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American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)

The American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) is a bipartisan, nonprofit membership organization representing state and local health and human service agencies through their top-level leadership.

APHSA’s members are experts in administering, overseeing, and aligning programs that build resilience and bolster the well-being of people through access to food, health care, housing, employment, child care, community support, and other key building blocks.

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American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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5 Things to Know About SNAP Employment & Training

5 Things to Know About SNAP Employment & Training

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is well known for providing nutrition support for individuals and families with low incomes. The lesser-known SNAP Employment and Training Program (SNAP E&T) helps eligible participants develop skills to achieve economic mobility. SNAP E&T provides employability assessments, training, case management, transportation, child care and other services and supports to help participants attain sustainable employment. State legislatures have an opportunity to support economic recovery and decrease food insecurity among individuals and families by investing in the SNAP E&T program, including with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
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Aligning Systems to Advance Family and Community Well-Being: A Partnership Playbook for Community Action and Human Services Agencies

Aligning Systems to Advance Family and Community Well-Being: A Partnership Playbook for Community Action and Human Services Agencies

This playbook outlines the ways Community Action and human services agencies worked together to meet the pandemic challenge—what worked well, obstacles and difficulties, and lessons learned to inform the path forward, partnering to achieve a more equitable recovery. It also explains how communities have leveraged opportunities to partner on approaches that hold the promise of deeper, longer lasting changes for families—work shaped by families’ wishes and strengths and designed to advance both family-level and systems-level change.

National Community Action Partnership, American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Benefits of Interoperability in the Health & Human Services System

Benefits of Interoperability in the Health & Human Services System

The A-87 Exception presents a unique opportunity to transform the health and human services delivery system. It delivers an integrated funding mechanism which allows good business design to apply across a broad range of programs and services. It also provides benefits to states, customers, and federal partners, ranging from cost containment, to improved customer service, enhanced security and privacy, program integrity, and better outcomes for children and families.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Changes in State TANF Policies in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Changes in State TANF Policies in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

As the US economy shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, state administrators for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)—the nation’s primary program for helping families with low incomes meet basic needs while supporting their transition to economic mobility through work opportunities—faced new challenges operating the program and meeting their clients’ needs. For families previously or newly receiving TANF, the pandemic made it harder to meet the work and activity requirements necessary to continue receiving benefits. Many state TANF administrators and agencies responded to the pandemic and stay-at-home orders by adjusting their policies to meet their states’ and families’ unique situations, needs, and challenges. In this brief, we describe how some of these agencies adapted their policies during the early months of the pandemic.

Urban Institute, American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Coordinating SNAP and Nutrition Supports

Coordinating SNAP and Nutrition Supports

Coordinating SNAP and Nutrition Supports (CSNS) is a cohort program funded by Share Our Strength, No Kid Hungry and administered by the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) with the goal of aligning the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) with other federal, state, and local nutrition supports to combat childhood hunger.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Core Principles for TANF Modernization: A Legislative Framework for TANF Refo

Core Principles for TANF Modernization: A Legislative Framework for TANF Refo

Working with TANF administrators and human services leaders across the country, the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) embraces the call to reimagine how TANF can work in support of the families it serves and has established a set of TANF Modernization Core Principles to guide our vision for the future of TANF. Grounded in these Core Principles, APHSA’s members have laid out a legislative framework to unlock the potential of TANF. We call upon Congress to use this framework as a starting point to build common ground to achieve a TANF reauthorization that promotes a more equitable and prosperous future for all Americans.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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COVID Response Project: Lessons Learned from State Adaptation and Federal Flexibilities

COVID Response Project: Lessons Learned from State Adaptation and Federal Flexibilities

The COVID Response Project was funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to document the real-time impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on state human services agencies and capture state perspectives on lessons learned to guide future federal policymaking and state implementation. The project was completed by the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Regional Operations. Insights from the report reflect information obtained through APHSA’s on-going support of state human services agencies’ COVID-19 response efforts as well as a series of in-depth interviews with executive leadership of the 14 state health and human services agencies in ACF’s Region 1 (New England) and Region 4 (Southeast) areas.

Administration for Children & Families, American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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CSNS Hawaii: Building a Data-Driven Foundation to Help Hunger in Hawai'i

CSNS Hawaii: Building a Data-Driven Foundation to Help Hunger in Hawai'i

The Hawai‘i Department of Human Services (DHS), in partnership with the Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) and the Children’s Healthy Living Center of Excellence (CHL Center) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, is building foundational capacity to share and analyze administrative data across the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). This groundwork will enable Hawai‘i to increase access to nutrition support programs, in alignment with Hawai‘i’s ‘Ohana Nui framework, which aims to dismantle intergenerational poverty.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) and No Kid Hungry, Share Our Strength
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CSNS Kansas: Forming Connections Between SNAP and WIC to Tackle Food Insecurity

CSNS Kansas: Forming Connections Between SNAP and WIC to Tackle Food Insecurity

Together, the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) and Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) are working to design and build a sustainable process to improve cross-enrollment for families eligible for both the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). This report outlines how Kansas will integrate data matches between SNAP and WIC—as well as targeted outreach— within the ongoing business processes of the agencies to help streamline the experience of accessing nutrition supports for clients. These functions will contribute to the agencies’ shared goal of reducing rates of food insecurity in Kansas.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) and No Kid Hungry, Share Our Strength
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CSNS Mecklenburg: Strengthening Community Relationship to End Child Hunger

CSNS Mecklenburg: Strengthening Community Relationship to End Child Hunger

This report outlines how the Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services (DSS) is leading an initiative to coordinate nutrition supports across government and community partners to streamline access to resources that improve food security for families in Mecklenburg County. Through this project, households experiencing food insecurity will not only have a better understanding of the resources and services available to them, but also will find it easier to apply for public benefit programs.

Share Our Strength, American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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CSNS Michigan: Data-Driven Strategies to Help End Hunger in Michigan

CSNS Michigan: Data-Driven Strategies to Help End Hunger in Michigan

This report outlines how the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), in partnership with the Food Bank Council of Michigan (FBCM) and Michigan Department of Education (MDE), is deploying a three-pronged strategy to leverage data insights to systematically identify and eliminate gaps in access to nutrition supports among priority populations using food security map and closed-loop referrals.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) and No Kid Hungry, Share Our Strength
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CSNS New Jersey: Sharing Nutrition Program Data to Raise WIC Enrollment

CSNS New Jersey: Sharing Nutrition Program Data to Raise WIC Enrollment

This report outlines how the New Jersey Department of Human Services’ Division of Family Development (DFD) and the Department of Health (NJDOH) are increasing SNAP & WIC co-enrollment through data sharing, outreach, and systems integration.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) and No Kid Hungry, Share Our Strength
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CSNS New Mexico: Improving Online Infrastructure to Expand WIC's Reach

CSNS New Mexico: Improving Online Infrastructure to Expand WIC's Reach

This report outlines how the New Mexico Human Services Department (HSD) and Department of Health (NMDOH) are working to maximize WIC participation among SNAP families through automated referrals and streamlined application and enrollment across agencies.

Share Our Strength, American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Early Insights on SNAP Modernization through American Rescue Plan Investments

Early Insights on SNAP Modernization through American Rescue Plan Investments

This brief shares findings from a November 2021 survey of state SNAP agencies about their use of the SNAP ARPA funds in fiscal year 2021, and their initial planned activities for fiscal year 2022 and 2023. This brief also draws from learnings from work groups conducted with states in early 2022. The brief looks to explore the following questions: 1. How did state SNAP agencies use 2021 SNAP ARPA administrative funding? 2. What factors influenced how states used 2021 SNAP ARPA administrative funding? 3. What are states aiming to prioritize in 2022 and 2023? 4. What do early insights on implementation convey about national SNAP priorities?

Share Our Strength, No Kid Hungry, American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Executive Summary: SNAP Waivers and Adaptations During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Survey of State Agency Perspectives in 2020

Executive Summary: SNAP Waivers and Adaptations During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Survey of State Agency Perspectives in 2020

SNAP Waivers and Adaptations During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey of State Agency Perspectives in 2020 is a study conducted by the Johns Hopkins Institute for Health and Social Policy (IHSP) based at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). This research seeks to understand perspectives from state SNAP administrators on the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from waivers and flexibilities used to preserve equitable access to SNAP during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on state agency survey responses, this report summarizes key findings from the first calendar year of pandemic response and provides policy considerations for the future of SNAP. This research was supported by Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Johns Hopkins Institute for Health and Social Policy, Health and Social Policy, American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Funding Programs for Young Parents & Families

Funding Programs for Young Parents & Families

This brief provides a summary of potential federal funding sources and programs that can be used to support programs specifically targeted towards young families. While this list is not exhaustive, it highlights major sources that can serve as a starting point for braiding and blending of funding to create comprehensive programming to serve young families.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Harnessing Data and Technology to Construct a Human Services System that Supports Thriving and Equitable Communities

Harnessing Data and Technology to Construct a Human Services System that Supports Thriving and Equitable Communities

Recent innovations in technology have opened a path for H/HS agencies to dramatically strengthen their data and technology infrastructure while providing fairer and more equal access to crucial benefits and services. By taking the concrete policy steps outlined in this brief, we believe that Congress and the administration can help human services agencies accelerate the construction of next generation systems that support the move toward a data-driven, equitable, multidisciplinary service delivery model.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Laying the Tracks for an Equitable Recovery and Long Term Repair

Laying the Tracks for an Equitable Recovery and Long Term Repair

In this brief, APHSA outlines its commitment to addressing the causes of structural inequities by first illuminating structural root causes of race inequity within the context of human services. The brief outlines approaches to doing the intentional and systematic work that is required to counteract the structural barriers human services systems have fostered.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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National Collaborative for Integration of Health and Human Services: Promoting Greater Health and Well-Being

National Collaborative for Integration of Health and Human Services: Promoting Greater Health and Well-Being

A growing body of evidence shows that improved care and service coordination across multiple sectors, including beyond traditional health care services, has the potential to enable the achievement of improved health and well-being outcomes for families and communities. Human service programs and providers already in place are uniquely positioned to provide essential contributions to improving overall health outcomes if they effectively coordinate with the traditional and evolving health system.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Response to RFI: Center for WIC Modernization and Delivery

Response to RFI: Center for WIC Modernization and Delivery

In this RFI response, APHSA draws on its work with members to align programs and agencies in human services to inform WIC modernization and delivery.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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SNAP Waivers and Adaptations During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Survey of State Agency Perspectives in 2020

SNAP Waivers and Adaptations During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Survey of State Agency Perspectives in 2020

SNAP Waivers and Adaptations During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey of State Agency Perspectives in 2020 is a study conducted by the Johns Hopkins Institute for Health and Social Policy (IHSP) based at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). This research seeks to understand perspectives from state SNAP administrators on the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from waivers and flexibilities used to preserve equitable access to SNAP during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on state agency survey responses, this report summarizes key findings from the first calendar year of pandemic response and provides policy considerations for the future of SNAP. This research was supported by Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Johns Hopkins Institute for Health and Social Policy, American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Toolkit for Supporting Young Families Through Human Services

Toolkit for Supporting Young Families Through Human Services

This toolkit provides links to a multitude of resources to help health and human services leaders evaluate and intentionally design programs to meet the unique needs of young families.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Toolkit: Moving through the Value Curve Stage

Toolkit: Moving through the Value Curve Stage

Human services is experiencing many of the same challenges that all modern systems face, including rapidly changing economic forces, social structure, demographics, communications and technology. Leaders from all sectors of our field must be able to adapt to this changing environment, and lead a culture change within their organization that supports a more collaborative, creative and innovative way to deliver services in communities across the nation. Indeed, it is impossible to deliver a truly holistic platform of solutions and supports to people, families and communities in need of them, without a highly collaborative partnership approach. This approach results in more efficient and effective intake and eligibility platforms, more effective casework and engagement practices that respond well to any and all root causes for the challenges faced by the people we serve, and more powerful, far-reaching advocacy and capacity-building efforts that are much larger than the needs of any individual or family case.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Top Insights From a Moment in History

Top Insights From a Moment in History

APHSA's President and CEO reflects on lessons and opportunities the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted and constructs a national narrative around the moment.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Unlocking the "Prevention Services" in the Family First Prevention Services A

Unlocking the "Prevention Services" in the Family First Prevention Services A

In recent years, there has been a deliberate shift to move our public systems that support child and family well-being upstream. These efforts reflect the growing consensus that true and lasting progress toward a nation where everyone can thrive requires we get to the root of the barriers that keep people and communities from achieving their potential. A foundational building block of this effort is the work happening to advance prevention strategies within child welfare agencies. In this brief, we focus on the challenges and opportunities that the Family First Prevention Services Act (Family First) offers to accelerate the shift toward a prevention-oriented child well-being system.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Why Framing Matters: Ways to Move Forward

Why Framing Matters: Ways to Move Forward

Prior issues of Policy & Practice have introduced framing and what effective framing can do to make our shared narrative more productive and impactful. In this column, APHSA's President and CEO shares two framing strategies that can help us avoid the most common mistakes and produce more effective frames: Widening the lens and using numbers more effectively.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Working Together - A Roadmap to Human Services System Alignment for Young Families

Working Together - A Roadmap to Human Services System Alignment for Young Families

In April 2021 the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) established The System Alignment Working Group for Children & Families with a group of dedicated human services leaders and stakeholders across sectors, including parent representatives. The Working Group was tasked with identifying strengths and barriers in our current human services systems, opportunities for better system alignment, and to lay the foundations for a framework to effective human services alignment resulting in improved outcomes for young parents and their children. Members engaged in an iterative process with monthly development sessions, interactive workshops and convenings, and providing one-on-one feedback to APHSA staff. The results of these efforts lead to the production of this roadmap designed to support human services leaders at every level to facilitate meaningful systems-level changes to better serve the children and families in their communities.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Documenting Pandemic EBT for the 2020-21 School Year

Documenting Pandemic EBT for the 2020-21 School Year

The Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) program was launched as an effort to address the loss of access to free and reduced-price school meals due to widespread school closures at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As schools reopened in a shifting mix of fully virtual, hybrid, and inperson formats and families lacked consistent access to school meals, these benefits were extended through the 2020–21 school year and were highly valuable to families in buffering the full extent of food insecurity they may have faced during this uncertain time. However, the complexity of administering this program was a fundamental barrier in providing timely support to families, who ultimately went without benefits for at least half of the school year. In this report, we dive into the challenges state administrators faced in launching this new program during the 2020–21 school year and reflect on considerations for the future.

Urban Institute, American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Designing Better Programs for Young Parents & Families

Designing Better Programs for Young Parents & Families

This piece highlights lessons learned from the first phase of The Southeastern Cohort on Young Parents and Families—an effort focused on improving economic stability and well-being outcomes for young parent families (January to September 2020)—which has focused on interagency collaboration and community engagement to develop plans for improving policies and program practices to support young parent families. The lessons reflected center on: understanding and engaging young parents, continuous improvement through data and feedback, collaborating and aligning services, and insights related to providing services during COVID-19. These insights can guide government agencies, service providers, or others interested in making efforts at better understanding and supporting young families in their communities through tailored programs and services.

Third Sector, American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Digital Benefits Hub Launch Webinar

Digital Benefits Hub Launch Webinar

The Digital Benefits Network and APHSA launched the Digital Benefits Hub on October 20, 2022. This video provides context on both organizations, the inspiration and vision for the hub, a demo of key features, and audience Q&A

Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University, American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
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Leveraging Cross-Program Data to Modernize Outreach & Enrollment in SNAP and Connected Benefits

Leveraging Cross-Program Data to Modernize Outreach & Enrollment in SNAP and Connected Benefits

This resource outlines three data sharing models tested during the first cohort of the Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Supports grant program

American Public Human Services Association
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New Mexico's Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Support Impact Report

New Mexico's Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Support Impact Report

The New Mexico Human Services Department and Department of Health, as part of the Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Supports program, leveraged data sharing to align SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, and WIC. Their new online interface automates the referral process, making it easier for families to access the nutrition and economic supports they are eligible for.

American Public Human Services Association
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Michigan's Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Supports Impact Report

Michigan's Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Supports Impact Report

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, together with the Food Bank Council of Michigan and the Michigan Department of Education developed a comprehensive Food Insecurity Map and a closed-loop referral system for nutrition and economic supports. The goal of these initiatives was to leverage cross-sector data to inform policy decisions, streamline access to food assistance, and reduce administrative burden. This report documents lessons learned and outcomes of their project.

American Public Human Services Association
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Kansas' Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Supports Impact Report

Kansas' Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Supports Impact Report

Kansas' Department for Children and Families and Department of Health and Environment partnered with Delivering Change as part of cohort 1 of the Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Supports program to enhance SNAP and WIC access in seven key counties through innovative data sharing and targeted outreach to identify and enroll eligible individuals. This report documents best practices and lessons learned from their project.

American Public Human Services Association
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Hawai'i's Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Supports Impact Report

Hawai'i's Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Supports Impact Report

As part of the Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Supports program, Hawai’i's Department of Human Services, Department of Health, and the Children’s Healthy Living Center at the University of Hawai’i have advanced interagency collaboration to deliver nutrition benefits more effectively to families with young children. This project streamlined data sharing between SNAP and WIC, enhancing cross-enrollment processes. This report documents best practices and lessons learned from their project.

American Public Human Services Association
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New Jersey's Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Supports Impact Report

New Jersey's Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Supports Impact Report

The New Jersey Department of Human Services and New Jersey Department of Health collaborated in their Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Supports project to enhance the enrollment and coordination of SNAP and WIC programs. By developing the NJ Nutritional Data Hub and an innovative webservice, the project identified and reached out to families receiving SNAP but not WIC, and vice versa, significantly streamlining the adjunctive eligibility process. This report documents best practices and lessons learned from their project.

American Public Human Services Association
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Mecklenburg County, North Carolina's Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Supports Impact Report

Mecklenburg County, North Carolina's Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Supports Impact Report

Through the Coordinating SNAP & Nutrition Supports program, Mecklenburg County, NC leveraged a Food Security Navigator model and data analysis to increase access to nutrition supports. This report documents best practices and lessons learned from their project.

American Public Human Services Association
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