National CAP

Keeping the ‘Human’ in Human Services: Tips for Implementing User-Centered Design
2021-03-24 12:00 - 13:30 UTC
The COVID-19 pandemic, and the various challenges of the last year, have left us stressed, anxious, and spread thin. The same is true for the people we are trying to serve. Join the National Community Action Partnership and U.S. Digital Response in a conversation about incorporating user-centered design elements into your workflows and services to more effectively reach and serve your communities. During this webinar, you’ll hear about USDR’s partnership with the Empire Justice Center and how user-centered practices enabled delivery of financial services to low-income families throughout the pandemic. You’ll leave with a clearer vision for how to design your work with a distinct focus on the end user and with tangible tips, takeaways and recommendations to humanize your processes.
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Managing Data Equity Risk and Reward
2021-03-18 14:00 - 15:30
The term “data equity” refers to using an equity lens when considering how data is collected, analyzed, interpreted, and distributed. This webinar explores the risks of failing to use an equity lens and examples of data collection practices that fall short. Attend this webinar to learn how to minimize the risks and maximize the rewards of using an equity lens to collect and use data in your Community Action Agency.
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New eCourse Release Tour: Featuring Advancing Family-Centered Coaching
2021-03-17 14:00 - 15:00
We are excited to bring you a new eCourse on Community Action Academy to help advance your agency’s practice with Family-Centered Coaching. Family-Centered Coaching is a holistic approach that moves beyond traditional case management and engages families as they access services, set goals, and strive to achieve their full potential. Based on open-source content developed and revised by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and The Prosperity Agenda, this eCourse includes videos, reading, scenarios, and quizzes to help learners build coaching skills, engage in the coaching process, work through implicit bias, and assess agency readiness. Access Advancing Family-Centered Coaching on Community Action Academy for free, today! Join us on March 17th for a webinar to kick-off the release, and provide a tour of the course components that can help you and your organization move forward in this practice. Click here to register for the webinar.

Practice Transformation Resource Tour
2021-03-10 14:00 - 15:00
Join us for this webinar to learn more about the National Partnership’s Practice Transformation Resources. These resources will help organizations’ apply evidence-based anti-poverty practices to better serve families. The Practice Transformation team supports organizations to transform their agencies and communities through the integration of services, ongoing training and technical assistance, and resource dissemination. We will tour training materials, reports, guides and upcoming opportunities to help you improve outcomes and identify effective, promising, and innovative practice models that alleviate the causes and conditions of poverty. Some of the content covered will include COVID-19 publications, guides for developing a Whole Family/2-Gen Approach, and tools for strengthening equity.
Click here to register for the webinar.

CCAP EXAM GUIDANCE
2021-03-09 13:00 - 14:30
Presented by Jim Lopresti:
After successful completion of the CDF and ESP, candidates are qualified to take the CCAP exam. This session will focus on best strategies for preparing for the examination, noting what distinguishes the CCAP exam from other kinds of tests, with particular focus on the Study Guide and practice questions.
To register, click here.

Organized Knowledge is Power: Tips for Data Aggregation and Visualization
2021-02-24 12:00 - 13:30
Understanding challenges and monitoring or reporting the impact of solutions is often tied to the collection and analysis of data. Join the National Community Action Partnership and U.S. Digital Response in a conversation about identifying and aggregating data sources into a consolidated view or dashboard to help drive smarter decision-making. During this webinar, you’ll hear about USDR’s partnership with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law to create the 866-our-vote dashboard during the 2020 elections. This example shows how an organization used the skills and knowledge they gained from U.S. Digital Response on data aggregation and visualization. These skills can be replicated in your Community Action Agency to be used on issues related to your work. You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of data aggregation and with clear tips, takeaways and recommendations to make the data work for you.
Speakers:

Rance Graham-Bailey is a community development professional with extensive training and experience on housing, community and economic development. Rance currently serves as the Election Protection Manager for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
Greg Bolla is a data engineer passionate about applying technology to solve the world’s most intractable problems. Greg is a volunteer with U.S. Digital Response and is a full-time data engineer with GridCure.
Jessica Cole is a co-founder and executive team member with U.S. Digital Response. Prior to joining USDR, Jessica was a Tech Policy Fellow with the Aspen Institute, Head of Innovation and Economic Development with the City of Walnut Creek, Calif., and was a Code for America Fellow.

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Are You Ready? How to Assess Readiness and Apply Insights from the Past to Plans for the Future
2021-02-18 14:00 - 15:30
While it isn’t possible to accurately forecast every twist and turn in your agency’s path, it is possible to build resilience and readiness to cope with interruptions to operations, changing customary staffing patterns, and the emerging needs of your community in the wake of a disaster. This webinar explores the importance of evaluating readiness to respond to the risks around the corner. You will learn essential strategies and techniques for extracting information based on past responses to help your agency prepare for the future.
Future webinars in this series will be held on the third Thursday of each month and will focus on topics such as Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning, Crisis Management and Crisis Communications, Managing Data Equity Risk and Reward, Creating Practical, Action-Oriented Readiness Plans, Ready to Serve: How to Build and Equip a Crisis-Ready Response Team, Accessing Resilience Resources from Public and Private Sources and How to Become the Resilient Leader Your Mission Requires. Register today to join this timely series.
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Increasing Internal Customer Satisfaction through ROMA Assessment
2021-02-17 14:00 - 15:30
Especially over the past year, organizations have had to be more intentional about the customer satisfaction of one of their most important assets – their “internal customers” (employees). Many of the CSBG Organizational Standards also provide a minimum threshold for how to ensure the overall customer satisfaction system of the organization is established. Join this webinar to learn about meeting these standards, as well as components of both internal and external customer satisfaction to consider as the CAA moves beyond compliance. Presented by Barbara Mooney and Courtney Kohler
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Virtual Dialogue: The Phases of Collective Impact
2021-02-11 14:00 - 15:30
Join us in this 45 minute webinar dialogue to address your burning questions about Collective Impact and learn about the new eCourse available on the phases of Collective Impact in Community Action Academy. Presented by Sheri Brady
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Collaborative Partnerships on Rental Assistance
2021-02-10 14:00 - 15:30
The following speakers will share their engagement and perspectives:

John Joines, Economic Security Corporation of Southwest Area (MO)
Jackie Fox, West Ohio Community Action
Sarah Parsons, Missouri Housing Development Commission
Megan Meadows, Ohio Development Services Agency

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Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration
2021-01-28 16:00 - 17:00
The entire Community Action Network is invited to join a Fireside Chat with Community Action Legacy Leader, Lois Carson. During the webinar Partnership Board Chair, Bryan Duncan and Denise Harlow will engage Ms. Carson in a reflective conversation about the history of Community Action’s connection to MLK and invite the Community Action Network to look forward towards future opportunities to build collective opportunities for everyone.
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Staying Well While Working in High Stress, Traumatic Environment (A Webinar for All Community Action Staff)
2021-01-27 14:00 - 15:30
You are working very hard right now in the middle of a pandemic. You are balancing your family needs and you are working hard to meet the demands of the families you serve.
We now have over two decades of research demonstrating that working in high stress, trauma-exposed professions, carries risk. This webinar will provide new ideas for hands-on tools and resources for increasing your health and resiliency. Presenters: Beth Reynolds Lewis & Kay Glidden – Co-Owners of Compassion Resiliency
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National Day of Racial Healing
2021-01-19
On Tues., Jan. 19, 2021, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation will be hosting the 5th annual National Day of Racial Healing. The day will be centered around experiences rooted in truth-telling that lead to racial healing for a more just and equitable future. It’s a day for authentic dialogues, to encourage seeing and hearing each other. A day to share our stories, to recognize our shared humanity, so we can come together and transform the world around us. Click here to learn more about WKKF’s YouTube premiere event for the National Day of Racial Healing and RSVP.

An Overview of the $25 Billion Rental/Utility Assistance Provided in the New COVID Bill
2021-01-06 12:00 - 13:30
Earlier this week, the new $900 billion stimulus bill was signed into law. Subtitle B of the COVID-19 Stimulus Package provides a temporary extension of the CDC eviction moratorium and establishes an emergency rental assistance program through the Department of Treasury, providing $25 billion to help families and individuals pay their rent and utility bills and remain stably housed.
Join us on Wednesday, January 6 at 12 ET / 11 CT / 10 MT / 9 PT for a webinar that will provide an overview of the language in the new stimulus bill and its emergency rental assistance provisions. We’ll discuss the 30-day implementation time frame provided for states, and cover steps that State Associations can take to work with state leaders to allow Community Action Agencies to be part of the emergency rental assistance program.
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Staying Well While Working in High Stress, Traumatic Environment (Webinar for Supervisors)
2020-12-11 14:00 - 15:30
You and your staff are working very hard right now in the middle of a pandemic. You are balancing your family needs and you and your staff are working hard to meet the demands of the families you serve.
We now have over two decades of research demonstrating that working in high stress, trauma-exposed professions, carries risk to the staff. What can supervisors do to protect themselves and their staff before, during and after an emotionally traumatic experience, while remaining effective and compassionate? This webinar will provide new ideas for hands-on tools and resources for increasing you and your staff’s health and resiliency. This is the first of two webinars and is intended for supervisors, the second webinar will be for additional staff members from Community Action Agencies and will be offered in January 2021.
Presenters: Beth Reynolds Lewis & Kay Glidden – Co-Owners of Compassion Resiliency
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Community Action Code of Ethics 101
2020-12-10 14:00 - 15:30
Join Denise Harlow, CCAP and Renae Dismuke, CCAP for a walk through and discussion about the Community Action Code of Ethics and how they apply to those working in Community Action and how they impact our daily work. The Code of Ethics is a core element of being a Community Action professional and this session will provide attendees a chance to review them in depth and ask questions.
Presenters:
Denise Harlow CCAP, CEO, National Community Action Partnership
Renae Dismuke, CCAP, Project Director, Community Action Association of Alabama; CCAP Commissioner
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Caring for Staff in a Time of Crisis
2020-12-02 11:30 - 13:00
Dr. Denese Shervington will be speaking about the implications of trauma-informed practices when caring for your organization and staff in a time of crisis. More information to come!
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Understanding How Our Weatherization Teams Deliver Covid-safe Energy Retrofits: A Quick Education for non-Weatherizers
2020-11-24 15:00 - 16:30
This presentation is for the Board members, executives, colleagues and partners of local Weatherization programs: it will showcase the remarkable COVID health and safety protocols that WAP programs and contractors now follow to ensure everyone, from residents of the homes to workers, is safe. You will meet some of the most talented training, state and local members of the WAP network. It is co- sponsored by CAP’s Weatherization Leveraging Partnership Project and NASCSP.
This webinar will be a brief overview in which you will learn how to appreciate and communicate how WAP meets the safety challenge in high-risk communities, how to distinguish between engineering controls and PPE, about cleaning versus sanitizing, how to make mask choices for different work and more. You will learn how the latest CDC, OSHA and WHO guidance has been adopted for WAP tasks in the ‘field’ conditions of the homes served. You will be prepared to explain the new WAP ways, to reassure the public about safety and to fully appreciate the effort of the WAP networks’ skilled and adaptable workforce.
The short presentation will be followed with a discussion with the audience on the new safety protocols and related issues.4
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Equipping Staff through Robust Orientation & Training
2020-11-12 14:00 - 15:00
Digging Deeper into Organizational Standards 7.8 & 7.9
Organizational Standards 7.8 and 7.9 address the need for timely employee orientation and ongoing training/development. While the minimum requirement is to conduct the orientation within 60 days of hire and ensure ongoing training opportunities are available, a training plan that ties these activities together and connects to the performance evaluation can better equip staff to excel in their positions and improve employee retention. Join this webinar to learn about meeting this standard, as well as components of orientation and training to consider as the CAA moves beyond compliance.
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CCAP EXECUTIVE SKILLS PORTFOLIO GUIDANCE
2020-11-10 13:00 - 14:30
Presented by Jim Lopresti:
Submitting the Executive Skills Portfolio (ESP) is the second step in the process of becoming a Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP). The ESP is your chance to showcase your skills in doing the work of Community Action. It gives you a vehicle to show that you are a leader who understands Community Action’s vision and values. In this webinar you will get a comprehensive look at what is expected of candidates in this step toward CCAP. And you will gain insight into what the ESP evaluators address when they examine candidates’ ESP submissions.
To register, click here.

Evaluating Strategic Plan Progress with Agency-Wide Scorecards
2020-10-29 14:00 - 15:00
Digging Deeper into Organizational Standards 6.5 & 9.3
Organizational Standards 6.5 and 9.3 focus on reporting progress toward strategic plan goals (6.5), as well as an analysis of outcomes and associated adjustments to the board on at least an annual basis. While the minimum requirement is to report this information once a year, there are ways to involve the Board and communicate the information clearly so they can better fulfill their role of governance and oversight. Join this webinar to learn about meeting this standard, as well as utilizing a scorecard or dashboard to organize and communicate data, as well as other promising practices to move beyond compliance.
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The Right to Vote: A Short History & Issues for 2020
2020-10-22 15:00 - 16:30
The right to vote is essential to American Democracy. Throughout our history, access to the polls for communities of color and low-income community members has been threatened and jeopardized. Joint us for a short history of attacks on voting rights in America and current concerns for the 2020 cycle.
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An Asset for Community Action’s Families: Resources at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
2020-10-21 14:00 - 15:30
Wednesday, October 21 | 2pm ET/1pm CT/12pm MT/11am PT | Register
We know that COVID-19 has had a major impact on the lives of our most vulnerable families. One area of life that will be affected by the pandemic long after its health and economic impacts have begun to recede is families’ personal finances. The pandemic has stressed many families’ finances and credit in profound ways. Late rent payments, potential evictions, accruing utility/water payment balances, credit card debt and other financial challenges have spiraled. What rights do people have? What tools/resources can help Community Action staff as we work with families to provide hope that they can build a solid financial future? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has many resources available to help, and this webinar will provide an overview of these resources. Learn how!
Presenters: Denise DeVaan, Jill Wheeler, Irene Skricki from CFPB

Insights for Community Action Agencies (CAAs): Designing Better Programs to Support Young Parent Families
2020-10-19 12:00 - 13:30
Join representatives from the National Community Action Partnership, Third Sector and the Waccamaw Economic Opportunity Council (WEOC) from South Carolina to discuss the importance of elevating young parent families as a priority population and the importance of leveraging a 2Gen approach within Community Action Agencies.
Third Sector will provide an overview of The Southeastern Cohort on Young Parents and Families, comprised of the Kentucky Department of Family Support (DFS), the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS), and WEOC. The Southeastern Cohort is working to enhance and align programs, policies, and systems to better support young parents (ages 16-24) and their families. As a member of the Southeastern Cohort, WEOC will share insights from the process of designing STEP UP—a new pilot focused on better supporting young parents through intensive case management. A key topic will include how to measure program performance to achieve 2-gen outcomes using ROMA in conjunction with on-going young parent and provider feedback. The Southeastern Cohort on Young Parents and Families is led by Third Sector and partially funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Speakers:
● Joel Straker, Manager, Third Sector
● Tiffney Marley, CCAP, NCRT. Vice President, Practice Transformation, National Community Action Partnership
● James Pasley, Waccamaw Economic Opportunity Council
● Bradley Phillips, Community Service Specialist and Certified ROMA Trainer, Waccamaw Economic Opportunity Council
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CCAP CANDIDATE DATA FORM GUIDANCE
2020-10-13 13:00 - 14:30
Presented by Jim Lopresti:
Completing the Candidate Data Form (CDF) is the first step in the process of becoming a Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP). It is formatted for you to document your learning and experiences in the field of Community Action. In this webinar you will explore the parts of the CDF in great detail and gain valuable insights on how you can complete your own first step toward national recognition as a CCAP.
To register, click here.

State Policy Series #3: Head Start & Early Head Start Advocacy in the States: Strategies that Work!
2020-10-13 12:00 - 13:30
Securing state support for Head Start and Early Head Start requires bringing together family voices, program leadership, partners and a clear policy solution or solutions. On this 3rd in a three-part webinar series from the National Head Start Association, the National Community Action Partnership and ZERO TO THREE, hear from two campaign teams in Idaho and Oregon about strategies and approaches that worked (and are working) for them. You will walk away with clear examples of how to build support for Head Start and Early Head Start’s comprehensive services in your state!
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The Board’s Role in Setting the Mission & Direction of the CAA
2020-10-08 14:00 - 15:00
Digging Deeper into Organizational Standard 4.1
Organizational Standard 4.1 states that the Board reviews the organization’s mission statement within the last 5 years and ensures that it addresses poverty and the programs and services of the agency align with it. While the minimum requirement is the review, the Board has a fundamental duty to set the mission and direction of the organization. Join this webinar to learn about meeting this standard, as well as leveraging Strategic Planning (Category 6) and promising practices to move beyond compliance.
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Community Solar Model in Oregon
2020-10-06 15:00 - 16:30
Community Action Partnership of Oregon (CAPO) is on the leading edge with launching community solar for households with low incomes. Partnering with CAP Solar, CAPO has been able to raise significant funding from investors and keep rates low for households. This work has taken perseverance and been years in the making. Join in on this session to learn more about how you may be able to take your next step with bringing solar to your community.
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Leveraging Crisis as a Springboard for Action and Innovation
2020-09-30 14:00 - 15:30
During this session, participants will hear Garrett County Community Action Committee Inc.’s ARRA story and the ways that it motivated the agency’s shift to service integration and 2Gen/Whole Family Approach initiatives. Additionally, the Garrett County team will share opportunities or areas of pivot that staff are currently considering in the current crisis to inspire other CAAs to be more strategic with their CARES investments.
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Economic Mobility RFI - Final Comments Webinar
2020-09-25 12:00 - 13:30
Join us to review the National Community Action Partnership’s comments on the interagency Council on Economic Mobility and consider adding your organization’s name in support.
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