Strategies

Support acquisition of job-specific skills through education, certification programs, or on-the-job training, often with personal development resources and other supports

Prohibit criminal history questions on job applications and postpone background checks

Provide financial assistance to working parents, or parents attending school, to pay for child care

Provide free and confidential counseling and service referrals via telephone-based conversation, web-based chat, or text message to individuals in crisis, particularly those with severe mental health concerns

Expand refundable earned income tax credits for working individuals and families with low to moderate incomes

Adopt policies that allow custodial parents who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to collect all child support paid by the non-custodial parent; no portion is retained by the state

Offer programs to help individuals without a high school diploma or its equivalent achieve a high school equivalency credential

Establish locally mandated wages that are higher than state or federal minimum wage levels

Provide an 8 or 12 hour training to educate laypeople about how to assist individuals with mental health problems or at risk for problems such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders

Increase the lowest hourly, daily, or monthly compensation that employers may legally pay to workers