National Assembly Today

Many of us can recall the childhood playground rejoinder: “Sticks and stones may hurt my bones, but names will never hurt me.” Perhaps not always successful in devastating your adversary, but, at least, it mostly worked to end a verbal sparring match. And, most importantly, this phrase served as a reminder that our names are […]

By Zachary Tashman The SSI Program The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program was established in 1972 under Title 16 of the Social Security Act. The stated goal of SSI was to improve economic conditions for older adults and people with disabilities. The SSI program supplies monthly cash assistance for low-income seniors and people with disabilities. […]

Happy Halloween! To celebrate the holiday, we’re reviewing some common ways the human service sector can undercut its communications’ goals — specifically tactics that “spook” our audiences by activating a sense of fatalism, or a misperception that challenges are too big, complex and entrenched to address or solve. This limited outlook means the public thinks […]

On October 3rd, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a Proposed Rule on the Standardization of State Heating and Cooling Standard Utility Allowances. The regulation would prevent states from establishing utility and housing allowances when determining Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. This provision allows individuals and families who spend more than half their income […]

As an organization, the National Human Services Assembly is comprised of many and varied national nonprofit networks. Our members collectively touch almost every community in the United States, and almost every household in those communities. From that experience, one thing that we have learned is that there are many differences among the people we serve. […]