HHS will offer observations on the Verifications Plans submitted by the states as of September 30, 2006. This review will include feedback on areas of strength and possible areas for improvement in the plans.

Sean Hurley, ACF, Division Director, Data Collection and Analysis, Office of Family Assistance

States will present their approach to structuring work activities required by the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) and engaging participants into meaningful activities. Presentations include the following: job search and job readiness, community service, vocational education, distance learning and labor market attachment strategies. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and share their experiences.

Sarah Brenna, Program Manager, UT Dept. of Workforce Services -Presentation Slides

Donna Gunter, TANF Unit Manager, GA Dept. of Human Resources

Louise Wing, Acting Director, Income Support Programs, MI Dept. of Human Services - Presentation Slides

HHS will present on the changes to the TANF report resulting from the implementation of the DRA as well as the merits of reporting the universe and drawing a sample. Additionally, New York State will present their policies and procedures for using NDNH data for eligibility determination and redetermination, identifying improper payments, and tracking employment for the purposes of calculating the state's work participation rate and effectively managing the state's TANF work program.

Richard Nawrot, Director of Program Integrity, NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance - Presentation Slides

Tracy Kellaher, National Sales Manager, The Work Number - Presentation Slides

Sean Hurley, ACF, Division Director, Data Collection and Analysis, Office of Family Assistance

Participants will be divided into groups based on their administrative structure: state supervised, state-administered or state supervised, locally-administered. The purpose of the roundtable discussions is to identify key issues facing the states, technical assistance needs, promising practices, and future training needs.

Duke Storen, Deputy Director, State Information Technology Consortium (SITC)

Focus Group on the HHS On-line Job Readiness Assessment Tool

SITC will present an overview of the functionality and business model for the HHS-sponsored On-Line Job Readiness Assessment tool. States will have an opportunity to discuss their needs and preferences for both the functionality of the tool as well as the organizational model for its delivery to the states (service, software, or a combination).

Linda Winfrey, Senior Member Technical Staff, State Information Technology Consortium (SITC) - Presentation Slides

John Blyskal, Principal Member Technical Staff, State Information Technology Consortium (SITC)

Sheila Drake, Meeting Planner, State Information Technology Consortium

Gayle Hamilton, Senior Fellow at MDRC will present findings from the Employment Retention and Advancement Project. Launched in 1999 and slated to end in 2009, the ERA project uses a rigorous research design to analyze the implementation and impacts of each one program. This project tracks and evaluates more than a dozen demonstration programs designed to improve job retention and increase wage advancement. This session will provide a description of program models, results of findings, a discussion of their implications for states, and a summary of lessons learned.

Gayle Hamilton, Senior Fellow, MDRC - Presentation Slides

States will present various management strategies used to help them to better serve participants and meet the work participation requirements outlined in the DRA. Strategies include finding and using Maintenance of Effort (MOE) funds, universal engagement and client flow strategies, and how to serve payee-only cases.

Richard Larson, Director, Office of Programs, MD Department of Human Resources -Presentation Slides

Louise Wing, Acting Director, Income Support Programs, MI Dept. of Human Services

HHS has funded and led efforts to develop a Program Management and Performance Measurement (PM2) software tool. When implemented, this tool will allow States to generate performance statistics on their Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, which will assist them in examining the status and outcomes associated with their programs, monitoring status and outcomes at county or local levels, and understanding some of the drivers that affect caseload dynamics, work activity participation, and employment outcomes. This session will include a demonstration of the tool and provide an opportunity for participants to comment on the tool's functionality and proposed business model for adoption by states (software).

Duke Storen, Deputy Director, State Information Technology Consortium (SITC) Presentation Slides

Focus Group on the TANF Data Exchange System

SITC will present an overview of the functionality and data elements in the HHS-sponsored on-line TANF Data Exchange System. This system allows states to obtain case data on participants who have received assistance in other states, assisting them in the eligibility determination process and the tracking of the 60-month clock. Participants will have an opportunity to provide input on the system's design and data elements.

Mike Haithcock, Analyst, Systems Research and Development - Presentation Slides

Neeraj Pandey, Senior Architect, Systems Research and Development

To increase work participation and engagement of TANF participants, States use employer incentives and performance based contracting as a mean of increasing performance. This session will highlight the effectiveness of these strategies and holding contractors accountable for meeting outcomes.

Idara Nickelson, Chief, Office of Performance Monitoring, DC Dept. of Human Services- Presentation Slides

Erica Mott, GOCII, FL Agency for Workforce Innovation - Presentation Slides

Duke Storen, Deputy Director, State Information Technology Consortium (SITC)

Developed by the Wider Opportunities for Women and the University of Washington, the Self-Sufficiency Standard offers a useful alternative to the federally defined poverty threshold. The Standard calculates how much money working adults need to meet their basic needs without subsidies of any kind and accounts for the costs of living and working as it varies by family size, family composition, and by geographic location. The Standard, therefore, estimates the level of income necessary for a given family type, whether working now or making the transition to work, to be independent of welfare and/or other public and private subsidies. This session will focus on how the Standard can be used by state agencies to promote self-sufficiency among TANF participants.

Kate Farrar, Associate Director of National Programs and Policy, Wider Opportunity for Women - Presentation Slides (D3A)

Cindy Hetzel, Director of Data and Research, Voices for Virginia's Children

Duke Storen, Deputy Director, State Information Technology Consortium (SITC) - Presentation Slides

This session will highlight how states are currently using the self-sufficiency standard to move TANF participants to employment that leads to self-sufficiency.

Kate Farrar, Associate Director of National Programs and Policy, Wider Opportunity for Women
Melanie Lavelle, Self-Sufficiency Project Manager, Women's Center for Education and Career Advancement

Jacqueline Patterson, Director, Self-Sufficiency Projects- Presentation Slides

This session will highlight how states are currently using the self-sufficiency standard to move TANF participants to employment that leads to self-sufficiency.

Al M. Fleming, Program Analyst, Division of State and Territory TANF Management, Office of Family Assistance

Duke Storen, Deputy Director, State Information Technology Consortium (SITC)