The Compass - New Monthly Newsletter

DECEMBER 2023

Welcome to the inaugural edition of our new American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) newsletter, The Compass. This monthly newsletter will provide updates on the most current APHSA work, resources, and initiatives that seek to enhance the work of our members and partners as they serve their communities and drive systems change.

You are receiving this first email as an introduction to The Compass. To continue receiving this newsletter in 2024, sign up here!

RESOURCES IN MOTION

SNAP Survey

APHSA recently conducted a survey of SNAP agencies to assess the wages of frontline workers. The survey results will be used to inform the Government Accountability Office (GAO) study on the human services workforce. To learn more, email us.

Environmental Justice Resource Page

Check out APHSA's newest resource page to better understand the role of human services in advancing climate and environmental justice. The page features our first environmental justice brief, blog posts from partners, and several resources from the federal government and others.

THRIVE

APHSA's Learning Management System, THRIVE, is a Training Hub for Resources, Innovation, & Virtual Exchange. We encourage you to expand your knowledge on hot topics in human services through access to our exclusive eLearning courses and expansive library of resources. You can also engage with your peers and other industry professionals in our online learning communities. Check out the latest e-Learning courses:

Adaptive Leadership: Module 1

Adaptive Leadership: Module 2

Digital Benefits Hub

Digital Benefits Hub is a dynamic, open-source reference library for practitioners who are working through complexity to improve access to public benefits and services. This month features new resources on automation and AI, data sharing, and more!

APHSA IN ACTION

Influencing the Farm Bill

APHSA continues to release new policy briefs and feature blogs from guest contributors on recommendations for the Farm Bill. Check out our latest briefs on topics like transitioning the Standard Medical Deduction and the Elderly Simplified Application Project to permanent state options.

Learn More

Understanding Collaborative Approaches to Economic and Concrete Supports

APHSA's Economic and Concrete Supports Community of Practice focuses on how states and counties are implementing collaborative models that deliver economic and concrete supports and reduce child welfare involvement. The community of practice hosted its first session in September and its second session in November to learn more about state models on prevention. Contact Kapria Lee, Project Associate for Child and Family Well-Being, to get involved!

Email Kapria Lee

Working With Food-Insecure Limited English Proficiency Households

Through a Share Our Strength-funded initiative, APHSA has been convening human services agency personnel, their community-based non-profit partners, and individuals with limited English proficiency to identify best practices in supporting families facing language barriers in successfully obtaining food and nutrition assistance through SNAP and other programs. To learn more, reach out to Alexandra Ramos, Project Associate for Culturally Responsive Services.

Email Alexandra Ramos

Supporting Youth Aging Out of Care Through SNAP E&T

APHSA released a 2-pager on how states can support youth aging out of foster care through SNAP employment and training (E&T) services. The release includes considerations and state examples of SNAP E&T in action. This is the latest addition to APHSA’s SNAP E&T Specific Population Toolkit.

Read the Brief

Local Human Services Leader Retreat

APHSA hosted a Local Human Services Leader Retreat in Fort Collins, Colorado this past November. Twenty-four local human services leaders from across the country spent two days together immersed in peer learning aligned with areas they are advancing within their organizations. Topic areas included leadership development, legislative updates, and workforce recruitment and retention efforts. For more information about joining our Local Human Services Council, contact Kim James, Assistant Director of Technical Assistance for the Organizational Effectiveness team.

Email Kim James

APHSA STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Shug Pierce (they/them) - Project Associate, Process Innovation

Shug leads tech-focused initiatives within APHSA's Process Innovation team, including AI-Powered SNAP Modernization research. This project details current and potential uses of AI in SNAP case processing. In addition, Shug leads APHSA's AI Workgroup, a subgroup out of our multi-agency Process Innovation Community of Practice. Sign up to join the AI Workgroup or email Shug to learn more.

GET INVOLVED

Submit a proposal for our first conference of 2024! The APHSA National Human Services Summit is being held June 9-12 in Arlington, VA. Learn more here!

Click here to learn more about our affinity groups and peer communities, or reach out to our membership team at [email protected].

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"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

― Helen Keller