North Dakota officials have continued working to improve behavioral health in the decade since a consultant said the state's mental health system was in crisis.
May is Community Action Month, and Minnesota agencies that help address poverty say demand for services isn t going away. To help clients thrive, they re adding some new parts to their revenue engines. Community Action Agencies create and help carry out programs that assist struggling households in accessing aid such as energy bill relief, tax preparation and job training. .
May is Community Action Month, and in North Dakota, groups trying to help households escape poverty are gathering feedback on which obstacles are the biggest. It coincides with potential legislative efforts to study housing barriers. Census data show that in 2021, more than 11% of North Dakotans were living in poverty. .
Community action agencies in the Commonwealth are working with state lawmakers to ensure funding of their work to alleviate poverty continues. Previous state funding helped the Worcester Community Action Council, serving Central and South-Central Massachusetts, create a Resiliency Center, offering financial coaching and income-tax assistance to low-income families. Marybeth Campbell, executive director of the council, said her agency is not doing things for people, but with them. .
Amid workforce issues within health care, the state of Minnesota is poised to soon roll out a nursing recruiting initiative. In the meantime, some community-action agencies are helping those experiencing poverty enter the field. The offices connect low-income individuals to a variety of resources, including home heating assistance and housing support. .