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
A Home for Every Child – Administration for Children and Families Child Welfare Spotlight
Human Services Pain Points During the Federal Government Shutdown: Lessons Learned
Strengthening the Mental Health Continuum for High-Acuity Youth
Proposed Federal Funding Changes to State and Territory Early Childhood Care and Education Systems
Cultivating Consensus in Human Services
Leveraging Data to Improve Child Welfare Outcomes
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
SNAP Payment Accuracy: Strategies for Reducing Payment Error Rate
Youth Mental Health Action Lab: Leveraging First Spouses to Drive Change
State of WIC Policy
Marketing, Outreach, and Creative Funding for SNAP E&T
States Sound Alarm over Ongoing SNAP Threats
Local, State Coalition Presses Congress for Urgent SNAP Fix
State Leadership: Governors Work to Sustain Food Assistance
NGA Joins Coalition Letter Outlining SNAP Recommendations
Mapping the Early Childhood Education Ecosystem
NGA HHS Institute 2025: Making Innovative Tech Work for Health & Human Services
NGA HHS Institute 2025: Navigating SNAP Implementation Post-Reconciliation
