APHSA -- American Public Human Services Association

It was inspiring to see our President & CEO Reggie Bicha lead a panel on passion and persistence at the 2024 Human Services Summit at Harvard University this past weekend. Hosted by Leadership for a Networked World and the Change & Innovation Agency, a vimo company, the Summit brought together more than 60 leaders from human services agencies across the country. Joined by Raquel Hatter of The Kresge Foundation, Fariborz Pakseresht of the Oregon Department of Human Services, and Jodi Harpstead of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Reggie's panel focused on how human services leaders navigate political demands, secondary trauma, and critical incidents while continuing to deliver essential services to our nation’s children and families. It also provided practical recommendations on leading through times of struggle, and how to draw energy and hope from the mission of human services to make the lives of the people we serve better. **APHSA creates a network of peers for state, county, and city human services leaders to come together to learn and support one another. Reggie was joined at the Summit by additional APHSA leaders, Sheila Poole, Natalie Williams, and Marci McCoy-Roth.**

As we start planning for #ISM2025 in Reno, we continue to be thankful and inspired by #ISMPHSA24 and those we honored on the big stage! Congratulations to our recipient of the Jerry Friedman Excellence in Leadership Award, Tennessee Department of Human Services Deputy Commissioner, Cherrell Campbell-Street! Read the press release: https://lnkd.in/eJCzMrrv

We are excited to recognize the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) for being one of the recipients of the #ISMPHSA24 Best Use of Technology for Customers - Internal Award! The award recognizes the remarkable advancements of the “DCS Classification of Allegations” project, which leverages Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) to enhance operational efficiency and accuracy. Read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/eEZ5g6zd

With the 2024 conference season behind us, this is a perfect chance to recognize the remaining #ISMPHSA24 and #NSDTA24 conference award recipients that continue to carry a torch for the human services sector through their work and dedication day in and day out. Congratulations to the Kentucky Health Information Exchange (KHIE), Commonwealth of Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, and the Office of the Inspector General for receiving the #ISMPHSA24 Collaboration Across Boundaries Award! Read the press release: https://lnkd.in/eJcj5fRB

And that's a wrap for #NSDTA24! Special thanks to all our attendees, speakers, volunteers, partners, and sponsors for making this year such a great success! We are excited to announce that #NSDTA2025 will be hosted in Norfolk, Virginia! Also congratulations to Katherine Richardson, Training Coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Human Services for winning a free registration to #NSDTA2025. Hope to see everyone (and more) next year! This year's theme was "Beyond the Horizon: Shaping the Future of Workforce Development" and our President and CEO, Reggie Bicha closed out the conference with some very inspirational words as we look toward the future of our work in human services: "In order for those we serve to achieve resiliency, we need to build resiliency in our workforce. Recruiting and retaining people in this work who look like, and have had like experiences, to the people we serve will help achieve greater credibility in the field as well as diversity in our workforce...supporting people AND systems to move us forward." -Reggie Bicha

Be sure to tune in TODAY at 2:00 pm ET as we join Governing and Government Technology to talk "A New Era for HHS: How AI is Transforming Health and Human Services." Our Process Innovation lead, Jess Maneely, MPP, will be part of the interactive conversation along with Justin Brown of Center for Digital Government, Amy Hille Glasscock of National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), and Zach Patton of e.Republic. It's not too late to register! https://lnkd.in/e7USi8N8

Special #SessionSpotlight - Bridging to Belonging: Exploring Identity and Community to Advance the Collective Action of Human Services This two-session seminar was a unique platform that delved into the significance of belonging in human services and community with practitioners and leaders nationwide. #equity #diversity #inclusion #belonging #NSDTA24 Bridging to Belonging featured stellar panel of speakers for both sessions: Echohawk Lefthand - Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Genet Stewart - Children's Board of Hillsborough County (FL), Dr. Nichole Ossa - Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Dr. Layla Suleiman González, Esq. - Suleiman & Associates, LLC, Natalie Williams - APHSA, Jessica Burdick - Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Brandi Turner - Kansas Department For Children and Families, and Donna L. Wilson, Ph.D., LPC - Chapin Hall

The day has been packed with some amazing sessions. This morning's #SessionSpotlight was "Do Black Female Child Welfare Professionals Need Capes?" In this session, our presenters and attendees explored how black women working in child welfare carry an extra burden of emotional labor from navigating gendered racial microaggressions or outright racism in their daily work from colleagues, leadership, or even families on their caseloads. Special thanks to Deborah Gadsden, Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging with the Child Welfare League of America and Marlo Perry, Associate Research Professor at University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work for leading today's session! Mrs. Gadsden is a 50+ year veteran of the child welfare sector having worked in two county child welfare agencies in Pennsylvania for 27 years and for the PA Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN) for 23 years prior to bringing her skills in equity training and programming to CWLA in 2023.

Good morning 🌄 from Day 3 of #NSDTA24! We were excited to start the day with our Opening General Session keynote Dr. Lauri Goldkind, professor at Fordham University's Graduate School of Social Service and the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Technology in Human Services. In her presentation "AI Potentials in Training, Professional Development, and Technical Assistance" Dr. Goldkind discussed how organizations can assess the opportunities and challenges of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and understand how to strategically implement AI to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness, and impact of nonprofit initiatives.

Wrapping up #NSDTA24 - Day 2 with our final #SessionSpotlight! “Unveiling the Underlying – Diagnosing Barriers in Human Services Agencies” provided a clear framework of how to understand the challenges in your organization, what’s contributing to those factors, and then develop a plan of action to strengthen and embolden your organization for the future. Participants engaged in a live diagnostic exercise using a case study to apply their learning practically! #organizationaleffectiveness #culture #leadership Special thanks to LaTrista Funches, MS, MA, CLSSGB for leading a great session!