Daily Archives: June 22, 2022

It has almost been 32 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law. Its aimed at prohibiting discrimination and giving people with disabilities the same opportunities as everyone else; however, most of the country is still not built for people with disabilities in mind, especially our streets and sidewalks.

This also comes when pedestrian deaths are at an all-time high. A recent analysis from the Governors Highway Safety Administration found that in 2021, nearly 7,500 pedestrians were killed, the largest number in four decades.

A Georgetown study shows that pedestrian wheelchair users are over 30% more likely to be killed in crashes than non-wheelchair users. Nearly half of these deaths happen at intersections.

In many of those cases, drivers weren't yielding to pedestrian right-of-way, but design at intersections plays a role, too.

Yochai Eisenberg and a team of researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago conducted a study that shows just how much our sidewalk and street infrastructure is failing when it comes to making cities accessible and safe for people with disabilities. Their research found that 65% of curb ramps and 48% of sidewalks across the country are not accessible.

"You'll be driving along or walking along, and you'll see a very accessible curb ramp that will not be connected to any sidewalks or you'll see a nice sidewalk that ends abruptly," said Eisenberg, a disability and human development professor at the University of Illinois Chicago. "And so that lack of connectivity and lack of, you know, what I try to describe as intentional planning... like really thoughtful planning is not there."

The University of Illinois Chicago team discovered this gap by evaluating ADA transition plans. Under the ADA, states and local governments are required to have a transition plan in place for how theyre going to reduce physical barriers for people with disabilities. Still, not all of them do, and no ones really checking.

The team looked at over 400 government entities, and only 13% had ADA plans readily available; only seven of them met the minimum criteria. Some of those requirements include things like getting public feedback, coming up with a plan for making things more accessible and a schedule for making it happen.

Their research noted that many communities dont understand enough about these transition plans and lack data on how much of their pedestrian infrastructure is inaccessible.

"So some communities definitely did, you know, and they developed a whole plan and followed through," Eisenberg said. "But the issue is they, many of them didn't continue with it, and obviously in those 30 years, many communities have expanded, and not all of them have followed a lot of the guidelines for accessible design.... The Federal Highway Administration, the Department of Transportation at the federal level likes to talk about it as is it's a living document. It's not supposed to be something that you do once and then forget about."

Eisenberg says cities like Tempe, Arizona, are a good model to turn to. Theyve set a goal of addressing barriers to accessibility by 2030 and have created a map showing where the plan will roll out and what ramps and sidewalks will be replaced. The city has also been active in getting public participation, and that feedback has been a huge help.

One of the only ways governments are currently being held accountable for having accessible infrastructure is through lawsuits. Experts say this should not be considered the primary strategy for developing accessible communities.

The Department of Justice created Project Civic Access to conduct reviews of ADA compliance. Since they started in 1999, theyve reached over 200 settlements in all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico. These reviews took place because the DOJ wanted to visit every state, and in response, the cities agreed to make improvements.

"Cities have, you know, continually worked to upgrade their infrastructure, but it kind of connects well with the way that that many cities and federal and state funding in transportation has gone to roads and highways," Eisenberg said.

"That's predominantly what the budget for that infrastructure goes to and very little for sidewalks and bike lanes."

Looking at how we can do a better job going forward, disability rights advocates say that some funding from the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure bill, which includes $11 billion for transportation safety programs, should be spent on curb ramps, sidewalks and roads designed to slow traffic to make crossing streets safer. The bill does include the first-ever Safe Streets and Roads for All program to reduce traffic fatalities like pedestrian deaths we mentioned earlier.

When talking about these issues, its important to hear from someone who has experienced the difficulty of navigating inaccessible cities firsthand.

"So I am a low vision, non-driver," said Anna Zivarts."I have an eye condition, neurological condition called nystagmus that makes my eyes wiggle all the time, and it just means that I don't see detail, I don't see fast moving objects very well. And so I can't drive, but I do still do have a fair amount of vision sort of on the spectrum of blindness."

Zivarts works on mobility initiatives for Disability Rights Washington, a statewide advocacy group based in Seattle.

"So, we have a network of non-drivers around 200 folks from around the state that we've collected stories from that are advocates with us and trying to fight for better transit service and a big part here is just that lack of connectivity from where people live to the nearest transit stop," Zivarts said.

While these groups help bring attention to a lot of the accessibility issues cities have, part of the struggle is competing with other infrastructure projects for grants, whether that money is coming from the infrastructure bill or any other available funding.

"If you go in and say, 'We're going to put ramps in like 13 different intersections,' the way things are set up is it just isn't like it is seen as a competitive project because they're each individual projects instead of sort of one hole," Zivarts said.

"One of that makes any sense, and so they're just like when competing against other infrastructure improvement needs, we see that the ADA stuff just doesn't win out."

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More than 30 years after ADA, cities fail to be accessible - WGBA NBC 26 in Green Bay

The Kentucky business, recovery, and education community gathered to discuss hiring, training, and retaining individuals in recovery from substance use disorder at the Kentucky Chambers 4th Annual Recovery in the Workplace Conference.

The conference began with Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy Executive Director Van Ingram discussing the important initiatives to address the substance use disorder crisis in partnership with the Kentucky Chamber Foundation. Programs to help Kentuckians that are struggling are more important than ever, Ingram said sharing that in 2021, over 2,200 Kentuckians lost their fight to addiction.

That means, statistically, six people will die today from addiction, he said.

Ingram talked about important policies that have been passed in recent years that are leading to long-term programs to address these issues, including the Recovery Ready Communities program and the Behavior Health Diversion Pilot Program.

Treatment will yield better outcomes than prison. Locking them up is not working. Its time to look for something else. And that Senate Bill 90 is something else, Ingram said.

Kentucky Chamber Foundation Workforce Recovery Program Director Morgan Kirk spoke on the workforce crisis Kentucky is currently facing, which has key root causes including child care deserts, skills gap, justice involvement, and substance use disorder.

Kirk shared the many initiatives of the Kentucky Chamber Foundation to help employers address their workforce needs, which includes the Workforce Recovery Program, Talent Pipeline Management, Kentucky Talent Hub, and the Kentucky Transformational Employment Program.

Currently, more than 70 employers are engaged in the newly-created Kentucky Transformational Employment Program. To help businesses on their path to transformational employment, the Kentucky Chamber Foundations Workforce Recovery Program hosted its inaugural Fair Chance Academy with 20 business leaders graduating from the program in June.

DV8 Kitchen and Bakery Founder and Operator Rob Perez talked with attendees about what it means to be a relational leader and shared his impactful experience as a fair chance employer.

Perez said at first, DV8 Kitchen did not solely hire employees that were in recovery. But, after less than a year of being open, they were able to gauge the success of hiring individuals in recovery. Without a doubt, he said the individuals in the recovery houses showed better performance, effort, standards, and relationships.

Perez said that relational leadership pays dividends, and that focusing on people works, instead of focusing on rules, how things have been done in the past, and the bottom line. He encouraged businesses to learn from his experience and asked them to work toward becoming transformational employers.

During a testimonial, Joshua Community Connectors Founder and CEO Kim Moore talked about her journey of substance use disorder recovery and shared how her experiences have helped her lead change across the Commonwealth during critical times. On the importance of second chance employment, Moore said, If you hire ten individuals in need of a second chance, I bet eight of them will work out. We will be so grateful just because you gave us a chance. Who Kim Moore is on paper is not who I am, and I encourage you to look past that.

Business leaders that just graduated from the inaugural Fair Chance Academy, representing Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, AppHarvest, and Dorman Products, participated in a panel to discuss their practices of transformational employment and share personal reasons that motivated them to hire individuals in need of a fair chance.

When AppHarvest first started to hire fair chance, they didnt realize the incredible need for wrap-around services like transportation, housing, and other barriers individuals would need to overcome in order to meet attendance policies and other aspects of the job. To address this issue, the company now uses a 2nd chance coach to help with individual success because fair chance employees often have needs other employees dont have.

Jamie Johnson of Dorman Products stressed the critical need for employers to address misconceptions about substance use disorder and be intentional about educating those in the workplace about the opioid crisis.

Dont fool yourself into believing youre insulated from this problem because over 70% of those struggling with a substance use disorder are currently working. You are a fair chance employer, its just whether you admit it or not, said Johnson.

Goodwill Industries of Kentucky COO Rena Sharpe said it is the role of employers to give employees the support they need and create solutions to address barriers. She pointed to the second chance agreements Goodwill offers to employees who slip up that allows them to continue with employment. Sharpe said, Be intentional about giving employees the support they need, because they are going to stumble, and you cant walk away when they do.

Kentucky Chamber Foundation Workforce Recovery Program Manager Ryan Bowman said, We havent brought them up here because they have perfected fair chance employment, but they are leading the way and constantly working toward changing lives, said Ryan Bowman.

The Kentucky Chamber Foundations Talent Pipeline Management program is working across the state to help address workforce needs in key industries. As part of an effort to assist the equine industry, a talent pipeline has formed between Blackburn Correctional Facility and Spy Coast Farm in Lexington.

As an employer, Lisa Lourie, owner and CEO of Spy Coast Farm began to notice barriers to success when employing individuals from Blackburn Correctional Facility. She shared the simple steps they have taken to give individuals proper clothing, identification, and more things that will help them feel supported.

Blackburn Correctional Facility Warden Abby McIntire spoke on the Workforce Readiness and Reentry Program that was developed through the partnership at Blackburn to help individuals find work in the industry after they were released. The program includes resume work, interview practice, and other skills employers consider when hiring employees. McIntire highlighted how partnerships like this have led to successful outcomes for returning individuals and the businesses who hire them.

Jackson Kelly PLLC Attorney Catherine Wright talked about the support she provides businesses when they are looking to hire those with a criminal background or in recovery. She said it is important to know how to read and make decisions from background checks, put in place effective workplace policies, and understand what is and what is not negligent hiring.

It is all about assessing risk, and we found that the reward far outweighs the risk, Lourie said.

The conferences keynote address was given by JPMorgan Chase Policy Center Executive Director for Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility Nan Gibson, who shared their companys commitment to being a fair chance employer and developing and advancing policy solutions for inclusive growth.

With one in three individuals having an arrest or conviction record, Gibson said the issue continues to have a large impact on employers, individuals, and the economy as a whole.

Gibson highlighted many areas where JP Morgan Chase has successfully implemented fair chance employment practices, which include banning the box on employment applications, conducting background checks after an employment offer, supporting community organizations with similar goals, and much more.

The Recovery Consortium of Kentucky hosted an awards ceremony during the Recovery in the Workplace Conference to recognize individuals in long-term recovery and those who have taken a leading role in addressing Kentuckys addiction crisis through prevention, treatment, education, and advocacy efforts.

During the ceremony, Addiction Recovery Care President Tim Robinson commended the Kentucky Chambers work, and said, I will never take that for granted that the states top business organization is also the organization that is leading the conversation on recovery in Kentucky and in the nation. The work they have done to transform businesses is so important to the recovery community.

The 2022 Recovery Hall of Fame inductees include:

Albert Crout, director of the Kentucky Recovery Career Network at Isaiah House Treatment Center, led a discussion on how and why employers should prioritize recovery and education in the workplace. People in recovery are with us for a lifetime, Crout said

When Crout asked why education is important in a company, Isaiah House Co-Founder and CEO Mark LaPalme answered, We see education as providing hope for a better outcome. If education is the key, its always been the key.

Recovering employees can help improve your business at every stage, said Crout as he offered a roadmap for employers to improve productivity, promotion, and commitment in their workplace.

He stressed the importance of partnerships with like-minded groups to ensure success, pointing to the partnerships Isaiah House has developed with the Kentucky Chamber Foundation, Goodwill Industries, Bluegrass Area Development, Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board, University of Kentucky, Reliance Works, and many other federal, state, and local entities through their innovative recovery programs.

Crout pointed to initiatives of the Kentucky Chamber Foundations Kentucky Comeback initiative, which include programs to help expand talent pools, increase fair chance talent pipelines, and provide fair chances training and education.

Alex Elswick, founder of Voices of Hope and Assistant Extension Professor at the University of Kentucky, shared his substance use disorder recovery story. He stressed the need for individuals to have increased access to recovery capital, which includes substance use disorder treatment, peer support, mental health therapy, and more.

Theres really nothing special about my addiction, but in so many ways theres something special about my recovery. Because I had access to the things I needed, Elswick said

When he lost two friends two substance use, he reached out to his therapist to understand how his recovery has led to a different outcome than his friends. His therapist said, I think people need two things to sustain their recovery: the belief that they do not need the drug and the belief that their quality of life is better without the drug.

Kentucky Chamber Foundation Workforce Center Executive Director LaKisha Miller ended the conference by asking attendees to think about why they want to get involved with fair chance employment and encourages them to take the first step to become transformational employers.

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Kentucky Recovery Conference focuses on addressing individual needs to support Kentuckians - The Bottom Line

Women are often expected to do it all were expected to be high performers at work, while also maintaining the household and being primary caregivers. InthisFinancially Savvy Femalecolumn, were chatting with female executives, entrepreneurs and career experts to get their insights on why work-life balance isnt always so clear-cut and why its OK to not do it all.

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It is possible to have it all; however, you may not have it all at the same time! It is important for women to know that having it all looks different for everyone. We compare ourselves when the representations we see constantly in print/media/online and even in our communities sometimes give us a false sense of reality. We are all juggling in this life just know that my juggle and your juggle are not always going to be the same. If you can go to sleep at night and feel accomplished, as well as peaceful about doing your very best that day despite what didnt go well, you are doing pretty darn good. Focus on the things that matter most and just do your best. Balance will change throughout your lifetime and what was important today may not be as much of a priority tomorrow due to the ever-evolving thing called life stages. Give yourself grace, ladies!

I believe it is possible to have a work-life balance, just not all the time. Also, having a work-life balance means different things to everyone. For me, it means prioritizing my relationships more often. I think the unrealistic expectations we place on ourselves to obtain perfection is what causes many women to feel like they arent doing enough. Even though they may be excelling in many areas, there seems to be guilt if everything is not going smoothly.

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Work-life balance is possible for female-identifying executives, but it needs to be done strategically. You can be a leader in the workplace from 9 to 5 and be present with your family after hours. To do so, its important to set boundaries. Mute emails and instant messages the second you leave the office, and only make yourself available for emergencies. We get stuck checking emails and handling minor work projects at home, thinking it will take five minutes, but it never does. You owe yourself a break to step away from the office and enjoy family time.

We tend to think of balance as having equal amounts at all times. This isnt possible, and when we strive to make things equal, it causes us to have guilt and feel like a failure because we cant have it all all the time. Its like going to a restaurant. You cant eat everything on the menu in a single sitting or even in a day, but you can experience everything on the menu over time. Life is the same way, and we all have different seasons of life that will require us to spend more time with work, and other times your family will require more time.

I believe in setting boundaries, as best as possible, to maintain somewhat of a healthy work-life balance. When spending time with family, I disconnect from my phone and computer and focus on my own time and my own life. Creating that separation is incredibly important to let my brain detox from being always on at work, and allows me to return to my work mindset feeling more refreshed and ready to dig in. As a founder in my company on a small team, that makes a big difference and prevents me from burning out.

I think work-life balance is possible; however, a perfect work-life balance is a myth. This means that I do have to make compromises at work or at home, as well as sometimes tilt more to one side or the other to deal with some challenges in either area. But I still managed to make a career and be a present parent. Even prior to having a family, I always knew that I wanted to be there for my child, but I also wanted to work, so a work-life balance has been a goal of mine. I had to find a job that would support remote work and flexible hours, long before it became so common due to the pandemic. So I left my day job at that time to become a freelance marketer, then eventually stayed working exclusively for one of my clients. Thanks to the high level of trust and loyalty Ive built with the company I work for, my current job gives me all the flexibility I need to care for my child, even during the lockdowns and homeschooling. I am also lucky to have a husband I can lean on for many family activities. So these things make work-life balance a reality for me.

The pressure on women is not a personal choice. Our culture puts a ton of pressure on women to do a disproportionate amount of the work it takes to maintain a home and family. For sure you can have it all! But, with 24 hours a day, it is physically impossible for one household member who also works full time to personally do it all. So, you need to make intentional decisions about who is doing what, and then hold everyone accountable for that and adjust as you need to. We have found that in our house, it tends to be more of an ebb and flow some days we work a ton, some we can cut out early to make a childs practice. We know we need that flexibility for success, so we have made it a requirement of our work life.

Work-life balance is possible. I have a 3-year-old son who is very active and I am a startup founder, so needless to say, I am very busy. However, I feel that my work-life is balanced and I do not see any other way BUT trying to have it all. The key is knowing your boundaries, being efficient with your time, being OK with asking for help and learning when and how to say no. I also have a great partnership with my husband, which helps tremendously. He knows that I like to work and covers for me at home when work demands late hours. I, in turn, do the same for him.

A perfect balance does not exist, and you will never find it even if you search forever. What matters is finding the perfect imbalance whether its work, family, friends or personal time, be where youre needed when youre needed, and always give 100%. Be accountable and take responsibility for your mistakes. Learn to own it with your colleagues and especially your clients, and be creative in offering solutions to overcome your shortcomings. Never, ever let the fire in your belly burn cold or you will miss out on lifes greatest opportunities, and pay it forward every single chance you get. And no matter what never compromise your integrity for anyone or anything.

There are dozens of women in my life who are successful at their job(s) while also maintaining a healthy personal life, including myself. The one thing I do wish is to see more women not feeling pressured to have it all. Its OK not to be the perfect mom, the perfect employee, the perfect anything [we shouldnt put] that pressure on ourselves to think that having it all should come at an expense to our own needs.

So many people live their life trying to have it all, and many times, that goal can actually backfire, and create stress, anxiety and depression. The truth is, no one person has it all. More importantly, no one needs it all. In reality, we all live most effectively when we create a work-life blend an opportunity to create a schedule that meets the needs of your life. When you create a work-life blend, you can create an attainable and fulfilling future path. There is no one solution that fits everyone.

GOBankingRates wants to empower women to take control of their finances. According to the latest stats, women hold $72 billion in private wealth but fewer women than men consider themselves to be in good or excellent financial shape. Women are less likely to be investing and are more likely to have debt, and women are still being paid less than men overall. OurFinancially Savvy Femalecolumn will explore the reasons behind these inequities and provide solutions to change them. We believe financial equality begins with financial literacy, so were providing tools and tips for women, by women to take control of their money and help them live a richer life.

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Gabrielle joined GOBankingRates in 2017 and brings with her a decade of experience in the journalism industry. Before joining the team, she was a staff writer-reporter for People Magazine and People.com. Her work has also appeared on E! Online, Us Weekly, Patch, Sweety High and Discover Los Angeles, and she has been featured on Good Morning America as a celebrity news expert.

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The 'Work-Life Balance' Myth: Why It's OK To Not Do It All - GOBankingRates

CHICAGO Today, Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, the Mayors Office of Equity & Racial Justice (OERJ), and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) announced the launch of the Together We Heal Creative Place Program. This grant initiativesupportsartists in designing and implementing art projects that promote healing and transformation in Chicagos neighborhoods. Applications for the Creative Place Program will be accepted from June 15 through July 20, 2022, with a focus on communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

A sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the racial reckoningofthe last twoyears must include an intentional investment inhealingand repair, said Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. The Together We Heal initiative is just one way in which we are creating more spaces for residents to come together, share their experiences, and build the knowledge and relationships necessary for us all to heal and create a more equitable city.

The goal of the program is to promote dialogue and connection, activate shared spaces, beautify communities, and celebrate local culture. From Fall 2022 through Winter 2024, selected artists and organizations will work in partnership with stakeholders to create projects that strengthen the economic, physical, and social character of a neighborhood or place. This program is part of Mayor Lightfoots Chicago Recovery Plan, which utilizes once-in-a-generation federal funding and an equity-based investment strategy to catalyze asustainableeconomic recoveryfrom the COVID-19 pandemic.

At its core, Together We Heal is a commitment to heal ourselves, heal our communities, and heal our city, said Candace Moore, Chief Equity Officer at the City of Chicago. Through the Creative Place Program, the City is putting resources in the handsofthe community to use art as a vehicle to reflect, reclaim, and reimagine.

The Creative Place Program encourages the development of projects that highlight a communitys history and cultural assets by leveraging the creative potential already present and building upon the existing work happening in the community. Projects can be focused on any artistic discipline including, but not limited to, architecture, dance, film, music, performance art, photography, public art, or theater. Successful proposals will energize public spaces and invite residents to interact through dialogues, activations, or creative problem-solving. All project work and programming must be free to the public.

Grantees will have the opportunity to participate in a range of technical assistance programs to provide the necessary resources and support to implement project ideas.

Artists and organizations working together have the power to effect change in their neighborhoods, said Erin Harkey, Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). The projects that will come to life from the Together We Heal Creative Place Program will help further our work to increase access and participation in the arts.

For more information on the Together We Heal Creative Place Program and to apply for a grant, please visitchi.gov/togetherweheal.

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AboutThe Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events:The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is dedicated to enriching Chicagos artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy. This includes fostering the development of Chicagos non-profit arts sector, independent working artists, and for-profit arts businesses; providing a framework to guide the Citys future cultural and economic growth, via the Chicago Cultural Plan; marketing the Citys cultural assets to a worldwide audience; and presenting high-quality, free, and affordable cultural programs for residents and visitors. Visitchicago.gov/dcase.

AboutThe Office of Equity and Racial Justice:

The Office of Equity and Racial Justice (OERJ) seeks to advance institutional change that results in anequitable transformation of how we do business across the City of Chicago enterprise.This includesthe Citys service delivery, resource distribution, policy creation, and decision-making. OERJ will dothis by supporting City departments in normalizing concepts of racial equity, organizing staff to worktogether for transformational change, and operationalizing new practices, policies, and proceduresthat result in more fair and just outcomes.

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Mayor Lightfoot Announces the Together We Heal Creative Place Program - chicago.gov

On June 5, the day of the Pride festival in Philadelphia, I received numerous caring and concerned messages from people out of town, checking if I was still alive.

I appreciated their love and support, but it also made me uneasy.

They were responding to the rash of national news coverage of the shooting on South Street, which had happened the night before. But I wasnt on South Street that night, and live in a totally different neighborhood. Of course I was alive.

The stories kept calling it a mass shooting, and many people couldnt help but draw comparisons to what had occurred only days before in Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman shot and killed 19 children and two adults at an elementary school, and the recent shooting of Black people by a white supremacist in Buffalo, N.Y.

READ MORE: Everyday gun violence goes unchecked, even as high-profile massacres capture the nations attention

Where I live in Philadelphia, I hear about deadly gunplay each and every day. I walk by endless street memorials. I stop briefly by the dusted teddy bears, the Yankee candle, and sometimes the empty Henny bottle to pay my respects to a young one taken by bullets.

Ive almost been killed, too. Ive had multiple guns pulled on me; I know how easily a moment of disagreement can lead to death.

Each incident of gun violence is horrific. But what bothered me about how people talked about the South Street shooting is that they acted like it was new or somehow more important than the gun violence that happens every day in our city.

There are summer weekends when multiple people are shot in my neighborhood, and CNN doesnt write about it.

But to Black Philadelphians, what happened on South Street is something we are practiced at sitting with. To us, it wasnt a mass shooting it was a spray shooting, instigated by an argument turned into a fight, and ending in the death of three people. The violent incident on South Street was horrific, but horrific shootings happen every day in Philadelphia, often with multiple casualties and injuries, and we dont see this kind of focus and attention.

The added impact of two recent mass shootings lent itself to the frenzy of narrative dishonesty. The shooting on South Street was not the same thing as a white supremacist doing reconnaissance, surveying the neighborhood for soft spots to enact terrorism. It also differs from the intentional hunting of children at a school.

The shooting on South Street is representative of the dynamic of disinvestment from predominantly Black neighborhoods and white supremacist cultural norms.

If you are socialized as a criminal from a young age and placed in educational institutions that decide that you are a problem before they even get to know you, it messes with your head. Couple that with poverty, remnants of redlining, and segregationist resource allocation to communities, and a culture is created where the only way to man up is to join in street economies. That comes with its own culture, code, and politics.

The trouble is that the performance of being tough doesnt go that far when everybody has a gun.

Im in proximity to shootings every day, and the overt concern that the city showed to the shooting on South Street does not align with other incidents. There are summer weekends when multiple people are shot in my neighborhood, and CNN doesnt write about it. No one texts me to see if Im OK, because they dont know that it happened. It makes me feel like my neighborhood, my neighbors, dont matter.

Im worried that the city will use this incident to justify an increase in police or some other reductionist approach to gun violence that wont work. If the city really wants to solve the problem, it should invest in community mediation (in all neighborhoods affected by gun violence) and other resources to support young people in conflict, or teach them tactics of disengagement or de-escalation.

Every incident of gun violence including on South Street is horrific. It never should have happened. I want us to invest in each other and our communities all of them so that an argument never leads to death again.

Abdul-Aliy A. Muhammad is an organizer and writer born and raised in West Philadelphia. @MxAbdulAliy

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Every shooting is horrific. Not just on South Street. - The Philadelphia Inquirer

To many, were living through unprecedented bad times.

Inflations higher than its been since 1981. Gas prices are a big part of that. Were still living with the remnants of a pandemic that killed more than a million Americans.

Through congressional hearings, were seeing just how divided the country is; and lots of people are losing faith in the ability of everyday Americans to make common sense choices, to be smart enough to separate truth from lies.

The truth is, this isnt unprecedented.

Forty-three years ago this month, President Jimmy Carter gave what become known as his malaise speech." He urged people to find happiness, but "not through mindless self-indulgence and unrestrained consumerism."

Little by little we can and we must rebuild our confidence. We can spend until we empty our treasuries, and we may summon all the wonders of science. But we can succeed only if we tap our greatest resources -- America's people, America's values, and America's confidence.

That speech provided an immediate boost to the president and buoyed national sentiment for a while.

But does it also provide us, today, with hope?With a mental roadmap, a blueprintof how to heal a divided nation, a divided state?

"I think there's a certain amount of tribalism that has kind of balkanized us in a way," saidDeRionne Pollard, president ofNevada State College. "It has placed us in a way that doesn't allow us to have a shared experience because you 'either/or' everything. So either you are a red state or blue state, you are a Republican or a Democrat, you are rich or or you're poor, you are a consumer or you are a saver. Everything is about these kinds of binary oppositions that exists simply because we say we're complete opposites of each other."

She said we need to get back to a place of shared commonalities and a belief structure that would allow pathways back to each other. It's looking at varying perspectives and considering how they all have value.

"We've gotten so vitriolic where we've become so violent in a way that we have to create intentional spaces," she said.

Longtime politics reporter and editor Steve Sebelius echoed that:

"We have politicians who have discovered the way to raise money, to win, is to divide the base," saidSebelius. "People give money. It works. Inflaming the base -- one against the other -- works in order to raise money. ... It creates these divisions that then make governing impossible."

Rabbi Sanford Akselrad said the key is finding ways to work together.

"And that will give us hope," he said."There's always opportunity if someone wants to effect change in a positive way. When we reach out to other people, it does something that lifts not only them, but lifts ourselves."

How many of us have gotten to know our neighbors? He asked. He appliedthat on a political scale:

"When we elect leaders who reflect that ideal, will reward them, for not only reaching across the aisle, but for looking for solutions, and not just pointing at the problems that were caused by 'the other guy.'"

What's beneficial for communities like Las Vegas to heal, Pollard said, is Nevada's "pioneering spirit." She said the melting pot of Las Vegas provides an opportunity.

"I would challenge us to think about how we move from this kind of navel-gazing that occurs when you are in the echo chambers of people who think likeyou, look like you, love like you, experiencethe same things as you, and think about what you can do. And two ways with that in terms of strengths, one, we need to make the private more public and the public more private," she said.

The other thingis "this idea of service, and that talking about buying a table at somebody's event and showing up.This idea of being of service to someone else, and therefore I see your humanity."

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43 years ago, Carter addressed national malaise. Have 'unprecedented times' driven us there again? - KNPR

The skilled nursing industry is staring down a triple threat.

Providers are being challenged operationally, clinically and financially at least in part due to rising labor and care costs, among other factors.

Not-for-profit senior care giant Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society has had to close or sell nine facilities in just the last eight months the majority of which were in rural communities.

Good Samaritan also has nearly 2,000 job openings, amounting to roughly 14 openings per facility.

Despite the present obstacles standing in the way of the industrys Covid recovery and future stability, CEO Nate Schema believes it would be a critical error to continue down the same path and allow more nursing homes to close especially those serving the most vulnerable residents in underserved or rural parts of the country.

The American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) has projected 400 SNF closures in 2022, with nearly 240,000 job openings as a primary driver.

Its a long-term plan, according to Schema, and significant change wont likely occur for months if not years.

While were large enough and weve got the resources necessary to navigate this, were going to continue to see additional challenges in our sector and in our space if we dont see some changes within the sector, Schema said recently on an episode of the Skilled Nursing News Rethink podcast.

Highlights of Schemas podcast, edited for length and clarity, are below. Subscribe to Rethink via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or SoundCloud.

I think one of the biggest takeaways I had was how engaged the staffers and the senators were up on [Capitol Hill].

I think youre always hopeful that theyre going to have a really good handle on the issues that might be in your sector, but with everything thats happening up on the hill right now youre just always a little concerned that maybe itll be white noise or be lost because theres just so many other topics. So I think what was really cool for us to see was they understood how challenging some of these workforce issues were, they understood the needs of the sector and how much we were hurting in long-term care.

I think what was really cool to hear, and see as a takeaway from our time there I was talking with one of my team members and he said, Hey Nate, one of the senators offices that we met with they signed on to the letter. So it was just so affirming that they heard us and theyre really invested in seeing everything that we do and seeing all the residents get the care and address some of the workforce challenges that were seeing. So that was probably one thing and then of course seeing Sen. [Joe] Manchin there in person talk through his firsthand account of all the different dynamics up on the hill and just how hes lived that out firsthand.

The Good Samaritan Society, having some buildings in West Virginia, I think it just helped me better understand how to communicate and advocate for the different needs that we have within our sector.

100% feel better about it. Ive had the unique opportunity to be in front of CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and also Secretary of Health and Human Services [Xavier] Becerra over the last couple of months, and so Ive been able to see how theyve responded to our sector and listen to where weve been and where we stand right now.

I would say that initially I was thinking, Gosh Im not sure these folks really understand just what this looks like and how this is coming to life in our sector. All of us feel the pain of going to get a hamburger right now and spending $25 to get a burger and fries I feel that acutely.

But whats unique about our sector is we dont have the ability to pass those costs on. So as our supplies are going up, as our labor costs are going up, we dont have the ability to pass those on to our residents and their families when were serving 50 plus percent Medicaid population. So to hear the responses early on a month or two ago from the administrator to Secretary Becerra and then now to see the responses from the senators, its evident to me that theyre getting this. Theyve done site visits, theyre hearing from their members and theyre understanding just how real our issues are.

Instead of being the go-to guy for everything, being in the mix on every issue, Im learning how to best use the gifts and talents of my team. I feel like I have an extraordinarily talented group of leaders and vice presidents around me and Im figuring out that I dont need to be the one that has the answer all the time. Im getting better at asking the right questions to help them grow and to help best utilize all the gifts and talents. Nine times out of 10 they have all the answers, weve just got to make sure that were asking the right questions. I feel like with each passing month, with each passing board meeting, with each passing all staff meeting, Im getting a little sharper at doing that.

Without a doubt I feel more confident. I think the reason why Im very optimistic about our future and being a really strong nonprofit organization: One, weve had tremendous support through our acute care partner at Sanford Health. What were able to do as an integrated health system, maybe differently than independent operators and especially being in rural health is were able to invest in some innovations that other organizations just dont have the opportunity to do.

Most recently weve announced a virtual care strategy and initiative through the very generous gift of a philanthropist that has our organizations namesake, T Denny Sanford. He blessed us with a $350 million gift. Were going to be launching this game-changing initiative here in August and really standing up a virtual care hub with the idea of being that were going to be able to bring care closer to home. Whether youre in a small rural community in North Dakota or maybe youre in Minneapolis, were going to be able to bring those specialties to the bedside in maybe a new and exciting way. So Im pretty darn excited about what the future holds and feel like weve got the talent and resources to make it happen here and be able to serve for another 100 years.

Its always been part of our philosophy that If one of our communities has needs, were going to do everything we can to get the resources there. One of the blessings as a large organization is that we have additional resources that we can find folks from across the country, whether thats bringing in agency support or moving caregivers from one community to another that might have a few more needs.

Weve been able to figure it out, but I think what weve learned now over the last year and a half, and probably more specifically even over the last six to eight months, one the people arent there and the people that we are able to find are costing us anywhere from two to three times what it would it did pre-pandemic. So now were paying physician wages for caregivers, were paying 100 plus dollars an hour for these folks. Quite frankly the math just doesnt work anymore, its creating untenable situations. Were not able to subsidize some of these locations in maybe a way that we were a year or two ago.

So weve decided to shift our strategy and say, Look, were going to do everything we can to ensure that our people get the very best care and have an outstanding experience. But in some cases that means were going to have to limit admissions and weve done just that because it just doesnt work anymore to continue to say at all costs were going to bring people in because what were seeing and feeling here in the upper Midwest and across our footprint in 22 states its just too expensive.

I think thats been another thing thats evolved here over the better part of the last year. We talked about Gosh were in an operational crisis, were in a clinical crisis and its quickly become a financial crisis. Right now were seeing about 20% of our locations that have what I would describe as one of our key leadership positions open.

So one of the things weve done is weve been really intentional about standing up an administrator council and selecting a number of individuals across organizations so they have direct feedback with our executive leadership team, so they have a voice and so that we can be even more responsive than we had been in the past.

I think the other pieces that were really committed to is, and one of the passions of mine, is how do we continue to develop and invest in these young leaders. I just think that our young leaders have to be given the tools, resources and support that they need to develop and grow early on. Some of these folks, if you think about it, if theyve started in the last few years all they know is how to operate a community within the pandemic.

I would hate to believe that some of them think thats normal because its absolutely not Im just passionate about ensuring that we get these folks back to a new normal because the current new normal doesnt work.

Weve demonstrated and figured out how to be an extremely resilient organization and, like everything, were going to figure it out. Were going to get our really smart folks in the room and were going to navigate this thing.

Being a provider that is primarily rural We need folks to understand the types of access issues that might exist if we dont figure this out. While were large enough and weve got the resources necessary to navigate this, were going to continue to see additional challenges in our sector and in our space if we dont see some changes within the sector. So short-term are we going to be fine? Yes, but it will ultimately lead to potentially some other difficult decisions both here at the Good Samaritan Society and I think throughout the sector.

I think the biggest thing weve learned is how much we need each other. I think were talking more across the health care landscape than we ever did before, and I dont know that thats specifically unique to Sanford and Good Sam. That said, I think we can do it more efficiently and more effectively.

What weve seen now is if a nursing home doesnt have staff, theyre not going to take admissions and so then its backing up our hospitals. I think what were starting to see now Is our acute care partners are really starting to feel that pain in a different way.

I think the other piece is, through the pandemic, weve learned how to become really agile.

I think its an overwhelming yes. Our rural locations are part of these communities, theyre often the fabric of these communities. In some places theyre the largest employer of these communities. Like many things, care looks very different today than it did 50 or 100 years ago. As an organization that has been serving that long Were committed to figuring out a way that were able to live out our mission for another 100 years.

We know that the industry has to change and we know that were able to figure out creative solutions to provide unbelievable health care in rural communities and how to do it at scale and in an efficient way. But were going to need help from our policy makers and were going to need the help of our state leaders to be able to figure this out. I dont think its something that gets done in a matter of months, were talking years, but we also need everybody to understand the impacts that were going to see and experience if we do nothing or if we say were okay with 300 nursing homes closing because we have too many.

Unfortunately, theyre going to have people that are going a long way for care, and I dont think thats OK. Or youre going to see a disproportionate impact, whether thats in urban underserved areas or youre going to see some rural disparity that I dont think were OK with as a nation.

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Good Samaritan CEO: Nursing Homes Face Triple Threat on Road to Recovery - Skilled Nursing News

Establishing the Top 50 Bookkeeping Practices Awards is a way for Woodard to identify and pay tribute to those bookkeeping practices that are leading the profession and generating extreme value for their clients.

ATLANTA (PRWEB) June 21, 2022

Nominations for the Top 50 Bookkeeping Practices Awards open on June 21, 2022. The awards, administered by Woodard, recognize and honor those bookkeeping practices that most exemplify the characteristics of a top-performing bookkeeping practice intentional, specialized, efficient, effective, profitable, and scalable.

Joe Woodard, founder and CEO of Woodard, said, Bookkeepers and bookkeeping practices are the backbone of the economy, playing a pivotal role in keeping small to medium businesses running. Unfortunately, there simply hasnt been a high degree of recognition of their value. Establishing the Top 50 Bookkeeping Practices Awards is a way for Woodard to identify and pay tribute to those bookkeeping practices that are leading the profession and generating extreme value for their clients.

Nominations for the awards will be open from June 21, 2022, until July 31, 2022. Bookkeeping practices of all sizes qualify for this award, from sole practitioners to large practices. Bookkeeping practice owners or team members may nominate their own practices or may nominate peer practices.

Nominated practices that complete the subsequent application process will undergo an extensive evaluation led by a highly experienced panel of bookkeeping practice leaders. This panel will be comprised of both outside consultants and Woodards own team of bookkeeping and practice coaches, representing 100+ years of collective practice leadership experience.

For the purposes of this award, a practice whose primary business model is providing bookkeeping services to small business clients is eligible for the award. Bookkeeping firms that provide some tax preparation services qualify for the award. CPA practices or other practices whose primary business model is tax or attestation, with bookkeeping departments, do not qualify for this award. Woodard is planning to launch an award for CPA firms called Top 50 CAS Practices to recognize these organizations.

More information and the nomination can be found at Woodard.com/Top50.

About Woodard Woodard provides education, coaching, resources, and professional communities to accountants and bookkeepers, and Woodard produces programs like the annual Scaling New Heights conference, the Woodard Membership Program, Woodard Summit, the Woodard Podcast, and Tech Makeover.

Learn more at Woodard.com

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Nominations Open for Top 50 Bookkeeping Practices Awards - PR Web