The Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network, funded by the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance, coordinated two-day site visits at the request of several Regional and State Department of Health and Human Services Offices. States were invited to participate based on findings resulting from the Network’s national needs assessment regarding the challenges and successes of implementation of State welfare reform initiatives. Ms. Vesta Kimble, Deputy Director of the Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services, led the site visit. Ms. Kimble provided an in-depth description of Anne Arundel County’s Family Investment Program. This technical assistance event afforded participants an opportunity to observe Anne Arundel’s welfare service delivery system first hand.

The Welfare Peer Technical Assistance (TA) Network sponsored a two-day site visit to Wisconsin in coordination with the Kenosha County Department of Human Services and the Racine County Department of Human Services. The purpose of the visit was to offer participants an opportunity to obtain an overview and description of both centers’ delivery systems, tour their facilities, and interact one-on-one with program area staff.

The Welfare Peer Technical Assistance (TA) Network, funded by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), assisted the Colorado Works Program, Office of Self Sufficiency, Department of Human Services, in the planning and hosting of this workshop. The purpose of this technical assistance workshop was to explore new and innovative ways to use TANF non-assistance funds to serve low-income populations. The workshop was designed to allow key county social service staff to learn about existing programs outside the State, hear the Federal perspective relating to TANF non-assistance funds, and provide a forum for dialogue with the State social service office. Participants who attended included county commissioners, social service directors, and key administrative staff. Thirty-one county representatives from all over the State were present.

This report details the presentations given and questions, answers, and concerns articulated by members of the ACF Region V States at the June State Human Services Officials Meeting.

In 2003, the State of West Virginia submitted a Peer TA request form, asking for assistance in determining the most effective mental/emotional health screening instrument available to meet the needs of their TANF clients. This short report summarizes the technical assistance request, and provides information on screening and assessing the mental health of TANF eligible clients.

Brighter Future, Inc. (Brighter Future) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Texas. This organization is a minority operated, community-based organization that provides educational training, vocational support services, and pre-vocational services to underprivileged Texas adults and adolescents. Brighter Future submitted a technical assistance (TA) request to the Welfare Peer TA Network requesting assistance and guidance in securing grants that would allow for the expansion of their youth and adult literacy education program services.

The OFA Peer Technical Assistance Network coordinated a workshop on behalf of the Philadelphia County Assistance Office. The purpose of this one day technical assistance event was to identify barriers that large urban areas such as Philadelphia encounter in their efforts to move Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) clients from welfare to meaningful employment, and to explore strategies to overcome these barriers. Two focus groups were set up to obtain information about barriers identified from both an operational perspective and an administrative perspective from within the Philadelphia County Assistance Office. TANF provider representatives from Los Angeles, Chicago, and Indiana shared information about some of the obstacles that they had encountered and successfully addressed within the past year. The workshop concluded with a discussion of strategies that the Philadelphia County Assistance Office could implement, resources available to assist with the implementation of these strategies, and next steps.

The ability of States and counties to meet TANF participation goals through the use of subsidized employment, work experience and community service strategies has been a central part of TANF. Recognizing these realities, especially those facing large urban centers, the California Department of Social Services made a Technical Assistance (TA) request on behalf of their largest urban center (Los Angeles) and on behalf of four very similar urban centers (Chicago, Houston, New York City and Philadelphia.) The five target cities were led through a series of facilitated discussions involving the core subject areas of performance management and contracting, saturation engagement, diversion and immediate employment, and re-engagement and sanctions.

The Peer Technical Assistance Network, funded by the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance, held a 1 and a 1/2 day interactive workshop addressing the issue of welfare reform in the rural community context. The focus of the workshop was to promote the sharing of ideas and innovative practices designed to assist rural communities to effectively collaborate and utilize community resources to move welfare recipients to employment and self-sufficiency.

This document details a recent review of Nebraska’s new Employment First Screening and Assessment Form (“Screening Form”) and Guide, conducted by the staff of the Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network. This review involved a document analysis of the Screening Form and the Guide, as well as interviews with an Employment First Program Specialist and two Employment First caseworkers.