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Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many older adults and their caregivers have remained in their homes across the country and lack technology to access key resources, including virtual counseling and support groups. In an effort to improve the quality of life for the millions of caregivers across the United States who are experiencing social isolation, the Lutheran Services in America network will expand the services of its Remote Caregiver program with the support of a grant from the Consumer Technology Association Foundation. Remote Caregiver was created to help caregivers with their ability to offer quality care to rural seniors, many of whom struggle with multiple chronic conditions and lack access to services because of distance, transportation, or their own mobility limitations. Lutheran Services in America member organizations Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota and Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota will use the new Consumer Technology Association Foundation funds to serve 50 families through May 2021.

Remote Caregiver is one of five programs provided by the Great Plains Senior Services Collaborative, a multi-state initiative sponsored and convened by Lutheran Services in America that is dedicated to supporting low-income and vulnerable seniors in the rural communities of Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana. The program provides coaching, teaching, and encouragement to family or informal caregivers who serve older adults. Remote Caregiver increases social connection and independent living for caregivers and older adults in rural settings through the use of modern technology, including handheld tablets, FaceTime, Skype and web conferences. The program has filled a critical need for caregiver services during the COVID-19 pandemic as many formerly in-person services such as counseling, support groups, and respite care are currently not offered.

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota implemented Remote Caregiver in rural Minnesota counties during the first phase of the Great Plains Senior Services Collaborative (2016–2018). The grant now allows our network to extend services to additional older adults by providing training to new Remote Caregiver staff and supporting educational programs, support groups, and coaching sessions to help them in their caregiving role. The program’s expansion has the potential to support vulnerable caregivers, an estimated 34 million Americans who provided unpaid care to older adults in the past year and reduced the rate of admission to nursing homes for those receiving care. This next step will help set up the program to meet increased needs of caregivers since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and afford them with the knowledge and tools needed to strengthen their caregiving skills, take care of their own personal needs, and enrich their role as caregivers.

The official e-magazine for the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families published an article by Lutheran Services in America’s Sheila Weber about how the intersection of several devastating realities in our society are having a disparate impact on Black people, indigenous populations, and people of color in America, particularly children. Part of the solution to this issue involves shifting our thinking from how to protect children in families that are in crisis to creating societal conditions that equitably protect and strengthen families.

Lutheran Services in America’s Results Innovation Lab is activating our members serving children, youth, and families to stabilize families in their communities so that families remain intact and children do not enter out-of-home care. Furthermore, we are calling for much-needed state and federal investments in primary prevention efforts that strengthen families’ protective capacities and factors.

Read the complete article published by Children’s Bureau Express (CBX).

The Modern Medicaid Alliance announced Lutheran Services in America, amongst other organizations, as a new partner for focusing on the health and well-being of older adults. The alliance’s press release is included below.

Washington, DC – October 15, 2020 – The Modern Medicaid Alliance announced today the addition of six new national partners representing organizations that focus on the health and well-being of adults aged 65 and older.

New Alliance partners include the Alliance for Aging Research, Justice in Aging, LeadingAge, Lutheran Services in America, National Adult Day Services Association, and National Hispanic Council on Aging. These organizations join more than 100 national and local organizations from across the country working together to educate policymakers and the public about the positive benefits and results of the Medicaid program.

Medicaid serves as a lifeline to the senior population, covering services for 7.2 million Americans 65+, including home and community-based services, nursing home care, and long-term services and supports. Medicaid coverage helps millions of Americans 65+ access the care and services that keep them as healthy as possible.

Expanding the Alliance with groups representing this population reinforces the critical role that Medicaid plays in providing Americans 65+ with access to high-quality, affordable health care. Together with our new and existing partners, the Modern Medicaid Alliance will continue to raise awareness of the vital safety net that the Medicaid program provides to millions of Americans, including those over the age of 65.

Our newest partners share their insights on the importance of Medicaid to the older adults they serve:

“As our nation continues to work together to stop the spread of COVID-19, we must prioritize the health and safety of older Americans,” said Susan Peschin, president and CEO, Alliance for Aging Research. “A strong, reliable Medicaid program is critical to overcoming this crisis and protecting the health of Americans over age 65.”

“Medicaid provides access to critical health care and long-term services and supports for older adults, and advances health equity for low-income and seniors of color,” said Kevin Prindiville, Executive Director of Justice in Aging . “Millions of older adults are already living on a fixed income and rely on Medicaid to meet their basic needs more than ever amid the current public health crisis.”

“Whether in nursing homes or in home and community-based settings, Medicaid-provided services are crucial to millions of older Americans’ well-being and quality of life,” said Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO, LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services. “Our country’s population is aging rapidly; a strong Medicaid program is needed now more than ever.”

“As faith-based providers, we see each day the crucial importance of Medicaid for the over 60% of older adults in nursing homes, 39% of children and youth, and over 10 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who rely on it,” said Charlotte Haberaecker, President and CEO of Lutheran Services in America. “Now more than ever, Medicaid is critical for ensuring the health and well-being of millions of Americans.”

“The comprehensive health coverage provided by Medicaid is crucial to helping millions of Americans 65+ live healthy, independent lives,” said Bill Zagorski, Board Chair, National Adult Day Services Association. “The program is an integral part of the social safety net on which the aging community relies, and it must be preserved and strengthened.”

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About the Modern Medicaid Alliance

The Modern Medicaid Alliance is a partnership between Americans who value Medicaid and leading advocacy organizations. Our mission is to educate policymakers and the public about the benefits of Medicaid to the American people in terms of cost savings, health outcomes and social impact, and to highlight how Medicaid is innovating in the delivery of care – especially for America’s most vulnerable citizens – and accountability of the program.

As the United States Supreme Court deliberates the California v. Texas and Texas v. California lawsuits which could fully overturn the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Lutheran Services in America President and CEO Charlotte Haberaecker emphasizes the national network’s support for ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable, quality health care – regardless of their income, race, gender, faith or ZIP code.

“While the ACA is not perfect, the protections it has instituted for underserved groups have greatly increased their ability to access much-needed health care especially important during the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency. At this vital time, given our longtime commitment as a faith-based organization to meeting the health and human services needs of all people, we urge Congress and the Administration to safeguard in federal law protections for these populations throughout America.

“Every day, Lutheran Services in America’s 300 health and human service member organizations serve one in 50 Americans ranging from older adults and children, youth and families, to people with disabilities, veterans and people of all ages experiencing homelessness. All of these populations are better served by legal provisions that make obtaining and maintaining quality, accessible and equitable health care coverage easier – including the elimination of pre-existing condition exclusions, Medicaid coverage expansion, and the prohibition of discrimination based on health status.”

Haberaecker added that complete repeal of the existing law would mean loss of access to high-quality, affordable health care for populations served by Lutheran Services in America’s members in the following ways:

• Almost 13 million low-income adults who became newly eligible for Medicaid under the ACA would lose their health insurance and access to treatment for chronic conditions, mental illness, and substance use disorders.
• Up to 133 million people with pre-existing health conditions — 51 percent of all Americans — could become uninsurable.
• About 1.5 million children would lose Medicaid coverage based on changes to eligibility rules, as would people aged 19 to 26 formerly in foster care.
• State options to provide some new types of community-based, long-term care for nearly 500,000 seniors and people with disabilities would end, potentially causing those beneficiaries to return to institutions for care.
• States would lose the ability to conduct Medicaid eligibility determinations using new, streamlined processes, presenting a challenge given the technological changes they’ve made to comply with the new ACA rules.

For further information, contact Christopher Findlay at (202) 499-5833 or cfindlay@lutheranservices.org, or Sarah Dobson at (202) 499-5832 or sdobson@lutheranservices.org.

WASHINGTON — Lutheran Services in America, a national network of 300 health and human services organizations that improve the health and quality of life of one in 50 Americans each year, presented member organizations Genacross Lutheran Services and Lutheran Social Services of New York with the first of two new annual awards: The Innovator Award and The Micah Award. The awards reflect the Lutheran Services in America core values of seeking innovative solutions to transform the lives of people and lifting up the diversity of people, communities and ideas.

Genacross Lutheran Services received The Innovator Award, which recognizes members for pioneering new solutions and practices for solving complex issues and extending beyond its own mission to strengthen the Lutheran social ministry network. Genacross Lutheran Services, serving northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan, continued to work through the COVID-19 pandemic to develop and implement LSA Senior Connect, a new model of care that enables seniors to age in the home and community of their choosing. The scalable framework for LSA Senior Connect will allow managed care providers across the country to improve health outcomes while also reducing costs. Genacross Lutheran Services has conducted over 1,700 assessments and identified more than 600 gaps in care, of which over 85 percent have been addressed to date.

“LSA Senior Connect has allowed us to effectively meet the needs of our affordable housing residents in a manner that retains their independence,” said Rick Marshall, president and CEO of Genacross Lutheran Services. “With the collaboration of fellow Lutheran Services in America members, we look forward to scaling this new framework to serve older adults across America, enabling them to remain healthy and independent as they age.”

Lutheran Services in America awarded Lutheran Social Services of New York with The Micah Award, which recognizes members for exhibiting outstanding leadership in addressing justice, mercy and equity and exemplifies the spirit of Micah 6:8, “Act justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” In response to the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, Lutheran Social Services of New York transformed its services to incorporate social justice practices to better serve its communities. In so doing, Lutheran Social Services of New York upended the status quo by shifting its focus from a social service organization to a social change organization. This transformation included the creation of a Civic Engagement Committee and a strategic plan that positions the organization as an effective catalyst of social change, collaborating with others to dismantle the effects persistent with poverty and social injustice.

“As we underwent this journey, we realized quickly how important it was for social change to be an ingrained facet of our work,” said Damyn Kelly, president and CEO of Lutheran Social Services of New York. “In the end, we revolutionized how we wanted to serve our community out of a necessity to do better. Our commitment to dismantle the causes and effects of persistent poverty and social injustice promises to make us stronger advocates for those we serve.”

Charlotte Haberaecker, president and CEO of Lutheran Services in America, presented the awards to Genacross Social Services and Lutheran Social Services of New York on March 24 at the organization’s Annual Membership Meeting. “While we received many worthy nominations that demonstrated the leadership, reach and work of the Lutheran Services in America network, we are proud to present the first of our new annual awards to two recipients who performed incredible work that represent our core values,” said Ms. Haberaecker. “These latest efforts by Genacross Lutheran Services and Lutheran Social Services of New York are not only lifting up the communities in which they serve but the entire Lutheran Services in America network as a result.”

Other award nominees from across the country included Gemma Services, KenCrest Centers, Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri, Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida, Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, and Mill Neck for The Innovator Award and Lutheran Services Carolinas, Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey, Shepherd’s Canyon Retreat, and Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois for The Micah Award.

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About Lutheran Services in America
Lutheran Services in America is a national network of Lutheran social ministry organizations — connecting over 300 health and human service providers located throughout the country. Recognized by The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Forbes as one of the nation’s largest nonprofits, the Lutheran Services in America network operates with more than $22 billion in annual revenue and over 250,000 member employees. Together, the network lifts up the nation’s most vulnerable people from children to seniors — making a difference in the lives of one in 50 Americans every year. To learn more, visit www.lutheranservices.org.

From Charlotte Haberaecker, President and CEO of Lutheran Services in America

We are relieved and grateful to the many people who have worked so hard for justice in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the 2020 murder of George Floyd, culminating in the jury’s verdict of guilty on all counts.

We pray for solace for the family of George Floyd. Our prayers extend to the families, friends and communities of other Black victims of police violence whose numbers, tragically, are legion. And we humbly join with others who are working to change law, policy and practice to advance a just and equitable society.

As a faith-based health and human services organization, we recognize that the struggle to redress this one grievous injustice shares common ground with other injustices and inequities that many of those we care for confront every day. And we draw added resolve to counter structural racism, injustice and disparities in the communities we serve and in our national advocacy role.

In the summer of 2020, in response to the murder of George Floyd, Lutheran Services in America joined with dozens of other mission-focused organizations who are stewards of the public trust in developing a Statement of Guiding Principles to Advance Racial Equality and Justice. Now is the time to call attention to those principles once more and ask ourselves how we may more fully live and advance them. We ask others to join us in doing so.

About Lutheran Services in America

Lutheran Services in America is the national network of Lutheran social ministry organizations—connecting over 300 nonprofit health and human service providers located throughout the country. Recognized by The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Forbes as one of the nation’s largest nonprofits, the Lutheran Services in America network operates with more than $22 billion in annual revenue and over 250,000 member employees. Together, the network lifts up the nation’s most vulnerable people from children to seniors — making a difference in the lives of one in 50 Americans every year. To learn more, please visit www.lutheranservices.org.

WASHINGTON — Lutheran Services in America, a national network of 300 health and human services organizations that improve the health and quality of life of one in 50 Americans each year, presented the inaugural set of two new awards during a virtual member recognition ceremony today to leaders within its Results Innovation Lab. Lutheran Services in America honored three peer coaches from the Results Innovation Lab with the Beacon Award and three leaders with the Scion Award.

The Beacon Award recognizes peer coaches from the Results Innovation Lab for advancing transformative change for children, youth and families through exceptional leadership across the Lutheran Services in America network. Lutheran Services in America bestowed the 2021 award on Beverly Jones, vice president and chief operating officer at Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois, Rebecca Kiesow-Knudsen, chief operating officer at Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota, and Amanda Krzykowski, director of performance and quality improvement at Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.

The Scion Award recognizes leaders for their commitment to learning and development in the Results Innovation Lab and dedication to improving outcomes for children, youth and families. Lutheran Services in America honored Tonya Blasen, director of service quality at Lutheran Services in Iowa, Jere Murry, executive director for Children’s Community Services at Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, and Jason Sroufe, division director for family services at Wellspring Lutheran Services.

The Lutheran Services in America Results Innovation Lab is a collaborative learning model focused on creating new, innovative approaches for strengthening families in crisis and ensuring that young people reach their full potential. The Results Innovation Lab’s data-driven methodology enables organizations to address underlying racial disparities that stack the deck against children and families of color.

“The impact Bev, Rebecca and Amanda have had on strengthening the Results Innovation Lab’s impact on children and families cannot be overstated,” said Charlotte Haberaecker, president and CEO of Lutheran Services in America. “Their unwavering dedication is creating new solutions to tackle inequities that disproportionately affect children and families of color, thereby opening a path for thousands of children to lead safe, healthy and productive lives. Likewise, the extraordinary leadership exhibited by our Scion Award winners is truly inspiring.

Lutheran Services in America launched the Results Innovation Lab in 2016 with the goal of dramatically improving equitable outcomes for 20,000 children and their families by 2024.

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About Lutheran Services in America

Lutheran Services in America is a national network of Lutheran social ministry organizations — connecting over 300 health and human service providers located throughout the country. Recognized by The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Forbes as one of the nation’s largest nonprofits, the Lutheran Services in America network operates with more than $22 billion in annual revenue and over 250,000 member employees. Together, the network lifts up the nation’s most vulnerable people from children to seniors — making a difference in the lives of one in 50 Americans every year. To learn more, visit www.lutheranservices.org.

Charlotte Haberaecker, president and CEO of Lutheran Services in America, will join a bipartisan task force made up of current and former federal, state, and local government officials, and representatives in the health care field and private sector that will review input and develop a set of recommendations for building a robust public health system in the United States. The task force’s findings will be released in a final report by the end of the year.

The Bipartisan Policy Center today announced the formation of a new coalition of organizations working together to develop a five-year roadmap for public health leaders and elected officials that influences strategic investments and decision-making to build a more robust and sustainable public health system. The project, Public Health Forward: Modernizing the U.S. Public Health System, will define the vision and capabilities for a 21st century governmental public health system that promotes health, prevents disease, and protects all communities across the country. The coalition’s recommendations will be organized around six core issue areas:

1. creating an interoperable and modern data and technology infrastructure,
2. building workforce capacity,
3. addressing health equity and promoting racial healing and transformation,
4. strengthening public health law and governance to support a modern system,
5. effectively and efficiently financing local, state, and territorial governmental public health functions, and
6. catalyzing cross-sectoral partnerships and community engagement.

To inform this work, the coalition invites all state and local public health employees, community-based organization leaders, staff, and constituents to complete a short survey, which is being conducted in partnership with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The survey deadline is August 20, 2021.

Over the next several months, BPC, in partnership with the coalition members, will conduct research, interviews, town halls, listening sessions, and multiple roundtable discussions with federal, state, and local partners as well as public health professionals from other sectors to develop a shared vision and operational framework for a robust public health system. The project will also be influenced by a public health advisory committee composed of national public health leaders.

Task force members include:

• Charlotte Haberaecker, President and CEO, Lutheran Services in America
• Mike Beebe, Former Governor, Kentucky
• Mary Ann Borgeson, Commissioner, Douglas County, Nebraska
• Michael Curry, Esq., President and CEO, Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers; Member, National Board of Directors, NAACP
• Matt Eyles, President and CEO, America’s Health Insurance Plans
• Mira Irons, M.D., Chief Health and Science Officer, American Medical Association
• Sly James, Former Mayor, Kansas City, Missouri
• John Kasich, Former Governor, Ohio
• Rob Nirenberg, Mayor, San Antonio, Texas
• Phyllis J. Randall, Chair At-Large, Loudoun County, Virginia, Board of Supervisors
• Michael Rell, Mayor, Town of Wethersfield, Connecticut
• Kristen Silverberg, Executive Vice President for Policy, Business Roundtable
• Jonathan Singer, Former State Representative, Colorado
• Deb Soholt, Former State Senator, South Dakota

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® Foundation (CTA Foundation) recently awarded Lutheran Services in America a second grant to support two new virtual caregiver support initiatives. This new grant, which runs from July 2021 to July 2022, will provide technology devices, including GoogleGlass and Apple iPads, to 50 family caregivers of older adults and people with dementia in Michigan and Kansas.

Lutheran Services in America is the national organization leading sustainable solutions that enable older, rural adults to live independently, improve health and well-being and achieve a higher quality of life. The Lutheran Services in America partnership with the CTA Foundation will advance innovative technology initiatives at Samaritas in Detroit, Michigan, and Bethany Village in Kansas to assist family caregivers in supporting older adults, many of whom struggle with multiple chronic conditions and lack access to services because of distance, transportation, or their own mobility limitations.

The grant from CTA Foundation will support the development of new “communication stations” at Bethany Village to connect older adults and family caregivers.

“With nearly a century of history, Bethany Village has long been committed to the well-being of our rural community. We are excited for this funding to help us connect older adults with their loved ones near and far through new and upgraded technology devices,” said Kris Erickson, administrator of Bethany Village.

The grant will also expand the impact of recent funding from the Michigan Health Endowment to Samaritas in the first caregiver education platform to use GoogleGlass technology and the Dementia Capable Care model.

“We are excited for the opportunity to build on the progress we have made in supporting caregivers across Michigan,” said Sam Beals, CEO of Samaritas. “We believe the use of innovative technology like GoogleGlass, combined with the evidence-based Dementia Capable care model that relies on best practice principles, will encourage further support for family caregivers.”

Lutheran Services in America is committed to engaging a broad set of partners such as the CTA Foundation to accelerate scale and replication of successful programs that improve people’s lives. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, 61 percent of older adults reported feeling isolated, leaving many vulnerable to adverse health effects as a result.  Family caregivers selflessly provide critical supports to older adults while facing their own challenges of social isolation, neglect of self-care, lack of familiarity with support services, and lack of understanding medical needs for their care recipient.

“The use of technology will bolster support for the one in five Americans who serve as unpaid caregivers to family and friends,” said Charlotte Haberaecker, president and CEO of Lutheran Services in America. “By spearheading new and innovative uses of virtual technology, Lutheran Services in America members like Samaritas and Bethany Village are strengthening the capacity of caregivers across the country to continue to support their loved ones.”

The 2021–2022 grant builds on the success of funds the CTA Foundation awarded Lutheran Services in America in 2020 to serve families in rural Minnesota and North Dakota communities through the Remote Caregiver program. Funds from the grant were critical in the rapid response of the Remote Caregiver program to surpass its original goal of serving 50 caregivers and instead expand its impact to 119 family caregivers and meet the increased demand for innovative technological solutions to help older adults stay socially connected as the COVID pandemic continued to spread through the rural regions of the country.

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About Lutheran Services in America
Lutheran Services in America is a national network of Lutheran social ministry organizations—connecting more than 300 health and human service providers located throughout the country. Recognized by the Chronicle of Philanthropy and Forbes as one of the nation’s largest nonprofits, the Lutheran Services in America network operates with more than $22 billion in annual revenue and over 250,000 member employees. Together, the network lifts up the nation’s most vulnerable people from children to older adults—making a difference in the lives of one in 50 Americans every year. To learn more, visit www.lutheranservices.org.