The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance (OFA) held the 2022 Regions V-VIII State TANF Virtual Meeting on July 19-21, 2022. This virtual event brought together TANF program representatives from OFA Regions V-VIII and focused on how programs can best address the needs of families beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting included sessions on TANF fundamentals and updates, how the shift to the virtual world has impacted TANF customers and agencies, and changes programs can make to improve their support of customers throughout their TANF journey.

Also, participants chose from concurrent peer-to-peer sessions to attend based on their role within their state (case management, data personnel, or administrative/leadership) to discuss topics including eligibility and work requirements, TANF essentials, the new normal, and refocusing the customer.

Compassion can be defined as “feeling for” others who are in pain with warmth, empathetic concern, and the capacity to understand their perspective and intentions. Compassion is necessary for staff in human service settings to effectively engage clients, understand the context surrounding their journey and personal goals, and accurately identify a path forward and appropriate support services. But if we consider compassion as a finite resource, what happens if it runs out?

This brief, which was prepared in conjunction with PeerTA Podcast Episode 2: Combatting Compassion Fatigue, focuses on emerging issues related to compassion fatigue within the context of managing teams. The brief addresses the following questions: What is compassion fatigue and how may it affect the teams I manage? What are the factors that lead to compassion fatigue? How might I recognize compassion fatigue within my teams? As a manager, what steps can I take to help mitigate the effects of compassion fatigue? What can I learn from other TANF programs that implemented strategies to address issues associated with compassion fatigue?

Compassion can be defined as “feeling for” others who are in pain with warmth, empathetic concern, and the capacity to understand their perspective and intentions. Compassion is necessary for staff in human service settings to effectively engage clients, understand the context surrounding their journey and personal goals, and accurately identify a path forward and appropriate support services. But if we consider compassion as a finite resource, what happens if it runs out?

This podcast explored a condition called compassion fatigue. Panelists included: Anna Tekippe, a clinician at the Center for Work Education and Employment in Denver; Santa Molina-Marshall, a holistic psychotherapist located in Washington, DC with expertise in compassion fatigue; and Gerrie Cotter, a project manager for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The panelists shared their experiences and knowledge about compassion fatigue, as well as effective strategies for combatting compassion fatigue within TANF programs and in other human services settings.

Compassion can be defined as “feeling for” others who are in pain with warmth, empathetic concern, and the capacity to understand their perspective and intentions. Compassion is necessary for staff in human service settings to effectively engage clients, understand the context surrounding their journey and personal goals, and accurately identify a path forward and appropriate support services. But if we consider compassion as a finite resource, what happens if it runs out?

This brief, which was prepared in conjunction with PeerTA Podcast Episode 2: Combatting Compassion Fatigue, focuses on emerging issues from the perspective of a program staff member. The brief examines the following questions: What is compassion fatigue and why should I care about it? What are the factors that may lead to compassion fatigue and how might I recognize it? What steps can I take to help combat compassion fatigue and alleviate its effects? What can I learn from colleagues at other TANF programs about compassion fatigue?

Drawing on the partnership experience between Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, MOED’s Workforce Reception Center, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and Mathematica, this brief describes lessons learned and potential strategies that technical assistance providers can use to encourage successful public-private partnerships, as well as highlights considerations for funders of similar initiatives. This 5-page brief is for foundations or other private organizations that provide technical assistance to programs as they make changes to their program. Mathematica and MOED developed this brief with support from the Administration for Children and Families and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

This brief captures staff experiences, successes, lessons learned, and recommendations from designing and implementing a transitional jobs program called Baltimore Health Corps (BHC). Designed by the Mayor’s Office for Employment Development (MOED), Baltimore City Health Department, and other community partners, BHC is a transitional jobs program for unemployed and underemployed city residents in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic. This 5-page brief is for leaders and frontline staff who are thinking about or implementing a program change and want to draw inspiration and lessons from the successes and challenges of other programs. Mathematica and MOED developed this brief under Project IMPROVE through the Office of Family Assistance, and with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The Office of Family Assistance hosted a GrantSolutions Online Data Collection (OLDC) Grant Recipient Training webinar on November 16, 2021. The GrantSolutions OLDC Grant Recipient Training provided insight on how to access the system, an overview of the system, and details on how to complete the 424M Report and the ACF-204 Form. In addition, the training included what to do when revisions are required on a form or report.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on the livelihoods, finances, and well-being of millions of individuals in Indian Country. Compounding the burden of job losses are widespread school shutdowns and the lack of affordable child care, which simultaneously hinder TANF-participating parents, particularly mothers, from gaining meaningful employment while imposing additional costs on already tight family resources. These trends present urgent and essential demands on Tribal TANF programs. To respond to these challenges, the Office of Family Assistance hosted a webinar on October 27, 2021, which provided insights on Federal and State resources that can assist parents in transitioning into employment, as well as innovative practices from Tribal TANF, child care, and community organizations to support low-income families. The webinar also identified strategies for coordinating Tribal TANF and Child Care offices.