Supported employment services in Washington State for individuals with mental illness were discontinued in 2012, resulting in uneven service offerings across the state. This report prepared by the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery outlines the primary goals of the Becoming Employed Starts Today (BEST) program and provides baseline profiles and initial service information for participants. BEST is a five-year federally funded pilot program to provide evidence-based supported employment services to individuals with serious mental illness at two sites in Washington State. Program goals for participants include higher employment rates, reduced hospitalization and criminal justice system rates, and improved well-being.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides food assistance to low-income individuals and families. SNAP funding also includes resources dedicated to employment and training services. SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) can be a significant source of flexible funding to help recipients increase income so they can transition off SNAP benefits. Due to seemingly complex funding access, SNAP E&T tends to be an underutilized resource. This guide prepared by the Heartland Alliance’s National Initiatives on Poverty and Economic Opportunity is designed to help community-based organizations (CBOs) and state governments navigate the process of accessing SNAP E&T and 50/50 funding to support employment outcomes and economic advancement for people experiencing homelessness, as well other jobseekers facing barriers to employment.

This website is a resource for education, advocacy, and leadership regarding mental illness in the United States. Providing helplines, public policy resources, and events, NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

This website helps Medicaid beneficiaries receive services in their home or community rather than segregated settings. It provides information for targeted population groups, including people with mental health disabilities as well as intellectual, developmental, and/or physical disabilities. Every state has a HCBS waiver that identifies the population(s) they will serve through this program. Resources and contact information are also provided.

This report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development examines a survey of 1,340 American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) households in 38 tribal areas to assess housing conditions. The analysis uncovered that AIAN housing conditions were much worse than U.S. households, with overcrowding a severe issue in these communities. The report suggests that limited funding is a key reason for limited housing production among many tribes.

Through statistics gathered from American Indian and Alaskan Native children living on or near reservations and comparing them with general population statistics, this report describes the scope of hunger, obesity, and Type II diabetes rates. It also discusses how federal nutrition programs can improve the lives of children living in tribal lands.

Toyota Family Trails is a web site that was developed by a partnership between Toyota and the National Center for Families Learning. It encourages families to learn together and parents to be their child’s first teacher. Families share their outdoor adventures and life lessons through pictures and blog style stories. The site also provides resources and activities designed to encourage parents and children to go outside to learn and explore together.

Renegade Buggies is a free app that can be downloaded from both iTunes and Google Play and helps parents and children gain financial literacy skills together. The app was developed by the National Center for Families Learning in partnership with the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and was named Instructional Game of the Year (2015) by the Institute for Financial Literacy. It encourages both financial literacy and families learning together.