UNDERSTANDING SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM EDUCATION (SNAP-ED) Gerry Howell, MS, RD, Nutritionist July 12, 2012

Objectives  Understand what the SNAP-Ed program is and how it operates  Understand why and how the SNAP-Ed program is changing and the new role collaboration will play in the program  Understand how health department staff and others can connect with people in their State working on SNAP-Ed

Understanding SNAP-Ed

SNAP Facts  The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest food assistance program in the nation  Formally known as the Food Stamp Program (FSP)  Purposes:  To provide improved levels of nutrition among low-income households  To provide economic benefits to communities  In April 2012, approximately 46 million people received SNAP

SNAP Facts  Food Stamp Act of 1964 made the FSP permanent  In 1977, the Food Stamp Act revised the legislation to include nutrition education  Since 1977, the law has been revised several times to expand the nutrition education component  In 2010, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act amended the 2008 Food and Nutrition Act (FNA)  Established a nutrition education and obesity prevention grant program

Food and Nutrition Service Mission To provide children and needy families with better access to food and a more healthful diet through its food assistance programs and comprehensive nutrition education efforts

SNAP-Ed Goal Goal To improve the likelihood that persons eligible for SNAP will make healthy food choices within a limited budget and choose physically active lifestyles consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) food guidance

Organization of SNAP  7 Regional Offices  West Regional Office (WRO)  Mountain Plains Regional Office (MPRO)  Midwest Regional Office (MWRO)  Southwest Regional Office (SWRO)  Southeast Regional Office (SERO)  Mid-Atlantic Regional Office (MARO)  Northeast Regional Office (NERO)

FNS Regional Offices

Organization of SNAP-Ed 52 State Agencies: all States + DC & VI Main point of contact for the purpose or coordination and collaboration Hundreds of local projects

Changes to SNAP-Ed Role of Collaboration Redesign of SNAP-Ed

Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act  Section 241 established the Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Grant Program  Re-shapes SNAP-Ed  Changes financial structure  Focus on obesity prevention  Requires activities be evidence-based and outcome driven

SNAP: Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Grant Program Interim Rule  Codifies provisions of Section 241, HHFK Act  Will be published as an Interim Rule  Must be implemented as of publication date  Provides a sixty-day comment period

2013 SNAP-Ed Guidance  Reflects content of HHFK Act, Section 241  Provides direction on implementing HHFK Act provisions  Designed to be streamlined, more flexible, user- friendly, and amendable as needed  Released March 30, 2012

Guidance Highlights  Funding  Socio-ecological Model  Approaches  Collaboration and Coordination  Greater Flexibility: Schools, Physical Activity, Gardening

Funding  Past funding required a State contribution or match  Now 100% Federal funds indexed for inflation  Funds available for 2-year period of performance  Considers State share of national SNAP-Ed expenditures  Formula will change over time to consider SNAP participation in addition to expenditures

Social-Ecological Model (SEM)  Takes the following factors into consideration:  Social and cultural norms and values  Sectors of influence such as government and public health  Environmental settings such as schools and workplaces  Individual factors like knowledge and demographics

SEM for Nutrition and Physical Activity Decisions

Dietary Guidelines for Americans  Foundation of nutrition education in all FNS nutrition assistance  Information can be found on aryguidelines/ aryguidelines/

MyPlate  USDA Food Guidance System is also used as the basis for nutrition education in SNAP-Ed  More information can be found at

SNAP-Ed Approaches  Individual or Group-Based  Multi-level Interventions  Community and Public Health

Individual/Group Based Approaches  Definition: individual or group-based nutrition education, health promotion, and intervention strategies  Most common level of nutrition education delivery approach in SNAP-Ed  Examples:  Nutrition education programming on Dietary Guidelines  Individual or group education sessions

Multi-level Interventions  Definition: Comprehensive, multi- level interventions at multiple complementary organizational and institutional levels  May target the individual, interpersonal, organization, community, public policy, or societal  Examples:  Collaborating with schools and other organizations to improve school nutrition environment  Establishing community gardens in low-income areas or community sites

Community and Public Health Approaches  Definition: Community and public health approaches to improve nutrition  Target a large segment of the population  Examples:  Working with local government to develop policies for eliminating food deserts  Collaborating with community groups to improve the food environment

Coordination and Collaboration  HHFKA permits coordination with publicly or privately funded health promotion or nutrition improvement strategies  FNS strongly encourages coordination with other national, State, and local nutrition education and health promotion initiatives  Provides the capacity for SNAP-Ed to reach its goal and remain consistent with the FNS mission while reaching low-income families and individuals through multiple spheres of the SEM

Examples of State and Local Partners  State public health agencies and other State programs  Universities  Faith-based organizations  Local schools  Food retailers  Food banks and other food assistance programs  Etc.

Connecting with SNAP-Ed

SNAP-Ed Connection Home Page  Funded by FNS and maintained by the National Agricultural Library’s Food & Nutrition Information Center  Useful online resource center for both State and local SNAP-Ed providers and the public  Features include:  In the News: Up-to-date information about SNAP  Spotlights Recipe Finder (both in English and Spanish) Access to SNAP-Ed Guidance, MyPlate, Dietary Guidelines, other resources

SNAP-Ed Connection Home Page

Points of Contact If interested in SNAP-Ed, please contact State SNAP Agency for more information at: 

Questions, Comments, or Concerns?