ABOUT THE TRAINING
One of the most challenging aspects of casework is when programs and benefits collide: a veteran might have a permanent disability rating with the VA, but need to recertify for SSDI, or a slight change in income that increases one benefit makes another one fall by a larger amount. For individuals, these interactions can be confusing; for the economy and government spending as a whole, they can have huge impacts.
Max Ghenis, CEO and co-founder of PolicyEngine, will delve deeper into this conundrum. PolicyEngine has developed open-source tools that empower anyone to input details about a household and subsequently estimate their taxes and benefits. This provides a clearer understanding of the intricate ways in which various programs interact. During this webinar, Max will discuss the nuances of navigating the complex web of interacting programs, and the experience of building PolicyEngine.
ABOUT THE “UNPACKING THE CAUSES OF CASEWORK” WEBINAR SERIES
In a recent letter to the GAO Comptroller general, a bipartisan group of lawmakers noted that
“Throughout our time in Congress, our offices have heard from thousands of constituents seeking help dealing with the maze-like procedural hurdles that ordinary people must navigate to get the support and resources to which they are legally entitled. [...] When people fall into crisis, have a child with complex medical needs, develop a disability, or take on the care and administrative work for an aging parent, they have to become their own advocate in the confusing system of social program bureaucracy.”
-August 15th 2022 letter to GAO Comptroller General Gene Doddaro, signed by Reps Derek Kilmer, Dan Newhouse, Kathleen Rice, Doug LaMalfa, Angie Craig, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Jimmy Panetta, Scott Peters, Lucy McBath, and Sara Jacobs
These concerns are familiar to any caseworker, but it can be challenging to explain the impact of casework issues—not to mention frustrating to keep seeing the same issues over and over. However, recent work in political science, journalism, civic tech, and policymaking has started to develop methods for understanding, measuring, and addressing these persistent challenges.
This Casework Navigator webinar series will give caseworkers a master class in understanding and explaining the root causes behind common casework inquiries, and some starting points to leverage casework expertise to inform policy that takes constituents’ experience into account.
SPEAKER
Max Ghenis is the co-founder and CEO of PolicyEngine. He previously founded the UBI Center, a think tank researching universal basic income policies, and worked as a data scientist at Google. Max earned a bachelor's degree in Operations Research and Management Science from UC Berkeley and a master's degree in Data, Economics, and Development Policy from MIT.
MODERATOR
Anne Meeker is a civic process and democratic engagement nerd, and a former House district staffer. She was a founding member of the POPVOX Foundation team as Director of Special Initiatives and now serves as Deputy Director. She previously served as Director of Constituent Services for Congressman Seth Moulton, where she worked to use data and technology to deliver smarter casework services to residents of the MA06. Anne holds a bachelor's degree in Anthropology from the University of Oxford (St. Hugh's College), and an MSc in History from the London School of Economics, where she wrote her thesis on presidential memoir. She is also a proud native Clevelander, and will take any opportunity to cheerlead for the 'Land.