Highlights from CCUSA

“Do you still need a hotel room for the 2021 Annual Gathering?”

Our hotel cut-off date has been EXTENDED to Sunday, September 5th. Please visit the Hotel and Travel page to reserve your room via the online link. Secure your room at our negotiated rate for best savings. Check out the information about complimentary Shuttle Service from the airport to the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina too. We can’t wait to see you in San Diego!

The Laudato Si' Action Platform

Pope Francis is challenging Catholic communities and organizations across the world – including Catholic Charities agencies - to gradually work toward "total sustainability" in our common call to care for creation. This invitation is centered upon a Laudato Si’ Action Platform through which Catholic organizations publicly commit to a seven-year journey of ecological conversion. The action platform is framed across seven Laudato Si’ goals which reflect Catholic Social Teaching and provide “footsteps” in areas such as education, spirituality, the adoption of sustainable practices, community engagement, and a commitment to address poverty. Registration to commit to this process has now opened and will conclude on October 4, the Feast of Saint Francis. Read more here. You may also reach out to Scott Hurd, Vice President for Leadership Development and Catholic Identity at CCUSA.

Events and Webinars

Catholic Climate Covenant invites you to a “Season of Creation Training: How to Engage Our Church Leaders for Climate Action”

To boldly go: Harnessing the power of pop culture for use in trauma-informed care

This webinar will specifically explore how pop culture can be very helpful in trauma-informed care, particularly in trauma-focused therapy with children and teens. By using pop culture as a tool, clinicians can provide engaging, informative treatment that teaches psychoeducation about trauma types, symptoms, and reminders, demonstrates and reinforces positive, healthy coping strategies, and promotes wellness, resiliency, and healing among clients. Even outside of clinical work, these same concepts can be applied to organizational development; supervisors and agency leaders can use pop culture in professional development, staff wellness activities, and other self-care initiatives to connect with staff and address relevant, meaningful topics in an approachable and appealing format. Learning objectives:

1. Recognize how pop culture explores trauma symptoms and reactions.
2. Identify ways to harness pop culture as a tool when working with trauma survivors
3. Describe how pop culture can be used to promote wellness and resiliency among clients and in the workplace.

NOTE: This webinar offers 1.0 Continuing Education Credit. Course completion requirements - To earn CE credit, participants must log in at the scheduled time, attend the webinar and complete an online course evaluation and CEC post-test. The post-test survey will close 7 days after you receive the link to your email. CE Certificates will be emailed within 10 business days of course completion. Date: Sept. 8, 2021. Time: 2 PM EST. Register here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Employment, COVID-19 and the impact in the migrant community

Immigrants and refugees have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Join us for a webinar to take stock of the impact of COVID-19 on the employment status of immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seeking individuals and families, service agencies, and how they impacted individuals, families, and service agencies are responding. We will focus our discussion on services and resources provided to the essential worker/immigrant community during the pandemic, the challenges faced in providing PPE, quarantine housing efforts, testing, and vaccination measures, among other services for a community deemed “essential” to the American food supply chain. Additionally, we will receive an update on testing/Quarantine/Vaccination efforts from Catholic Health Association (CHA). To join us please register in advance here. Date: Sept. 8, 2021. Time: 2 PM EST. 

Financial wellness at work: Supporting low wage workers with financial stability services

Learn about the experiences of Catholic Charities, Portland, Oregon, which created an LLC to collaborate with employers to help workers attain financial wellness for themselves and their families. This partnership provides educational resources, workshops, financial coaching, and strategies for asset creation and debt reduction. This webinar will also introduce participants to the FINRA Foundation/United Way Financial Wellness at Work program, which helps community-based nonprofits design and deliver workplace financial wellness services for lower-income employees. Hear how the FINRA Foundation supports financial wellness practitioners at community-based nonprofit organizations, and how nonprofit leaders have collaborated with employers to develop effective and sustainable workplace financial wellness solutions. Find out about upcoming training opportunities to help bring workplace financial wellness programs to your community. Date: Sept. 9, 2021. Time: 2 PM EST. Register here.

Increasing immigrant integration and inclusion through community partnerships

Immigrant integration and inclusion happens most effectively at the local level. Community partnerships are an effective method for non-profit agencies to expand their reach, engage more community members, and accomplish desired goals on a larger scale. In particular, immigrant integration is achieved most successfully when all community members are engaged, have decided together on objectives, and work together to achieve them. Thus, community partnerships are a key strategy to increase and promote immigrant integration and inclusion. This webinar will introduce integration basics, such as common terminology and characteristics of effective integration programming. Then, a short description of how data is integral to successful integration programming will be given. The presenter will also cover how to acquire this data. Examples of types of community partnerships for non-profits, such as with city government, local parishes, volunteers, and other non-profits, will be explored. The trainer will provide recommendations on characteristics to look for in a partner, ideas for integration programming for each type of partnership, and ways to manage a partnership so that it accomplishes its desired objectives. NOTE: This webinar offers 1.0 Continuing Education Credit. Course completion requirements - To earn CE credit, participants must log in at the scheduled time, attend the webinar and complete an online course evaluation and CEC post-test. The post-test survey will close 7 days after you receive the link in your email. CE Certificates will be emailed within 10 business days of course completion. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Date: Sept. 16, 2021. Time: 2 PM ET. Register here. 

Expanding your program potential with AmeriCorps

Join us to learn how Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington are utilizing AmeriCorps to maximize their potential to expand services in their communities. During this panel discussion, we will highlight the different AmeriCorps programs offered through CCUSA, as well as best practices in capacity building and project sustainability through AmeriCorps programs.

1. Discover the impact of AmeriCorps Programs
2. Distinguish which AmeriCorps Programs best fits your agency’s needs
3. Evaluate the benefits for engaging AmeriCorps members

Designing a database for a Catholic Social Teaching-based case management model

This workshop introduces participants to the use of a logic model to support the design of a client centered database for a case management program. The model of case management used at CCCS is both malleable and adaptable, as is characteristic of this form of service delivery. Client needs, willingness to engage in services and access to resources vary to a great extent at the individual level and this lack of structure to the program model posed significant challenges to the database design team. The presentation will include a discussion of the logic model development process, the articulation of the process of care (i.e.: the CCCS Case Management Model), the key elements of database design, the conflicts that emerged along the way and the end product, which has been in use since September 2020. This presentation is intended to highlight the complexity involved in moving somewhat intangible and ambiguous service models – as are often present within many human service programs and may be even more pronounced among Catholic Social Teaching based models – into databases that necessitate rules and order and structure. Date: Oct. 6, 2021. Time: 2 PM EST. Register here.

Learning and serving together! Binational partnership for immigrant & refugee services

The number of internally displaced persons and international migrants is greater today than at any other time in history. While migration may present a chance to improve life circumstances, it also poses a series of risks for migrants. To respond to the human, social, political, and spiritual challenges and opportunities that migration presents, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago have engaged in a multi-level collaboration with Loyola University Chicago and several Jesuit universities of Mexico. This webinar will consist of three parts:

• Overview of the origin and development of interinstitutional collaboration. The overview will address the organizational structure of the partnership and how the collaboration operates transnationally.
• Presentation of the service/accompaniment, student and institutional learning, and research components of the collaboration, which include: student internships, research projects, grant collaborations, and professional development.
• A discussion of how webinar participants can join in such collaborations to expand our Catholic calling to “walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, those whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and justice.”

NOTE: This webinar offers 1.0 Continuing Education Credit. Course completion requirements - To earn CE credit, participants must log in at the scheduled time, attend the webinar and complete an online course evaluation and CEC post-test. The post-test survey will close 7 days after you receive the link in your email. CE Certificates will be emailed within 10 business days of course completion. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Date: Oct. 7, 2021. Time: 2 PM ET. Register here.

The Service at the Speed of Light: The New Non-Profit Normal webinar

This year has been one of the most challenging faced by non-profits, and the needs are incredible. By January 2021, American renters already owed $34B in back rent and growing! Agencies must work closely with community and civic leaders to broaden impact and improve effectiveness by quickly expanding service capacity through creative technology use allowing millions of dollars of assistance in a day. Is your agency ready to implement a program providing over $60M in financial assistance in 3 months? Does your agency understand impact on hiring, call volume, compliance, and finance? These are all challenges Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston confronted when they received a contract to provide CARES funding to more than 50,000 families in 3 months. This presentation will provide you with the insights gained through their experience. After this workshop, the answer to any of the questions listed above will be, “Absolutely, we can!” It is the new non-profit normal. It is service at the speed of light! Date: Oct. 12, 2021. Time: 2 PM EST. Register here. 

Building the donor pipeline: The power and impact of individual donor relations

From donors giving $10 a year to major donors giving 5 to 6 figure gifts each year, individual donors bring your mission to life. Join us for a webinar to learn how to maximize your engagment with individual donors, bringing them closer to your mission and encouraging ever-more generous gifts into the future. Following this presentation, the attendee will be able to: (1.) Understand the impact of individual donors and their long-term value to your organization; (2.) Understand the individual donor pipeline concept, how to build the pipeline and how to move donors through it; (3.) Walk away with an outline of fundamental steps to start and/or maintain a successful individual giving program: annual giving, mid-level giving, major gifts, capital/principal gifts, and planned gifts. Register in advance for this webinar here. Date: Oct. 14, 2021. Time: 1 PM ET.

Unaccompanied children in 2021: Serving immigrant and refugee youth

This webinar will provide details on who unaccompanied children are and where they come from, factors driving their migration, and the challenges they face once they arrive in the United States. Participants will learn more about the recent surge in migrant children crossing the US-Mexico border and the implications this has had on their care prior to reunifying with a sponsor or being placed in long term foster care. We will also consider the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this population and the ways this has affected the services provided to youth as well as their experience in their new communities. USCCB and CCC will provide a picture of USCCB’s model of care for unaccompanied migrant children through small-scale shelters, group homes, and foster care placements. Presenters will highlight how USCCB’s model provides continuity of care for youth coming into the United States, including pursuit of legal relief, reunification with family and sponsors in the community, and long-term foster care and independent living options for youth who are granted legal status. NOTE: This webinar offers 1.0 Continuing Education Credit. Course completion requirements - To earn CE credit, participants must log in at the scheduled time, attend the webinar and complete an online course evaluation and CEC post-test. The post-test survey will close 7 days after you receive the link in your email. CE Certificates will be emailed within 10 business days of course completion. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Date: Oct. 14, 2021. Time: 2 PM ET. Register here.

Early Evidence from the Evaluation of Uplifting Parents Webinar

Applying medical ethics frameworks in Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities provides services which are medical or quasi-medical in nature, such as providing behavioral health services, dental care, primary care, FQHC, nursing home care, and assistance with advance care planning documents. Given this, knowledge of secular bioethics, social work ethics, and the USCCB’s Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services is essential for Catholic Charities professionals. Join this webinar to explore and apply relevant ethical frameworks to cases encountered in Catholic Charities. This webinar will be led by Dr. Amy VanDyke, and Rev. Ragan Shriver. Dr. VanDyke, MSW, LSW, PhD, is Vice President of Programs at Catholic Social Services of Columbus Ohio. For many years she served as an ethicist at Catholic and secular hospitals and is a national and international speaker on ethics. Rev. Ragan Schriver, PsyD, LAPSW, is the Special Assistant to the President of Catholic Charities USA for Strategic Integration and Director of the MSSW program at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, where he serves as an associate professor. He is the former executive director of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee. NOTE: This webinar offers 1.0 Continuing Education Credit. Course completion requirements - To earn CE credit, participants must log in at the scheduled time, attend the webinar and complete an online course evaluation and CEC post-test. The post-test survey will close 7 days after you receive the link to your email. CE Certificates will be emailed within 10 business days of course completion. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Date: Oct. 18, 2021. Time: 1:30 PM ET. Register here.

Identifying Unresolved Reproductive Grief and Facilitating the Healing Process Webinar

Studies indicate that individuals experiencing reproductive loss are at greater risk for complicated grief, relationship problems, and substance abuse. Yet, social service professionals often lack the training to confidently enquire into a client’s reproductive history and offer appropriate support. This webinar explores how to help this vulnerable population. Date: Oct. 19, 2021. Time: 2 PM ET. Register here.

Adapting to change - Keeping your Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program current

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is one of the most impactful poverty reduction programs in the United States. This program represents the local partnership between the IRS, community-based nonprofits, and volunteers. VITA helped move over 10 million individuals out of poverty and significantly reduced the severity of poverty for an additional 17 million. Over the past 50 years, the program has evolved to incorporate teh various changes to the tax code and integrated technological improvements allowing for a better consumer experience. Join us for a webinar to share best practices and updates to the VITA program, particularly over the past year. During the webinar, we will be highlighting two Catholic Charities agencies that have developed successful VITA programs during COVID-19 by adapting to the changes required. Register here. Date: Oct. 20, 2021. Time: 2 PM ET.

Engaging the diaconate: How Dallas equips deacons to integrate faith and service

Permanent deacons in the Roman Catholic Church have the unique opportunity to be activated, engaged, and unleashed to strengthen the integration of faith and service for the Church and for its people. With the intention of empowering deacons to work closely with their local Catholic Charities office, and in service to each deacon’s specific parish and the greater diocese, representatives from Catholic Charities Dallas Parish & Community Relations Office and the Diocese of Dallas Diaconal Ministry and Formation Office will present how this is being done in the Diocese of Dallas. Presenters will explore the practical ways in which they seek to achieve the broader goal of “Catholic Charities fluency (CCD)” among all levels of Catholic leadership in the diocese as a primer for reaching fluency levels in the community as a whole. CCD fluency, defined as knowing what Catholic Charities does, why they do it, and how to get involved, is the critical next step in integrating the capacity that deacons have with the needs of their Charities agency. Their offices have worked together to create a “Catholic Charities Dallas Diaconate Certification” program, offering deep dives into the specifics of what, why, and how to get involved of Catholic Charities service within the diocese. They intend to present themselves as a case study to promote consideration of how this model can be improved and adapted to specific circumstances, with the end goal of increasing knowledge and fluency of the Catholic Social Teaching principles that motivate our mission among a much broader community nationally. This webinar’s presenters are Lacy de la Garza, M.Psy., Director of Parish & Community Relations for Catholic Charities Dallas, and Fr. Emmett Hall, Director of Diaconal Ministry & Formation for the Diocese of Dallas. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Date: Oct. 27, 2021. Time: 3 PM ET. Register here.

Leveraging trends and emerging technologies to deliver an improved client experience

The webinar will show how technology and for-profit sector partnerships can create creative solutions to long-standing problems. Our team will breakdown how the use of artificial intelligence allows organizations to reach clients quickly in a fast pace area of law, as well as improve onboarding of clients during the intake process. Our top priority and focus has been 1) driving significant Client Experience improvements, and 2) Meeting our clients where they are with the use of creative technology. Together, we brainstormed on the use of current and emerging trends and technologies to realize these objectives. Trends and technologies we embraced and are leveraging are AI-based videos, automated forms with Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging, smartphone document scanning integrated with back-end case management system. Date: Oct. 28, 2021. Time: 2 PM ET. Register here.

Parent Engagement Strategies in a Pandemic and Beyond Webinar

Grant Opportunities and Resources

Register for the Catholic Social Workers National Association's 2021 Annual Conference, "Trusting God in Family Life" - Nov. 11-13, 2021

CSWNA's primary purposes are to offer Catholic clinicians ongoing education that integrates research and proven clinical intervention techniques with relevant faith concepts - our version of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition at the intersection of faith and reason. We work to encourage clinicians in their faith, enhance cultural competencies and build networks of like-minded professionals. For more details about the conference and to register, click here. For nomination form and requirements for the Catholic Social Worker of the Year, click here.

Grant Opportunity: CCUSA Financial Education AmeriCorps Program

CCUSA is currently looking for additional grantees for the Financial Education AmeriCorps program! The AmeriCorps members in this program will primarily use the FDIC Money Smart curriculum to teach clients how to enhance their financial skills and create positive banking relationships. AmeriCorps members can also provide other asset-development activities, including tax preparation, financial counseling, IDA enrollment, and much more. This program has a goal to help clients improve their financial literacy and navigate financial decisions more efficiently. If your agency is interested in learning more about this federal grant opportunity, please reach out to Abby Qualliotine.

Grant Opportunity: CCUSA Nutrition Education AmeriCorps Program

Employment Opportunities

Anyone can view the job opportunities by clicking on the "Careers" tag on the footer of the CCUSA webpage. To post a job opportunity, one must be a member and have access to the members' portal in order to fill out the submission form (click on "Careers" tag on members only portal homepage). If you have any questions about the new job opportunities submission form, please contact David Werning. Please click here to access job opportunities.

CCUSA Photo Gallery

Did you know that one of the benefits CCUSA provides to member agencies is access to a professional photo gallery? Visit our Flickr photo pages to explore our albums and photos. If you would like a high-resolution version for your agency's use, please email CCUSA with photo number.