Human Services

On October 13, 2022 the Social Security Administration announced an 8.7 percent cost-of-living increase in 2023 Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits – the largest in over 40 years. Approximately 70 million people will see an increase in their Social Security benefits next year.

ACL released its first comprehensive report on the accomplishments of Older Americans Act (OAA) Title III, VI, and VII programs. Enacted in 1965, the OAA created the foundation for a comprehensive system of services and supports that enables millions of older adults in this country to continue to live independently as they age. Today, programs funded by the OAA provide essential services to older adults, targeting those with the greatest economic or social need, particularly low-income and minority persons, older individuals with limited English proficiency, and older persons living in rural areas. The programs play a vital role in helping to maintain the health and well-being of millions of older adults and their caregivers.

VA has expanded the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) to include caregivers of eligible Veterans of all service eras. Previously, PCAFC was only available to eligible Veterans who served on or after September 11, 2001. This expansion opens the program to eligible Veterans of all eras, including those who served after May 7, 1975, and before September 11, 2001. Over the past two years, PCAFC has added approximately 20,000 active Veteran and Family Caregiver participants. This final phase of PCAFC expansion will enhance the health and well-being of thousands more Veterans by supporting their caregivers.

People with disabilities are especially vulnerable to the impacts of disasters. To help policymakers understand the need to include people with disabilities in emergency disaster plans, Mathematica researchers created interactive disability natural disaster maps that show how many people with disabilities are living in areas at higher risk of natural disasters.

NATC, funded by ACL and administered by the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA), provides self-paced eLearning courses for APS professionals throughout the United States. While designed to support APS professionals, NATC is also available to allied professionals interested in learning more about adult maltreatment and APS. NATC has 24 free online courses on topics relating to APS, as well as hundreds of resources providing additional knowledge across the various topics. The eLearning courses are free and can be completed at your own pace. Some topics include: An overview of Adult Protective services; Power and control dynamics; Trauma-informed practices; The aging process and neuro-cognitive disorders.

Community Care Corps has developed a new publication highlighting the accomplishments of their 2021-2022 grantees. Each grantee snapshot includes a program overview highlighting key efforts, partners and future directions. Returning grantees applied lessons learned from year one to enhance their volunteer service models while first-time grantees launched creative new volunteer program models to respond to the changing needs of their communities.

The Housing and Services Resource Center was created for people who work in the space of housing resources and homelessness services, behavioral and mental health services, independent living services and other supportive services. The Center is part of a partnership between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to expand affordable housing, improve home and community-based services, and address bias in America's long-term care system.

On June 22, 2022 The Biden Administration through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released a first-of-its-kind package of resources to address unsheltered homelessness and homeless encampments, including funds specifically to address homelessness in rural communities. The $365 million package includes grant funds and vouchers that will enhance communities’ capacity to address unsheltered homelessness by connecting vulnerable individuals and families to housing, health care, and supportive services. This initiative promotes partnerships with health care organizations, public housing authorities and mainstream housing providers, and people with lived experience and expertise of homelessness.

This research brief synthesizes the latest available information and research relating to the mistreatment of adults with disabilities (AWD). This brief addresses the intersection of AWD and elder mistreatment and provides information about risk factors, national survey findings, intimate partner violence (IPV), adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), barriers to reporting and help-seeking, and recommendations for intervention.

The majority of individuals who need long-term services and supports (LTSS) in the United States rely on unpaid assistance from family and friends. The economic value of the unpaid care they provide is estimated to be over $470 billion annually. Unmet needs and waiting lists for Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) place significant strain on individuals with disabilities and their families. This report explores how increasing access to HCBS services can reduce out-of-pocket costs for families and strengthen employment and financial wellbeing of family caregivers.