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
HSPAI Call on Public Health Emergency Unwinding
Speakers Matt Lyons, Senior Director of Policy and Practice at the American Public Human Services Association Key Takeaways PHE unwinding process represents many changes all coming together, that will have ...
HSPAI Call on Supporting Older Populations
Key Takeaways Leveraging human services response to serve older populations — Key opportunities: Increase access to home and community-based care by enhancing the quality of supportive services for residents living ...
HSPAI Call on Integrating Eligibility Systems
Key Takeaways Integrating eligibility systems through digital navigation—Strategies for consideration: Develop a roadmap of how multiple agencies can streamline applications for seamless enrollment of programs. Explore partnerships with diverse stakeholders, ...
Human Services Workforce Recruitment & Retention
Speakers: Fairfax County, Virginia Alycia Blackwell, Deputy Director of Programs & Services, Fairfax County Department of Family Services Sandi Slappey Brown, Child Welfare Assistant Division Director for Operations, Children, Youth and Families Division, Fairfax County Department of Family Services Summary: Fairfax County ...
State Discussion on Policy Priorities
Summary: During the August HSPAI monthly call, the Children and Families team welcomed Governor’s human services policy advisors for an off-the-record discussion about their current portfolios, priorities, and challenges going ...
Whole Family Well-Being: Upstream Home Visiting
Speakers Oregon: Cate Wilcox, Maternal and Child Health Section Manager and Title V Director, Public Health Division, Oregon Health Authority Ohio: Alicia Leatherman, Administrator, Early Childhood Home Visiting and Maternal and Infant Wellness, Bureau ...
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
Governor Murphy Introduces Chair’s Initiative: Strengthening Youth Mental Health Care
At the closing session of NGA’s Summer Meeting 2022, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy accepted the NGA Chair’s gavel from Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and underlined the importance of Governors’ ...
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy Elected Chair of National Governors Association
Utah Governor Spencer Cox Elected Vice Chair Portland, Maine – New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy was elected chair of the National Governors Association (NGA) as the bipartisan association works alongside ...
NGA 2022 Summer Meeting
The National Governors Association's 2022 Annual Summer Meeting was held was July 13-15, 2022, in Portland, Maine. Governors met to collaborate on bipartisan solutions to leading policy issues including computer ...
Governors Urge Quick Action on the Bipartisan Keep Kids Fed Act
National Governors Association’s Community Renewal Task Force Co-Chairs Governors Mike Parson and Albert Bryan, Jr. released the following statement on the bipartisan Keep Kids Fed Act, introduced by Senate Agriculture ...
Briefing on Infant Formula Shortage
On Tuesday, May 17, 2022 NGA hosted a briefing for Governors’ offices with the White House, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ...
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 ...
Help Wanted: Building a Pipeline to Address the Children’s Mental Health Provider Workforce Shortage
There is no silver bullet for the mental health crisis but reducing workforce shortages of these critical providers can go a long way to solving the problem. by Jessica Kirchner ...
Governors’ Top Priorities for Supporting Children and Families In 2022 State of the State Addresses
Across states, Governors’ cited their commitment to strengthening families and communities. By Isabella Cuneo In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Governors across the country are keenly focused on growth ...
National Governors Association Welcomes 10 States to Join Children and Families Core Advisory Board
The National Governors Association today announced its new Children and Families Core Advisory Board members for 2022. Each year, a small group of governors’ human services policy advisors and agency ...
Child and Family Well-Being Learning Cohort
The Child and Family Well-Being Learning Cohort was hosted by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and Casey Family Programs. The network joined governor’s office representatives, ...
2021 Child and Family Well-Being Governors’ Summit
The 2021 Child and Family Well-Being Governors’ Summit featured State presentations and a panel of Governors’ Policy Advisors on Governors’ plans and priorities to holistically improve the lives of children ...
State Innovation for Strengthening Families
Governors have developed ambitious initiatives to improve the lives of children and families. by Isabella Cuneo Governing a state is a bit like flying an airplane: You must know how ...