WASHINGTON, DC. States that are seeking to increase Supplemental Security Income (SSI) access for persons who are homeless have a new opportunity to secure federal assistance in achieving their goals, according to a competition announced this week by the federal agencies that invested in the Policy Academies. The announcement was made by the Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE); the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Community Planning and Development, Office of Special Needs Programs; Department of Veterans Affairs; and Department of Labor.

Eligible states can apply until May 27 for an intensive technical assistance opportunity related to increasing access to SSA disability programs. Up to 11 states will be selected from among those that apply. Each state will receive a 2-day, in-state, professionally- facilitated, action planning session that will provide information, tools, and time to plan state and community-specific approaches to increasing access to disability benefits for people who are homeless. Teams will be limited in size to 15-30 persons, and states must provide meeting facilities. States will also receive a 4-day, follow-up, Train-the-Trainer program to be held in the Washington, DC area. This training program is designed to give trainers from each state the capacity to provide training to benefits specialists and case managers. Follow-up technical assistance, including observation and assistance in planning an initial training from the developers of SAMHSA's Stepping Stones to Recovery training curriculum, will be available. Finally, there will be technical assistance on techniques for reporting on individual and system outcomes as a result of the implementation of each state's plan.

Potential applicants are states that highlighted action steps in their Policy Academy plan that addressed mainstream programs or SSI access. Successful applicants for this technical assistance must demonstrate prior collaborative work related to increasing access to SSI and SSDI; and identify one or more communities in their state where the planned approach will be implemented. States that have one or more Chronic Homelessness Initiative (CHI) grantees are encouraged to collaborate with these grantees to pilot this initiative or provide an explanation for why they are choosing not to involve them. Each state agrees to develop and implement an action plan designed to increase access to SSI and SSDI for people who are homeless and demonstrate in the application the availability of, and capacity and commitment to support, trainers who will provide training to case managers assisting homeless applicants for SSA disability programs. States must also document availability of, or a specific plan to collect, outcome data to assess the effectiveness of a state's plan to increase access to SSA disability benefits.

States selected to participate will be required to identify potential planning team members, including representatives from some or all of the following stakeholders: state mental health agency, state Policy Academy team, State Interagency Council on Homelessness, Health Care for the Homeless programs, PATH-funded programs, SSA HOPE grantees, Chronic Homeless Initiative grantees, local or state continuum of care representatives, state Disability Determination Services office, local SSA offices, local homeless service providers, community mental health agencies, and agencies assisting homeless veterans.

WASHINGTON, DC. There are just two weeks left to apply for $15 million in funds recently announced by the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) under the Responsible Reintegration of Youthful Offender grant. Funds will address the specific workforce challenges of youth offenders and strategies that prepare them for new and increasing job opportunities in high-growth/high-demand and economically vital industries and sectors of the American economy. Projects funded under this competition will be consistent with both the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative and the Department of Labor's Youth Vision. United States Department of Labor Secretary and United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Vice-chair Elaine Chao is pictured here.

Grant funds awarded under this competition can be used to implement a variety of approaches to helping youth offenders enter high-growth/high-demand industries, including occupational training provided by organizations that grant industry-recognized credentials; on-the-job training, apprenticeships, internships, and other work-based learning opportunities; job placement efforts; reading and math remediation to assist youth offenders succeed in education and training programs; efforts to help youth offenders already employed upgrade to skilled positions; and efforts to help youth offenders enter community colleges and four-year colleges.

Applications must be submitted by May 23, 2005. An April 22 Federal Register notice provides full background on this solicitation including the five major areas of emphasis. This notice describes the content and form of the application, and details the federal criteria for review. This notice and solicitation package (SGA/DFA PY-04-09; CFDA 17.261) are also be available through ETA's Solicitation for Grant Applications Web site. Each application must reflect a strategic partnership between the public workforce system, business representatives from high- growth/high-demand industries, the education and training community, and the juvenile justice system. Partnerships with the child welfare agency and with faith-based and community organizations are also encouraged.

Applicants may be public, private for-profit, and private non-profit organizations, including faith-based and community organizations. The applicant will be the lead agency representing a partnership of the public workforce system, business and industry representatives from high-growth/high-demand industries, the education and training community, and the juvenile justice system. Applicants must demonstrate the existence of a partnership that includes at least one entity from each of four categories: (1) The publicly-funded workforce investment system, which may include the State Workforce Board, State Workforce Agency, local Workforce Investment Board, or a consortium of neighboring local Workforce Investment Boards; (2) the education and training community, which may include the state agencies overseeing secondary and post-secondary schools, local school districts, local community and technical colleges, four year colleges and universities, or other training entities; (3) employers and industry representatives in high- growth/high-demand industries; and (4) the juvenile justice system, which may include the state juvenile justice agency or the local family or juvenile court system. Collaborations also are encouraged with other entities, including child welfare and foster care agencies, faith-based and community organizations, substance abuse treatment providers, and social service agencies. Applicants may submit proposals within the range of $800,000 to $1.2 million. ETA expects to award grants for 15 projects at an average grant amount of $1 million.

WASHINGTON, DC. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), nearly 200,000 veterans may be homeless on any given night. Nearly half of all veterans treated in health care programs suffer from mental illness and slightly more than 2 out of 3 have alcohol or drug abuse problems. Thirty-five percent have both psychiatric and substance abuse disorders. 10-year planning processes to end chronic homelessness are underway in nearly 200 state, county and local jurisdictions across the nation. Best practice in the convening of these planning partnerships and the development of outcome- oriented plans includes ensuring that individuals who can effectively represent the needs of homeless veterans and incorporate knowledge of the availability of homeless assistance resources are active in planning and develop visibility for the issues affecting veterans.

To support active involvement in planning, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Department of Veterans Affairs have collaborated with the guidance of the VA's Homeless Veterans Advisory Committee to develop a new resource on veterans and planning that includes rosters of key regional and local contacts including the VA's VISN Network Homeless Coordinators and the Veteran Benefits Administration Homeless Veteran Outreach Coordinators. The VA has the largest integrated network of homeless assistance programs in the country, offering a wide array of services and initiatives to help veterans recover from homelessness and live as self sufficiently and independently as possible. Additional overview information about these services and links to the VA and other useful websites of federal agencies and veterans organizations are also included in the document.

All State Interagency Councils, and city and county 10-Year Planning partners are being sent this new resource to assist them in developing inclusive partnerships that address veterans needs and to support the evolution of plans as "living" documents that continue to improve and respond to new knowledge and local needs.

United States Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary and United States Interagency Council Chair Jim Nicholson is pictured here.

DULUTH, MINNESOTA. Duluth Mayor Herb Bergson became the first mayor in 2005 to commit to a 10-year Plan when he stated in his January 2 State of the City address that "the vision for Duluth that we all foresee is within our grasp, and we'll be prouder than ever to call Duluth our home -- a home where everyone is welcome." Last week, Mayor Bergson renewed his call to his city to help its poorest and most vulnerable neighbors, hosting a day long series of events to highlight his commitment to Duluth creating a 10-Year Plan and forward the work of building a city-wide partnership. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, invited to meet with city and county government officials, community, and business leaders, keynoted a community wide meeting organized by the Citizen Action Committee charged by the Mayor with developing the plan. St. Louis County Commissioner Steve O'Neil and retired University of Minnesota Professor Joyce Kramer, Ph.D., were named by the Mayor to head the Citizen Action Committee.

Speaking to over 100 community partners, Director Mangano highlighted the importance of the sectors represented: "No one sector can do the job alone, not the federal government, not state government, not cities and counties. To get the job done, we must include businesses and corporations, downtown improvement districts, hospitals, the police department, the consumer, persons who experience chronic homelessness." In a separate meeting of local business leaders, both United Way of Greater Duluth President Paula Reed, and Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce President David Ross pledged their support of the 10-year plan. Said Mr. Ross, "You cannot have a healthy business in an unhealthy community,"

Mayor Bergson and Director Mangano also toured two Duluth sites where additional permanent housing for persons experiencing homelessness is underway: Alicia's Place and the New San Marco Apartments. Last week both Mayor Bergson and County Commissioner O'Neil spearheaded a successful effort that resulted in approval by the Duluth City Council of a $3 million Housing Investment Fund. Mayor Bergson in January said that, as part of his commitment to make hunger and homelessness the focus of his second term, he will renew Duluth's commitment to address housing needs through the Duluth Housing 1000 Campaign, a coalition working to generate 1,000 additional housing units by 2010.

Mayor Bergson is pictured here second from right with Director Mangano, Dr. Kramer (left) and Commissioner O'Neil (right).

QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS. Mayor William J. Phelan has announced the appointment of the Quincy Leadership Council on Chronic Homelessness, charged with leading a new 19-member Council in developing a 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness in the City of Presidents. South Shore Chamber of Commerce President and former state official Peter Forman, South Shore Savings Bank President and COO John Boucher, and Quincy attorney Jeffrey Graeber will chair the Council. Other appointees include: State Street Corporation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ronald Logue, Quincy Police Chief Robert Crowley, and Fr. Bill's Place Executive Director John Yazwinski, Mayor Phelan directed the Council to identify best practices and innovations from across the country to create a Quincy Business Plan.

Also participating in the meeting was Interagency Council Region I Coordinator John O'Brien, who reviewed the essential elements of an effective 10- year plan that have been distilled by the USICH from the best plans across the country. A key element is constellating a Council that represents leaders from key stakeholder groups in the community. "The Quincy Leadership Council rivals any in terms of its inclusion of the highest levels of leadership in the community. It is the perfect base for a strong and effective plan," said O'Brien.

Mayor Phelan, who has backed up his approach with the city's housing resources, recently accepted the HOME Program Award for Excellence on behalf of the city from the National Community Development Association. The award was presented for the Claremont Project, which provides permanent supportive housing for 12 chronically homeless women. Partnered with the City on that project were Father Bill's Place and Neighborhood Housing Services. In an innovative partnership with Interfaith Housing, Inc., local foundations, business and corporate leaders, Quincy has committed over $1,000,000 in HOME funds in the last 2 years to create permanent housing for chronically homeless persons, while working to develop a 10-Year Plan. Once the plan is completed, the Mayor has committed future HOME funds to implement recommendations in the plan.

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND. At the Crossroads Rhode Island Annual Meeting in Providence, RI on May 4, there were many important events from the past year to highlight: a brighter and cleaner shelter for the homeless women and men they serve, hot meals due to their partnership with Amos House, but none was more important than preserving the 170 permanent housing units in the former YMCA that is now Crossroads Rhode Island's new home. The housing project also added capacity for 16 more homeless individuals to live in permanent housing. Speaking with Crossroads President Ann Nolan, Director Mangano noted, "At a time when many Y's across the country are closing down their residential capacity, Crossroads has preserved and expanded theirs." Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline was present for the event, and Director Mangano was the keynote speaker.

Meeting with the Crossroads Board, Director Mangano noted the contributions of outgoing Board Chair, Merrill Sherman, President and CEO of Bank RI and the incoming board chair, Howard Sutton, Publisher, President and CEO of The Providence Journal Company. Council Region I Coordinator John O'Brien also took part. Pictured here are Director Mangano, Ms. Nolan, and Board Chair Sutton.

NORMAN, OKLAHOMA. " Labor conquers all things" is the motto of Oklahoma, and this week, Norman Mayor Harold Haralson became the first Oklahoma Mayor to pledge to work with other mayors from Key West to Anchorage to end chronic homelessness as he became the 63rd signatory to the Mayors Covenant of Partnership to End Chronic Homelessness. Mayor Haralson and the Norman City Council this week moved forward with next steps for the Norman Plan, ECHO 2015 - End Chronic Homelessness by 2015, with final Council action and the appointment of the City's Implementation Team.

United States Interagency Council Executive Director Philip Mangano, joined the Mayor to discuss the plan's implementation and witness his signing of the Covenant. Director Mangano commended the planners, noting: "You've emphasized prevention to stop the human tragedy before it begins; performance to ensure outcomes and results; pricing through cost benefit analysis to understand how expensive the issue is; and partnerships to ensure collaboration and accountability."

City officials Linda Price and Jan Wehrman, along with Mayoral Assistant Carol Coles, joined Federal partners taking part in the Norman events, including HUD Field Office Director Kevin McNeely, Social Security Administration official Johnny Dandridge, and Council Region VI Coordinator Sally Shipman. Oklahoma Governor's State Interagency Council Chair Jackie Millspaugh and Vice-chair Vaughan Clark also attended. The new 7-member Implementation Team will include representatives of state human services, United Way, the emergency department of the local hospital, Norman Police Department, Salvation Army, consumers, and philanthropy.

In April, the Norman City Council officially adopted the plan developed by the Mayor's Committee on Chronic Homelessness. The Plan's data analysis found that 12 percent of the homeless population are persons experiencing chronic homelessness. Norman planners found that the presence of the Griffin Memorial Hospital, a state mental health facility, was closely tied to the numbers of homeless mentally ill persons in the community. Norman's Plan points to the Housing First model as one component of what it proposes for a set of tiered housing solutions coupled with aggressive outreach and intervention.

The Mayor's Committee represented a local, state, and federal planning partnership, including representatives of the Norman City Council, as well as Norman hospitals, drug treatment facilities, police, and housing developers, Cleveland County transportation authority, workforce department, and sheriff, and state Departments of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Drug Court and Human Services. The Social Security Administration also took part.

WASHINGTON, DC. Last week's e-news highlighted the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Compassion Capital Fund (CCF) announcement of the availability of funds in two competitions for faith-based and community organizations: Demonstration Funding Grants and Targeted Capacity-Building Mini-Grants. A range of federal agencies have established their own centers for faith-based and community initiatvies; some of those are highlighted this week. A list of the agency centers and their accompanying web sites is available at the White House Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci/wh-agency-bios.pdf. Pictured here is Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Intiatives Jim Towey.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) sees the opportunity for faith-based and community organizations to play a significant role in the Department's programs, particularly in the areas of community development and crime prevention, domestic violence, drug and alcohol intervention and prevention, juvenile delinquency and youth gangs, prisoners and their families, and services to victims of crime. Most of the programs of interest to faith- based and community organizations are administered through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office on Violence Against Women. OJP's bureaus and program offices include the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Office of Weed and Seed.

Faith-based and other community organizations may participate in social services programs as direct recipients of funding or as project partners, working on broad-based community responses to crime. A condition of direct funding is that government money cannot be used to support inherently religious activities such as worship, religious instruction or proselytization. If a group engages in those activities, they must be separate in time or location from the government-funded program and must be voluntary for the beneficiaries of the government- funded program or service. In addition, partnership opportunities exist within the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which is responsible for the custody and care of approximately 162,000 Federal offenders, as well as within COPS.

The Department of Labor (DOL) urges faith- based and community organizations to get involved with the nation's One-Stop Career Center System, to help connect those in need to the Federal-State workforce system in their communities. One-Stop Centers house all Federal employment and training services in one place, integrating programs such as unemployment insurance, State job services, public assistance, and training initiatives. One-Stop customers can find out about job vacancies, receive career counseling, and obtain job skills training. Additionally, faith-based and community organizations are welcome partners to the U.S. Department of Labor agencies, such as the Employment and Training Administration, the Veteran's Employment Training Services, International Bureau of Labor Affairs, and the Office of Disability and Employment Policy. Each agency has individual grant programs which explicitly include faith-based and community organizations, and each encourages partnerships between large non- profits and faith-based and community organizations.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) welcomes faith-based and community organizations to apply directly to the VA for a number of grants. The VA has a number of different programs and works in a variety of venues with many partners at the Federal, state, and local levels and with faith-based and other community providers. Through such innovative, effective, and extensive collaborations, VA maximizes opportunities for success. One of VA's most significant programs is the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program. It provides grants and per diem payments to help public and nonprofit organizations establish and operate new supportive housing and service centers for homeless veterans. Since the program's inception in FY 1994, VA has awarded more than 400 grants to faith-based and community service providers, State or local government agencies, and Native American tribal governments in 50 States and the District of Columbia.

The Department of Education believes that faith-based and other community organizations play an important role in accomplishing the Department's mission. They foster a culture of achievement in which every child is expected to learn, hold the school system accountable for improved academic achievement, and access Federal resources to provide extra academic help and support to America's schools. These groups are eligible to apply directly to the Department for a number of grants. Faith-based and community groups may partner with local schools in programs such as the Even Start Family Literacy Program, which integrates literacy training for low-income children and parents. The No Child Left Behind Act provides substantial funding for "supplemental services," which are provided by outside organizations that tutor children who attend schools designated as needing improvement.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has a long history of working with faith-based and other community organizations in constructing affordable housing for the elderly and disabled, providing shelter, services, and housing for homeless people , and promoting homeownership and community development. These groups also provide support and services to residents of public housing. Faith-based and community groups can apply directly to HUD for programs such as homeless assistance grants, housing counseling, and elderly housing. They can also access funds for affordable housing and community development from their city or State governments.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) also has a history of partnership with faith-based and other community organizations to carry out its diverse programs. Faith-based and community organizations can partner with USDA to help eliminate hunger, revitalize communities, and protect the environment. Many of these opportunities are found in USDA's Food and Nutrition Service and Rural Development Division, along with a few in the Foreign Agricultural Service's food aid program. These opportunities are generally not grants, but instead take the form of reimbursements for meals served or loans and loan guarantees to build housing or community facilities.

The Department of Commerce has provided grants to faith-based and other community organizations that give assistance to distressed communities and minority business. For example, in 2002, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded $50,000 to the African American Ministries in Pennsylvania, to develop ways to increase the volume and effectiveness of job training, new building initiatives, business incubation, and the use of credit unions, investment clubs, and commercial ventures. In that same year, EDA also awarded $900,000 to the Carver Community Center in Cumberland, Maryland to support a micro-enterprise business incubator and training program facility. The new Center for Faith- Based and Community Initiatives at the Department of Commerce will work to improve the ability of faith- based and other community organizations to fully participate in Federal programs by removing unmerited barriers and bureaucratic red tape.