September 20, 2016

An electronic publication of the Community Action Partnership's 
Learning Communities Resource Center
 
Dear Community Action Colleagues:

Dear colleagues,
Thank you for helping to make the 2016 Annual Convention a success! We had 1,300 plus members of the Network learning and networking together to help build the capacity of Community Action at all levels. We are in the process of posting materials on our website so be looking for those. 
We have included materials below regarding the release of the Head Start Program Performance Standards, and the Partnership is planning for opportunities for CAAs to hear from the Office of Head Start. At the Convention we celebrated the 2016 CCAP class - I hope that if you are interested in becoming a CCAP you will join the upcoming webinars. LCRC is continuing their webinar series so be sure to add those dates to your calendar. Additionally, take a look at the resources provided around the release of the Census Bureau Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage data to ensure that you have the most current statistics on your community. We have many more resources and events highlighted below to keep your fall busy!

Looking forward to seeing many of you in the fall conference season.

Sincerely,

Jarle Crocker, PhD
Director, Training and Technical Assistance
Community Action Partnership

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2016 ANNUAL CONVENTION RESOURCES

Thank you to all those who joined us in Austin in August to build the capacity of Community Action! We had great turn out from all levels of the Network from all over the country.

We are in process of loading conference presentation slides and materials onto our website, so for now please continue to access the materials through the app. If you have not downloaded the app onto your phone/tablet you can still do so, or you can access the materials online. (See this guide for detailed downloading instructions).
 
Simply click "Schedule" and it will go through each day of the Convention. By clicking on the name of a session or the arrow next to it you can access the summary and workshop materials. 
2016 Head Start Program Performance Standards

The Office of Head Start released a revision to the Head Start Program Performance Standards. Below are a few resources, but we encourage you to visit the ECLKC for complete information and check in with CAPLAW for additional details.
 
Check out this Storify from the Head Start Twitter Chat to see some of your questions answered.
INTERESTED IN BECOMING A CCAP? 
TUNE IN FOR THE CCAP WEDNESDAY WEBINAR SERIES

CCAP Orientation 
(Wed. Oct 26, 2016, 2-3 pm EDT): 
In this webinar you can learn about the basics of the national Certified Community Action Professional program (CCAP), who it is for, how it is organized and the steps in the process of becoming a CCAP. When you finish the webinar you will better understand how CCAP can fit into your professional future as a leader in Community Action.
 
Candidate Data Form 
(Wed., Dec 7, 2016, 2-3 EST):
Completing the Candidate Data Form (CDF) is the first step in the process of becoming a Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP). It is format in which you document your learning and experiences in the field of Community Action. In this webinar you can explore the parts of the CDF in great detail. You will gain valuable insights on how you can complete your own first step toward national recognition as a CCAP. 
 
Executive Skills Portfolio 
(Wed, Jan. 4, 2017, EST):
Submitting the Executive Skills Portfolio (ESP) is the second step in the process of becoming a Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP). The ESP is your chance to showcase your skills in doing the work of Community Action. It gives you a vehicle to show that you are a leader who understands Community Action's vision and values. In this webinar you will get a comprehensive look at what is expected of candidates in this step toward CCAP. And you will gain insight into what the ESP evaluators address when they examine candidates' ESP submissions.
 
Certification Examination 
(Wed, April 5, 2017, 2-3 PM EDT):
The national CCAP certification examination will be administered this cycle on Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in various locations around the country  to candidates who were successful in their CDF and ESP submissions. In this webinar you will learn how the exam is constructed, what kinds of questions are asked, and how best to prepare for the exam. Once you pass, you are nationally recognized as a Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP).
UPDATES AND EVENTS FROM THE LEARNING COMMUNITIES RESOURCE CENTER

LCRC Publication Highlighted in CSBG IM #149
Last month, OCS released a new CSBG IM on Strengthening Outcomes Through Two-Generation Approaches. IM #149 encourages states, territories, tribes, state Community Action Agency Associations and eligible entities to implement two-generation approaches to serving children and parents together to increase family economic security and well-being. The work of two sites in particular, CAP Tulsa and Garrett County Community Action Collaborative, were specifically highlighted for their innovative work in this field. These sites were recently featured in an LCRC Practice Brief, Uplifting the Family: A Two-Generation Approach, which was also listed in the Resource Section of the IM. 
 
The LCRC Launches Its Blog

The Learning Communities Resource Center is pleased to announce the launch of our new blog! Created in an effort to allow the accomplishments and resource sharing of the Learning Community to be better communicated to the network at large, the LCRC blog will serve as the main communication tool for the project. The blog consists of blog pages for each of the LCGs, an events calendar, LCG profiles, and an extensive resource bank, in addition to allowing all LCG members a place to write and share about their experience in the group.
 
Upcoming Webinar Events
 
National Poverty Trends Session 4
September 28, 2016 1pm ET
Social and economic conditions have changed dramatically since the passage of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. Yet 46.7 million people in the U.S. live in poverty, 15.5 million of whom are children. As the U.S. Census Bureau reported in its annual estimates on income, poverty and health insurance coverage, the poverty rate for 2014 was 14.8 percent, unchanged from 2013. This Poverty Trends webinar series will offer in-depth information on the state of poverty in America and will provide participating agencies with resources on how to analyze their community data on the poverty level and provide tools for anti-poverty advocacy on the local and state level. This webinar is FREE, but Registration is required.
 
Decreasing Family Homelessness Session 4
November 9, 2016  2pm ET
This webinar series, hosted  in collaboration with the National Alliance to End Homelessness (the Alliance), is the virtual discussion forum for the Decreasing Family Homelessness Learning Community Group. It is designed to improve the effectiveness of Community Action Programs (CAP) agencies working on the frontline of addressing family homelessness. This webinar event is FREE, but Registration is required.
2015 Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage Released by Census Bureau
  • In 2015 there were 43.1 million people living in poverty 
  • That's 3.5 million fewer than 2014, but still far too many
  • Using the Supplemental Poverty Measure (accounting for social supports received and expenses paid) 45.7 million people lived in poverty in 2015
  • That's 11.9 million children and 6.5 million adults over 65 years old with too few resources to grow and thrive
What Do CAA's Do With All of This Data?
  1. Download the complete report on Income and Poverty Data and the Findings on Health Insurance Coverage
  1. Read the report on the Supplemental Poverty Measure to understand what is included to get a better picture of poverty in America
  1. Watch this webinar from Coalition on Human Needs detailing how to find specific poverty data for your state - and then compile the 2015 numbers for your state!
  1. Share this guide with your staff for ideas on how to integrate the updated numbers into your agency processes
NEW RESOURCES FROM CAPLAW
This new FAQ addresses common questions about the new overtime rule that are specific to Community Action. 

This FAQ addresses the applicability of the ACA to employees who are not traditional year-round employees. 

Election Year Refreshers:
WIOA RESOURCES

(September 21, 3:00-4:00 ET)
Multi-agency/program-funded infrastructure and other general operational costs are a necessary and required foundation for a one-stop service delivery system. This session, hosted by WorkforceGPS, will provide an overview of key concepts and terms and will provide foundational knowledge of the local and state funding mechanisms.  
This recently released memo from CLASP serves as a reference guide on the WIOA adult program's priority of service for "recipients of public assistance, other low- income individuals, and individuals who are basic skills deficient." 
The guide includes text and citations from the statute, the final rules, guidance, planning requirements, and data collection, as well as recommendations for implementation.

Annual Convention Presentation from CLASP:
This workshop discussed opportunities under WIOA to serve low-income people through WIOA's Priority of Service for high-need adults, Transitional Jobs, TANF/WIOA coordination, Out-of-School Youth, Measurable Skill Gain performance measures, as well as ways to partner with workforce agencies.
Nonprofit Full Costs Realized:
How Two Nonprofits Transformed Their Budgets
A Webinar by Nonprofit Quarterly
September 20th 2:00-3:00 ET

"The failure of funders to cover full costs, and of nonprofits to understand and be clear about what they are, has produced a cycle of distrust between nonprofits and funders and resulted in a sector-wide discussion and debate around the issue of overhead. Ultimately, the lack of full funding puts program delivery to communities at risk..."

Hear from Claire Knowlton, of the Nonprofit Finance Fund and learn:
  • How to build a common embrace of the full costs framework within your nonprofit;
  • A grounded look at the full cost framework:   Day-to-day operating expenses + working capital + reserves + fixed asset additions + debt principal repayment = full costs - at work;
  • How to speak to funders about the need for full cost coverage.
RESOURCES FROM THE 
SELF-SUFFICIENCY RESEARCH CLEARINGHOUSE





From the Practicioner's Corner, this SSRC Note provides a brief overview of the impacts of the Great Recession on the American workforce and labor market, particularly in "tradable" industries such as manufacturing.

During this free Webinar, SSRC Emerging Scholar Dr. Anupama Jacob will focus on examining multidimensional poverty in America through the lens of race/ethnicity and potential policy implications. She will begin with a broad overview that explores the different ways that poverty is conceptualized and measured in the U.S. and internationally, and then will discuss how the multidimensional poverty index can be applied in the U.S. context.
NASCSP ANNUAL TRAINING CONFERENCE
Omaha, NE
September 27-30,2016

NASCSP's 2016 Annual Training Conference offers a valuable opportunity for professionals from around the country to come together and discuss strategies for meeting new challenges. The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) track will focus on HHS CSBG initiatives. It will also highlight best practices related to anti-poverty efforts, performance management, and performance measurement. Sessions will include updates on ROMA Next Generation, Organizational Standards, ACSI, State and Federal Accountability Measures, a discussion with the Office of Community Services about their vision for the future of the Network, and more. Learn more and register today.
Management and Leadership Training Conference

January 11-13, 2017
Long Beach, California
CSBG T/TA RESOURCE CENTER

Find  Performance Management guides and webinars in the Resource Bank

Submit a TA Request on any areas of the Organizational Standards to the Center of Excellence Team through the Request System

Add your state events to the Network Calendar

 
In This Issue...
Important Dates
September 20

CCAP Orientation Webinar

November 9
Decreasing Family Homelessness Session 4

Thank you for reading.  We hope you found the content helpful. 

 

Do you have questions for the Partnership's T/TA team?  Contact us:



Please contact Jarle Crocker, Director of Training and Technical Assistance , at  jcrocker@communityactionpartnership.com  with comments and Natalie Kramer, Program and Policy Associate at nkramer@communityactionpartnership.com with content suggestions.  
 
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@NatTrainingCTR

This publication was created by National Association of Community Action Agencies - Community Action Partnership in the performance of the U.S. Department of Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services Grant Numbers 90ET0452 and 90ET0445.
 
Any opinion, findings, and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.