Germain, G.; Speaker at the National Credit Union Foundation’s CUF in Health Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
Tag: 2019
Participation is high in Israel’s universal CDA program, the first in the world (Links to an external site)
Schoenherr, N. A new analysis by the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis examines enrollment and participation trends in a newly implemented national Israeli child development account (CDA) policy, finding that 65 percent of households actively enrolled in the program during the first six months.
The Workplace Financial Wellness Program Blog Series with Prosperity Now (Links to an external site)
Efforts to build financial wellness at work, like offering financial services as workplace benefits, are intended to help employees feel better about their financial lives and may be linked to improved productivity and increased employee engagement. To learn about the benefits of financial wellness programs, what types to offer and how to evaluate them, explore this series prepared by Prosperity Now and the Workforce Financial Stability Initiative (WFSI) at Washington University in St. Louis. WFSI is funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.
The Future of Workplace Wellness: Improving the Benefits of Benefits (Links to an external site)
When asked how employers could help improve their financial lives, connecting them to information and advice was just one idea offered by interviewees. Higher wages and benefits that subsidized or reduced typical expenses were much stronger recommendations, suggesting that employees might find it easier to see valuable solutions in those domains.
Michal Grinstein-Weiss, PhD Inducted into American Academy of Social Work (Links to an external site)
Michal Grinstein-Weiss, PhD, MA, MSW, Director of the Centene Center for Health Transformation, was recently inducted into the American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare (AASWSW). The AASWSW is an honorific society of distinguished scholars and practitioners dedicated to achieving excellence in the field of social work and social welfare through high-impact work that advances social good.
How to Collect and Use Data to Improve Workplace Financial Wellness (Links to an external site)
o Without knowing what the financial lives of your employees look like, it’s hard to know how to improve their financial wellness. Before asking what your employees need, it’s best to ask, “What are the financial realities our employees face?” Answering this question up front will not only help with program selection, it can pay dividends after program implementation to help measure progress.
How employers choose the right mix of financial wellness products and services
Frank-Miller, E. and Despard, M.;
Dissemination of research findings from the Employee Financial Wellness Programs project through a series of webinars to the National Fund for Workforce Solutions’ regional collaboratives.
Breaking Down Barriers to Better Health (Links to an external site)
A new short-format video produced through Centene’s industry-academia partnership, the Centene Center for Health Transformation™, sets the stage for current and future investigation into the impact of social determinants on health behaviors and health outcomes.
Assessing the short-term stability of financial well-being in low- and moderate-income households
Sun, S., Roll, S. P., Kondratjeva, O., Bufe, S., & Grinstein-Weiss, M. (2019, March). Assessing the Short-Term Stability of Financial Well-Being in Low- and Moderate-Income Households. (SPI Research Brief No. 19-01). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Social Policy Institute.
How do changing financial circumstances relate to financial well-being? Evidence from a national survey
Bufe, S., Sun, S., Roll, S. P., Kondratjeva, O., & Grinstein-Weiss, M. (2019, March). How do Changing Financial Circumstances Relate to Financial Well-Being? Evidence from a National Survey. (SPI Research Brief No. 19-02). St. Louis, MO: Washington Univer¬sity, Social Policy Institute.
High-Touch Servicing: How to Invest in Employees’ Financial Futures (Links to an external site)
To comprehensively address employee financial wellness, employers should include a mix of “high-touch” and “low-touch” financial programs. Higher-touch programs, like financial coaching and counseling, are better positioned to support financial stability over a sustained period of time and can be tailored to meet the situations of those most vulnerable to financial insecurity.
Health Education and Behavior Publishes Centene Center for Health Transformation Research Examining Social Needs and Health Outcomes (Links to an external site)
Unmet basic needs — which include but are not limited to food, housing and utilities — have long been associated with a range of negative health-related outcomes. New research by the Centene Center for Health Transformation now confirms that people with multiple unmet needs have even worse health outcomes.
Three behavioral design policy scenarios to promote financial health: Consumption, risk, and perception
Despard, M.; Presentation sponsored by Duke University’s Center for Advanced Hindsight on behavioral design principles and financial health.
Low-Touch Servicing: Helping Employees in a Financial Pinch (Links to an external site)
Unfortunately, not having enough money to cover unforeseen expenses or experiencing a loss of income is common for many families living paycheck-to-paycheck, who risk missing important payments like rent. But, employers can help by offering low-touch interventions like wage advances or small-dollar loans.
Understanding the financial lives of employees and solutions to increase their financial wellness
Frank-Miller, E. and Despard, M.; Dissemination of research findings from the Employee Financial Wellness Programs project through a series of webinars to the National Fund for Workforce Solutions’ regional collaboratives. Hosted by the National Fund for Workforce Solutions.
The Untapped Potential of Workplace Financial Wellness Programs (Links to an external site)
When employers learn more about what employees experience and prefer, they also need to consider offering a mix of programs. Considering different types of content is important, but so is crafting a mix of “high-touch” and “low-touch” programs that offer direct, immediate resources as well as support for achieving longer-term goals.
Obamacare helps people make mortgage payments and rent, study concludes (Links to an external site)
The passage of the 2010 Affordable Care Act provided many more Americans access to health insurance, but Obamacare’s legacy goes beyond medicine. According to new research, greater access to health insurance also leads to a significant reduction in Americans becoming delinquent on rent and mortgage payments. Riquier, A.
Fresh Food Rx Secures Food for Healthy Moms and Babies (Links to an external site)
A collaboration between SSM Health DePaul Hospital and Operation Food Search connects obstetrics patients in the St. Louis area with nutritious food and other necessities to promote healthy pregnancies and improve birth outcomes for mothers and babies.
Food Prescription Program Sends Groceries to Pregnant Moms in Need (Links to an external site)
SSM Health DePaul’s OB Care Center and local food bank Operation Food Search partnered to create the “Fresh R-X” program. Doctors and nurse practitioners screen expecting mothers for food insecurity during checkups.
Operation Food Search Launches New Program to Help Pregnant Women (Links to an external site)
Lucinda Perry from Operation Food Search promotes “Fresh RX-Nourishing Healthy Starts”, a fresh food prescription program that aims to help pregnant women make good food choices.
Operation Food Search Launch Event
January 31, 2019: Learn how this innovative program provides fresh local food for strong moms and healthy babies. Enjoy food from local farmers while meeting program contributors and participants.
The View from Here 1.23.19 (Links to an external site)
Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Associate Dean for Policy Initiatives and professor at the Brown School, recently represented Washington University in St. Louis at the University Social Responsibility Summit, co-hosted by the University of Haifa, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Niemeyer, K.
Hope You Aren’t Counting on Getting a Tax Refund This Winter (Links to an external site)
While the Trump administration has pledged that the Internal Revenue Service will still issue tax refunds, recent changes to the tax code will make that promise difficult to keep, especially with regard to these critical refunds. As the shutdown stretches on, people who depend on the EITC for relief may face serious hardship. Capps, K.
Behavioral Economics Nudgeathon – Next Steps and Using Behavioral Economics to Impact Policy and Practice
The Nudgeathon program aims to improve the performance of social services provided by the JDC by employing Behavioral Economics methodologies and tools. The main tool used is a “nudge.” Nudges are interventions designed to influence people’s behavior by subtly altering the choice architecture in which they make decisions without limiting their freedom of choice.