This resource highlights six strategies and practical steps faith-based organizations can take when helping their communities prevent and heal from the effects of the opioid crisis. These strategies include opening doors and offering space for recovery programs and support groups, as well as increasing awareness, reducing stigma, and encouraging compassion through understanding of the condition. Additionally, building and restoring community capacity and the presence of faith-based organizations at the table are key. Getting ahead of the problem is especially important, as prescription opioid exposure remains a path to heroin use. The resource also encourages connecting and collaborating between community organizations and utilizing federal resources.

This National Consortium of Breast Centers resource provides a list of websites and organizations that provide breast cancer information and resources. The list includes the name, contact information, and a short summary of each organization. This resource also provides information on how to access free breast cancer screenings for those with financial constraints.

This trial analyzed the Teen Options to Prevent Pregnancy (TOPP) program developed by OhioHealth to reduce rapid repeat pregnancy and promote healthy birth spacing for adolescent mothers. The random controlled trials examined the initial training of nurse educators and the discussion of both contraceptive and non-contraceptive topics with new mothers. The study found that the TOPP program reduced the rate at which mothers experience rapid repeat pregnancies and births at a statistically significant level.

This interactive map from the Centers for Disease Control, National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program allows users to find resources for getting free or low-cost breast and cervical cancer screenings. Users can search by state or American Indian/Alaska Native Organization to find local hotlines for affordable screenings, information about state screening programs, and state-specific cancer statistics.

Low-income families and people of color often struggle to find safe neighborhoods to live in due to high housing costs and discrimination. These challenges lead to economically segregated neighborhoods that suffer from neglect, inadequate services, and high levels of crime, which prevents residents from moving out of poverty. This report from the US Partnership on Mobility from Poverty summarizes the research on the four ways that neighborhoods can negatively impact the lives of their residents: the availability and quality of services, crime and violence, the role of social networks, and access to employment.

On Tuesday, October 10, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) hosted an event on the state of safety-net programs under the Trump administration to include the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, Medicaid, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The discussion was moderated by AEI’s Robert Doar with a panel of Wade Horn, the former assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families; Robert Rector from the Heritage Foundation; and Ron Haskins from the Brookings Institution.

This Abt Associates report details evaluation results from Family Self-Sufficiency programs in Lynn and Cambridge, Massachusetts. In these programs, Compass Working Capital partnered with local public housing agencies to provide case management and an escrow savings account to help participants achieve their financial goals. The researchers compared the change in earnings, welfare income, credit scores, and debt over time between program participants and a matched comparison group. Participants experienced an average gain of $6,305 in household income between 2010 and 2016 and a decline of $496 in annual welfare income. Credit scores also increased an average of 23 points for participants, and their total debt decreased by an average of $764.

This blog post from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse provides information on opioid abuse among older adults ages 55 to 64. Older adults have experienced the greatest increase in drug-related deaths. A pattern of opioid misuse often begins with a life change, such as a divorce, an empty nest, or the death of a parent or spouse. Health care providers also tend to over-prescribe opioids to this age group due to the chronic pain they can experience. The author provides resources from the Centers for Disease Control for health care providers, and a guide to finding quality addiction treatment for older adults who are struggling with opioid addiction.

Domestic violence survivors often face challenges when trying to secure safe and affordable housing. This special collection from VAWnet provides resources to help providers of services pertaining to sexual assault, homelessness, and housing serve the housing needs of domestic violence survivors. The collection starts by describing the intersection between domestic violence and homelessness, especially for survivors of color. Next, the collection provides case studies illustrating partnerships between domestic violence organizations and affordable housing providers, and supplies four key strategies for helping addressing survivors’ barriers to safe housing. The collection also includes relevant public policies and statistics on the intersection between domestic and sexual violence, housing, and homelessness.

WorkforceGPS compiled this list of resources to serve the populations with barriers to employment that are targeted by H1-B TechHire grants. These populations include youth and young adults (ages 17-29), individuals with disabilities, individuals with limited English proficiency, and individuals with criminal records. There are resources tailored to each population, including toolkits, assessments, and manuals, to help them overcome their barriers and obtain employment.