Reports

The Welfare Indicators Act of 1994 requires the Department of Health and Human Services to prepare annual reports to Congress on indicators and predictors of welfare dependence.

This report describes the design and implementation of the Consumer-Directed Care Research Project (CDC), Florida's model of Cash and Counseling, and draws lessons from the state's experience. The report is based primarily on in-person interviews conducted in January 2002, about 18 months after the project began enrolling beneficiaries.

By Sharon M. McGroder, Ph.D., Martha J. Zaslow, Ph.D., Kristin A. Moore, Ph.D., and Jennifer L. Brooks, Ph.D. Child Trends

Final Report July 2004 Prepared for:U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesAssistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Changing to Consumer-Directed Care: The Implementation of the Cash and Counseling Demonstration in Florida Barbara Phillips and Barbara Schneider Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. July 2004 PDF Version (136 PDF pages)

Content The Study What We Found Endnote Social welfare programs strive to improve the well-being of needy and vulnerable populations.

This project, which resulted in both a key highlights issue brief and a full report, examines how a state's ability to fund social welfare programs affects its state spending choices on programs to support low-income populations. The project includes a two-part study of state spending on social services.

This announces the launch of a comprehensive, searchable Web site that contains information on hundreds of technology products to improve quality of life and care in long-term care residential settings, http://www.techforltc.org/.

New TechForLTC.Org Web Site Offers Comprehensive Information on Technologies for Health Professionals in Long-Term Care Settings   PDF Version: http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/2004/techPR.pdf (3 PDF pages)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

This report focuses on workers' compensation laws and systems as they pertain to domestic service workers, and in particular, PAS workers in 50 states, the District of Columbia, five U.S.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Stacy Dale, Randall Brown and Barbara Phillips Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. June 2004 This report was prepared under contract #HHS-100-95-0046 between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Disability, Aging and Long-Term Care Policy (DALTCP) and the University of Maryland.

Content Background Research Questions and Methods Key Findings Background Since the establishment of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, much attention has been given t

By: Cynthia Miller, MDRC, Mary Farrell, The Lewin Group, Maria Cancian, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Daniel R. Meyer, University of Wisconsin-Madison Prepared for: Jennifer Burnszynski and Linda Mellgren  

Between 1996 and 2001, welfare cases declined nationally by 52 percent, while child-only cases declined by much less. Thus, while the number of child-only cases has fluctuated over time, their proportionate share of the TANF caseload has increased. Children in TANF child-only cases with relative caregivers occupy uncertain territory between the TANF and the child welfare service systems.

The evaluation of the national Cash and Counseling Demonstration enables researchers to rigorously analyze costs under agency-directed and consumer-directed approaches.

Prepared for: David NielsenOffice of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation(ASPE)U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Does Arkansas’ Cash and Counseling Affect Service Use and Public Costs? Stacy Dale, Randall Brown and Barbara Phillips Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. June 2004 PDF Version

Prepared for: John Tambornino, Project OfficerOffice of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and EvaluationU.S. Department of Health and Human Services Prepared by: David A. Long and Tammy Ouellette Abt Associates Inc.

Stacy Dale, Randall Brown, Barbara Phillips, Jennifer Schore and Barbara Carlson Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. May 2004 This report was prepared under contract HHS-100-95-0046 between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Disability, Aging and Long-Term Care Policy (DALTCP) and the University of Maryland.

HHS-DoL Symposium Summary The Lewin Group  

Content Findings from Existing Research Options for Future Research  

This document is the information package given to the attendees of the conference “Pathway to the Future: How Workforce Development and Quality Jobs Can Promote Quality Care.” The held in Washington, D.C. on May 23-25, 2004, and was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Labor.

This paper provides the fundamental context of both the long-term care sector and the workforce investment system in order to build understanding among members of each system. It is not intended to be comprehensive but to provide enough information to stimulate dialogue. Section II briefly describes the characteristics of the long-term care paraprofessional workforce.

The purpose of the synthesis paper is to review, summarize, and discuss the significance of available research findings on the frontline long-term care (LTC) workforce since 1999, in both home and community-based and nursing home settings. This paper provides an updated review of the status of empirical findings, focusing on what has been learned between 1999 and 2003.

The traditional system of providing Medicaid personal care services (PCS) through home care agencies gives consumers few choices about how and when their care is provided. Because some agencies do not provide care on weekends or outside business hours, consumers may not receive care when they need it.

Despite the TANF program's emphasis on employment, the policies, practices and attitudes of the employers of TANF recipients have received limited attention.

This package--distributed at a national symposium held at the Wyndham Hotel, Washington, D.C. on May 23-25, 2004--was prepared by the Office of Disability, Aging and Long-Term Care Policy (DALTCP) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Contract #HHS-100-03-0009 with the Lewin Group.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Recruiting and Retaining a Quality Paraprofessional Long-Term Care Workforce: Building Collaboratives with the Nation's Workforce Investment System Michael E.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services The Effect of Consumer Direction of Personal Assistance Received in Arkansas Stacy Dale, Randall Brown, Barbara Phillips, Jennifer Schore and Barbara Carlson Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. May 2004 PDF Version

Contents Research Questions Data Sources Study Limitations Characteristics of the Study States Key Findings Potential Next Steps The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opport

Content Key Research Questions Data and Methods Key Findings Conclusions Endnotes

With the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), policymakers and researchers have recognized the importance of understanding the dynamics of the low-wage labor market and the economic opportunities in it.

This report examines the implementation of TANF sanctions in three states, looking at the ways that case managers used sanctions to promote compliance with work requirements. They found that case managers often exercised discretion in deciding whether and when to initiate a sanction, especially when a client partially met participation requirements.

By: LaDonna Pavetti, Michelle K. Derr, Gretchen Kirby, Robert G. Wood, and Melissa A. Clark Submitted to:U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesOffice of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

By: Peter Schochet and Anu Rangarajan Submitted to:U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesOffice of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation Project Officer: Susan Hauan

By: Fredrik Andersson, Julia Lane, Erika McEntarfer  

Content The Value of Hardship Measures Defining and Measuring Hardship Material Hardship Indexes Measuring Hardship Using the SIPP Unanswered Questions for Future Research  

This report analyzes the experiences of welfare "cyclers," a group that has received relatively little attention in previous research on welfare dynamics. For this study, "cycling" is defined as receipt of welfare benefits during three or more discrete spells during a four-year "observation" period.

By: Fredrik Andersson, Julia Lane, Erika McEntarfer   Research Brief (in PDF format) Executive Summary

The report analyzes the experiences of welfare "cyclers" (those who received welfare benefits during three or more discrete spells during a four-year observation period) using five MDRC studies of welfare reform initiatives during the mid- to late-1990s. Overall, cyclers constituted a relatively small portion of the welfare caseload (9 percent).

This report summarizes what is known about the measurement of material hardship and its application to research with low-income families with children. It discusses challenges in defining and measuring material hardship, reviews how such measures have been in recent research, and presents analyses of data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP).

This literature review summarizes what is known about falls and fall prevention and identifies the components of effective strategies for reducing falls. Intertwined in the discussion are the results of interviews conducted with individuals representing nine fall prevention programs that have been identified as particularly successful.

This report provides an overview of prevention efforts under the Steps to a HealthierUS initiative. First, it highlights the problems and challenges in preventing chronic disease.

Prepared for: Julia IsaacsU.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesOffice of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

By: Lashawn Richburg-Hayes and Stephen Freedman MDRC April 2004 Submitted to:U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesOffice of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

FRONT COVER MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY