In May 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released new guidance on school Medicaid that is a clear victory for school health and student health. It affirms that states have flexibility in their school-based Medicaid program to allow school districts to bill Medicaid for health services delivered to all Medicaid-enrolled…

A model is provided for a political action workshop to educate individuals in the political process and productive participation. The workshop begins with a quiz designed to make the participant recognize the inadequacy of his political involvement and of political involvement in the country in general. A segment on the legislative and policy…

A policy panel of criminal justice experts proposed recommendations to help criminal justice systems become consistently integrated into a community response to substance abuse. The recommendations are: (1) repeal mandatory sentencing; (2) expand substance abuse treatment throughout the criminal justice system; (3) collaborate within the criminal…

Targeting public policy is a necessary part of a successful underage drinking prevention effort. This guide details how coalitions and organizations can effectively work to change public policies that impact underage drinking. The booklet first explains the elements of public policy including laws, regulations, and the policies and practices of…

Appropriate for secondary school social studies or community programs, this publication considers the issue of taxation in America. The first of five sections, "Taxing Matters," considers the growing perception that the present tax code is unfair and in need of drastic reform. Alternative solutions to the problem are considered. "The Loophole…

Although designed for participants in the National Issues Forum, this booklet, which describes the impact of the federal deficit and the federal budget process, is also useful for secondary school social studies. The six sections begin with an introduction describing why the deficit grows yearly and why it is difficult for Congress to stop its…

Noting that out-of-school time and community school initiatives are operating in a rapidly changing policy context and that tobacco settlement funds provide a flexible, significant inflow of new state revenue, this strategy brief provides policymakers, community leaders, and program developers with background information on the tobacco settlement…

Noting that too many children with elevated lead levels are not being identified in the United States, this report presents policy guidelines for increasing screening and follow-up care of children who most need these services, and for helping communities pursue the most appropriate approach to preventing childhood lead poisoning. Following an…

Presents guidelines for organizations planning head injury prevention programs for bicyclists. The guidelines examine the magnitude of the problem and potential impact of helmet use, characteristics of helmets, barriers to increasing helmet use, and approaches to increasing helmet use. Bicycle helmet legislation and community educational campaigns…

Join Together convened a panel of experts to review U.S. policies for addiction treatment and recovery. Although the panel reached an agreement on six recommendations for policy changes that can make help more accessible and expand treatment to more people. These recommendations are: (1) treatment for alcoholism and other drug addiction must be…

Citizen involvement in the public decision-making process can be facilitated if appropriate forms and functions of involvement are used. The issue cycle, which can help public officials to ensure that citizens have constructive and timely input into the decision-making process, involves awareness of some condition in the community; community…

This guide helps people understand where and how decisions on nuclear warfare are made in the United States government. The guide is organized into five main sections. "The Nature of the American Political System" covers the development of a republican form of democracy governed by checks and balances and designed so that power is shared…

Extension community resource development (CRD) is primarily public affairs education at the local level, dealing with local issues. Two methods of public policy education are the advocacy model which picks two people with opposing views on a subject and lets them debate the issue, and the public policy education process which provides all relevant…

Appropriate for secondary school social studies, this booklet considers the decline of certain basic industries in the United States and the unemployment which accompanies this decline. The document contains five sections. Section one, "The Blue-Collar Blues," examines the uneven nature of the current economic recovery, which has left many…

This booklet presents the policy of the Colorado Developmental Disabilities Planning Council to affirm and promote the sexuality rights and responsibilities of persons with disabilities. The purpose of the policy is to guide the community and empower persons with disabilities in Colorado to ensure that their inherent sexual rights and basic human…