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October 2024

We are thrilled to announce the launch of APHSA’s brand-new website! The complete revamp aims to provide visitors with a fresh, modern design along with easier access to the information they need to move their work forward. You can explore resources tailored to your interests with enhanced search features, learn how to connect with your peers through Affinity Groups and Communities of Practice, and more. Check it out!

RESOURCES IN MOTION

Letter on Extending Federal Authority to Replace Stolen SNAP Benefits

APHSA sent a letter to the House and Senate leadership, as well as the Agriculture and Appropriations Committees, urging them to extend the federal authority to replace electronically stolen Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Congress extended this authority through December 20, 2024, but we must come together to build longer-term solutions for a modern and secure Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) infrastructure.

Navigating the Future of Child Care Subsidy Systems Post-Pandemic

Last month, we held a webinar on the findings from our recently published comprehensive survey of child care administrators, Navigating the Post-Pandemic Landscape: Insights from Child Care Administrators. We explored the challenges that leaders foresee as they adapt to the end of pandemic-era funding for child care subsidy systems. The event was led by APHSA's Emily Adams, liaison to the National Association of State Child Care Administrators (NASCCA) Affinity Group, and Nora Yates, Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Division of Child Care Services. If you could not attend, you can watch the recording here.

APHSA IN ACTION

ISM + PHSA Education Conference & Expo Wrap-Up

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of this year's Information Technology (IT) Solutions Management for Human Services (ISM) + Public Human Services Attorneys (PHSA) Education Conference & Expo. In addition to record-breaking attendance, there were general session speakers that inspired us; sessions from people with lived experience that provided invaluable insights; a sold out Exhibit Hall; over $15,000 raised for Denver Ronald McDonald House; multiple celebrations of award winners making big impact across human services; endless networking; and who could forget, puppies and karaoke.

We can't wait to see you next fall in Reno, Nevada when ISM convenes September 14-17 and PHSA October 19-22!

Senate Agriculture Committee Briefing on Summer Nutrition Programs

The Senate Agriculture Committee held a closed-door briefing for their staff to learn about the implementation of summer nutrition programs in 2024. APHSA supported the briefing by sharing member experiences and insights. Jonelle Brom, Director of the Bureau of Eligibility Operations and Training within the Division of Medicaid Services, at the Wisconsin Department of Human Services, shared her state's experiences operating Summer EBT.

Leadership Reconvene

In partnership with Social Current, and made possible with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, APHSA hosted the Fall 2024 Leadership Reconvene which united leaders from across nine states—including public, community, and lived experience leaders—who left feeling understood, inspired, and empowered. Leaders were given space to explore a shared vision, generative partnerships, and political literacy. The event also introduced APHSA's THRIVE online learning community, providing a platform for leaders to connect, share resources, leverage strengths, and continue collaborative efforts beyond the reconvene.

Kresge Convening

The Kresge Foundation convened its second NextGen: Frontline Innovator Institute with a cohort of frontline workers and supervisors from 12 community-based organizations (CBOs) across the country. The event was organized by APHSA along with Harvard University's Leadership for a Networked World, and was held in Cambridge, MA. Participants learned from 2Gen, well-being facilitators, and Harvard faculty about advancing systems change with a race equity lens, exercising leadership at all levels, and promoting multigenerational social and economic mobility.

Locals Retreat

In September, the Monterey County Department of Social Services hosted the APHSA Local CEO Retreat. Over 25 county and city leaders from across the country gathered to share and learn about topics including belonging and bridging, emergency response efforts and disaster preparedness, homelessness efforts, and the role of Local CEOs in APHSA’s Next Gen Strategy. The retreat also included a group networking dinner and a tour of a local Monterey County homeless shelter.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

October 20-23 | National Staff Development and Training Association (NSDTA) Annual Education Conference

It's not too late to join us next week in Albuquerque at The Clyde Hotel for this year's NSDTA Annual Education Conference! This conference is designed to support trainers, facilitators, and researchers in the human services sector, empowering them to shape the future of human services programs through collaboration, integration, and modernization. Learn more and register.

October 20, 9:45 AM to 4:00 PM MDT | Bring on the Change: An Organizational Effectiveness Training and Handbook for Change Management Facilitators

Enhance your facilitation skills and drive your organization’s projects forward at this intensive workshop, held on the first day of the NSDTA Annual Education Conference. We will utilize the revised APHSA Organizational Effectiveness (OE) Handbook while participants learn-by-doing in an experiential setting designed to equip them with the tools necessary to successfully facilitate their organization’s continuous improvement or change management projects. You’ll explore APHSA’s DAPIM™ model along with many other resources and tools within the OE Handbook that will boost your confidence in project facilitation.

*This is an optional add-on event with an additional fee. Seats are limited so be sure to reserve your spot while registering for the NSDTA Conference. 

November 13, 3:00 to 4:30pm ET | November NSDTA Showcase Series

Join us for our next NSDTA Showcase Series webinar, "Creative Capacity-Building: Strategic Bench-Building for Success." This webinar will explore how to creatively build capacity through strategic bench-building—focusing not on personalities, but on positions and structures that adapt and evolve as needs change. Attendees will learn how to design teams that can pivot to meet challenges and ensure long-term success by aligning leadership capacity with organizational goals. Learn more and register.

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