training

Social Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) training – October 28, 2025

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This training on SSI and SSDI helps to demystify public benefits, particularly those resourced by individuals and families with housing barriers. This training covers eligibility, how to apply, how to maintain benefits, and how to resolve common issues with obtaining or maintaining benefits.   An uptick in applications that are connected to changing requirements from other benefits programs is expected. There are possible short-term impacts during the current government shutdown and some longer-term impacts that are connected to changes in eligibility. Thank you to Benefits Law Center for sharing this information with us. Benefits Law Center makes direct legal representation accessible at the convenience of the client and assists in the benefits application and appeals process in a way that accommodates their disability and other barriers that they may face. Types of Benefits There are a couple of different types of benefits that a person can receive. A person can get benefits based on having a disability, which means they have health conditions that are so severe that they wouldn’t allow you to do any kind of full-time job. SSI – Social Security Income To get benefits based on disability for SSI, the only requirements are that you meet the disability, age, or blindness requirements and you meet the income and resource limits, meaning that you’re not making too much money, and you don’t have too much money or assets. SSDI – Social Security Disability Income SSDI has the same disability verification requirements but it has different financial requirements. You have to have worked enough hours or enough work credits at a job where you’re paying taxes into the Social Security system to qualify for this benefit. Disabled Adult Child Benefits Disabled adult child benefits are for people who became too disabled to work before age 22 and their parent …

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Recap: Coalition’s Youth & Young Adults Committee Meeting — June 9, 2015

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On Tuesday the Youth & Young Adults Committee received training on Hepatitis (HCV) from Chelsea Amato with the Hepatitis Education Project. Besides delivering an incredibly informative training, Chelsea’s given us access to her entire presentation plus additional resources. Best of all, the good folks at Hepatitis Education project are always open to do workshops and testing for agency staff and/or our youth participants — do not hesitate to reach out and continue these conversations back at your respective agencies. Hepatitis_Basic Overview Presentation Hepatitis Support Group*: HEP Monthly Meet-Up Quarter Sheet Fact Sheets from HCV Advocate can be found at www.hcvadvocate.org National Hepatitis Corrections Network (NHCN) –  www.hcvinprison.org *Hepatitis Education Project hosts an evening Monthly Meet-Up (support group) every 1st Thursday of the month. If you’d like to receive email updates about the Meet-Up and any other events, be sure to contact Chelsea (chamato@hepeducation.org;  206-732-0311). She and her colleagues are happy to answer questions, take your referrals, provide testing and training at your agencies. To reach Chelsea and the Hepatitis Education Project Crew: Chelsea L. Amato, BSW HEP Advocate and Educator 911 Western Ave.  #302  ● Seattle, WA 98104 ● 206-732-0311 ● 206-732-0312 (fax) www.hepeducation.org ● www.hcvinprison.org ● Find us on Facebook! Join us next month on July 14 for a training on Naloxone, and to dig into 2015 Homeless Youth Advocacy Summit preparations. See you then!

Homeless students have rights, but many of them have no idea what they are

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Is there funding for extra-curricular activities under McKinney Vento for homeless students? This question was asked during the Seattle/King County Coalition’s Annual McKinney-Vento 101 training on August 22nd.  Jess Lewis from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and Katara Jordan from Columbia Legal Services spent 2 hours introducing and explaining the complex issues in McKinney-Vento legislation to close to 100 school staff and housing and homeless service providers.  The McKinney-Vento Act requires school districts to immediately register, transport and provide and pay for extra-curricular activities to homeless students.  There are more than 26,000 students in Washington state that qualify for McKinney-Vento services, and school districts must pay for these services whether or not they recieve funding under the law.  Most school districts do not receive this funding.  Washington State has 295 school districts.  Of those, 23 receive McKinney-Vento sub-grants.  If a student wants to participate in extra-curricular activities, the school district is required to address the barrier to full participation.  Often, school districts will look to community service providers, booster clubs, etc. to try and address the specific needs of students.  If other resources cannot be found, the school district is still required to find some way to address the barrier to participation. Another common question service providers ask and school staff often find confusing is: What is the distance that schools are required to transport kids to school?  Many school personnel have been told  that schools will not transport kids out of their county. However, there is no specific distance or commute time mentioned in the McKinney-Vento Act when it comes to school of origin transportation.  So, a student attending school in Everett Public Schools, as an example, and finds shelter with her family in Seattle can continue attending her school in Everett if it is determined by all parties that …

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1,204 Homeless Children Ready for School Thanks to Project Cool

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After months of preparation, we are celebrating the smooth and successful distribution of 1,204 Project Cool backpacks to homeless children across King County. This August, more than 150 awesome volunteers gathered together over 4 days in the basement of the Columbia City Church of Hope to prepare school supplies and then fill and distribute backpacks for homeless students ages 3 to 18. You guys ROCK! Last Tuesday, Project Cool backpacks went out to 14 different Coalition member agencies to support the education of the children they serve in their various homeless housing programs (including emergency shelter and transitional housing). We know the need is great. In the 2010-2011 school year, 4,423 students (pre-k through high school) were identified as homeless in King County school districts; 26,049 students across all Washington State schools. This was a 19% increase from the previous year and a 55% increase from 2006-2007 (for more information visit http://schoolhousewa.org/). A new backpack filled with the tools students need tells kids that they belong and gives parents one less financial burden to bear. Backpacks may be out the door, but the work to support the education of homeless students does not stop here. Seattle Public School starts in just a couple weeks on September 5. The instability of homelessness makes stability in school that much more important for children. Luckily, homeless students have several educational rights under an important federal law – the McKinney Vento Education Act –, which helps advocates and families keep children in school even if they don’t have the right paperwork to enroll or their address changes every 60 days. The Coalition’s August 22 “Helping Homeless Students: McKinney Vento 101” training will prepare school personnel and service providers to help homeless students stay in school. None of this work could be possible without the support of …

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