Late last week, congressional leaders reached a deal to avoid a government shutdown by passing a short-term continuing resolution through Feb. 18. The current budget was set to expire last Friday. This will push the fiscal year 2022 budget conversations into early next year. Congress is still under pressure to get several things done before the end of the calendar year, including an extension of the debt limit, which will help the U.S. avoid defaulting on our loans.

In addition, President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan negotiations continue. After passing in the House of Representatives last month, the Build Back Better Act has fallen in line behind several other priorities in the Senate, including raising the debt ceiling. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stated the social spending bill, which would dedicate almost $2 trillion for universal pre-K, affordable child care, housing investments, and climate tax credits, among other things, would be pass by Christmas. However, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Richard Neal (D-Mass.), predicts the process might drag into 2022. Democrats in both houses of Congress are debating whether to raise the $10,000 deduction cap on state and local tax payments, a provision strongly supported by Democrats in high-tax states but opposed by others as a tax break for high-income families. Paid family and medical leave is another source of friction, as Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) continues to oppose its inclusion in the overall package. If the bill is ultimately passed early next year, families may lose access to the child tax credit monthly installment in January, a possibility that is creating urgency for lawmakers leading up to Christmas.

In other news, the Biden administration unveiled its new winter COVID-19 mitigation strategy. According to senior administration officials, people with private insurance will be able to get at-home tests reimbursed because of laws set forth in the CARES Act. The administration is also putting out new travel requirements, including extending the mask rule on domestic flights through March, creating new testing protocols for people flying to the U.S., and more. The U.S. is also scheduled to deliver 200 million vaccine doses abroad in the next 100 days. The administration is launching a booster shot publicity effort, including notifying all Medicare recipients.

New Toolkits for Building Your Advocacy Muscle

Social Current offers two newly updated advocacy toolkits, one with general public policy advocacy how-tos and another with tips for media relations and social media to support advocacy. Inside, you’ll find sections on creating impact stories, engaging with legislators, developing media relations, hosting special events, and conducting social media outreach. They also contain brand new sections on virtual advocacy, constituent engagement and coalition building.

Read about how COVID-19 has changed the rules for meeting with legislators and download the toolkits from the Policy Action Center.

Rebecca Jones Gaston Nominated for Top Child Welfare Role in Administration

Recently, President Joe Biden nominated Rebecca Jones Gaston to become the Commissioner of the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families within the Department of Health and Human Services. She currently serves as the Child Welfare Director for the Oregon Department of Human Services. In this role, she will oversee the Children’s Bureau and the Family and Youth Services Bureau. Her appointment is now pending the confirmation process in the Senate. Under her leadership in Oregon, the state launched a major transformation built on trauma-informed, family- and community-centered, and culturally responsive programs and services. She previously served as executive director of the Maryland Department of Human Services’ Social Services Administration. She has worked in the field of child welfare and human services for nearly 25 years as a social worker, advocate, therapist, consultant, and administrator. She has worked as a Director at Casey Family Programs providing technical assistance to child welfare agencies in the past.

New Legal Rulings Halt Vaccine Orders

Two out of three of the federal vaccine mandates have been halted by the courts until further notice. First, the OSHA rule, which mandates either vaccination or testing for organizations with 100+ employees, remains in limbo because a federal circuit court has temporarily blocked it. Multiple lawsuits have been filed from various states, and they have been consolidated into one proceeding that currently sits before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Additional rulings are expected in the coming weeks. The second rule, which relates to health care facilities receiving Medicare and Medicaid dollars, was blocked last week by a federal court in Louisiana. This rule requires all covered health care facilities to require vaccination for all employees, trainees, students, and volunteers. Covered facilities include clinics, community mental health centers, immediate care facilities for people with intellectual disabilities, programs for all-inclusive care for elderly organizations, hospitals, immediate care, long-term care facilities, psychiatric residential treatment facilities, home health agencies, and more. Excluded entities include certain community-based services, assisted living facilities, group homes, and home- and community-based services Ultimately, the case could end up in the Supreme Court.

A third mandate, pertaining to federal contractors, is still moving forward. This mandate requires all federal contractors (not grantees) to get vaccinated.

Social Current will continue to share information as we receive it. For more information, check out our vaccine mandate resource collection, and for a candid discussion with executives at community based organizations, watch the recording of last week’s webinar on vaccine mandates.

21st-Century Children and Families Act Introduced in the House

Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) introduced the 21st-Century Children and Families Act, which would modernize the child welfare system and increase the likelihood of children in foster care returning to safe, permanent families. Specifically, the law would automatically terminate a parent’s rights when a child has been in foster care for 24 months. Currently, parental rights are modified if a child is in foster care for 15 out of 22 months. The law also would create exemptions to the 24-month timeline when a parent is actively engaged in services, or if the parent is incarcerated or in detention by the Department of Homeland Security. The goal of the law is for children to return to safe and stable homes, rather than stay in foster care and age out of the system. The bill would also strengthen non-discrimination laws in foster care services and placements and require states to report on disproportionality and disparities in access to services.

USDA Invests $86 Million in Rural Areas

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced 218 project investments in infrastructure, economic development, housing, health care, and high-speed internet in rural communities. The funding will impact 425,000 people in 46 states through programs like Tribal College Initiative Grants, Rural Community Development Initiative Grants, Housing Preservation Grants, Delta Health Care Grants, Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grants, and Water and Waste Disposal Grants.

As examples, the funds will help low-income families improve the safety and health of their homes in Central Florida, and in rural Pennsylvania, they will provide business development technical assistance to women-owned agricultural cooperatives. The USDA says these investments will improve equitable access to jobs, housing, and health care.

New Texting Feature for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has signed off on a plan to allow individuals to access the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline via text in addition to calling. In a statement, the FCC said that texting allows for increased anonymity compared to having a conversation over the phone, thereby increasing access for individuals in crisis. The FCC is requiring that texting providers connect individuals who text ‘988’ to the Lifeline by July 16, 2022.

Individuals can continue to access the lifeline by dialing 1-800-273-8255 or via chat on the website.

New Data on Nonprofit Workforce Crisis

The National Council of Nonprofits released a preliminary analysis of its recent survey to gauge the effects of the workforce shortage on the nonprofit sector. As of Nov. 15, 700 nonprofits responded from 47 states and nearly half reported vacancy rates between 0% and 9%. Of respondents, 15% have a vacancy rate of 10-19%, while another 26% have a rate of 20-29%.

The top barriers to hiring or retaining staff are:

For 27% of respondents, job vacancies have extended waitlists for services to more than a month. Many organizations said that they have had turn people away or expand caseloads per social worker to meet demand for services. The survey also asked respondents for solutions to the workforce crisis. Nonprofits cited outdated reimbursement rates, the lack of cost-of-living increases and the burden of indirect costs as major obstacles to financial stability and salary competitiveness.

Complete the survey online.

Related resources from Social Current:

On Nov. 15, President Joe Biden signed into law the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a $1.2 trillion bill that will build and repair roads and bridges, improve public transit, support passenger rail, upgrade airports and ports, replace lead pipes, modernize transmission lines, and expand high-speed internet. The bill also includes a $50 million carve out for nonprofits, the Nonprofit Energy Efficiency pilot program, which will help nonprofits make capital upgrades to their buildings. Unfortunately, the bill does not include an extension of the Employee Retention Tax Credit, a lifeline for many nonprofits during the pandemic that expired in September; however, the nonprofit community will continue to advocate for that provision in upcoming bills. The administration touts the infrastructure bill as the largest investment in infrastructure in decades, creating millions of blue-collar jobs and improving efficiencies across the economy.

Now, Congress is turning its focus to President Biden’s signature Build Back Better Act, an almost $2 trillion bill that would make significant investments in climate change mitigation, pre-K, child care, housing, and elder care, as well as extend the new Child Tax Credit. The House of Representatives voted to pass the bill last Friday morning. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the nonpartisan reviewer of proposed legislation, had announced on Thursday that the bill did not include enough tax increases to pay for itself, adding $367 billion to the deficit over a decade. Nevertheless, moderate Democrats, nervous about deficit spending, decided to vote for the bill. Another point of contention in the House was the inclusion of the State and Local Tax (SALT) Deduction, a provision that would result in major tax cuts for high-earning households. Progressives claimed the SALT Deduction was a giveaway to the rich, while moderates, especially from high tax states like New Jersey and New York, required its inclusion in exchange for their vote for the entire package.

Now that the Build Back Better Act has passed the House, it will head to the Senate, where another round of negotiations will occur. Senate Democrats, with only a small majority of 50 seats plus the vice president’s tiebreaking vote, will have to balance the progressive and moderate wings of the party to get anything passed. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) remain the primary holdouts and have made public complaints about the revenue raising side of the bill, its impact on inflation, and the House’s inclusion of paid family leave. Moreover, the reconciliation process in the Senate, which allows legislation with a budgetary impact to pass with just 50 votes instead of the usual 60 votes, may lead to some of the House bill’s provisions being eliminated from the bill, such as immigration provisions that expand the number of green card holders and stop deportations. Timing on a Senate vote is still not clear.

Social Current will continue to keep you updated on the legislative process, as this legislation winds its way through Congress.

New Toolkits for Building Your Advocacy Muscle

Social Current offers two newly updated advocacy toolkits, one with general public policy and advocacy how-tos and another with tips for media relations and social media to support advocacy. Inside, you’ll find sections on creating impact stories, engaging with legislators, developing media relations, hosting special events, and conducting social media outreach. They also contain brand new sections on virtual advocacy, constituent engagement and coalition building.

Read about how COVID-19 has changed the rules for meeting with legislators and download the toolkits from the Policy Action Center.

New Resources on Vaccine Mandate Policies and Sixth Circuit Court Review

Just a few weeks ago, the Biden administration announced new vaccine mandates for employers. Several new resources are available that break down vaccine requirements for nonprofit employers. In recent days, after numerous lawsuits from states around the country, the Sixth Circuit Court announced it will hear lawsuits against the administration’s rule. The rule was formally issued Nov. 5 and requires compliance by Jan. 4. Even if the Sixth Circuit weighs in quickly, it’s likely the decision will be appealed, and litigation could continue for weeks or months. Ultimately, the case could end up in the Supreme Court.

Social Current Webinar and Curated Resource List
Leaders of community-based organizations are finding themselves needing to determine their organizations’ paths for creating and upholding vaccine policies, a topic that will be covered in the Dec. 1 webinar, Critical Conversation: The State of Vaccine Mandates and Community-Based Organizations.

Leaders are also finding that they are a powerful resource for providing support and guidance around vaccine hesitancy to their staff and communities. To help community-based organizations navigate this complex issue, this list of resources breaks down key considerations and includes tools and tips to meet compliance requirements and address vaccine polarization.

The OSHA Vaccine Mandate
This mandate is for employers with 100+ employees and requires employees (barring some exceptions) to either get vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing beginning in early January. A new summary from Lutheran Services in America breaks down covered entities, exclusions, deadlines, rules, reporting requirements, and more. The National Council of Nonprofits has also updated its summary.

The CMS Vaccine Mandate
This mandate is for covered health care entities that receive Medicaid or Medicare dollars. It requires that all employees (barring some exceptions) get vaccinated, with no weekly testing option. A new summary from Lutheran Services in America breaks down the rule. While many community-based organizations are excluded as covered entities, home health agencies, long-term care facilities, intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities, and others do qualify as covered. An FAQ from CMS has also been released.

The Status of the Momnibus Bill

For many months, various members of Congress have advocated for a package of bills, known as the “Momnibus,” that supports improving maternal health. Social Current has supported and endorsed this legislation. The most recent draft of the Build Back Better Act includes every eligible provision of the Momnibus bill, as well as mandatory, permanent investments in yearlong postpartum Medicaid coverage in every state. Compared to the previous draft of the Build Back Better bill, every provision has either the same or increased funding. Investments include addressing social determinants of health through community-based organizations, perinatal health workforce investments, maternal mental health equity grant program, advancing maternal health research institutions serving minorities, and more. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) has led this legislation along with members of the Black Maternal Health Caucus. If the Build Back Better bill passes, it would provide the largest maternal health equity investments in American history. The Build Back Better bill still has not made it across the finish line yet, so now is an important time to speak out in support of the maternal health provisions.

House Passes the Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act

On Oct. 26, the House of Representatives voted to reauthorize the Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act through the 2026 fiscal year. This critical funding stream supports emergency shelters for victims of domestic violence and prevention services through grants and cooperative agreements between states, tribes, and community-based groups. According to the bill, recipients can use funding for technical assistance, evidence-based prevention approaches, community strategies to reduce family violence, and partnership development. Moreover, there are specific grants to organizations that provide population-specific and culturally specific services to racial and ethnic minority groups.

LIHEAP Funds Released for Winter Bills

The Office of Community Services in the Department of Health and Human Services announced the distribution of $3.37 billion in block grant funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). LIHEAP serves low-income households with heat and energy assistance, as well as weatherization assistance. The program primarily serves households with seniors, young children, and people with disabilities. These funds were made available by a concurrent resolution, passed at the end of September, keeping the government open until Dec. 3.

New Toolkit on Addressing Health Misinformation

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy recently released A Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation, which provides tools to help community-based organizations and other entities recognize and push back against misinformation. The toolkit includes:

As COVID-19 vaccines are now available to children 5-11 years old, the toolkit represents a “whole-of-society” approach to combatting misinformation.

On Nov. 4, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a new federal rule mandating COVID-19 vaccinations or a minimum of weekly testing for workers at U.S. companies with 100 or more employees (see the OSHA webinar recording: COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard). The Biden administration also released a new rule through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that requires workers at health care facilities participating in Medicare or Medicaid to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4, 2022. However, most home- and community-based organizations are excluded from the definition of a “covered entity,” as the rule provides an exemption for certain services. For additional details, see our Nov. 8 federal update.

Leaders of community-based organizations are finding themselves needing to determine their organizations’ paths for creating and upholding vaccine policies, a topic that was covered in the Dec. 1 webinar, Critical Conversation: The State of Vaccine Mandates and Community-Based Organizations. Leaders are also finding that their community partnerships are a powerful resource for support and guidance around vaccine hesitancy that could be present in their staff and community, particularly when it comes to health equity in underserved communities.

To help community-based organizations navigate this complex issue, this list of resources breaks down key considerations and includes tools and tips to meet compliance requirements and address vaccine polarization present in many workforce environments and communities.

OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS)

COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing ETS Landing Page
United States. Dept. of Labor
Includes links to the full Federal Register rule, webinar overview, fact sheets, FAQ, social media toolkit, and sample policy templates.

CMS Emergency Regulation

Biden-Harris Administration Issues Emergency Regulation Requiring COVID-19 Vaccination for Health Care Workers
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Press release with links to the interim final rule and list of FAQs

Employer Compliance Tips

OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard: COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Requirements for Larger Employers
National Council of Nonprofits
Summary that answers most nonprofit questions and aids nonprofit employers seeking to determine coverage and comply with the standard. It includes compliance tips, how employees are counted, who is exempt, and what the requirement means in real terms.

CMS Announces New COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Health Care Facilities under Medicare and Medicaid Programs
National Association of Counties
Brief summary of the eligibility, requirements, and compliance deadlines under the interim final rule.

How to Comply with OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination Emergency Temporary Standard
SHRM
Step-by-step guide for determining employee vaccination status, testing logistics, paid time off, remote workers, written policies, communications, and reporting and record keeping.

5-Step Plan for Employers After President Biden Announces Workplace Vaccine Mandates
Fisher Phillips
Five-step action plan includes tips on developing a plan for handling accommodation requests, preparing for OSHA complaints and inspections, etc.

How Employers Can Handle Confidentiality and Privacy Concerns Related to Collecting COVID-19 Vaccine Information
Fisher Phillips
Important points to keep in mind when tracking, collecting, or disclosing an employee’s vaccination status in certain circumstances.

An Employer’s Guide to Navigating Third-Party Vaccine Mandates on Visitors, Vendors, and More
Fisher Phillips
Includes information about how to enforce your own COVID-19 policy on customers, contractors, and guests.

Equity

Social Current serves on the advisory board of the National Covid-19 Resiliency Network (NCRN), to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic minority, rural, and socially vulnerable populations. Stay up to date with new resources about COVID-19 by joining the network and follow them on social media.

Emphasizing Equity in COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements
Made to Save
Includes many ways to focus on equity aligned with the principles of health and safety, lived experiences of those who are affected, and information and access.

Want People to Take the COVID-19 Vaccine? Confront Racism in Health Care
The Commonwealth Fund
Shanoor Seervai talks to Rhea Boyd, M.D., a pediatrician and public health advocate, about what it takes to dismantle the historic racism that has long prevented people of color from getting the health care they need.

COVID-19 Vaccine Equity
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Use these resources to engage with communities that have been affected by COVID-19. Many of the resources available can be tailored for racial and ethnic minority communities.

Vaccine Hesitancy

Vaccinate with Confidence
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Includes links to How to Build Healthcare Personnel’s Confidence in COVID-19 Vaccines, strategies for workplaces, and reports about the status of COVID-19 vaccine confidence.

Language that Works to Improve Vaccine Acceptance: Communications Cheat Sheet
de Beaumont
Recommendations derived from data in a nationwide survey of 1,400 registered voters with an oversample of 300 Black Americans and 300 Latinx Americans.

What Role Do Culture and Morale Play in Vaccine Mandates?
Starner
Insight on potential resistance from employees who are not in a protected category but refuse to be vaccinated, as well as fears of the impact of a mandate on company culture and employee morale.

Testing

Three Steps to Smart Covid-19 Testing: A Guide for Employers
Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy
This guide is designed to help businesses and other organizations develop appropriate Covid-19 testing plans to enable safe operations during the pandemic.

The Weekly Testing Option in Biden’s COVID-19 Mandate: Prepare Now for a Fast Start
Gartner
Covers what tests to accept, whether your company must pay for the tests, where to have employees tested, how to verify test results, and how to deal with non-compliance.

Do We Have to Pay for That? Part 1—COVID-19 Vaccination, Testing, and Screening Activities
National Law Review
Looks at vaccination, testing, and screening considerations during and outside of working hours.

Late last week, various federal agencies released more details about new vaccine mandates. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a new federal rule last week mandating COVID-19 vaccinations or at least weekly testing for workers at U.S. companies with 100 or more employees. The OSHA rules are a key part of President Biden’s push to use employer mandates to increase vaccination rates. OSHA is holding webinars to detail these new rules this Tuesday and next Monday. The administration also released a new rule through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that requires workers at health care facilities participating in Medicare or Medicaid to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4, however, most community-based organizations are excluded from the definition of a “covered entity.” This FAQ from CMS provides more details. This summary of the OSHA rule from the National Council of Nonprofits is a helpful guide to the regulations. For more details, check out our article brief below.

Meanwhile, Congress continues negotiations around the Build Back Better bill. On Friday night, the House passed the physical infrastructure bill and conducted a procedural vote to pass the Build Back Better Act no later than the week of Nov. 15, putting pressure on the Senate to speed up negotiations. Several weeks ago, President Biden released a new framework for the social spending and climate bill based on negotiations. However, he is still seeking the support of Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) to move forward. That version of the bill removed a new paid leave program. However, progressives have negotiated the paid leave provisions back into the bill, creating additional challenges for Manchin to get on board. Independent Sector recently released a helpful summary of current provisions in the bill, which are subject to change as negotiations continue. Some highlights include a one-year extension of the new Child Tax Credit provision from the American Rescue Plan; $300 million for broadband affordability and access; $20 billion for workforce development programs; $150 billion for affordable housing; $100 billion to support child care costs, universal preschool, and more. Congressional leaders seem hopeful that they will pass a bill by Thanksgiving at the very latest.

New Toolkits for Building Your Advocacy Muscle

Social Current offers two newly updated advocacy toolkits, one with general public policy and advocacy how-tos and another with tips for media relations and social media to support advocacy. Inside, you’ll find sections on creating impact stories, engaging with legislators, developing media relations, hosting special events, and conducting social media outreach. They also contain brand new sections on virtual advocacy, constituent engagement and coalition building. Read about how COVID-19 has changed the rules for meeting with legislators and download the toolkits from the Policy Action Center.

New Vaccine Rules for Employers

Late last week, various federal agencies released more details about new vaccine mandates. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a new federal rule mandating COVID-19 vaccinations or at least weekly testing for workers at U.S. companies with 100 or more employees. The OSHA rules are a key part of President Biden’s push to use employer mandates to increase vaccination rates. The first compliance deadline for employers—providing time off for workers to get vaccinated and ensuring those who aren’t vaccinated are wearing masks, is Dec. 5. Workers must be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4 or submit to testing requirements. Some exceptions apply for the vaccine, but otherwise will still require testing and masks. The number of employees is based on all employees (part and full-time combined). Employees working remotely or outdoors are counted for employer coverage purposes, but they may not necessarily be required to comply with the requirements if they don’t come into contact with clients or coworkers. Employers may require employees to pay for the cost of testing, except where other legal or collective bargaining obligations require otherwise. Employers not in compliance could face a fine of up to $13,653 for each violation. A willful violation is an employer deliberately disregarding the mandate, which could result in a fine as high as $136,532. For states with their own standards, implementation could be delayed as governments decide whether to accept the standard as written, modify it, or draft equivalent or more protective rules. Each state has 30 days to implement a standard.

This summary from the National Council of Nonprofits is a helpful guide to the regulations. Additional information from OSHA is also available.

The administration also released a new rule through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that requires workers at health care facilities participating in Medicare or Medicaid to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4. CMS is requiring that workers at health care facilities participating in Medicare or Medicaid have necessary shots and be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4. It covers approximately 76,000 health care facilities and more than 17 million health care workers. It applies to employees regardless of whether their positions are clinical or non-clinical, essentially any employee, student, trainee, or volunteer who works at a covered facility. It also covers individuals who provide treatment and other services for the covered facility under contract or other arrangements. Covered facility types include hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, home health agencies, psychiatric residential treatment facilities, rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers, and long-term care facilities. However, it does provide an exemption for certain home- and community-based services.

Several state attorneys general are planning to sue the federal government to block the initiative.

New Ratings in the Family First Prevention Services Clearinghouse

The Title IV-E Family First Prevention Services Clearinghouse recently announced ratings for 13 new programs. One was found to be “well-supported” by research, two were found to be “supported,” three were found to be “promising,” and the rest didn’t meet criteria to be rated. A new comparison between ratings from the IV-E federal Prevention Services Clearinghouse and the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse is now available.

This brings the total number of programs meeting criteria in the clearinghouse to:

New ratings are as follows:

Source: Child Welfare & Mental Health Coalition

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Publish New Q&A on QRTPs and the IMD Exclusion

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a Q&A guide to inform states that they can seek to modify the terms of an existing Medicaid section 1115 demonstration opportunity to allow Title IV-E beneficiaries to receive coverage in a Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP) that is an Institute for Mental Disorder (IMD) for longer than that demonstration model currently allows. States with an existing, approved severe mental illness/severe emotional disturbance (SMI/SED) 1115 demonstration would need to submit an amendment to take advantage of this opportunity. For those states that do not currently have the demonstration, approval of new demonstrations will depend on the details of state applications submitted and whether they can meet the current requirements of the SMI/SED 1115 demonstration. As a condition of approval, states will be required to provide CMS with a plan, including key milestones and timeframes, for transitioning children out of QRTPs that are IMDs.

This Q&A clarifies that placement in a QRTP that is an IMD does not impact Medicaid eligibility. It details that the IMD exclusion only prohibits states from receiving federal reimbursement for services delivered. It does not affect a child’s eligibility for Medicaid.

Source: Child Welfare and Mental Health Coalition

Congressional Research Service Releases Report on Chafee Funds

The Congressional Research Service released a new report on the status of funding for youth who have or are about to age out of care. Major provisions in the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood Act expired Sept. 30, 2021, the end of the 2021 fiscal year. These funds included Education and Training vouchers, which allow states to assist youth with room and board payments and postsecondary school or training until age 27. The report states that a large majority of states pulled down less than 50% of Chafee funds available to them last year, meaning that critical funds are in limbo. Reps. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) and Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) co-sponsored H.R. 5661, which passed the House of Representatives in October, extending funding flexibilities for another year; however, the Senate has yet to take up the companion bill (S. 3078).

Social Determinants of Health Caucus Holds First Congressional Briefing

The Congressional Social Determinants of Health Caucus hosted its first briefing focusing on transportation as a critical component of population health and well-being. Reps. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), G. K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) and Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), members of the Social Determinants of Health Caucus, highlighted transportation barriers as a key challenge to individuals and families having access to pharmacies, hospitals, and other health care centers. Especially in rural areas, lack of transportation options severely impacts one’s ability not only to receive care, but also to access employment, education and other social services that are central to well-being. In July, the caucus was formed to raise awareness about health disparities and come up with solutions that increase long-term health and well-being.

The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed the way we do advocacy as a sector. Gone are the days when nonprofits must organize dozens of flights to Washington, D.C., and navigate hectic lobby days. It’s also no longer necessary to wait weeks or even months for a legislator to return to the district to meet in person. Now, many of these activities can be done virtually with ease and professionalism. In fact, many legislators now prefer virtual meetings because they can talk with more constituents.

Social Current has conducted dozens of virtual meetings with legislators throughout the pandemic. This year, for example, our education advocacy team, made up of network organizations from across the nation, held more than 25 virtual meetings with members of Congress during our policy advocacy week in March. We also hosted meetings with key staffers on the education and appropriations committees in both chambers. Ultimately, this virtual campaign allowed us to build relationships with key decision makers on Capitol Hill and identify members of Congress who support our policy proposals.

As you consider how virtual events can help you achieve your advocacy goals, check out our tips for success below.

For more information, visit our Policy Action Center to download our newly updated toolkits: Social Current Public Policy Toolkit and Social Current Public Policy Toolkit: Media Relations, Events, and Social Media.

Virtual Advocacy Events

Virtual meetings allow organizations and coalitions to harness their collective power by meeting with multiple legislators in one day or week via Zoom, GoToMeeting, or WebEx. Legislators themselves have become used to this medium of communication and connection, and many organizations are taking advantage of it. Follow these steps to plan a successful virtual event.

Planning: 6-8 weeks in advance of the Virtual Advocacy Day:

Scheduling: 4+ weeks in advance:

Preparing: 1 week in advance:

Executing: During the Meeting

New Resources for Building Your Advocacy Muscle

Social Current offers two newly updated advocacy toolkits, one with general public policy and advocacy how-tos and another with tips for media relations and social media to support advocacy. Inside, you’ll find sections on creating impact stories, engaging with legislators, developing media relations, hosting special events, and conducting social media outreach. They also contain brand new sections on virtual advocacy, constituent engagement and coalition building.

In addition to downloading the toolkits, connect with us to stay up to date on activity in Washington, take action on key issues, and gain support with your efforts:

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, just passed by Congress, includes several provisions of importance to the charitable nonprofit sector, yet curtails essential relief enacted earlier this year. The nonprofits listed below celebrate many helpful aspects of the law and urge Congress and the administration to quickly take action to enact further #Relief4Charities:

“The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes several priorities that will assist nonprofits and the communities they serve. We are glad to see the inclusion of a Nonprofit Energy Efficiency pilot program that awards $50 million in grants for charitable organizations to make upgrades to their facilities and $65 billion to support broadband access for all.

“We are disappointed however, that the bill eliminated the Employee Retention Tax Credit for the fourth quarter of this year. The ERTC, which has been a lifeline for many nonprofits, is a refundable payroll tax credit for nonprofits and small businesses designed to provide a financial incentive for employers to keep employees on their payrolls and continue to deliver important services during the pandemic and in its immediate aftermath. It has allowed them to retain critical employees in the face of the economic challenges caused by the pandemic. Tens of thousands of organizations are now counting on fourth quarter 2021 access to an ERTC to support the financial decisions they made to bring employees back on the payroll and increase operating capacity to serve their communities.”

“As Congress and the White House continue negotiations on the best ways to support American families and the economy, we encourage them to prioritize continued support for ERTC allowing charitable nonprofits to access the ERTC during the Fourth Quarter of 2021; extending nonprofit eligibility for the ERTC through 2022 to help ensure a strong economic recovery from the pandemic; and, amending the definition of nonprofit “gross receipts” for the ERTC program to better reflect revenue available to support nonprofits amid the pandemic.”

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American Alliance of Museums
Association of Art Museum Directors
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Catholic Charities USA
Dance/USA
Girl Scouts of the USA
Girls Inc.
Goodwill Industries International Inc.

Independent Sector
Jewish Federations of North America
League of American Orchestras
National Council of Nonprofits
Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies
OPERA America
Social Current (formerly Alliance for Strong Families and Communities and Council on Accreditation)
Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
YMCA of the USA

Washington, D.C. – Social Current, formerly the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities and Council on Accreditation, announced today a cooperative agreement with the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) for Fostering Resilience and Hope: Bridging the Gap Between Law Enforcement and The Community. The agreement will support a three-year demonstration initiative that will infuse hope theory to assist law enforcement officers with addressing trauma and adversity in order to repair and rebuild relationships within the community. Social Current will receive $1 million to oversee technical assistance to two sites with the full grant totaling $4 million. Selected sites will be announced at a later date.

“The Department of Justice is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights, increases access to justice, supports crime victims, protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community,” commented Stacy Phillips, Victim Justice Program Specialist for the Office for Victims of Crime for the Department of Justice. “This program furthers the Department of Justice’s mission by advancing law enforcement policies and practices that promote justice and healing for all victims.”

“The award of this cooperative agreement reflects recognition of our expertise in helping support organizations in their equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI), and racial justice journeys, as well as our work in engaging victim-centered organizations in multidisciplinary, national scope technical assistance projects to accelerate innovation and knowledge,” commented Jody Levison-Johnson, president and CEO of Social Current. “The work of Social Current is to facilitate collaboration and innovation and advance policy and practice excellence within organizations and across systems. We believe this initiative will play a significant role by creating a learning community and building a body of knowledge around resilience and community engagement.”

“Building hope is about honoring, trusting, respecting, valuing, and amplifying opportunities within communities,” noted Dr. Chan Hellman, a respected expert in hope science and training and founder of Chan Hellman LLC. “We believe that hope may provide a simple shared language that can be useful to the community as they work to move past awareness status into actionable goals and pathways aimed to dismantle systemic oppression and racism.”

The initiative will include training, capacity development, advocacy, and outreach with a goal of repairing and rebuilding trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve and enhancing law enforcement officers’ ability to effectively engage with community members. Additionally, the effort is geared to increasing the likelihood that the community will assist in investigations to make communities safer and hold those responsible accountable. The goal is to increase the likelihood that crime victims will report their victimizations to the police, reducing the likelihood of re-victimization, and helping to build safer communities, where all residents thrive.

The program builds on a previous initiative known as the Healing Justice Alliance Initiative, which explored demonstrated strategies for implementing a trauma-informed and collaborative approach to build trust between communities of color and law enforcement agencies. Informed by young men of color who are survivors of violence, the project’s outcomes improved lives, by pointing to ways to manage trauma, and focusing on changing community conditions that produce trauma.

Romero Davis, senior program manager for Practice Excellence at Social Current will head the technical assistance team. He also serves as senior program manager for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and Engagement at Social Current. Romero is a mentor; an award-winning leadership, professional development, and life coach; published author; and an advocate of safe communities and families. Romero has been active nationally working with agencies in areas such as poly-victimization; trauma in families; equity, diversity, and inclusion; juvenile justice; and domestic violence. Romero previously served as program manager for agencies focused on sexual assault and domestic violence.

Romero will be joined by Social Current colleagues Undraye Howard, Amy Templeman, Karen Johnson, Kelly Martin, Rehana Absar and Phyllis Richards who bring a range of expertise and experience to the team. They will be joined by a talented team with diverse expertise that includes Dr. Chan Hellman and T/Cpl Meghann Holloway.

Key elements of the technical assistance will include:

Media Notes: For more information or to request an interview, please contact Jennifer Devlin at 703-966-3241 or jdevlin@social-current.org.

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Negotiations continue in Washington on the large reconciliation bill that would advance parts of President Biden’s American Families Plan. President Biden continues to advocate for the key components of his economic plan, a plan that will require consensus across the Democratic party in order to advance in Congress. Though initially a $3.5 trillion package, press reports last week hint at a modified package between $1.9 and $2.2 trillion. These compromises are meant to address concerns by moderate Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and Kristen Sinema (D-Ariz). However, progressive members in the House of Representatives are standing firm on the inclusion of key priorities like climate change provisions. Biden is pushing Congress to come up with an agreement before Oct. 30, though that is looking less certain.

Still on the table in the negotiations are child care; pre-K; and home-based health care; climate provisions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. by 50 percent by 2030; a Medicare expansion for expanded dental, vision, and hearing coverage; funds for the Affordable Care Act; health-care gap closure; and a one- to two-year extension for the Child Tax Credit, initially included for five years. Other provisions on the table include four weeks of guaranteed paid family leave, public housing dollars, free community college, investments in racial equity programs, and more. With a looming deadline of Oct. 30, hopefully Congress will reach some agreements soon.

Federal Reserve Shares Survey Results of COVID-19 Impact on Nonprofits, Communities

Earlier this year, our organization partnered with the Federal Reserve to distribute an important survey to our network. This survey looks at the impact of the pandemic on nonprofit organizations, their financial health, and the communities they serve. The results and report, Perspectives from Main Street: The impact of COVID-19 on communities and the entities serving them, was released last week. The survey had some important findings. For example, 77% of survey respondents noted that conditions for children were worse than they were pre-pandemic. Across almost every category, half the respondents estimated it would take between one and three years to return to pre-pandemic conditions, while almost a quarter noted it would take at least four years for housing stability to return to pre-pandemic conditions. When asked how COVID-19 affected their organizations, almost 70% of respondents said demand for services increased, while almost half noted a decrease in their ability to serve their communities. Thank you to those of you who participated.

WIC Modernization Project Underway

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) received $390 million through the American Rescue Plan of 2021 to modernize the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP). FNS used these funds with two goals in mind: Boost enrollment and retention in these programs and increase equity in program delivery. In May and June, FNS held 27 listening sessions with state agency administrators, program participants, industry partners, scholars, and advocates. These stakeholders stressed the need for creating partnerships across sectors to reduce disparities and supporting technological innovation to improve accessibility. Coming out of the listening sessions, FNS decided on several action items. First, FNS will launch pilots to test innovative state-level outreach efforts for reaching underserved communities. Second, FNS will invest in a national assistance center that uses business and technology solutions to improve the certification process for new applicants. Third, FNS will work to move shopping and benefit transactions online, including at farmers markets. Finally, FNS will address disparities in service delivery by supporting evidence-based approaches, like building new local partnerships, to provide culturally sensitive and competent services.

Source: Food and Nutrition Service

Department of Education Announces Overhaul of Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

The Department of Education (DOE) announced new actions it will take to immediately discharge federal student loans for 22,000 borrowers and potentially for 27,0000 more. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program was created to recognize the contribution of individuals dedicated to public service – government workers, teachers, nurses, firefighters, and nonprofit employees – by canceling their student loans after 10 years of service. After receiving more than 48,000 public comments on PSLF, the DOE is issuing a time-limited waiver so that student borrowers can count payments from all federal loans programs towards forgiveness, even from programs that were not previously eligible. The waiver will also simplify the technical requirements around the payment plan, timing, and the amount of the payment. DOE states that this waiver will apply to over 550,000 borrowers. DOE has also vowed to enhance outreach and communications with PSLF-eligible borrowers and simplify the application process. Up until now, only 16,000 borrowers have ever received forgiveness under the program.

Source: Department of Education

CHAMPS Releases New Federal Policy Recommendations

The Children Need Amazing Parents (CHAMPS) campaign recently released its new set of policy recommendations, which are grounded in child development research and developed with a broad coalition including foster and adoptive families, kinship caregivers, birth families, and young people with lived experience in foster care. These recommendations focus around increasing stability and quality of family-based care and increased supports for kinship caregivers, spurring improvements to foster parent recruitment, having the Department of Health and Human Services produce annual data on trends on family-based and congregate care, and more. You can read more detail online.

A few days ago, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), and Children’s Hospital Association declared a national emergency in children’s mental health, citing the serious toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on top of existing challenges.

Prior to the pandemic, suicide was the second leading cause of death for youths ages 10-24 years. Between March and October 2020, during the longest quarantine period, suspected suicide attempts increased nearly 51% among girls ages 12-17 years, according to the CDC.  Mental health-related emergency room visits rose by 24% for children ages 5-11 years and 31% for children ages 12-17 years.

In a statement, Jody Levison-Johnson, president and CEO of Social Current, noted:

“We agree with the AAP and others that behavioral health issues among teens and adolescents have been a significant concern for many years, but have reached previously unseen peaks during the trauma, loss and isolation of the pandemic. Current brain science tells us that relational health and positive childhood experiences mitigate the impact of toxic stress. As we respond to the current crisis, we can build equitable access to mental health services aligned with community needs, along with resources for families that promote strong relationships and resilience. We support the range of policy solutions advocated by the AAP. Now is the time for policymakers to act, partnering with the behavioral health community to tackle these pressing challenges.”

New organization unveiled during SPARK 2021 Conference

Washington, D.C. – The Alliance for Strong Families and Communities and Council on Accreditation (Alliance-COA), which earlier this year announced their intent to merge, today unveiled their new organization, including their name and brand. Social Current will represent a network of thousands of social-sector organizations working in partnership to activate the power and impact of the social sector. Social Current is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

The announcement comes after a nine-month integration process that began in January and follows a year-long exploration and due diligence process overseen by both organizations, which share a long history and vision, with the Alliance serving as one of the original founders of COA in 1977.

“We are incredibly excited to come together as Social Current with a mission to advocate for and implement equitable solutions to society’s toughest challenges through collaboration, innovation, policy, and practice excellence,” noted Social Current’s inaugural president and CEO Jody Levison-Johnson. “At a time in our history where the need to do more and do better have never been so clear, Social Current will ignite change and spark greater impact across the social sector. With Social Current, we will bring together a unified, intrepid, just, and purposeful network that fuels each other’s knowledge, expertise and experience to make real and lasting impact.”  

Social Current will engage a broad, multifaceted and larger network of organizations and partners with a diversified range of offerings that contribute to the reach and influence of the human and social services sector. Core service offerings include:

For more information go to www.social-current.org. Follow us on social media: