Human Services Policy Advisors Institute

The Human Services Policy Advisors Institute is a series of monthly calls that bring together governors’ policy advisors and state leaders from social services and children and family-serving agencies to share innovations and best practices for serving the complex needs of children and families. This network serves as a monthly check-in for updates, content, peer-to-peer exchanges, and networking; this call series is the Children and Families Program’s primary space for convening policy advisors to discuss multidisciplinary policy considerations.

The Human Services Policy Advisors Institute is a series of monthly calls that bring together governors’ policy advisors and state leaders from social services and children and family-serving agencies to share innovations and best practices for serving the complex needs of children and families. This network serves as a monthly check-in for updates, content, peer-to-peer exchanges, and networking; this call series is the Children and Families Program’s primary space for convening policy advisors to discuss multidisciplinary policy considerations.


Members

Governors’ policy advisors with human services-related portfolios. Most commonly, this role is housed within the Governor’s office; however, personnel from state agencies such as human services, child welfare, and early childhood education may also join.


Activities

  • Monthly call series
  • State-specific technical assistance available on an ad hoc basis
  • Consultation on NGA published materials

HSPAI Sessions

Child & Family Services Review Process

Child & Family Services Review Process

On November 20th, the National Governors Association Children and Families team hosted the monthly meeting of the Human Services Policy Advisors Institute, with the Children’s Bureau on the Child & ...
Examining Shifts to Human Services Infrastructure 

Examining Shifts to Human Services Infrastructure 

In October 2024, the Children and Families team hosted the monthly Human Services Policy Advisors Institute Monthly Call for state leaders to discuss how their Governors are leveraging these structural ...
Housing Supports as Child Welfare Prevention

Housing Supports as Child Welfare Prevention

In July 2024, the National Governors Association Children and Families team hosted the monthly HSPAI Network call, focused on utilizing housing supports as a child welfare preventive factor. Investments in ...
Navigating Benefit Cliffs: States and Territories Supporting Economic Mobility

Navigating Benefit Cliffs: States and Territories Supporting Economic Mobility

In June 2024, the National Governors Association Children and Families team hosted the monthly Human Services Policy Advisors Institute Call on mitigating benefit cliffs and supporting upward economic mobility.  Background ...
Plans of Safe Care: Bridging the Gap for Families Affected by Substance Use Disorder

Plans of Safe Care: Bridging the Gap for Families Affected by Substance Use Disorder

On April 23, 2024, the National Governors Association Children and Families team hosted the monthly Human Services Policy Advisors Institute on state levers for implementing and monitoring plans of safe ...
Tax Credits to Drive Family Wellbeing

Tax Credits to Drive Family Wellbeing

On March 27th, 2024, the NGA Children and Families team hosted a call through the Human Services Policy Advisors Institute to discuss Tax Credits to Drive Family Wellbeing. The discussion ...

Please contact Jess Kirchner (jkirchner@nga.org) with any questions about the network.


Our Focus Areas

  • Whole-family Approaches to Serving Children and Families
  • Early Childhood Education and Care
  • Juvenile Justice
  • Human Services Data and Delivery Systems
  • Housing and Homelessness
  • Food Insecurity and Hunger
  • Family Economic Security
  • Anti-Poverty Solutions
  • Foster Care, Kinship Care, and Adoption
  • Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment
  • Empowering Families and Communities
  • Reducing Barriers to Opportunity and Equity

Meet the Team

  • Jordan Hynes, Program Director
  • Jess Kirchner, Policy Analyst
  • Eli McCabe, Policy Analyst
  • Ekaan Ahmad, Policy Coordinator

NGA Resources

Child Care A Focus For Governors at the 2024 NGA Winter Meeting

Child Care A Focus For Governors at the 2024 NGA Winter Meeting

Child Care is a policy issue that often cuts across many areas of public interest, including workforce participation, economic mobility, public health, and even energy and infrastructure. At the 2024 ...
State Strategies To Mitigate The Impact Of Housing Instability On Child Welfare Involvement

State Strategies To Mitigate The Impact Of Housing Instability On Child Welfare Involvement

Family housing instability can both lead to, and prolong, involvement with the child welfare system, a process that can be both expensive to the state and traumatic for the child ...
NGA Welcomes 6 States into Youth Mental Health Policy Academy

NGA Welcomes 6 States into Youth Mental Health Policy Academy

Alabama, Hawai`i, Kentucky, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Virginia will participate in the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) Policy Academy to Drive Thriving Youth Mental Health and ...
2024 Core Advisory Board

2024 Core Advisory Board

The National Governors Association announced its new Children and Families Core Advisory Board (CAB) for 2024. Each year, a small group of governors’ human services policy advisors and agency leaders ...
State Strategies To Address The Impact Of COVID-19 On Maternal And Child Populations: Child Care and COVID-19

State Strategies To Address The Impact Of COVID-19 On Maternal And Child Populations: Child Care and COVID-19

As Governors continue to address the consequences of the pandemic, policymakers and state leaders can consider how to strengthen the role of child care as a tool to support maternal, ...
Optimizing Federal COVID Relief Funds: State Perspectives on Bolstering Child Care and Early Childhood Systems

Optimizing Federal COVID Relief Funds: State Perspectives on Bolstering Child Care and Early Childhood Systems

States have proven they can build the necessary infrastructure and operations that fully appreciate the business model of the early childhood sector with consistent investments in resources, necessary flexibilities, and ...
A Best Practices Dozen – Publications 2023

A Best Practices Dozen – Publications 2023

As we welcome a new year, it is natural to reflect on the year that has passed. In the realm of information dissemination, this act of reflection takes on particular ...
Policy Academy to Drive Thriving Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing

Policy Academy to Drive Thriving Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing

The NGA Center for Best Practices Children and Families team is excited to announce the Policy Academy to Drive Thriving Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing. Built off the success of ...
Discussing Youth Mental Health at the 2023 Jed Policy Summit

Discussing Youth Mental Health at the 2023 Jed Policy Summit

NGA’s Jess Kirchner and Jillian Meinhardt highlighted the importance of youth mental health at The Jed Foundation’s 2023 Jed Policy Summit. Thank you to The Jed Foundation for inviting Jess ...
2023 Health and Human Services Policy Advisors Institute

2023 Health and Human Services Policy Advisors Institute

The National Governors Association (NGA) was pleased to welcome Governors’ staff from 32 states and four territories to the annual Health and Human Services Policy Advisors Institute in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ...
State and Local Leaders Urge Congress to Extend TANF Program

State and Local Leaders Urge Congress to Extend TANF Program

The Honorable Ron Wyden ChairmanSenate Committee on Finance 2221 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Jason SmithChairmanHouse Committee on Ways and Means 1011 Longworth House Office BuildingWashington, ...
Strengthening Youth Mental Health: A Governor’s Playbook

Strengthening Youth Mental Health: A Governor’s Playbook

The Playbook is intended to serve as a tool for states to further impactful policy solutions that strengthen youth mental health. Nationally, the current state of youth mental health is often labeled ...
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