What Can FEMA Learn from the Historic 2017 Hurricane and Wildfire Seasons?
When a hurricane comes ashore or a wildfire ignites, most of a community's vulnerability to disaster is already set. Emergency managers including FEMA, states, and localities could do much more to identify statewide risks and build community resilience before an event makes headlines.
Feb 3, 2020 Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Turning Off Power to Combat Wildfires Could Harm the Very People Who Need Protection
While intentionally shutting off power may be a practical way to prevent power lines from sparking wildfires, is it worth the risks? Until more thoughtful and comprehensive decisions are made, planned power outages need to be planned better.
Oct 28, 2019 CalMatters
Restorative Justice Isn't a Panacea, but It Can Promote Better Relationships Among Students
Restorative practices aren't necessarily a cure-all. But if implemented well, they can contribute to an overall solution. Teaching children to treat one another with respect has the potential to make schools safer and to help kids get along better throughout their lives.
Oct 21, 2019 The Hechinger Report
Hurricane Recovery in the Bahamas: Turning Good Intentions into Good Decisions
Recovery in the Bahamas will have to be a balancing act. Plans will need to allow for transition toward long-term strategic goals for the nation, but also be mindful of not perpetuating inequities.
Sep 6, 2019 The RAND Blog
After School Shootings, Children and Communities Struggle to Heal
School shootings leave wounds that affect students, school staff, families, and communities for years. Building community resilience, implementing evidence-based mental health support early, and providing access for survivors and the community immediately and in the long term could help promote healing and prevent more tragedy.
Jul 19, 2019 Health Affairs Blog
What Two New Studies Reveal About Restorative Justice in Middle School and How It Can Be Done Better
There are many nuances to the implementation and impact of restorative practices. This suggests that continued experimentation could allow school districts to realize the benefits of instituting these practices and reduce the cost of doing so.
Apr 17, 2019 The 74 Million
Preventing Suicide: Treat Mass Shooting Trauma Beyond Initial Tragedy
The need for mental health support and suicide-prevention efforts targeting survivors of mass shootings, and the friends and families of victims, is great. Putting such programs in place could go a long way toward helping them heal, and preventing more tragedy.
Apr 4, 2019 United Press International
Evidence-Based Treatments May Be Casualties of War on Drugs
U.S. schools and community organizations face a difficult battle to keep kids safe and drug-free. They need tools to help them choose programs that will work best for youth. The National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices is such a tool, but its future is uncertain.
Jan 15, 2018 The Hill
Checklist of Best Practices Developed to Guide Development of Suicide Prevention Campaigns
Is your crisis line’s suicide-prevention communications effort working well enough? What should you be doing differently? Some help is available through a checklist published earlier this year.
Oct 25, 2017 Lifeline Network
Rethinking Student Discipline and Zero Tolerance
Restorative practices are an alternative to zero-tolerance school discipline policies. Rather than mandating prescribed punishments for specific misbehaviors, this more tailored approach aims to empower students.
Oct 14, 2015 Education Week
U.S. Needs to Improve Community-Based Drug, Alcohol Prevention
As familiar as Americans are with the problems of youth drug and alcohol abuse, we are not identifying all the potential solutions. While observers criticize overemphasis in U.S. policy on enforcement and scant resources devoted to treatment, the focus on these approaches often ignores a key piece of the puzzle: prevention.
Jan 31, 2014 The Orange County Register
Translating Policy Into Action to Build Community Resilience
The philosophy and motivation surrounding community resilience has strongly resonated with community leaders but there remains a divide between how experts articulate resilience policy and how that policy translates to on-the-ground implementation. Building Community Resilience: An Online Training addresses that tension.
Sep 4, 2013 The RAND Blog
Getting To Outcomes: Improvement of Prevention Capacity Unveiled at a Summit of Maine Officials and Stakeholders
Community-based practitioners can improve their programs using Getting To Outcomes®, a toolkit, training, and onsite-support package which enhances their ability to prevent drug and alcohol use among youth.
Apr 29, 2013
'Implementation Science' May Help Providers Adopt New Treatments Despite Real-World Constraints
A new field called implementation science addresses the issue of how to best support providers to take up new, research-proven treatments and implement them well. A RAND study will test how well Boys & Girls Clubs carry out a program proven to prevent teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, with and without an intervention called Getting To Outcomes.
Feb 18, 2013
'New Normal' Requires New Ways to Support Social and 'Human' Recovery
Recent global disasters vividly illustrate that recovery entails more than simply restoring physical infrastructure such as roads and buildings; it is also a long process of restoring the social infrastructure—the daily routines and networks that support the physical and mental health and well-being of the population, write Anita Chandra and Joie Acosta.
Nov 26, 2012 The RAND Blog
Why Aren't Americans Listening to Disaster Preparedness Messages?
Given the recent spate of highly publicized disasters, why don't more Americans pay attention to the advice of public health officials? The messages they are getting are largely based on unverified assumptions, not hard evidence. Equally concerning, these assumptions may inadvertently hinder preparedness.
Jun 29, 2012 The RAND Blog
