States Address Mental Health of Public Health Workforce and First Responders 

By Sean Slone, Senior Policy Analyst

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacted a heavy toll on the mental health of many people living in the U.S., but perhaps none more so than those who have been on the frontlines of protecting the public’s health—first responders, law enforcement officers and the nation’s health care workforce.  

A 2021 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the overall prevalence of mental health conditions among public health workers was higher than among the general population. The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms was 10 to 20 percent higher than previously reported for these individuals after months of traumatic and stressful pandemic work experiences. 

Researchers in the United States, Europe and South Africa 21 journal article offered a series of policy recommendations for prioritizing the mental health and well-being of health care workers worldwide. Among them:  

Enacting national and local evidence-based interventions and programs to support frontline health care workers’ health and well-being in the long-term.  Creating national knowledgebases (information, tools and resources) designed to improve the resilience and well-being needs of workers and their leaders in times of crisis, recovery and rebuilding. Ensuring adequate staffing levels in health care systems and fair pay for workers. Encouraging help-seeking and ensuring the availability of mental health resources for frontline health workers in distress. Condemning and combating the stigmatization of frontline health care workers and increasing efforts to de-stigmatize mental health across society. Ensuring a wider and more actionable dialogue about mental health in the workplace. 

A number of states have recently worked on legislation that recognizes the toll of the last two years on health care workers, frontline first responders and law enforcement officers. Workers’ compensation laws, PTSD screening and the availability of mental health resources have been particular areas of focus. 

California legislators last year debated Assembly Bill 562, which would require the establishment of a mental health resiliency program to provide mental health services to licensed health care providers who provide or have provided “consistent in-person health care services to COVID-19 patients.” Connecticut Senate Bill 1002/House Bill 6595 sought to add to the list of those eligible for compensation for PTSD health care workers engaged in activities dedicated to mitigating or responding to the COVID-19 emergency, as well as corrections officers, emergency medical services personnel and dispatchers who witness certain traumatic events during their employment.  A Nebraska bill (Legislative Bill 1133) would include health care workers within provisions of the state’s Workers’ Compensation Act concerning mental injuries and mental illness. The bill notes that “on any given day, first responders can be called on to make life and death decisions, witness a young child dying with the child’s grief-stricken family, make a decision that will affect a community member for the rest of such person’s life, or be exposed to a myriad of communicable diseases and known carcinogens.” The legislative language goes on to say “it is imperative for society to recognize occupational injuries related to post-traumatic stress and to promptly seek diagnosis and treatment without stigma. This includes recognizing that mental injury and mental illness as a result of trauma is not disordered, but is a normal and natural human response to trauma, the negative effects of which can be ameliorated through diagnosis and effective treatment.” Legislation enacted in Nevada in 2021 (Assembly Bill 315) requires the employer of a police officer, firefighter or correctional officer to make available to them during employment, information relating to the awareness, prevention, mitigation and treatment of mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and acute stress. It also requires mental health counseling for these officers within three months of their retirement.  The Nevada Psychiatric Association and others recently established a mental health hotline, called Curbside Nevada, for frontline workers in the state. Legislation introduced in New York last year (Assembly Bill 6641) would require any law enforcement officer or emergency medical services personnel to submit to pre-employment mental health screenings and undergo mental health evaluations as part of regular medical examinations in order to monitor changes in their mental health. If diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder while on the job, the disorder is presumed to be proximately caused by their employment. Another bill (Senate Bill 1301) passed this year directs the commissioner of mental health to create a workgroup and report regarding frontline worker trauma informed care. South Carolina legislators are considering a workers’ compensation bill (Senate Bill 94) that, for purposes of collecting workers’ compensation, exempts first responders from having to establish by a preponderance of evidence that stress, mental injury or mental illness arising out of or in the course of employment stems from conditions that are extraordinary or unusual relative to the normal conditions of employment.  Vermont lawmakers approved and the governor signed Senate Bill 42 in 2021 to create an emergency service provider wellness commission charged with considering the diversity of these providers and the unique needs of those who have experienced trauma and identifying where increased or alternative supports or strategic investments within the emergency service provider community could improve the physical and mental health outcomes and overall wellness of emergency service providers. 

To learn more about the policies and programs states can utilize to support worker mental health, read the CSG and the State Exchange on Employment & Disability (SEED) report addressing the Mental Health Needs of Workers Throughout and Beyond the Pandemic and watch our webinar on mental health for employees here. 

Recent Report Highlights State Efforts to Become a Model Employer of People with Disabilities 

By Rachel Wright, Policy Analyst 

State governments have increasingly recognized the advantages of proactively recruiting and hiring people with disabilities. As such, many states have pursued “state as a model employer” policies and practices to increase the number of people with disabilities employed in the public sector. 

The Council of State Governments, in collaboration with the State Exchange on Employment and Disability, recently published a report titled The State as a Model Employer of People with Disabilities: Policies and Practices for State Leaders. This report offers public officials policy options as well as real-life examples of innovative policies and programs that states have successfully implemented to build a stronger, more inclusive public-sector workforce. 

For state hiring officials, model employer policies enhance diversity, equity and inclusion in the workforce. In turn, this can increase the state’s profitability and comparative advantage as an employer. For people with disabilities, employment in the public sector can improve employment outcomes and increase economic self-sufficiency. These benefits are critical when considering the long-standing labor force inequities experienced by people with disabilities as well as the talent gaps that employers are seeking to fill nationwide. 

The report provides the following policy options to state legislators as they work to be model employers of people with disabilities: 

Instituting formal mechanisms (legislation, executive orders) – States can institute formal mechanisms such as legislation and/or executive orders to increase the likelihood that employment-related issues affecting people with disabilities are addressed by government officials throughout all stages of policy development and implementation. 

Creating infrastructures (cabinet positions, task forces, working groups, advisory committees) – Creating formal infrastructures such as cabinet level positions, taskforces, working groups and advisory committees allow for disability-issues to be considered at the highest levels of state government. They can also enhance coordination and collaboration on disability-related issues across all branches of state government.  

Extending diversity and inclusion initiatives – State officials can advance public-sector employment of people with disabilities by extending diversity and inclusion initiatives, such as affirmative action plans, to include state agencies and departments.  

Developing comprehensive, government-wide strategic plans – Developing comprehensive-government wide strategic plans can guide SAME efforts and ensure that reporting mechanism are in place to enhance accountability and facilitate continued progress toward agency goals.  

Instituting fast-track and other hiring systems to facilitate employment – States can consider increasing the accessibility of application processes for public-sector employment by instituting fast-track hiring and other systems. Fast-track hiring systems seek to systematically recruit and hire individuals with disabilities through streamlined or simplified processes.  

Enacting advancement and retention practices – Policymakers can implement strategies to facilitate the enhancement and retention of people with disabilities in the public sector workforce. Strategies include establishing reasonable accommodation policies; stay-at-work, return-to-work (SAW/RTW) programs; and disability-inclusive telework policies.  

Ensuring accessibility of information and communication technology – States can act as model employers of people with disabilities by ensuring that accessibility is a primary policy consideration in the design, development and procurement of information and communication technology (ICT). To achieve this, states can institute accessibility requirements for ICT and/or adopt inclusive procurement procedures for all ICT acquired by state government.  

Ensuring availability of personal assistance services – Neither federal law nor many state anti-discrimination laws require employers to provide personal aids and devices, including personal assistance services. States can establish policies and programs that provide and finance the provision of personal assistance services for employees with disabilities.  

Developing disability awareness training for state personnel – States can reduce stigmas around disabilities and foster inclusive workplace cultures for employees with disabilities through instituting disability awareness training for all personnel.  

As states recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers can enhance diversity, equity and inclusion in the public sector workforce through adopting “state as a model employer” policies and practices. These policies prioritize accessibility and inclusion of people with disabilities throughout all stages of the employment process — recruitment, hiring, advancement and retention.  

For further information and examples of how your state can act as a model employer of people with disabilities, please read and share The State as a Model Employer of People with Disabilities: Policies and Practices for State Leaders. 

Behind the Ballot with Sec. Raffensperger

Brad Raffensperger – Georgia’s Secretary of State

Brad Raffensperger may have a high profile in the national media, but the Georgia secretary of state’s focus is the same as when he took office in 2018 — keeping elections secure, accessible and fair in his home state. 

He couldn’t have anticipated when he started this job how quickly challenges would come, both from the right and the left. 

“When I ran in 2018, I didn’t realize that, as soon as I took office, I’d have nine lawsuits from the losing gubernatorial candidate and her allies,” Raffesnperger said. “We’ve been pushing back on false election claims, really, since January of 2019.” 

When he ran, Raffensperger says the issues were straightforward — Georgia was still using outdated direct recording electronic voting machines. His campaign message was based on security: the state needed to move to new voting machines with a verifiable paper ballot, and Raffesnperger wanted the authority to join the electronic registration information center, known as ERIC, a collaborative tool that allows states to objectively and accurately update voter rolls. 

As it turned out, however, Raffesnperger encountered an elections climate that was far from ordinary. 

“We didn’t expect it — I don’t think anyone could have expected it, really — looking at the scrutiny that [secretaries of state] have gone through since the recent elections,” he said. 

Raffensperger says tensions around elections aren’t new. In Georgia, the problem goes back at least to 2014, and he lays blame to activist groups like the New Georgia Project, and to those who refused to accept the results of the 2016 election, as well. In 2020, Raffensperger didn’t hesitate to call out his own side of the aisle when former President Donald Trump made unfounded claims about fraud in the 2020 election. 

“The challenge the President had is that we looked up and down the line to make sure that we checked out every single allegation,” Raffensperger said. “By the time we had that call with the President, we knew that the numbers were the numbers. And it was just trying to respectfully and as calmly, you know, let the President know that. ‘These are what the numbers are, sir.’” 

False claims about elections — from the right or the left — are distractions. The important thing, Raffesnperger says, are that elections in Georgia are more secure and more accessible than ever before. The state has photo ID for all forms of voting, automatic voter registration and citizenship checks through the Department of Driver Services, and 17 days of mandatory early voting. Raffensperger says registration rates shot up, and today the state has more than 7.5 million voters. 

“It just shows you that it’s easier to vote in Georgia, but we’ve struck that proper balance. Georgia is really doing a great job and we’re going to focus in on that.” 

Raffensperger says trust and consensus building are two of the ways state leaders and everyday citizens can move away from election conflict and begin restoring trust in democratic institutions. 

“Someone said that Eisenhower was a very effective president because he looked at where he could get 60-80% of people agreeing on an issue, and then he focused on that,” Raffensperger said. “He didn’t worry about the stuff where he knew he was going to get 20-40% or even 55%.” 

Raffesnperger believes that change really begins on the individual level, though. Rather than focusing on policies, he says focusing on principles and character will create pathways back from the precipice. That, and a little bit of good will. 

“Luke Bryan said it best — most people are good,” Raffensperger said. “So never lose sight of that: that most Americans are good people.” 

How States are Putting American Rescue Plan Dollars to Work

By Rachel Dietert and Ben Reynolds

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 includes $350 billion in new funding for state, local, territorial and tribal governments through the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. Within that fund, $195 billion is distributed to state governments and Washington, D.C. While there are some restrictions on the use of funds, states have considerable discretion. CSG has collected allocation data from state actions, enacted legislation and mandatory State Recovery Plan Performance Reports. The Council of State Governments ARPA Utilization Database includes information on these allocations through December of 2021. Data is organized into 27 “policy areas” based on funding categories. Further subcategories are provided to include more detail on the funding.

CSG is producing a series of articles focused on how states are using the State Fiscal Recovery Fund. The first article can be found here.

This second article examines the state policy areas receiving the greatest investment.

Revenue and Taxation ($21.1 billion) and Management and Administration ($19.7 billion) are the top two policy areas across the country, receiving substantially more funding than others. Revenue and Taxation was the top policy area as states elected to use funds to replace revenue lost because of the pandemic. Revenue replacement has helped states address a decrease in state tax revenue, which from April through June 2020 fell 25% compared to the same quarter of 2019 (Pew). Management and Administration investments are another way states are addressing the impacts of the pandemic. Examples of administration costs include efforts to ensure program sustainability by increasing staff or contracting with consultants.

Eleven states allocated the most funding toward Unemployment. Many states made substantial deposits into unemployment insurance funds. Arizona, for example, allocated $758.8 million into its Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund.

Revenue and Taxation was the second most funded policy area. Most states used their funding toward revenue replacement. California transferred $9.2 billion to address its revenue loss due to the pandemic.

The top policy area in four states was Broadband, and another four states top policy area was Infrastructure. New Hampshire allocated $659,734 to fund its Broadband Connectivity Program while North Dakota is using $150 million to fund natural gas pipeline infrastructure grants to develop a high-pressure transmission pipeline to transport natural gas to eastern North Dakota.

Alaska, Alabama, and Oregon invested heavily in Justice and Public Safety, more than any other area. Alaska budgeted $24.7 million to fund its Wildlife State Troopers and $28.8 million for its Office of Public Advocacy. Alabama appropriated $400 million to its Department of Corrections for its Capital Improvement Fund. Oregon used $37.3 million to address deferred maintenance and administrative services for its Department of Corrections.  

Utah has allocated the most funds for Education. The stateused $15 million to offer one-year tuition and fee scholarships to individuals who deferred or interrupted enrollment because of the pandemic.

Idaho was the only state in which the highest amount of funds was for COVID-19 response, appropriating $50 million.

The top area for spending in CSG South ($3.2 billion) and CSG West ($11.1 billion) states was Revenue and Taxation. The top policy priority for CSG East states was Management and Administration. For CSG Midwest states, it was Unemployment. All four regions had Unemployment within their top five policy areas. Revenue and Taxation was in the top five in the East, West and South.

States lost a considerable amount of revenue during the pandemic and are using federal funds to make up for it. State governments are also acknowledging how unemployment rates were impacted by the pandemic. Millions of people lost their jobs in the early months of the pandemic. But the unemployment rate had fallen to 4.9% by October 2021.

(Top Policy Area by Number of Programs Funded Graphic Goes Here)

Revenue and Taxation and Management and Administration were the most invested categories and most of those funds have been used for fiscal health recovery. States also used the Coronavirus State and Local Recovery Funds to target certain areas and programs that needed additional resources, but may not have received them in “normal” years.

Among subcategories, State Fiscal Recovery Funds were invested most heavily in Health and Human Services programs (239), followed by Economic and Community Development (155) and Justice and Public Safety (134).

Of the 239 Health and Human Services programs funded, 56 involve public health. States vary in their public health needs and the programs reflect that. For example, Arkansas budgeted $10.5 million to increase hospital bed capacity while Maine allocated $102,986 to establish a program to offer free well water treatment for low-income residents. Other program areas funded in Health and Human Services include:

Mental Health (26)Behavioral Health (22)Nutritional Stability (19)Long-term Care Facilities (10)

Another top program priority for states was Economic and Community Development. Economic development initiatives received the most state funds. Indiana allocated $500 million for its Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative, while New Jersey is spending $15 million to develop its World Cup and Meadowlands Complex. Ensuring small businesses survived the pandemic was another high priority for states. North Carolina used $500 million to establish the Businesses Recovery Grant program to aid businesses that suffered damage due to the pandemic. Wisconsin used $46.7 million for grants to assist with costs businesses incurred for health and safety improvements. Other programs funded under Economic and Community Development include:

Tourism (30)Community Development (13)Parks and Recreation (4)Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (2)

The third most funded policy area by programs was Justice and Public Safety. The top program under this policy area was Emergency Management. Florida used $1 million to fund its Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund, while Utah used $6.9 million to update its Department of Corrections communication equipment and enhance its interoperability. Other programs funded under Justice and Public Safety include:

Violence Prevention (10)Corrections (10)Crime Victim Services (8)Law Enforcement (8)

Through 2021, states allocated their ARPA funds for immediate needs. States faced revenue shortfalls and invested funding for Covid testing and other health care and health system improvements. Since states have until 2024 to allocate their APRA funds and many immediate needs for funds have been accomplished, states are going to be more flexible and creative with their ARPA funding. States will use this remaining funding to address a variety of needs.

Behind the Ballot with Scott Nago

Text iverkayed that reads "Behind the Ballot" accompanied by an image of Scott Nago, Hawaii's Chief Elections Officer

Scott Nago – Hawaii Chief Elections Officer

While COVID-19 scrambled election plans in other states, Scott Nago had an advantage — legislation signed by Hawaii Gov. David Ige in 2019 had prepared the state for all-mail elections beginning in 2020. 

As chief election officer in Hawaii, Nago couldn’t have known in 2019 just how important the move to all-mail elections would become for public health, but he’d known for years it would be an important step to improve voter turnout. Some version of an all-mail voting bill had been introduced in the legislature every year since Nago started working in the state election office 1998, he said, and he was “pleasantly surprised” when it finally passed in 2019. 

“It wasn’t overnight,” he said. “It was something that took a long time to get done.” 

For several years, voters had already shown a preference for voting by no-excuse absentee ballot. Moving to all-mail elections was a response to voter preference, especially since voters were more than usually reluctant to go to polls because of COVID-19. 

“They would have probably requested an absentee mail ballot anyway,” Nago said. “But once they found out that your ballot is automatically coming to you in the mail, all you have to do is vote it, sign it and get it back to us by the deadline — it’s really easy.” 

All mail voting has streamlined the administration side of elections, too, significantly reduced the number of personnel needed and the logistics of securing polling locations. 

“From a selfish point of view for an election administrator, when you have a polling place election, there’s a lot of moving parts that you just can’t control,” Nago said. 

When the state had polling place elections, Nago needed to reserve 250 polling places statewide, booked two years in advance. He had to recruit people to open and prepare the polling places in addition to recruiting poll workers. Each of these elements was a potential point of failure. 

“All it takes is one person to oversleep or get sick, and we can’t open on time, and we have to scramble to send somebody out there with a key or wake up a principal of a school or a custodian just to get access to the polling place to open it up on election day,” he said. “A lot of that logistical headache is gone with the vote by mail.” 

Since Nago started working in the state election office, the state has implemented automatic voter registration, conducted two elections by mail and offered online registration. The challenge now is simply getting the word out. One other point Nago wants to spread the word about — election officials everywhere are doing their best for voters. 

“In elections, there’s only one answer — the right answer,” he said. 

“There’s no interpretation. You have to follow the law. And that’s what we’re going to do because we want to make it fair as possible. We don’t want to be talked about, as the election officials. We don’t want the story to be about us. We want it to be about candidates at the end of the night.” 

Southern Pulse Newsletter, August 2022

The kids are back in school, the mornings are cooler (in some states), and CSG South is ramping up from our quick post-Southern Legislative Conference breather. It’s time for fall – that means programming, programming.

Opening up our fall programming is our three Masterclasses: Growing Prosperity: Agriculture, Technology, and the Future of Farming (September 6-8), The Future State: Cybersecurity, Technology, and Innovation in Government Operations (September 27-29), and Anchors Aweigh: Navigating the Policy of Ports (October 4-6). Each Masterclass is a deep dive into a specific subject area policy, bringing in expert speakers from around the region to present, answer questions, and engage in open dialogue between legislators and experts. Masterclasses also have site visits – not simply panel experiences – allowing attendees to truly connect with the subject matter. Space is limited, so if you are interested in attending, click here to submit your interest form.

Moving into October and November, our two flagship leadership development programs offer regional networking and superior training opportunities for elected and appointed officials (CALS) and the staffers (SAGE) who underpin the functions of state government. As the deadline has passed to apply for the 2022 class, our staff will reach out to the lucky selectees for more information on travel and itinerary. Good luck to all of you who applied!

Finally, don’t miss our upcoming long-form publications by our analysts and policy experts, so check back on our website for new, region-specific content. If it concerns our Southern states, you can count on the CSG South policy team to keep you informed.

Until September,
Lindsey G.

Click here to read Southern Pulse- August 2022

The post Southern Pulse Newsletter, August 2022 appeared first on CSG South.

How States are Putting American Rescue Plan Dollars to Work

By Rachel Dietert and Ben Reynolds

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 includes $350 billion in new funding for state, local, territorial and tribal governments through the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. Within that fund, $195 billion is distributed to state governments and Washington, D.C. While there are some restrictions on the use of funds, states have considerable discretion. CSG has collected allocation data from state actions, enacted legislation and mandatory State Recovery Plan Performance Reports. The Council of State Governments ARPA Utilization Database includes information on these allocations through December of 2021. Data is organized into 27 “policy areas” based on funding categories. Further subcategories are provided to include more detail on the funding.

CSG is producing a series of articles focused on how states are using the State Fiscal Recovery Fund. The first article can be found here.

Revenue and Taxation ($21.1 billion) and Management and Administration ($19.7 billion) are the top two policy areas across the country, receiving substantially more funding than others. Revenue and Taxation was the top policy area as states elected to use funds to replace revenue lost because of the pandemic. Revenue replacement has helped states address a decrease in state tax revenue, which from April through June 2020 fell 25% compared to the same quarter of 2019 (Pew). Management and Administration investments are another way states are addressing the impacts of the pandemic. Examples of administration costs include efforts to ensure program sustainability by increasing staff or contracting with consultants.

Eleven states allocated the most funding toward Unemployment. Many states made substantial deposits into unemployment insurance funds. Arizona, for example, allocated $758.8 million into its Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund.

Revenue and Taxation was the second most funded policy area. Most states used their funding toward revenue replacement. California transferred $9.2 billion to address its revenue loss due to the pandemic.

The top policy area in four states was Broadband, and another four states top policy area was Infrastructure. New Hampshire allocated $659,734 to fund its Broadband Connectivity Program while North Dakota is using $150 million to fund natural gas pipeline infrastructure grants to develop a high-pressure transmission pipeline to transport natural gas to eastern North Dakota.

Alaska, Alabama, and Oregon invested heavily in Justice and Public Safety, more than any other area. Alaska budgeted $24.7 million to fund its Wildlife State Troopers and $28.8 million for its Office of Public Advocacy. Alabama appropriated $400 million to its Department of Corrections for its Capital Improvement Fund. Oregon used $37.3 million to address deferred maintenance and administrative services for its Department of Corrections.  

Utah has allocated the most funds for Education. The stateused $15 million to offer one-year tuition and fee scholarships to individuals who deferred or interrupted enrollment because of the pandemic.

Idaho was the only state in which the highest amount of funds was for COVID-19 response, appropriating $50 million.

The top area for spending in CSG South ($3.2 billion) and CSG West ($11.1 billion) states was Revenue and Taxation. The top policy priority for CSG East states was Management and Administration. For CSG Midwest states, it was Unemployment. All four regions had Unemployment within their top five policy areas. Revenue and Taxation was in the top five in the East, West and South.

States lost a considerable amount of revenue during the pandemic and are using federal funds to make up for it. State governments are also acknowledging how unemployment rates were impacted by the pandemic. Millions of people lost their jobs in the early months of the pandemic. But the unemployment rate had fallen to 4.9% by October 2021.

Revenue and Taxation and Management and Administration were the most invested categories and most of those funds have been used for fiscal health recovery. States also used the Coronavirus State and Local Recovery Funds to target certain areas and programs that needed additional resources, but may not have received them in “normal” years.

Among subcategories, State Fiscal Recovery Funds were invested most heavily in Health and Human Services programs (239), followed by Economic and Community Development (155) and Justice and Public Safety (134).

Of the 239 Health and Human Services programs funded, 56 involve public health. States vary in their public health needs and the programs reflect that. For example, Arkansas budgeted $10.5 million to increase hospital bed capacity while Maine allocated $102,986 to establish a program to offer free well water treatment for low-income residents. Other program areas funded in Health and Human Services include:

  • Mental Health (26)
  • Behavioral Health (22)
  • Nutritional Stability (19)
  • Long-term Care Facilities (10)

Another top program priority for states was Economic and Community Development. Economic development initiatives received the most state funds. Indiana allocated $500 million for its Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative, while New Jersey is spending $15 million to develop its World Cup and Meadowlands Complex. Ensuring small businesses survived the pandemic was another high priority for states. North Carolina used $500 million to establish the Businesses Recovery Grant program to aid businesses that suffered damage due to the pandemic. Wisconsin used $46.7 million for grants to assist with costs businesses incurred for health and safety improvements. Other programs funded under Economic and Community Development include:

  • Tourism (30)
  • Community Development (13)
  • Parks and Recreation (4)
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (2)

The third most funded policy area by programs was Justice and Public Safety. The top program under this policy area was Emergency Management. Florida used $1 million to fund its Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund, while Utah used $6.9 million to update its Department of Corrections communication equipment and enhance its interoperability. Other programs funded under Justice and Public Safety include:

  • Violence Prevention (10)
  • Corrections (10)
  • Crime Victim Services (8)
  • Law Enforcement (8)

Through 2021, states allocated their ARPA funds for immediate needs. States faced revenue shortfalls and invested funding for Covid testing and other health care and health system improvements. Since states have until 2024 to allocate their APRA funds and many immediate needs for funds have been accomplished, states are going to be more flexible and creative with their ARPA funding. States will use this remaining funding to address a variety of needs.

Workforce Development Session Recep

Click here to download PDF
Connecting People with the Dignity of Work Aligning Postsecondary Education with Employer and Industry Needs

Idaho Workforce Development Council and College of Western Idaho partner on multiple initiatives to match industry-specific training with high-priority workforce areas.Initiatives include cybersecurity workforce training and expedited construction training to support rapid growth.Council grants target healthcare workforce and expand training for tribal students.

During this session, co-presenters Wendi Secrist and Gordon Jones examined multiple initiatives from The Idaho Workforce Development Council (WDC) and College of Western Idaho (CWI), whose partnership seeks to design postsecondary education that reflects the complex needs of Idaho’s employers.

Secrist and Jones highlighted WDC’s recent implementation of a cybersecurity job training initiative, which operates in partnership with CWI. A response to Idaho’s growing need for cybersecurity professionals – far outpacing the number of those available and qualified for these roles – the program pairs cybersecurity students with rural communities and businesses that may lack infrastructure for these services while offering students real-world experience.

Other initiatives discussed were CWI’s Construction Career Launcher, featuring eight-week training designed to prepare students to begin a career in Idaho’s rapidly growing construction industry. Session participants learned about the Idaho Opportunity Scholarship for Adult Learners, accessible through CWI, that targets workforce engagement for the estimated 165,000 Idahoans who have earned college credits but lack a degree.

Secrist also shared with participants a wide range of industry-specific job training grants targeting Idaho’s highest priority workforce areas. Highlights included a recent investment to prepare 480 nursing graduates and 525 nurses for transition to virtual patient health care and the implementation of certified nursing assistant, dental assistant, and engineering technician training for members of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes.

Resources:

WDC Training Initiative #1WDC Training Initiative #2

Related Articles:

“A word with Wayne Hammon, Idaho AGC CEO” (Idaho Business Review)“Idaho schools looking to help fill cybersecurity workforce need” (KTVB 7)

Presenters:

Wendi Secrist
Executive Director
Idaho Workforce Development Council

Gordon Jones
President
College of Western Idaho

Supply Chain: History, Current Obstacles & Time-Tested Solutions

Rapid growth in e-commerce increases urgency to meet supply chain challenges.Strategies discussed include federal program utilization and fourth-party logistics solutions.Merging education and industry may be a critical step toward effective management of supply chain conditions.

During this session, presenter David Harlow delivered historical context for present-day supply chain conditions, and participants examined strategies for navigating current challenges. The initial discussion centered around key focus areas of supply chain strategies, including GPS tracking, automation, fulfillment, and carrier transport processes.

Harlow incorporated data illustrating dramatic increases in E-commerce volume from 2019 through the present, which includes 44.5% growth between 2019-2021 and its implications for containerized imports and exports.

Also addressed were supply chain obstacles presented during the pandemic, including surges in demand, pandemic-related labor shortages, capacity limitations for the ocean and air transportation, and resulting impacts on the trucking and warehouse industries.

In discussing strategies for addressing current supply chain challenges, principal focus areas were fourth-party logistics (4PL) solutions, federal program utilization, and integrating education and industry. Participants considered potential advantages associated with Foreign-Trade Zones, bonded warehouses, and CFS (container freight station) programs, as well as Federal Assistance Programs related to the Small Business Association (SBA) and Small Business Development Network (SBDC).

Additional focus areas included merging academia with industry through on-the-job training and internship industries to establish the labor capacity needed to manage rapid E-Commerce growth.

Resources:

Presenter Email: [email protected]

Presenter:

David Harlow, LCB
President & CEO
ITC-Diligence, Inc.

The post Workforce Development Session Recep appeared first on CSG West.