Nevada Exemplary Employment Practices Project

During 2010, the Nevada Community Action Association (NCAA) applied for and received a grant from the Federal Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Community Services to document “Exemplary Practice Models” being used by Community Action Agencies and other employment agencies in Nevada. The project documented the tactics utilized by top performing Nevada agencies in the employment and green jobs sector. The purpose of documenting such tactics was so that the tactics may be implemented by other employment agencies and programs throughout the country.

The complete Resource Guide to Exemplary Employment Practices and significant findings that were identified as part of the study can be found here: Nevada's Resource Guide to Exemplary Employment Practices

For a preview, after conducting research, surveys, and site visits the following key exemplary practice themes were identified throughout Nevada’s Agencies:

1) Financial Health: help clients assess and sustain lifestyle needs, analyze revenue and expense requirements, beyond survival.
2) Accountability-based Coordinated Support Services: case management services to ensure stability and expectations of personal responsibility and readiness to work.
3) Targeting Specialized Populations: specific programming tailored to unique needs and priorities of non-traditional groups.
4) Strategic Partnerships: internal partnerships and integration of services to external networks with public and private organizations.
5) Data-Driven Systems: on-line databases, tracking and reporting for internal planning and decision-making and external funding
6) Employment Training: on-site workshops, weeklong orientations, training, on job training, and off-site employment training.

The Nevada Community Action Association would like to thank the following organizations that participated in the findings of this project:

• Caring Helping & Restoring Lives (CHR), Inc.
• Carson City Health Department
• Children's Cabinet
• Churchill County Social Services
• Community Chest, Inc.
• Community Services Agency
• Consolidated Agencies of Human Services
• Douglas County Social Services
• Frontier Community Action Agency
• HELP of Southern Nevada
• JOIN of Fernley, NV
• Las Vegas Urban League
• Lyon County Human Services
• ProNet

Community Services Block Grant - Results Oriented Management and Accountability Online Database

During the past two years, the Nevada Community Action Association has been implementing an exemplary practice in developing the statewide online database for Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Results Oriented Management and Accountability Online (ROMA) reporting purposes. To date, sections of the required ROMA reporting have been developed, implemented and utilized by each of the Community Action Agencies in Nevada. As part of the database development, NCAA staff has worked diligently in order to assure that all agencies had proper authorization, access protocols, and assisted agencies with submission as needed. The NCAA assured that each of the report sections has been tailored specifically for the programs offered by each Nevada Community Action Agency. The program and database consolidates all of the report numbers into one statewide report for the utilization of the State of Nevada CSBG Office. In addition to having the ROMA information available “by Agency”, all agencies and the State are able to access statewide ROMA data.