This Office of Family Assistance video from the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) program highlights the role of navigators who help HPOG participants address barriers to healthcare careers. The video presents innovative case management techniques in King County, Washington, a grantee of the HPOG program.

OFA PeerTA coordinated a multi-part training series for Tribal TANF programs seeking to improve case management outcomes. The facilitated online training series was delivered to assist frontline staff, client support specialists, lower-level managers, and others who may provide direct services or have direct engagement with participants. The bootcamp also created a small community of learning for participants.

 Webinar Series Details

Overarching Goals for Tribal TANF Programs:

• Enhance the case management skills of Tribal TANF staff to improve employment outcomes;
• Reduce the number of sanctions while improving work participation;
• Develop applicable products and tools to improve case management performance and employment outcomes; and
• Generate continuous dialogue across Tribal TANF programs resulting in long-term peer support and the sharing of best practices that improve employment outcomes

Webinar Topics/Dates: (Note - all times listed are Eastern Time)

• Improving Participant Engagement, Motivation and Participation – February 8, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
• Using Motivational Interviewing Techniques in Assessment – March 8, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
• Writing Effective, Efficient Case Notes that Support the Plan – May 3, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
• Improving Employment Outcomes – June 7, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is the first federal legislative reform of the public workforce system in over 16 years. It presents unique opportunities to increase the economic opportunities and stability of disadvantaged jobseekers. The state of Maryland became one of only 29 states and 2 territories that opted to develop a Combined State Plan which aligns its workforce and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs across the state, requiring its 12 Local Workforce Areas to design distinct implementation plans responsive to the population needs in each of Maryland’s 24 counties (and Baltimore City). This report, developed through the Office of Family Assistance, details Maryland’s TANF/WIOA Alignment Process.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families' (ACF) Office of Family Assistance (OFA) hosted this webinar that highlights the redesigned OFA PeerTA (PeerTA) website. PeerTA facilitates information sharing between states, counties, localities, tribal organizations, and community-based organizations working with TANF participants and families. The PeerTA website functions as the communications vehicle for the PeerTA model by facilitating dialogue at the state, county, local, and tribal level. In this brief webinar, we provided a demo of the key features of the PeerTA website and how the website can support TANF stakeholders in their work with families.

On September 11, 2014, the Office of Family Assistance hosted a Webinar, titled "An Overview of OMB Approved Form ACF-196R State TANF Financial Report Form." The revised reporting form is the 196R for State submission of quarterly financial data on their State TANF and MOE expenditures, which was released in this OFA Program Instruction in July 2014. Presenters included:

• Susan Golonka, Acting Director, Office of Family Assistance, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services;
• Winston Gonzalez, Office of Information Services, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services;
• Maria Sciannameo, Office of Family Assistance, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services;
• Peter Germanis, Office of Family Assistance, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and
• Julie Siegel, Office of Family Assistance, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

On May 5, 2014, the Social Security Administration presented a webinar, "An Overview of Social Security Programs and Services Important to Tribal Communities" sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance (OFA), Division of Tribal TANF Management, in partnership with the Administration for Native Americans. This webinar explained programs and services of particular interest to tribal community members throughout Indian Country. During this webinar, speakers Charles Jenkins and Alfredo Padilla Jr. expanded on important programs and services such Retirement, Survivors, Disability, Supplemental Security Income, grandchildren benefits, services offered to reservations in remote areas of the United States, upcoming field office changes, and more about the "my Social Security" account.

The Administration for Children and Families' Office of Family Assistance (OFA), Division of Tribal TANF Management hosted a Webinar, "The Initial Steps for Tribal TANF: Submitting a Letter of Intent." This Webinar provided an overview of the Letter of Intent process for Tribes interested in applying to administer a Tribal TANF program for the first time. During this Webinar, Tribes learned how the Bureau of Indian Affairs Service Area Designation play a role in the process of administering a Tribal TANF Program. Webinar participants gained a better understanding of how to identify service population and service area. Speakers provided an overview of the roles of Office of Family Assistance staff in the Regions and Central office as they relate to the letter of intent process.

The Administration for Children and Families' Office of Family Assistance (OFA), Division of Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Management and the Office of Child Support Enforcement hosted a Webinar entitled "Partnering for Children: Collaboration Between Tribal TANF and Tribal Child Support." This Webinar provided the goals and objectives of the Tribal TANF and Tribal Child Support program, including conditions of eligibility for both programs. During this Webinar, speakers identified the differences between State and tribally administered TANF and child support programs. Webinar participants also had an opportunity to hear about collaborative approaches from representatives from Tribal TANF and Tribal Child Support programs at the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe and the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.

On August 1, 2012, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance (OFA) hosted the first Webinar in a series of Webinars for the Promising Pathways Initiative. The Promising Pathways Initiative provided technical assistance to State, Tribal, and local TANF programs and nonprofit organizations to promote successful outcomes for low-income families, and seeks to address the knowledge needs of the TANF field through an evidence-informed practice approach. The Initiative is grounded in the research on evidence-based practices. The Promising Pathways Initiative supported ten selected sites from the ten OFA Regions by building capacity of the sites to identify practice and program components; develop and document evidence; and articulate the resulting "story" about the effectiveness of the program or practice. Titled "Using Data to Improve and Show Program Performance," this Webinar introduced participants to a system for identifying, collecting, and assessing information to demonstrate measurable program impacts beyond funder requirements. Participants learned about developing effective measures and creating performance plans to make data actionable. The Webinar featured an overview of LINCWorks, a program in Kansas City, Missouri which participated in the Promising Pathways Initiative performance tracking tools.

Substance abuse is recognized as one of the most common barriers facing hard-to-employ TANF recipients. Due to the stringent work requirements and time limits under Federal welfare policy, substance abuse treatment and counseling services are becoming a necessity for any public assistance program attempting to move recipients from welfare to work. Under the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) Welfare Reform Technical Assistance Project, Caliber Associates produced this document as a reference tool on two specific Federal funding sources - Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and Welfare to Work (WtW) funds - which can be targeted at supporting substance abuse treatment services for the welfare population.