Policy & Practice back issues from September 2005:
Conferences and major meetings in 2005.
Sep 01, 2005 ... Where You Can Find APHSA During Our 75th Anniversary Year Information about upcoming 2005 conferences and meetings is posted, once available, on the APHSA web site at http://www.aphsa.org. Click on "Conferences and Events." Please join us. <Pre> September 2005 22-23 ...
Homage to Don Jose: 'It's a Wonderful Life'.(Don Jose Stovall)
Sep 01, 2005; ... I have a confession to make. In my spare time, I love to watch old movies, especially those from the 1930s and 1940s. My preference is for the really nostalgic and sentimental flicks in which the good folks always win out and the endings are happy. Maybe it's because we confront human ...
Inside story.
Sep 01, 2005; ... Management is one of those areas where academic theory and best practices on site often clash. The problem is that there are usually 99 theories (often provided by professors with limited experience) for every good study of outstanding practices by great business people. While knowledge ...
Medicaid reform begins and ends with states.(my turn)
Sep 01, 2005; ... We've seen the headlines; heard the television reports; listened to the talk around the water cooler. It's the topic of every Medicaid office in the country. Reform. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Most people agree it's needed, but not everyone agrees on what it should look ...
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, wins 'Oscar' in government.(Allegheny County Human Services Department )(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... On Wednesday, July 27, the Allegheny County Human Services Department was awarded the Innovations in American Government Award from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government for its unique approach to working with people who have behavioral health diagnoses as they are released ...
Casey Foundation report shows increase in child poverty.(Annie E. Casey Foundation)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... National trends in child well-being are no longer improving in the rapid and sustained way they did in the late 1990s, according to a recent report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Among the negative trends: the number of children who live with parents facing persistent ...
Americans view Medicaid positively, reluctant to see state and federal cuts.(first things first)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... Public attitudes toward Medicaid are remarkably positive, and with strong opposition to proposed cuts, according to a recent public opinion survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation. While two-thirds of those polled think their state has major budget problems, a substantial ...
Social Enterprise Management: transforming government service delivery.(Advertisement)
Sep 01, 2005 ... Citizen Service, long an oxymoron, is becoming an attainable goal. From New York to Utah and from Louisiana to British Columbia, forward-looking state and provincial governments are embracing a new Social Enterprise Management (SEM) business model to transform service delivery. ...
A drug prevention program you'll never forget.(Community Action Network for Drug-free Lifestyle Empowerment Inc.)
Sep 01, 2005 ... A nonprofit organization is using some creative drug prevention and awareness techniques they call The Reality Tour to present the life of a teen on heroin. The Community Action Network for Drug-free Lifestyle Empowerment (CANDLE) Inc., Butler, Pa., produces realistic drug ...
Leavitt names members to Medicaid advisory panel.(Mike Leavitt, Department of Health and Human Services )(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... On July 8, Mike Leavitt, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced 13 voting members and 15 nonvoting members of an advisory commission charged with identifying reforms necessary to stabilize and strengthen Medicaid. Former Tennessee Gov. Don Sundquist ...
CMS wants more states to join demonstration project that began in January.(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services )(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... CMS is seeking five to 10 states to help expand its demonstration project aimed at helping inform citizens about how to plan for long-term care. The goal is to help controlling costs in the Medicaid program. Administrator Mark McClellan said the agency wants more states to join ...
CMS announces new web site for low-income subsidy.(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... On July 11, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and two groups on aging launched a web-based service to help low-income Medicare beneficiaries determine their eligibility for the financial subsidies that begin January 1, 2006, as part of Medicare Part D. The new service is ...
Celebrate National Family Week.(first things first)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... Join other public human service agencies in celebrating National Family Week 2005 this November. To help identify other community-based organizations with which you can collaborate, plan or host an event, the Milwaukee-based Alliance for Children and Families is offering a free toolkit, ...
New child welfare training center opens in Pittsburgh.(Pennsylvania Child Welfare Training Program by University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work )(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... PITTSBURGH -- Child welfare professionals and foster parents from across Pennsylvania now have the opportunity to receive training at a new state-of-the-art facility, which opened June 22 in Mechanicsburg. The University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work (SSW) administers the ...
Report: many uninsured kids get no medical care.(first things first)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... Federal data show one-third of the roughly 8.4 million U.S. children without insurance go without medical care for an entire year, even though many are eligible for government health programs. Uninsured children in Southwestern states and in Hispanic and African-American ...
Amy Plotnick.(Staff spotlight)(Brief Article)(Biography)
Sep 01, 2005 ... Name ... Amy Plotnick Time at APHSA ... 24 years and 6 months [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Title ... Publications Manager, Communications and Member Services Place of Birth ... George Washington ...
Michigan builds leadership inside the organization.(Michigan Department of Human Services, Development Dimensions International, Leadership Academy )
Sep 01, 2005; ... Imagine the looming threat of 75 percent of your top leaders retiring in the next few years. That is the challenge the Leadership Academy was created to meet. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In 2001, the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) projected that about 150 of ...
Succession planning: attitude, action, and a nurturing environment.
Sep 01, 2005; ... From the day Karl Kurtz, director of Idaho's Department of Health and Welfare, took the reigns of the agency, he has been attentive to succession management, working with department leadership to raise their consciousness about the issue. While Kurtz views succession management ...
Knowledge management: key to Georgia's succession planning efforts.
Sep 01, 2005; ... Baby boomers play a significant role in America today. Their impact is notably demonstrated by the vast media campaigns vying for their economic power. A second contributing factor to consider is that baby boomers are also nearing and entering retirement at an alarming rate. At the Georgia ...
Food stamp nutrition education: promoting healthy eating.(Durham's Innovative Nutrition Education for Lasting Improvements in Fitness and Eating)
Sep 01, 2005; ... Making healthy food choices is a challenge for everyone, and especially for children, who are subject to innumerable influences in their environment as they develop preferences and practices that will last a lifetime. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In Durham County, N.C., ...
National Summer Conference: July 17-19, 2005.
Sep 01, 2005 ... 1. APHSA Board members Gary Stangler, executive director of the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative; Jim Hine, commissioner of the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services; Deborah Marley, assistant secretary of Washington's Economic Services Administration; and Howard ...
Individual liability of supervisors.(legal notes)
Sep 01, 2005; ... Supervisors are often named as defendants in lawsuits even though they have no direct involvement in the event itself. Individuals alleging discrimination or other wrongful behavior in the workplace frequently sue both the agency and their supervisors. Such allegations may be made because ...
Federal systems development and MITA.(Medicaid Information Technology Architecture)
Sep 01, 2005; ... Healthcare services are a complex process with long episodes of care that have multiple services provided by multiple providers guided by significant legal requirements. Historically, they are expensive because of the many lines of code necessary to process all the different ...
Iowa Child Support Unit launches employer web site.
Sep 01, 2005 ... DES MOINES, Iowa -- Employers who make Iowa child support payments on behalf of their employees may now make those transfers online. The Iowa Child Support Recovery Unit (CSRU) has launched a business-focused Internet site that will allow employers to do most of their child ...
Florida unveils web-based report card for DCF.(Florida Department of Children and Families)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) recently unveiled a new way for Floridians to see a DCF "report card" that can be accessed through a web-based performance Dashboard at: http://dcfdashboard.dcf.state.fl.us/. The dashboard displays more ...
Indiana sets methamphetamine standards.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana child welfare officials have joined law-enforcement officials, health professionals, and others to develop statewide rules to protect and remove children found in homes or other places where methamphetamine is produced. The state's Drug Endangered ...
Ohio Department saves money by putting files on disks.(Clark County Department of Job and Family Services)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- Millions of documents used to flood the Clark County Department of Job and Family Services, crowding precious space and making it difficult for caseworkers to find quickly the paperwork they needed. But now the tide has turned with the help of DVDs. Now just ...
Louisiana DDS changes promote 'No Wrong Door' effort to help clients.(Department of Social Services)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... BATON ROUGE, La. -- In a move to implement the state Department of Social Services' (DSS) "No Wrong Door" initiative, Louisiana is making changes to allow citizens to apply for some services, including the Food Stamp program, at any of the department's Office of Family Support (OFS) ...
N.J. disaster mental health response system improves crisis counseling.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... TRENTON, N.J. -- Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks brought nationwide attention to the importance of mental health disaster response planning, New Jersey has been providing crisis counseling services and specialized interventions. During the 9/11 crisis, counselors dispatched to ...
Tennessee initiative to transform health care delivery system.(TennCare Bureau's Community Connection program)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- The state of Tennessee's TennCare Bureau has partnered up with BlueCross/BlueShield to revolutionize health care delivery by using technology to help reduce medical errors, avoid duplicate services, and detect fraud and abuse. The program, operated by ...
16 states get $30 million for exemplary work on Food Stamp Program.(state and local news)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that the Food Stamp Program has achieved a historic 94.12 percent overall payment accuracy rate and that it has awarded $30 million to 16 states for their exemplary administration of the program in fiscal year 2004. The seven states ...
Succession planning: there are no magic bullets.(making things happen)
Sep 01, 2005; ... We find ourselves talking these days about succession planning with a tinge of panic in our voices. Baby boomer retirements, early-outs, and staff "who just aren't ready" are daily topics in human service agencies. Many states are doing an admirable and creative job addressing ...
Correction.(Correction Notice)
Sep 01, 2005 ... Phil Basso is a program director of leadership and practice development at APHSA. The article in June 2005 Journal "Designed for Success: a Blueprint for Group Collaboration" was authored by Becky Cobb of Catholic Charities, Ill.; Todd Jackson of the Illinois State Board of Education; ...
Sidonie "Sydney" Squier in June became director of the Office of Family Assistance, Administration for children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.(newsmakers)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... Sidonie "Sydney" Squier in June became director of the Office of Family Assistance, Administration for children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she is responsible for administering the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. ...
Barry Maram and Antonia Novello were among this year's recipients of the National Governors Association's Distinguished Service Award to State Government.(newsmakers)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... Barry Maram, director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS), and Antonia Novello, commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, were among this year's recipients of the National Governors Association's Distinguished Service Award to State Government ....
John Selig was named head of the Department of Human Services.(newsmakers)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... In Arkansas, John Selig was named head of the Department of Human Services. He replaced Kurt Knickrehm, who left state government to join the private sector. Selig heads the newly combined DHS and the state Department of Health. He was the deputy director of DHS in charge of the ...
Michael Danjczek has announced that he will retire in the summer of 2006.(newsmakerss)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... Michael Danjczek, president and executive director of the Children's Home of Easton Services Inc. and president of the Children's Home of Easton Inc., Pa., has announced that he will retire in the summer of 2006. The 56-year-old said that he will retire in a year's time after ...
Department of Health and Social Services.(Karleen Jackson is new commissioner)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... In Alaska, Karleen Jackson has been named commissioner of the Department of Health and Social Services, effective Oct. 1. Jackson has been serving as the ...
Food and Nutrition Service.(Jody Cornwell to head agency)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... Jody Cornwell, assistant deputy director with the Missouri Family Support Division in charge of the Food Stamp program, has been appointed food stamp director for the Food and Nutrition Service ...
Department of Human Resources.(Elizabeth Seale leaves Maryland agency)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... Elizabeth Seale, deputy secretary of the Maryland Department of Human Resources (DHR), has resigned to become the chief operating officer for the Corporation for National and Community Service. She joined the administration in January ...
Division of Child Support Enforcement.(Margot Bean is new commissioner)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... Margot Bean, director of the Division of Child Support Enforcement for the New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, was named the new commissioner of the federal Office of ...
Department of Child Services.(James Payne is new head)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... Judge James Payne was named director of the Indiana ...
Department for Community-Based Services.(Mike Robinson to leave)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... In Kentucky, Mike Robinson, director of the Department ...
Medicaid.(Warren Jones retires as director while Bobby Moody joins)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... In Mississippi, Warren Jones retired from the position of ...
David Zentner.(retires as Medicaid director)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... David Zentner is retiring as ...
Department of Human Services.(Brian Johnston is new interim director)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... In Oregon, Brian Johnston has been named ...
Lynn Reed.(interim Medicaid director)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... Also in Oregon, Lynn Reed is ...
Office of Children and Youth Services.(Debra Liebel retires)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... In Pennsylvania, Debra Liebel, Erie County's director of Children and Youth Services, ...
Department of Social and Health Services Children's Administration.(Cheryl Stephani joins Washington state agency)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... In Washington state, Cheryl Stephani has been appointed assistant ...
APHSA.(Jennifer Abdelnour at American Public Human Services Association)(Gregorio Hunt joins National Association of State Medicaid Directors )(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... At APHSA, Jennifer Abdelnour joined the Center for Workers With Disabilities. She works on federal disability policy, housing, transportation, definition and determination of disability, and Personal Assistance Services. Gregorio ...
NASMD.(newsmakers)(Martha Roherty joins National Association of State Medicaid Directors )(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... Martha Roherty has been ...
Welcome, new and returning local agency members.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... Janine Sewell Director Fredericksburg Department of Social Services Fredericksburg, VA The city's history spans Colonial times, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and the 20th century. Cathi Grams ...
Illinois program promotes family economic success.(the field works)
Sep 01, 2005; ... The enactment of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act ushered in a new set of demands for public human service agencies and the clients they serve. The law replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families ...
Write with the reader in mind.(words on words)
Sep 01, 2005; ... Some of us write as if our messages are intended for ourselves. They like to show off their big words and involved sentence structure. Because they are their own audience, they seldom bother to write or organize messages so that they can be easily understood. These writers use "peruse" ...
First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently.(Book Review)
Sep 01, 2005; ... First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently By Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman. Hardcover/271 pages/Simon & Schuster, 1999/ISBN 0-684-85286-1 List Price $26 Many books are devoted to management techniques or finding ideal careers, ...
Numbers in the news.(statistics)
Sep 01, 2005 ... In 2004, the U.S. poverty rate increased to 12.7 percent, from 12.5 percent in 2003. In addition, the poverty rate rose last year for working-age people, those ages 18 to 64. In 2004, the median pay of full-time male workers dropped more than 2 percent, to $40,800; for women, ...
Our do'ers profile.(David Sanders of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services)(Biography)
Sep 01, 2005 ... In Our Do'ers Profile, we highlight some of the hardworking and talented individuals in public human services. This issue features David Sanders of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. Name: David Sanders [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...