NJHSA is a guiding force in Jewish human services, strengthening and supporting vocational, family, healthcare, elder care, disability and all other human service agencies and the people they serve for best practices, research, innovation and partnerships.
NETWORK News offers regular updates, advocacy alerts, funding opportunities, call/webinar details, upcoming events, tools & resources, member highlights, and available career opportunities. 

Check your email every other Friday for the NETWORK News. 

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September 2017, Volume I
Update on Emergency Support Line for Hurricane Victims 
Established by NJHSA and JFS Houston

As the rain subsides, the people of Houston and east Texas are coming face to face with the realities of the disaster and the challenges they face to rebuild their lives. In response, NJHSA and Jewish Family Service of Houston launched an Emergency Support Line, Friday, September 1st. All members of the public are able to call this number for a free consultation. To date, there are  64 social workers from throughout our Network who are participating! The line has received 6 calls. While a few of the calls were related to volunteering and donations, there were 3 callers who specifically were seeking mental health support. We were so grateful to be able to connect those callers with social workers and service has been provided and our colleagues at JFS Houston and the members of the greater Houston community are truly benefiting from the impact of our Network. 

Finally, it should be noted that we have been in touch with our Network member agencies in Florida and should the need present itself, we will be extending the Emergency Support Line and any other needed resources to those who are impacted by Hurricane Irma. Our thoughts and prayers for safety are with our Florida colleagues and their communities!
NJHSA Statement on DACA

With our commitment to refugee services firmly rooted in the fabric of our member agencies, the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies strongly opposes the administration's decision to set an end date to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). NJHSA member agencies provide essential services for refugees and their families each day, including resettlement, education, career and mental health services. We do so, not only as a network of human service providers, but with a deep respect for Jewish tradition which includes the value of embracing the stranger and with the knowledge that these services are also core to the fundamental values of our country, the pursuit of liberty, freedom and justice for all.

We encourage you to join us in contacting your members of Congress to strengthen our collective voice. With this statement, we are not only voicing our opposition to this action but are re-affirming our commitment to maintain and grow the full range of human services so they will always be fully accessible to the Dreamers of our country.

With much appreciation for your participation in our efforts,
June Gutterman and Jim Kahn, Co-Chairs, NJHSA Board of Directors
Leah Rosenbaum, Chair, NJHSA Advocacy Committee
Reuben D. Rotman, President & CEO, NJHSA
Network Updates

The NETWORK efforts continue to add value to your membership, bringing your agen cy additional benefits, networking opportunities and revenue streams.  
  • Domestic Violence Awareness Month Call | Tuesday, September 26th, 2pm ET | Contact Megan for call access information. 
    October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and NJSHA will be sending out a special newsletter detailing the work of our member agencies in raising awareness and supporting their communities. Join your colleagues for a call during which we will share our plans. Please send marketing materials surrounding events to Megan in advance.       This call will serve as our first official affinity group call. We will discuss topics and a date for our next call as well.
     
  • NJHSA Board Nominations
    The NJHSA Nominating Committee is excited to announce the launch of the nominating process to identify potential candidates for the inaugural Board of Directors of the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHSA). We are seeking to establish a strategic board which will consist of thought leaders, advocates, funders, and other influential individuals who care deeply about working together to advance the Jewish human service sector. Terms will begin in May 2018 and service may be up to three years. 
     
    Our Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies is only as strong as the bonds of its Members. Over the past two years we have worked diligently to establish a new organization, one that will be both proactive and responsive, understanding and guiding our member agencies and the broader Jewish human service sector. We are working toward our goals of:
     
    • Establishing a Center for Innovation and Research, 
    • Implementing cost saving efficiencies for our member agencies, and 
    • Providing thought leadership and advocacy for the diverse and complex needs of the communities we serve.
       
Canadian Member Agency News

Canadian member agencies are busy serving their communities. 
  • Of roughly 17,000 Holocaust survivors living in Canada, about one quarter live in poverty, including more than 2,000 in Toronto. Survivors are twice as likely as other Canadian seniors to be poor, according to a 2016 study. Few are aware of this problem, even in the Canadian Jewish community. Learn more in an article published by The Hamilton Spectator on August 26th.
     
  • Pushing the Boundaries: Disability, Inclusion and Jewish Community | April 15 -17, 2018 |  Toronto, ON  | Learn more here.
    The first Canadian national conference of its kind designed for people with disabilities and their family members, self advocates, policymakers, professionals and volunteers who are dedicated to creating inclusive Jewish communities.
Network Advocacy Updates

Re-position your agency and align yourself with The
NET WORK to advance causes and policy.
  • Earlier this month, Senators Dick Durbin (D., IL) and Lindsey Graham (R., SC) introduced the DREAM Act of 2017. This modernized version of prior legislation would provide several potential pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children. Notably, immigrants would be eligible for status under DREAM if they earned certain middle-skill credentials, reflecting a longtime NSC recommendation. Read more about how Dreamers can help meet the demand for middle-skill workers in NSC's new fact sheet.
Network Calls & Webinars

Calls and webinars are designed for NJHSA member agency professionals and lay leaders . Please direct questions to Karen, Director of Membership Services.
  • Meeting the Needs of Seniors | Monday, September 11th, 1pm ET | Learn more and register here.
    People encounter a variety of barriers when looking for a job; one that we hear often is related to age. This presentation will provide an in-depth discussion of common barriers mature workers face when launching a job search and strategic approaches to overcoming these barriers. It will include an overview of how family services and career services can work together for the good of the client. Opportunities for inter-agency referrals will be reviewed.
     
  • Preventing Sexual Harassment in Fundraising Settings | Good People Fund & the Jewish Women's Foundation Of New York | Tuesday, September 12th, 3pm ET | Learn more and register here.
     
  • NJHSA Town Hall Webinars for Partners & Sponsors |  Wednesday, September 13th, 3pm ET | Register here.
          Join fellow partners and sponsors for a webinar facilitated by NJHSA's CEO, Reuben Rotman, designed to educate you and your agency, our partners and sponsors, on NJHSA's goals, efforts underway, new initiatives and plans for the future. Time has been set aside for Q&A. Learn about the 2018 NJHSA Launch Conference in Chicago and how your organization can participate. Partner with our expanded network of 140 agencies.  
     
  • Aging and I/DD: Planning for Growing Older | Bend the Arc - Center for Future Planning | Tuesday, September 26th, 2pm ET | Learn more and register here.
     
  • An Update on Claims Conference Funding | Wednesday, September 27th, 1pm ET | Learn more and register here. 
     
  • Disability Policy Webinar | Thursday, September 28th, 1pm ET | Learn more and register here. 
Network Events

NJHSA is actively planning NETWORK events! SAVE THE DATES so you don't miss out on networking opp ortunities.
  • REGISTRATION CLOSES ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH  
    - Executive Conference | 
    October 28th-30th | Arizona Biltmore | Learn more and register here.
    Member agency executives and senior staff will convene for NJHSA's first formal gathering to network, discuss key topics facing the Network and its member agencies, and create a bridge to the 2018 Launch Conference. 
    Speakers include Laurel O'Sullivan, J.D. Principal and Founder of The Advocacy Collaborative, who will present on advocacy as a strategy for greater impact and effectiveness on Sunday and Michael Mozenter, Founder of Bizlogx LLC, who will moderate a facilitated discussion on the creation of the NETWORK's Center for Innovation and Research on Monday.
     
  • 2017 Inclusion Summit | Ruderman Family Foundation | November 19th & 20th | Boston, MA | Learn more and register here.
     
  • 2018 NJHSA Launch Conference | April 29-May 1 | Grand Sheraton | Chicago, IL
    Guest speakers have been secured and will be announced after the Executive Conference.
Network Member Highlights

The best part of our NETWORK is sharing successes. We want to promote your organizations. Let your fellow member agencies know what's going on in your community! Share updates with Megan, Director of Marketing & Communica tions.
  • VISTA SPOTLIGHT -  Katie McCarty, JFS Detroit
    Katie completed her VISTA term at the end of August at Jewish Family Service of Detroit. She reflects on her accomplishments both big and small and reminds us all that, " No no matter how tough the day, when you look back on it all, you will have climbed a mountain."
     
  • Jewish Family Service of Colorado received a $50,000 grant through Denver Post Season to Share, a McCormick Foundation Fund. The grant will support its Family Safety Net (FSN) program, which strives to prevent homelessness. Most of the funds will go toward general operating expenses for this program to provide individuals and families in crisis with care management, food, limited emergency financial assistance, employment support, and financial literacy classes. 
     
  • Jewish Family Service of MetroWest NJ services are at risk. More than $600,000 of funding for critical programs and services provided to the community come from federal grant sources. JFS MetroWest relies on government funding for many of its programs.  The House Appropriations Committee has released its version of the fiscal year 2018 funding bill, but Congress has the final say on this budget.  Several JFS programs and services, including its Rachel Coalition domestic violence service, are at risk. Learn more about the programs and services in jeopardy and how you can help. 
     
  • #GivingTuesday is a brilliant idea. When it was started in 2012, its purpose was to create a "global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration." It has expanded over the past five years to levels that none of us could have imagined. At JEVS Human Services, In place of #GivingTuesday, they are instituting #DoingTuesday to encourage their donors (and hopefully non-donors) to support clients in an active and hands-on way. Learn more here in an article published in eJewishPhilanthropy.
Network Resources

Share practical tools and resources you find helpful with the NETWORK through our Facebook groups. 
  • SAMHSA recently released the fourth edition of its
    Behavioral  Health Barometer state reports that provide a powerful overview of behavioral health in each state. E ach report includes data about key behavioral health issues such as the prevalence of substance use, serious thoughts of suicide, serious mental illness, and related treatment, as well as their comparisons with the corresponding national annual averages. These findings can assist policy makers and public health providers in targeting programs and interventions to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities. To view and download copies of the Behavioral Health Barometer of any state click here. 
  • SAMHSA also offers 14 self-paced, online business courses to behavioral health organizations and providers through BHbusiness. These courses are available at no cost. You can learn at your own pace while earning continuing education credits.     
Network Career Opportunities

Interested in viewing other open NETWORK positions?  Click here to see what career opportunities member agencies are looking to fill . Email Megan to add or remove postings.
Network Jewish Human Service Agencies | 201-977-2400 | www.networkjhsa.org
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