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Greetings NACHSA Members: |
Congress returns tomorrow for a lame duck session. After months of contentious campaigning at the federal level, policymakers in the House, Senate and within the administration return to a 'status quo' division of power, with little change in the party margins in either house that translates into a mandate for dramatic policy changes. At the same time, there is huge pressure in Washington to craft a budget package before year's end that addresses the December 31 expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts, alternatives to the 8.2% across-the-board cuts that would begin on January 2, 2013 and the need to again raise the federal debt ceiling.
Normally, any one of those issues would take weeks, if not months, of negotiations between the House, Senate and administration to resolve. At best, there are about five weeks in which to find at least partial solutions to these huge fiscal issues. While the odds of agreeing to all the details of a long-term budget agreement soon are small, Capitol Hill observers speculate that there could be a package to forestall driving over the 'fiscal cliff' that would include some immediate cuts and increased revenues, with an agreed-upon blueprint that the congressional committees would have to follow next year to craft legislation identifying specific spending cuts and revenues to achieve a longer-term solution to the federal deficit. How they will get there is still anyone's guess. President Obama has invited key Democratic and Republican leaders to the White House later this week to begin those discussions.
Regardless of what happens in the next few weeks, the balance of power on Capitol Hill will not be much different next year. Culling through numerous post-election analyses has provided a few interesting facts on the demographics of the 113th Congress convening in January. Given the elections in 2010 and this year, at least one-third of the House members will have less than three years of experience. This includes about 80 new Representatives elected last week. The House Democratic Caucus is becoming increasingly progressive, with only 14 or so fiscally conservative 'Blue Dogs' remaining - down from 54 in 2008 and 26 in the current Congress. The number of women and minorities continues to grow in the House Democratic Caucus, with the total number of women and minorities now reaching about 50% of the Caucus.
The Democratic make-up is counterbalanced by the Republicans in which most of the 87 GOP conservative freshmen class will be returning in 2013, including at least 51 of the 55 Tea Party members elected in 2010.
As for the Senate, a record number of women will take office next year -- 15 of the 20 are Democrats. That party, surprisingly, increased its Senate membership from 53 to 55, if the two independents from Vermont and Maine decide to caucus with them. |
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| Health Reform Implementation Resources | |
Governors Assn. Launches ACA Implementation Website: Developed by the National Governors Association, State Health Policy Options http://statepolicyoptions.nga.org is a resource center that intends to make it easier to explore potential solutions to health policy problems faced by states. The website will provide policymakers with innovative approaches and the experience of states in their efforts to improve health care access, affordability and quality. The website focuses on various topics, including: Planning for 2014: Provides information and analysis relevant to health insurance exchanges, Medicaid and insurance subsidy and tax credit policies; Medicaid Cost Containment: Examines state initiatives to reduce Medicaid costs and maintain access to quality care; and, Health Information Technology: Shares ways to improve system performance, and design effective health information exchanges.
Interoperability Toolkit: This HHS compendium of interoperability documents is designed to help human services agencies connect with their health counterparts and maximize Affordable Care Act benefits. It includes: an overview of recent changes allowing states more flexibility to support interoperability; a tri-agency letter with follow up guidance on exceptions to A-87 cost-allocation requirements; and, additional materials to help enhance operational efficiency, lower costs and improve client outcomes. (49 pp.)
Status of State Health Exchange Development: Updated last week by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, this map and accompanying analysis provides a snapshot of states and their progress in developing health exchanges. A similar update is provided in this National Conference of State Legislatures brief. |
| Human Services Resources | |
Using the Guardianship Assistance Program (GAP) for Children in Foster Care: Making It Work finds that children with relative guardians are benefiting from the Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program. The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act's Guardianship Assistance Program (GAP) gives states the option of providing ongoing financial assistance for children who leave foster care for guardianship with a relative. Making It Work: Using the Guardianship Assistance Program (GAP) to Close the Permanency Gap for Children in Foster Care examines the benefits and best practices in states implementing GAP and provides a snapshot of state activities.
State officials and other stakeholders were surveyed from the 29 states that had approved GAP programs as of September 2012. With the support of Casey Family Programs, this report was a collaborative effort between the ABA Center on Children and the Law, Casey Family Programs, Child Focus, Child Trends, Children's Defense Fund, and Generations United. It includes a fact sheet and narratives on each state. A two-page summary is also available.
Comparing Differential Response in 10 Child Welfare Agencies: This Casey Families Program report provides a snapshot of factors for child welfare agencies to consider when planning a DR approach. It analyzes the jurisdictions' implementation experiences; provides a matrix comparing implementation experiences and additional information across 10 jurisdictions; and outlines resources for jurisdictions considering or implementing DR. The jurisdictions highlighted is not an endorsement of the "best" DR jurisdictions, but instead the report identifies a sampling of diverse jurisdictions -- including large and small states, state vs. county administered systems, and various social and political environments. (34 pp.)
Meal Access of Homeless Students:USDA policies regarding eligibility for free school meals for certain homeless, migrant, runaway, and foster students are explained in a new issue brief from the National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE (NCHE). Access to Food for Homeless and Highly Mobile Students was developed with assistance from FRAC, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth. The brief addresses frequently asked questions about implementing appropriate policies and offers tools to ensure that these students can access food both inside and outside of school. Follow this link to a copy of the new issue brief. (11 pp.)
Social Impact Bonds:This recent Center for American Progress article updates the status of social impact bond initiatives in New York City and the state of Massachusetts, as well as possible initiatives in Cuyahoga County, Ohio and the city of Fresno, Calif. The structure to reduce recidivism of incarcerated youth in NYC is outlined in a helpful flow chart. These bonds are an innovative financing tool for social programs in which government agencies contract external organizations to achieve measurable, positive social outcomes on key issues, such as homelessness or juvenile delinquency. Payment by the government is made only after results have been achieved.
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| Webinars | |
Maximizing Multiple Funding Streams for Subsidized Employment: On November 28 at 1 pm ET, HHSwill conduct a webinar highlighting promising practices for building sustainable subsidized employment programs. The session will review available funding streams, discuss the varied funding sources' requirements and restrictions and how they can be combined and leveraged, and outline practical strategies used by agencies to create/expand subsidized employment programs for TANF participants and low-income workers. Click here to register.
Child Support 101: The National Conference of State Legislatures is holding a child support enforcement webinar on November 27 at 2 pm ET for individuals wanting to learn more about the program. Included in the session will be strategies to increase collections and help more children. One in four children is under a child support order, including nearly half of all poor children in the U.S. Vicki Turetsky, Commisioner, HHS Office of Child Support Enforcement is a featured speaker. Click here to register. |
| Human Services jobs | |
The Sacramento County, Calif. Department of Human Assistance is recruiting for the Chief of Departmental Administrative Services. The closing date is November 19.
NACHSA members may post senior job openings free of charge. Contact Tom Joseph tj@wafed.com for more information. |
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Tom Joseph
National Association of County Human Services Administrators
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