from a nationwide adoption survey conducted by the National Council For...

Uninsured women much more likely not to get Pap smears.(first things first)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Unfortunately, according to a recent report from the Agency for Health Research and Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, over 14 percent of American women age 18-64 have not had a Pap smear in the past three years....

New rules lead to Medicaid decline.(first things first)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Medicaid rolls declined in many states after Congress imposed new documentation requirements, but most of the drop-off appears to be among people eligible for coverage, not illegal immigrants. A law that took effect July 1, 2006, requires...

Rachel Demma.(staff spotlight)(American Public Human Services Association)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Name... Rachel Demma [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Time at APHSA... 6 months Title... Policy Associate, Legislative Affairs Place of Birth... Washington, D.C. A Typical Day Starts With... Reading the...

Disabled face multiple barriers to employment.
September 1, 2007... In recent decades, there has been an increased expectation that individuals with disabilities should have the opportunity to work. This is evident in the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act and...

Calling for consumer directed and inclusively designed technology.
September 1, 2007... A regretful irony of the telephone is that it sprang out of Alexander Graham Bell's efforts to devise speech communication instruments for deaf people. Instead, by premising human speech and hearing as the isolated means of telecommunication,...

Quality through equality: people with disabilities as employees and customers.
September 1, 2007... People with disabilities are an important part of your workforce. They are also your customers. They make up 18 percent of the population, according to U.S Census data. Considering disability issues is a part of policy development that can...

Interactive process for hiring the disabled.(legal notes)
September 1, 2007... Disability discrimination law is distinct from most other employment discrimination laws in several ways. Most civil rights laws simply require equal treatment or non-discrimination. Disability discrimination laws require that, but in many...

Information technology is NOT about technology.(technology speaks)(Viewpoint essay)
September 1, 2007... One day in a meeting at the Oregon Department of Human Services, someone proposed automating an existing process. I was opposed to it, prompting the agency's deputy director to say, "I'm amazed that our chief information officer is against a...

Food stamp challenges sweep the country: new "diet" taken by governors, administrators and members of Congress draws national spotlight.(focus)
September 1, 2007... Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski had tried for four years to focus attention on the issue of hunger in his state. This year, his advocacy struck a chord, turning him into a national media celebrity and placing hunger at the forefront of public...

Connecticut addresses high number of black and Hispanics in foster care.(state and local news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... HARTFORD, Conn. -- A pilot program that was tried out in Waterbury for two years will be used by state officials to address the disproportionately high number of black and Hispanic children in foster care. The Department of Children and...

Number of minority kids in foster care draws concern in Oregon.(state and local news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... SALEM, Ore. -- Native American and African American children make up just a fraction of Oregon's population but they're represented in larger numbers in Oregon foster homes. It is also true nationally that a disproportionate number of...

Missouri No. 1 at delivering food stamps.(state and local news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- When it comes to making sure people who qualify get the food stamps they need, Missouri tops the national average. That is according to a study by the National Priorities Project, a not-for-profit research group that...

Allegheny County (Pa.) Mental Health Court viable alternative to jailing mentally III.(state and local news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... PITTSBURGH -- The Allegheny County Mental Health Court was found to be a fiscally responsible alternative to traditional incarceration for persons with mental illness involved in the criminal justice system, according to a new report by the...

Pennsylvania county child welfare agency draws praise.(state and local news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... PITTSBURGH -- Allegheny County's child welfare department, once known for scandalous neglect of already abused and neglected children, has been cited as a role model by a major national child welfare organization. At the Allegheny County...

ISM's 40th annual conference a smashing success.(affiliates' corner)(IT Solutions Management for Human Services )(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... ISM held its 40th annual national conference in Cambridge, Mass., Aug. 5-8, which drew more than 800 attendees, representing state, local, federal and private-sector agencies from 49 states, Canada and Britain. The conference theme was a...

NASMD holds Spring meeting, Plans for fall.(affiliates' corner)(National Association of State Medicaid Directors)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The 2007 Spring National Association of State Medicaid Directors Meeting was held June 10-12 in Burlington, Vt., which featured a presentation from Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas as well as presentations on the State Children's Health Insurance...

What gets measured gets done.(affiliates' corner)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... This business axiom is as true today as it was 20 years ago. Performance measurement encompasses all programs, and accountability is required at all levels of government. Measurements tell the people who work for an organization what is...

NASTA to hold annual conference.(affiliates' corner)(National Association of State)(Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)(Conference news)
September 1, 2007... The National Association of State TANF Administrators will hold its annual meeting at the Providence Biltmore Hotel in Providence, R.I., on Oct. 25-26. This year's sessions cover a broad range of issues including: Work Verification Plans; What...

Two get NAPCWA awards for excellent work.(affiliates' corner)(National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators)(Richard Anderson and Richard Barth)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators has awarded two individuals for their exemplary work in addressing the needs of the nation's child welfare system. The NAPCWA 2006 awards were presented at the NAPCWA June meeting...

Worker safety: a hidden issue.(the field works)
September 1, 2007... "The murder of Boni Frederick will change our agency's culture. We will not stop until our workers are safer. No public servants deserve this more!" Kentucky Health and Family Services Secretary Mark D. Birdwhistell There is nothing...

Ismael Ahmed has been named director of the Michigan Department of Human Services.(newsmakers)
September 1, 2007... Ismael Ahmed, executive director of the Dearborn-based Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services, has been named director of the Michigan Department of Human Services. He replaces Marianne Udow, who became director of the Center...

Susan Dreyfus is now executive vice president of strategy for Rogers Behavioral Health System Inc., Oconomowoc, Wis.(newsmakers)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Susan Dreyfus, chief operating officer of the Alliance for Children and Families, is now executive vice president of strategy for Rogers Behavioral Health System Inc., Oconomowoc, Wis. She is a former division administrator for the Wisconsin...

Kate Houston has been named deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services at the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service.(newsmakers)(United States Department of Agriculture )(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Kate Houston has been named deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services at the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service. She joined the FNS last October.

Emma Forkner is the new Medicaid director of the South Carolina Health and Human Services Department.(newsmakers)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Emma Forkner is the new Medicaid director of the South Carolina Health and Human Services Department. She spent 24 years in the Air Force and retired as a colonel. She has been at the Altarum Institute in San Antonio for the past 10 years...

Marsha Morris is the new Medicaid commissioner in West Virginia.(newsmakers)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Marsha Morris is the new Medicaid commissioner in West Virginia. Morris worked in state government for 16 years with several legislative committees. She replaces Nancy Atkins, who resigned in February to take a job with a national health...

Michael Coulson has joined the American Public Human Services Association as ISM Associate.(newsmakers)(IT Solutions Management )(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Michael Coulson has joined the American Public Human Services Association as ISM Associate. ISM stands for IT Solutions Management for Human Services, an affiliate of APHSA. Prior to this appointment, Coulson had been with the Pennsylvania...

Working and Poor: How Economic and Policy Changes Are Affecting Low-Wage Workers.(Book review)
September 1, 2007... Working and Poor: How Economic and Policy Changes Are Affecting Low-Wage Workers Edited by Rebecca Blank, Sheldon Danziger and Robert Schoeni/Cloth/448 pages Russell Sage Foundation Publications/January 2007/ISBN:...

The Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy.
September 1, 2007... The Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy By Joel Blau and Mimi Abramovitz/Hardcover/528 pages Oxford University Press, USA/Second Edition 2007/ISBN: 0195109686/List Price $64.34 The Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy, second edition,...

How to write a board report.(words on words)
September 1, 2007... Reports are the most common types of documents that we are required to create, writing about what we do at work most of the time. There are many different kinds of reports; each report has a different structure, depending on its purpose,...

Reauthorizing SCHIP: opportunities for promoting effective health coverage and high-quality care for children and adolescents.(noted studies)(State Children's Health Insurance Program)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Over the last decade, the State Children's Health Insurance Program has expanded access to health coverage for millions of children, improved the quality and effectiveness of care and expanded the knowledge and tools needed to measure and...

Basic facts about child support.(noted studies)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... More than 17 million children and their families received $24 billion in child support in 2006 through the help of the Child Support Enforcement Program. This federal-state partnership has been increasingly effective at collecting child...

From poverty to prosperity: a national strategy to cut poverty in half.(noted studies)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Thirty-seven million Americans live below the official poverty line. Millions more struggle each month to pay for basic necessities, or run out of savings when they lose their jobs or face health emergencies. Poverty imposes enormous costs on...

FY 2008 forecast provides look ahead at SAMHSA grant opportunities.(noted studies)(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration )(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is offering an early look at its 2008 grant opportunities in a new funding forecast and help for developing applications in an updated manual. SAMHSA Anticipated FY 2008 Funding...

Boomers are ready for nonprofits, but are nonprofits ready for them?(noted studies)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Projected baby-boomer retirements have already raised concerns in the private and public sectors. This report focuses on the impact these anticipated retirements will have on the stability, growth and potential of the nonprofit sector in the...

Don't hide when the news turns ugly.(communications corner)
September 1, 2007... What would you do if a foster parent killed a child? What if a child returns home from state care and is murdered by a parent? What if a child in state custody disappears? What if someone hides information to prevent your agency from looking...

Finances and affordability of caregiving.(making things happen)
September 1, 2007... More than 51 million Americans have a disability. This represents nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population. Of Americans 65 and older, more than half have a disability. From a family perspective, nearly 29 percent of all American families...

Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, food stamps, child care subsidies and the earned income tax credit form the core work-support system for America's low-income working families.(numbers in the news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, food stamps, child care subsidies and the earned income tax credit form the core work-support system for America's low-income working families. Federal and state governments spent $131...

The child tax credit is a $1,000 partially refundable federal income tax credit for each qualifying child under age 17.(numbers in the news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The child tax credit is a $1,000 partially refundable federal income tax credit for each qualifying child under age 17. Families with young children tend to have lower incomes than families with older children and so are less likely to receive...

In 1992, federal policy for cash welfare allowed families to exempt $1,500 in vehicle value from the asset limit.(numbers in the news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... In 1992, federal policy for cash welfare allowed families to exempt $1,500 in vehicle value from the asset limit. By 2003, 29 states allowed exemption for at least one vehicle. Only 3 states exempted the entire value of a vehicle from food...

Disconnected families have the highest incidence of multiple barriers to employment.(numbers in the news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Disconnected families have the highest incidence of multiple barriers to employment--Sixty-nine percent of those who recently left welfare and 56 percent of those with no welfare history--higher than rates for current welfare recipients. ...

Each year, about 50,000 children are adopted from foster care.(numbers in the news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Each year, about 50,000 children are adopted from foster care. At the same time, more than 24,000 children "age out" of the foster care system each year when they turn 18, because the state has not secured adoptive parents for them--Child...

The vast majority of adoption tax recipients completed private or foreign adoptions rather than adoptions from foster care.(numbers in the news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The vast majority of adoption tax recipients completed private or foreign adoptions rather than adoptions from foster care. The tax credit disproportionately supports higher-income families; those with incomes above $75,000 received...

Continuing a 14-year decline, the U.S. teen birth rate reached an all-time low in 2005.(numbers in the news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Continuing a 14-year decline, the U.S. teen birth rate reached an all-time low in 2005. The 2005 rate of 40.4 births per 1,000 females aged 15-19 was 2 percent lower than in 2004. Among teens aged 15-17, the birth rate declined 3 percent...

Girls ages 12-17 made up less than one-third of adolescent treatment admissions in 2005, began treatment at a younger age than boys and were more likely to have a co-occurring psychiatric disorder.(numbers in the news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Although girls ages 12-17 made up less than one-third of adolescent treatment admissions in 2005, they began treatment at a younger age than boys and were more likely to have a co-occurring psychiatric disorder. 2005 shows about 142,000...

Our do'ers profile.(James W. Payne from Department of Child Services)
September 1, 2007... In Our Do'ers Profile, we highlight some of the hardworking and talented individuals in public human services. This issue features James W. Payne. Name: James W. Payne [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Title: Director, Department of Child...