I am delighted to welcome two important programs to ACL—the Paralysis Resource Center (PRC) and the State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs). These programs are moving to ACL as a result of the 2014 budget recently signed by President Obama.

Today, we honor the anniversary of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), the first Federal commitment to create a pathway to safety for survivors of domestic violence and their children. Before FVPSA’s passage on this day in 1984, domestic violence had long been a hidden problem, and survivors often endured abuse in silence because they had nowhere to go.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act of 2014 (WIOA), signed into law by President Obama on July 22, 2014, transfers the Independent Living Services and Centers for Independent Living programs funded under title VII, Chapter 1 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by WIOA (P.L. 113-128) (Rehabilitation Act) from the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), U.S. Department of Education, to the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Administration on Aging, a program division within ACL, is pleased to announce that it has awarded a grant in the amount of $765,152 to the University of Southern California (USC) Keck School of Medicine. The grant continues funding of the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA).

The Administration on Aging, a program division within ACL, is pleased to announce that it has awarded grants—totaling over $4.8 million and funded by the 2014 Prevention and Public Health Fund—to advance the implementation and dissemination of evidence-based falls prevention programs and strategies across the nation.

National Falls Prevention Awareness Day is September 23. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries to older adults. Falls result in more than 2.4 million injuries treated in emergency departments annually, including over 772,000 hospitalizations and more than 21,700 deaths. This year’s theme, Strong Today—Falls Free Tomorrow, highlights the important roles professionals, older adults, caregivers, and family members play in raising awareness and preventing falls in the older adult population.

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) in collaboration with the Assistant Secretary for Planning & Evaluation joined together to fund, the National Resource Center for Participant Directed Services (NRCPDS) to produce technical assistance resources to help states and participant direction program stakeholders comply with the US Department of Labor Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Home Care Final Rule that will take effect January 1, 2015. Learn more and download the kit.

National Hispanic Heritage Month is a month-long celebration of Hispanic culture, history, and contributions that lasts from September 15 until October 15. The theme for 2014 is, “Hispanics: A legacy of history, a present of action and a future of success.” Hispanics make up 17% of our nation’s total population.

Today marks the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people from 93 countries. On this day, we remember and mourn those who were lost. We honor the courage of the everyday heroes who helped others to safety and searched for survivors, often at the cost of their own lives. We recognize the work of those who have helped the nation heal.