Human Services
Community Building
Digest

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law

 On Thursday June 6th at 12:00 p.m., U.S. Senators Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Paul Wellstone (D-MN) and Representatives Marge Roukema (R-NJ) and Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) will join supporters of mental health parity legislation and those who have been directly affected by the lack of mental health parity on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, to help rally Congress to pass the Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act.

http://www.bazelon.org/newsroom/5-30-02parityrally.htm

National Coalition for the Homeless

As the debate over welfare reform moves into the U.S. Senate, it appears state governors are going to be very influential in determining welfare policy. The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) asks you to call your Governor and ask them to support policies that help end and prevent homelessness.

Please ask your Governor to ensure:

1.      Housing is an important part of TANF reauthorization.

2.      So-called "Superwaivers" are NOT included in TANF reauthorization.

3.      Full family sanctions not be allowed.

4.      Medicaid administrative costs be funded at current levels, not be reduced as in the House-passed welfare bill.

The United States Senate will take up welfare legislation in the next month and it is vital that they hear from both you and your governor. Please let us know the results of your call.

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/income/governoralert.html

**Children, Youth & Families

2002 KIDS COUNT Data Book and Online Database Now Available

The 2002 KIDS COUNT Data Book shows that seven of the indicators of child well-being conditions improved between 1990 and 1999, while child well-being worsened on two other indicators (and remained unchanged on yet another). State-by-state and national indicators of child well-being are now available through our interactive online database where you can view state profiles, graphs, maps, and rankings, and download raw data.

http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/kc2002/

Children Cared for by Relatives: What Do We Know about Their Well-Being?

A brief from the Urban Institute suggests that children living with low-income relatives fare worse on some measures of well-being compared with children living with low-income parents, but on others they are doing just as well.  The well-being of children living in kinship care is examined using two types of comparisons: children living with kin are compared with children living with their parents, and children in low-income relative and parent care households are compared.  These findings suggest that systems might be further developed to provide support for families caring for relative children in schools, area offices for the aging, and local community organizations.

http://www.urban.org/Template.cfm?Section=Home&NavMenuID=73&Template=/TaggedContent/NewReports.cfm&PublicationID=7702

A recent issue of Changemakers Journal spotlights how social entrepreneurs are engaging and re-interesting children in learning by first hooking their attention with a dynamic and meaningful "point of contact." The feature article examines how an Ashoka Fellow's Strive Media Institute has built a media empire that uses media exposure as a carrot to convert youths from media consumers to producers, change agents and advocates.  Another Fellow’s School for Sports and Life engages young peoples' fierce love and loyal identification with Peru's most popular soccer team in order to help get them involved in education, build self-esteem, and develop life skills. 

http://www.changemakers.net/journal/02april/

**Community Development

Grants Available for Programs Serving Victims of Crime

The Office for Victims of Crime of the US Department of Justice is soliciting applications for several programs that support efforts to serve crime victims. Highlights include the development of state victim assistance academies; partnerships between victim assistance and faith-based organizations; services for crime victims in urban neighborhoods; services for crime victims provided by law enforcement in rural areas; and improvements in a community's response to victims with physical and intellectual disabilities.  The application due date is June 28, 2002.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/fund/fy2002kit/welcome.html

The bi-partisan Millennial Housing Commission, created by Congress to study the nation's housing challenges, has released a 124-page report and outline specific ways to increase the availability of decent, affordable housing for all Americans.  “The inexorable growth in the numbers of families, of those working in service sectors, and of immigrants seeking to take part in the American Dream—coupled with community opposition to high-density development, the gentrification or abandonment and deterioration of an increasing percentage of our housing stock, and the growing affordability gap between haves and have nots—require that the Government of the United States seriously address the question of how our society can produce and preserve more housing for more American families in a more rational, thoughtful, and efficient way in the decade ahead. As affordable housing production is increased within the context of healthy, inclusive communities, the economy is strengthened, more families share common American values, and economic opportunity is increased for many.”

http://www.mhc.gov/

**Health

National HIV Testing Day, June 27, 2002

National HIV Testing Day is part of a national public awareness campaign designed to encourage more people to assess their risk of HIV infection.  A free campaign kit is available in English and Spanish that provides ideas and information on how to start organizing local activities. Call (202) 898-0414.

http://www.nhtd.org/

An article from the Philadelphia Inquirer finds that as the AIDS issue gathers interest from all sides, Davis and others who have worked for more than a decade are optimistic that Congress may begin to supply the money that is needed to provide treatment and prevention for the poor worldwide.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/3350017.htm

Scholarships Available for 2002 United States Conference on AIDS

Scholarship Application Deadline: June 7^th

Participating in the 2002 United States Conference on AIDS just got easier. You can now register, submit an abstract or apply for a scholarship via the Internet for the 2002 United States Conference on AIDS. The conference is scheduled for September 19-22, 2002, in Anaheim, California.  The United States Conference on AIDS is the most widely attended gathering of HIV/AIDS prevention and service providers in the country.  USCA brings together thousands of leaders, from key decision makers to front-line service providers, to get the information and insight they need to better serve people living with the virus and to prevent the further spread of HIV. USCA has become synonymous with networking and is an unmatched opportunity to build relationships and gain visibility in the AIDS community.

http://www.omhrc.gov/omh/aids/2k2/0708_2C3.htm

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is accepting grant proposals to improve access to oral health services for low-income, minority, and disabled populations. The initiative, State Action for Oral Health Access, will offer three-year, $1 million grants to five to seven states to support model demonstration projects.  Applicants must be a state health, education, or social service agency that is best positioned to execute the demonstration project, and is designated as such by the governor. The agency must show collaboration among key constituencies in the oral health delivery system and have demonstrated experience in improving access to oral health services for underserved populations.  The application deadline is June 21, 2002.

http://www.chcs.org/grantinfo/applyoralhealth.html

**Homelessness

Report on Hate Crimes and Violence Against the Homeless

The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) has released the annual publication, HATE: A Report of Hate Crimes and Violence Against Homeless People in the United States in 2001. The report found in 29 cities across the country there were 79 acts of hate crimes and/or violence committed against people experiencing homelessness, 18 of which resulted in death. The report also compiles news reports and lays out recommendations to ensure that one of the most vulnerable groups in our society are protected against hate crimes and violent acts. The report aims to educate lawmakers, advocates and the public about the problem of hate crimes and violence against people who are homeless.

HTML: http://www.nationalhomeless.org/civilrights/hate2001/index.html

PDF: http://www.nationalhomeless.org/civilrights/hatereport2001.pdf

**Hunger

“Super waiver” threatens food stamps and other essential federal programs

An analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities finds that the “super waiver” proposal included in the TANF reauthorization bill passed by the House of Representatives would allow states to override nearly all existing provisions in federal law that govern food stamps and other programs impacting low-income families. If adopted, the “super waiver” would allow states to shift large sums from food stamps to other areas, compromising the Food Stamp program's ability to meet the nutrition needs of low-income individuals and families. Physicians in all 50 states are expected to sign a statement in opposition to this proposal. The Senate Finance Committee is expected to mark up their version of the welfare law in the near future, so it is important that Senators hear from their constituents about dangers of the “super waiver” provision.

Statement in Opposition from the Center on Hunger and Poverty:

PDF: http://www.centeronhunger.org/pdf/Superwaiver.pdf

Analysis from Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

http://www.cbpp.org/5-13-02fs2.htm

**Substance Abuse

Tobacco Industry Youth Anti-Smoking Programs Designed to Promote the Industry, Study Shows

The tobacco industry's own documents show that most youth smoking prevention programs it has supported are designed to promote industry political and marketing aims rather than to reduce smoking, according to researchers who analyzed nearly 500 industry documents.  The analysis, published in the June issue of the American Journal of Public Health, found no evidence that the industry's youth programs ever discussed nicotine addiction or identified other dangers of smoking. Rather, they often stressed the "adult" choice that smoking constitutes, a theme that one key internal Tobacco Institute document said with some hope "might prevent or delay further regulation of the tobacco industry."

http://64.95.130.47/webx?13@@.1dcdf1fc

**Technology

Neighborhood Networks 2002 National Conference: Accessing Success. June 26-28th in The US Department of Housing and Urban Development hosts the Neighborhood Networks conference in Miami, Florida on June 26-28^th.  The conference is designed to provide participants with strategies to focus on identifying, connecting with, and leveraging community resources. It is an opportunity to network with other property owners and managers and learn about the benefits and value of establishing Neighborhood Networks centers.

https://conference.aspensys.com/confrtaw/ntlindex.html

A new report from a coalition of consumer groups, “Does the Digital Divide Still Exist? Bush Administration Shrugs, But Evidence Says ‘Yes’,” finds that the "digital divide" separating the Internet-savvy from the unplugged is still a cause for concern and the U.S. government should consider subsidizing access.  Despite the fact that nearly two-thirds of all Americans now have access to the Internet, less-affluent households run the risk of being shut out of the digital economy because they are less likely to be online, says the report.  The Commerce Department counters that consumers do not need a government program to adopt new technologies, noting that 85 percent of television users have signed up for cable-TV service without government encouragement.

PDF: http://www.consumerfed.org/ddivide0502.pdf

Seattle Demonstrates Models for Digital Divide Success
While Congress debates whether or not it should fund national programs to address the Digital Divide, many communities continue their efforts to ensure all local residents have the technology training and access needed to secure high-quality employment and attain skills through lifelong learning. The City of Seattle, through its Department of Information Technology, may offer one of the more sophisticated and successful models for approaching the issue.  With guidance provided by the City's Citizens Telecommunications and Technology Advisory Board (CTTAB), Seattle has identified a number of appropriate roles for the city to play in addressing the Digital Divide, including: access provider, strategic planning, data collection and mapping, technical advisor, coordinating resource development, Web hosting, funding community technology centers and literacy efforts, and promoting civic use of technology.

http://www.cityofseattle.net/tech/overview/default.htm

In 2002, the City of Seattle Community Technology Program and the Citizens Telecommunications and Technology Advisory Board (CTTAB) commissioned a research project exploring the factors that contribute to the sustainability of community technology centers (CTCs) in Seattle. Over the past few years, many organizations have acquired hardware and software to start-up new community technology programs, but many are now struggling to find the resources necessary to continue offering quality services to the community.

MS Word: http://www.cityofseattle.net/tech/reports/Sustainability_Report.doc

PDF: http://www.cityofseattle.net/tech/reports/Sustainability_Report.pdf

**Welfare Reform

THE FOLLOWING CITATION CORRECTS THE URL FROM LAST WEEK’S DIGEST:

Study Finds Moderate Welfare Reform Policies Make Work Pay in Illinois

Results from year two of the Illinois Families Study conducted by the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University show a big drop in welfare receipt and some improvement in well-being.  "But, as the report makes clear, Illinois' poor, even in what was a good economy, still face considerable hardships, often entering jobs with low wages and few benefits."  Strong work supports are key to self-sufficiency.

http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/research/ifsrelease3.html

Welfare Restructuring, Work & Poverty: Policy Implications from Oregon

The state of Oregon is nationally recognized for making strides in instituting new welfare policies, engaging in restructuring experiments such as welfare-to-work policies as far back as the early 1990’s.  This report from the University of Oregon presents results from a two-year study of the experiences of families that left or were diverted from cash assistance or food stamps in 1998.  It shows that the effects of PWWORA and state restructuring policies are both more complex and less rosy than many policy makers admit.

http://wnw.uoregon.edu/policymat.shtml