Improving Coordination of Public Benefits
CSI recently held two national conferences to discuss state implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and as a follow-up to these meetings we will be hosting a series of webinars around topics related to ARRA and discretionary grant-best practices.
Improving Coordination of Public Benefits
On August 5, 2009 from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm EDT, we discussed successful models for the integration of public benefits programs. The call focused on best practices and common challenges in coordinating the administration of the full spectrum of public benefit programs. As you know, the complexity involved in applying for and renewing public benefits such as Medicaid, Food Stamps and TANF stop numerous Americans from receiving the services they need. States can improve access to services and increase program efficiency by aligning requirements for these programs, using a single application for multiple benefits, and implementing a “no wrong door” policy by accepting multi-benefit applications at any service site and making greater use of internet based application tools. In particular, the session examined Florida’s ACCESS program which uses policy simplification, technological innovations and community partnerships to improve public assistance delivery.
We heared from several national resource people on the need for basic skills development, specifically related to post-secondary attainment and the connection between basic skills and discretionary grants.
Panelists:
Jennifer Lange, Florida ACCESS Program
Liz Schott, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Elizabeth Lower-Basch, Center for Law and Social Policies
Materials:
Click Here for the entire Webinar
Liz Schott Presentation Video
Jennifer Lange Presentation Video
Webinar Question and Answer Session