Joie D. Acosta

Public Health's Failure to Communicate with Communities of Color

Misinformation thrived during the pandemic, exacerbating health inequities. To meet its core mission, the public health field needs to engage more actively, particularly in communities it has historically failed to equitably protect.

Outrage Is Not Enough: Preventing Sexual Violence Starts with a Skilled Prevention Workforce

Preventing sexual assault requires a myriad of competencies including an understanding of the contributing factors so that intervention programs can be designed or adapted to address them. RAND developed a first-of-its-kind tool to assess whether sexual assault prevention practitioners have the core competencies to do their job well.

Sexual Assault in the Military Is Unacceptable. Here's How to Fix It

Despite some steps taken by the Department of Defense, sexual assault and harassment prevention within the services and at individual installations could be substantially improved. The services could address the problem more systematically and comprehensively.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

'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.

'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.

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.

Human Side of Katrina Recovery Still Needs Work

Four years after Hurricane Katrina, many people in the Gulf Coast region are still "just surviving," write Anita Chandra and Joie Acosta.

Tool

Climate Adaptation Strategies for National Critical Functions

This tool presents climate adaptation strategies for a set of National Critical Functions (NCFs) that are capable of mitigating the risks posed by climate change.

Tool

Monitoring and Surveillance of Behavioral Health in the Context of Public Health Emergencies: A Toolkit for Public Health Officials

This toolkit shows how existing data sources (such as unemployment insurance claims, 2-1-1 hotline calls, calls to Poison Control Centers, prescription drug fills, and others) can be used for behavioral health surveillance.

Report

Novel Methods to Assess the Military's Evolving Prevention Capabilities: Development and Pilot Test of the On-Site Installation Evaluation Process

This report describes the development, pilot test, and validity testing of a set of prevention capability metrics to improve the deterrence of sexual assault, sexual harassment, suicide, and domestic violence among military service members.

Journal Article

Trends in 2-1-1 Calls During Public Health Emergencies, Overall and By Gender: Hurricane Irma and COVID-19 in Broward County, Florida

The study examined how changes in 2-1-1 call volume after two public health emergencies in Broward County, Florida, varied by emergency type and whether variations differed by gender and over time.

Journal Article

Changes in Poison Center Calls for Intentional Exposure During Public Health Emergencies: COVID-19 and Winter Storm Uri in Dallas County, Texas

This study explored changes in the volume of calls to poison control centers for intentional exposures in Dallas County, Texas. Changes in call volume varied by gender and age and increased during the local COVID-19 surge.

Journal Article

Development and Pilot Test of Criteria Defining Best Practices for Organizational Sexual Assault Prevention

This study describes the development of the Prevention Evaluation Framework, an assessment targeting organizational best practices for comprehensive sexual assault prevention across multiple domains.

Journal Article

Development and Pilot Test of the Competency Assessment for Sexual Assault Prevention Practitioners

The purpose of this study was to develop an assessment tool for sexual assault prevention practitioners regarding knowledge about and job relevancy of the core competencies.

Journal Article

Equity as a Guiding Principle for the Public Health Data System

This article examines what it means to use equity as a guiding principle throughout the components and functions of a modern public health data system.

Journal Article

The Issues of Interoperability and Data Connectedness for Public Health

The article summarizes some of the challenges around data sharing and reuse and identifies where the technology and data sectors can contribute to fill current gaps to promote interoperability and data stewardship.

Journal Article

Technology and Data Implications for the Public Health Workforce

The article identifies where the technology and data sectors can contribute skills, expertise, and assets in support of innovative workforce models and augment the development of public health workforce competencies.

Journal Article

What Data Should Be Included in a Modern Public Health Data System

The article summarizes what data should be included in the public health data system and identifies where the technology and data sectors can contribute to fill current gaps to measure equity, positive health, and well-being.

Journal Article

New Prescription Fills of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Los Angeles County, California

The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with an initial decrease, followed by a consistent increase in new SSRI fills in L.A. County. These increases in new SSRI fills were primarily among women, 18–39 year-olds, and those under 18.

Tool

Getting To Outcomes® Handbook for Strengthening Sexual Assault Prevention Activities in the Military

This web-based Getting To Outcomes handbook and PDF for offline use provide streamlined instructions and resources to help with the planning, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of military sexual assault prevention activities.

Tool

Getting to Outcomes® Handbook for U.S. Air and Space Force Community Action Planning

Getting To Outcomes helps Air and Space Force Community Action Teams develop a Community Action Plan. The Handbook includes guidance and tools. The Resource Guide provides links and tips. The Workbook contains blank versions of the tools.

Tool

Self-Assessment Guide for University Prevention Programs Focused on Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment

This guide provides detailed step-by-step instructions to help civilian universities and colleges assess their own programs to prevent sexual assault and harassment.

Journal Article

Transforming Public Health Data Systems: White Papers to Inform Commission

RWJF commissioned RAND to produce a series of white papers that describe the current landscape, emerging innovations, and opportunities for transforming and transitioning to a new public health data system.

Journal Article

"What We Have Here, Is a Failure to [Replicate]": Ways to Solve a Replication Crisis in Implementation Science

This article reviews what is known about replication of implementation trials, and identifies the gaps and next steps to continue increasing the transparency, openness, and replicability of implementation research.

Tool

Getting To Outcomes®: Guide for Strengthening Sexual Assault Prevention Activities in the Military

This Getting To Outcomes guide will help with the planning, implementation, evaluation, continuous quality improvement, and sustainability of military sexual assault prevention activities. It includes instructions, blank tools, and examples.

Report

Countering Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment in the U.S. Military: Lessons from RAND Research

The authors discuss actions that the Department of Defense (DoD) has taken to reduce sexual harassment and assault in the military, describe the challenges of reducing these behaviors, and offer recommendations to improve prevention and response.

Commentary

Adapting to Adversity amid a Global Pandemic: Stakeholder Insights About Progress and Next Steps for Taking Integrative Action to Build Resilient Systems

In 2020, the global pandemic and ongoing chronic stressors caused multiple shocks in the United States. The authors describe recommendations to advance an integrative resilience research and practice agenda based on recent stakeholder experiences.

Tool

Getting To Outcomes® Operations Guide for Air National Guard Community Action Teams

This Getting To Outcomes guide will help with the planning, implementation, evaluation, continuous quality improvement, and sustainability of Air National Guard Community Action Plans. It includes guidance, resources, and examples of completed tools.

Report

Recovery in the U.S. Virgin Islands: Progress, Challenges, and Options for the Future

This report provides analysis to help the U.S. Virgin Islands accelerate recovery from the 2017 hurricanes. It describes goals, accomplishments, challenges, and steps needed to improve recovery capacities, infrastructure, the economy, and services.

Report

International Postdisaster Recoveries: Lessons for Puerto Rico on Supply-Chain Management and Recovery Governance

The authors analyze supply-chain management and recovery governance in four disaster-ridden countries. Research was conducted in Puerto Rico to assess recovery after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, recommend restorative measures, and improve resilience.

Journal Article

From Awareness to Action: Accounting for Infrastructure Interdependencies in Disaster Response and Recovery Planning

We suggest that awareness of the vulnerabilities in interdependent infrastructure systems needs to be coupled with coordinated action and collaboration among government agencies, communities, and industries.

Journal Article

Short-Term Solutions to a Long-Term Challenge: Rethinking Disaster Recovery Planning to Reduce Vulnerabilities and Inequities

We review case examples to illustrate how post-disaster policies may influence the nature, pace, and inclusiveness of community recovery.

Tool

Getting to Outcomes® Operations Guide for U.S. Air Force Community Action Teams

This Getting To Outcomes guide will help with the planning, implementation, evaluation, continuous quality improvement, and sustainability of U.S. Air Force Community Action Plans.

Journal Article

Cost Analysis of a Randomized Trial of Getting to Outcomes Implementation Support of CHOICE in Boys and Girls Clubs in Southern California

This study estimates the societal costs of implementing CHOICE, a voluntary after-school alcohol and other drug prevention program for adolescents, in Boys and Girls Clubs across Southern California with and without an implementation support system called Getting To Outcomes.

Journal Article

What Can FEMA Learn from the Historic 2017 Hurricane and Wildfire Seasons?

Emergency managers—including FEMA, but also extending to the states and localities that are the first line of defense—could do much more to identify statewide risks and build community resilience long before an event makes headlines.

Report

Cross-Agency Evaluation of DoD, VA, and HHS Mental Health Public Awareness Campaigns: Analysis of Campaign Scope, Content, and Reach

This report evaluates efforts by four public awareness campaigns to overcome negative perceptions and promote awareness of mental health disorders and their treatment, with a focus on military and veteran populations.

Research Brief

Evaluating Public Awareness Campaigns to Promote Military and Veteran Mental Health

This brief describes the results of an interim evaluation that examined the scope, content, and dissemination of mental health public awareness campaigns. RAND researchers conducted a comprehensive evaluation of four such efforts.

Research Brief

Make the Connection: Findings and Recommendations

This brief is one in a series examining mental health public awareness campaigns' messages, consistency of messaging in their materials, and tools used to deliver content to audiences. This brief discusses materials from the Make the Connection.

Research Brief

Real Warriors Campaign: Findings and Recommendations

This brief is one in a series examining mental health public awareness campaigns' messages, consistency of messaging in their materials, and tools used to deliver content to audiences. This brief discusses materials from the Real Warrior Campaign.

Research Brief

Recovery Month: Findings and Recommendations

This brief is one in a series examining mental health public awareness campaigns' messages, consistency of messaging in their materials, and tools used to deliver content to audiences. This brief discusses materials from Recovery Month.

Research Brief

Veterans Crisis Line: Findings and Recommendations

This brief is one in a series examining mental health public awareness campaigns' messages, consistency of messaging in their materials, and tools used to deliver content to audiences. This brief discusses materials from the Veterans Crisis Line.

Journal Article

Cost Analysis of a Randomized Trial of Getting to Outcomes Implementation Support for a Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Offered in Boys and Girls Clubs in Alabama and Georgia

This study estimated the cost of adding Getting To Outcomes implementation support to a teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection prevention evidence-based program called Making Proud Choices in 32 Boys and Girls Clubs in Alabama and Georgia.

Journal Article

Sustaining an Evidence-Based Program Over Time: Moderators of Sustainability and the Role of the Getting to Outcomes® Implementation Support Intervention

This randomized controlled trial advances the literature by testing the effects of Getting To Outcomes, an after-school evidence-based program for preventing substance use among middle-school students.

Journal Article

With Small Power, Comes Great Responsibility: Lessons Learned from an Evaluation of Veteran and Military Mental Health Public Awareness Campaigns

This study was conducted to determine the feasibility of conducting a cost-benefit evaluation of federally-funded media campaigns encouraging mental health help-seeking among United States military personnel and veterans.

Journal Article

Influence of an Implementation Support Intervention on Barriers and Facilitators to Delivery of a Substance Use Prevention Program

Findings highlight that implementation support, such as Getting to Outcomes, is likely to help low-resourced community-based organizations improve program delivery through a focus on implementation processes.

Journal Article

A Program for Local Health Departments to Adapt and Implement Evidence-Based Emergency Preparedness Programs

Local health departments report improved capacities when using the Getting to Outcomes approach.

Report

Measuring Barriers to Mental Health Care in the Military: The RAND Barriers and Facilitators to Care Item Banks

This report summarizes the findings of a study to construct item banks of barriers and facilitators to mental health care for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Journal Article

Mental Health Stigma and Its Effects on Treatment-Related Outcomes: A Narrative Review

A review of research on stigma and mental health treatment-related outcomes for service members found that no longitudinal studies had been conducted, and therefore the relationship is still not well understood.

Research Brief

Boosting Disaster Resilience Among Older Adults

Older adults are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. Collaborations between public health departments and organizations that promote aging in place could improve disaster resilience among older populations.

Tool

Building Older Adults' Resilience by Bridging Public Health and Aging-in-Place Efforts: Toolkit

This toolkit contains information and activities that can bring together those involved in aging-in-place support and those involved in disaster resilience efforts to improve the resilience of older adults to natural and human-caused disasters.

Report

Improving Disaster Resilience Among Older Adults: Insights from Public Health Departments and Aging-in-Place Efforts

This report uses interview data from public health departments and aging-in-place efforts to explore how alignment between these entities can strengthen the disaster resilience of older adults and identify promising programs or new collaborations.

Journal Article

Testing Implementation Support For Evidence-Based Programs in Community Settings: A Replication Cluster-Randomized Trial of Getting To Outcomes

The systematic support provided by Getting to Outcomes can help community organizations implement evidence-based prevention programs with more fidelity.

Journal Article

A Cluster-Randomized Trial of Getting To Outcomes' Impact on Sexual Health Outcomes in Community-Based Settings

Getting to Outcomes, an implementation support intervention, can strengthen evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs.

Tool

Getting To Outcomes® Guide for Community Emergency Preparedness

This Getting To Outcomes guide will help with the planning, implementation, evaluation, continuous quality improvement, and sustainability of community emergency preparedness programs. It includes instructions, completed examples, and blank tools.

Report

How Cultural Alignment and the Use of Incentives Can Promote a Culture of Health: Stakeholder Perspectives

This report draws on interviews with Culture of Health stakeholders whose work focused on culture, incentives, or both to learn how organizations are addressing and leveraging culture and incentives to promote health and well-being.

Journal Article

Best Practices for Suicide Prevention Messaging and Evaluating California's "Know the Signs" Media Campaign

California's "Know the Signs" media campaign for suicide prevention is consistent with what is known about best practices, though evidence in this field is still nascent.

Tool

RAND Program Evaluation Toolkit for Countering Violent Extremism

The RAND Program Evaluation Toolkit for Countering Violent Extremism uses checklists, worksheets, and templates to help programs assess whether their activities have met their goals and identify needed improvements.

Report

An Agenda to Advance Integrative Resilience Research and Practice: Key Themes From a Resilience Roundtable

Presents recommendations for an integrated agenda to promote transdisciplinary resilience research and practice, drawing on proceedings from a 2016 Resilience Roundtable and a supplementary literature review.

Journal Article

Beyond Disaster Preparedness: Building a Resilience-Oriented Workforce for the Future

Deepening the field of resilience will require a trained and capable resilience-oriented workforce, but optimal strategies for developing such a workforce have yet to be realized.

Journal Article

Towards More Nuanced Classification of NGOs and Their Services to Improve Integrated Planning Across Disaster Phases

Categorizing NGO disaster services as either "core"-critical to fulfilling an organizational mission-or "adaptive"-based on community needs during a disaster-will strengthen resilience-building efforts.

Journal Article

Drivers of Health as a Shared Value: Mindset, Expectations, Sense of Community and Civic Engagement

A shared understanding of health as a cultural value is key to achieving an equitable health system and a culture of health.

Journal Article

A Cluster-Randomized Trial of Restorative Practices: An Illustration to Spur High-Quality Research and Evaluation

A Maine-based trial of a Restorative Practices Intervention will assess whether a positive youth development program improves developmental outcomes and stems problem behaviors in middle schoolers, and whether the effects persist in high school.

Tool

Getting to Outcomes Guide for Teen Pregnancy Prevention

This Getting To Outcomes (GTO) guide is designed to help community organizations plan, evaluate, and improve the quality of their teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) programs.

Journal Article

Can Implementation Support Help Community-Based Settings Better Deliver Evidence-Based Sexual Health Promotion Programs? A Randomized Trial of Getting To Outcomes®

In typical community-based settings, manuals and training common to structured evidence-based practices may be sufficient to yield low levels of performance and moderate levels of fidelity, but systematic implementation support is needed to achieve high levels of performance and fidelity.

Tool

ENGAGED Toolkit: Improving the Role of Nongovernmental Organizations in Disaster Response and Recovery

The toolkit assists public health and emergency planners and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) stakeholders in determining the capacity and capability of particular NGOs for disaster response and recovery.

Report

Building a National Culture of Health: Background, Action Framework, Measures, and Next Steps

In 2013, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) began its Culture of Health initiative. To implement the primary Culture of Health outcome of improved population health, well-being, and equity, RWJF worked with RAND to develop an action framework.

Report

Development of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation National Survey of Health Attitudes: Description and Top-Line Summary Data

This report describes the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's National Survey of Health Attitudes, part of the foundation's Culture of Health strategy. It describes the survey development and provides the survey text and summary statistics of the data.

Research Brief

Assessing the Department of Defense's Approach to Reducing Mental Health Stigma

This brief assesses the military's approach to reducing stigma for mental health disorders.

Report

Stakeholder Perspectives on a Culture of Health: Key Findings

RAND engaged stakeholders to support development of an action framework and measurement strategy for Robert Wood Johnson's Culture of Health vision, in which "everyone in our diverse society leads healthier lives now and for generations to come."

Journal Article

Youth Resilience Corps: An Innovative Model to Engage Youth in Building Disaster Resilience

This study describes the development of a Youth Resilience Corps, or YRC (i.e., a set of tools to engage young people in youth-led community resilience activities) and the findings from a small-scale pilot test.

Research Brief

California's Statewide Mental Health Prevention and Early Intervention Initiatives Show Promising Early Results, But Sustained Investment Is Needed

Summarizes findings from an evaluation of a set of California initiatives to help reduce mental health stigma and discrimination, prevent suicide, and improve student mental health.

Tool

Partnerships for Recovery Across The Sectors (PRACTIS) Toolkit

The Partnerships for Recovery Across The Sectors (PRACTIS) toolkit employs a survey, a quality improvement guide, and a recovery exercise to strengthen disaster recovery partnerships between local health departments and community-based organizations.

Report

Adults Newly Exposed to "Know the Signs" Campaign Report Greater Gains in Confidence to Intervene with Those Who Might Be at Risk for Suicide Than Those Unexposed to the Campaign

Presents results of a one-year follow-up to a survey on Know the Signs, a California mass media suicide prevention campaign, and examines the effect of campaign exposure on respondents' confidence to intervene with someone at risk for suicide.

Tool

Community Resilience: Learn and Tell Toolkit

This toolkit is intended to teach people about community resilience so that they can then teach others. It has information and exercises, which individuals and organizations can use to communicate with their staff and service populations.

Tool

The Hungrier Games: Disaster Resilience Skills for Youth

This guide contains an introduction to the key principles of community resilience. It is intended for high school youth (ages 14--18). The introduction is presented through youth-friendly talking points and the use of a scavenger hunt game.

Journal Article

Getting to Outcomes®: Evidence of Empowerment Evaluation and Evaluation Capacity Building at Work

This book chapter describes Getting to Outcomes (GTO), an approach to capacity-building that supports empowerment evaluation, and discusses GTO's relationship to empowerment evaluation and evaluation capacity building.

Journal Article

A Novel Test of the GTO Implementation Support Intervention in Low Resource Settings: Year 1 Findings and Challenges

Boys & Girls Club sites that used the Getting to Outcomes implementation support tool had greater capacity to run the Making Proud Choices program, but youth sexual health outcomes were no better at sites that used the tool versus those that did not.

Report

"Know the Signs" Suicide Prevention Media Campaign Is Aligned with Best Practices and Highly Regarded by Experts

Reports the findings of an evaluation by a panel of experts on the extent to which a suicide prevention media campaign in California is aligned with best practices in the field.

Report

Mental Health Stigma in the Military

This report assesses the U.S. military's approach to reducing stigma for mental health disorders and their treatment, how well it is working, and how it might be improved. It presents priorities for getting service members the treatment they need.

Infographic

Building Blocks for a Resilient City

This infographic illustrates how communities can withstand and recover from disasters by building resiliency.

Report

Adults Exposed to "Know the Signs" Are More Confident Intervening with Those At Risk for Suicide

Report evaluates the effects of a California mass media program that aims to prepare more Californians to prevent suicide by encouraging them to know the warning signs, offer support to persons at risk, and reach out to local resources.

Infographic

Road to Resilience: Building Stronger, More Sustainable Communities

This infographic illustrates how communities can become more resilient as they plan ahead for potential disasters.

Research Brief

What Has the Suicide Prevention Initiative Done So Far? Year 1 Findings

This fact sheet summarizes the first-year evaluation of California's Suicide Prevention Initiative.

Report

Evaluating the California Mental Health Services Authority's Suicide Prevention Initiative: Year 1 Findings

Summarizes first-year findings of an ongoing evaluation of a California program aimed at developing statewide capacities and implementing interventions to prevent suicide.

Report

Development and Pilot Test of the RAND Suicide Prevention Program Evaluation Toolkit

The RAND Suicide Prevention Program Evaluation Toolkit draws from the scientific literature to guide evaluations of suicide prevention programs. This report is a companion to the toolkit and provides background on its development and testing.

Tool

RAND Suicide Prevention Program Evaluation Toolkit

The RAND Suicide Prevention Program Evaluation Toolkit translates scientific research on suicide prevention to help program staff assess whether their programs produce beneficial effects and identify needed improvements.

Research Brief

Improving Programs that Address Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury: The RAND Toolkit

RAND developed a set of four tools to assist with understanding, evaluating, and improving performance of programs that address psychological health and traumatic brain injuries among service members.

Report

The Development and Application of the RAND Program Classification Tool: The RAND Toolkit, Volume 1

The RAND Program Classification Tool is an instrument containing questions and response options across eight core domains that allows managers of a portfolio of programs to quickly, easily, and consistently describe and compare their programs.

Report

The RAND Online Measure Repository for Evaluating Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Programs: The RAND Toolkit, Volume 2

The RAND Online Measure Repository is an online searchable database of 171 measures of psychological health and traumatic brain injury, including measure domains, uses, psychometrics, and costs, that can be used to support program evaluation.

Report

Getting To Outcomes with Developmental Assets (AGTO): An E-Learning Module

A multimedia presentation that provides information on how to strengthen planning, implementation, and evaluation efforts, whether for a youth-serving program or a community-based coalition or initiative.

Journal Article

Household Preparedness Is Not Enough: The Challenges and Opportunities in Assessing Community Readiness for Disasters

This study aimed to identify existing measures of partnership, self-sufficiency, and social connectedness, as well as gaps and opportunities in the measurement of community preparedness and resilience.

Tool

Building Resilient Communities: An Online Training

This easy-to-use, self-guided online training shows organizations and communities how to strengthen their resilience.

Journal Article

Enhancing Quality Interventions Promoting Healthy Sexuality (EQUIPS): A Novel Application of Translational Research Methods

Overviews the study Enhancing Quality Interventions Promoting Healthy Sexuality (EQUIPS), which tests how well a community-based setting conducts an EBP, Making Proud Choices, that aims to prevent teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

Journal Article

Harnessing a Community for Sustainable Disaster Response and Recovery: An Operational Model for Integrating Nongovernmental Organizations

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are important to a community during times of disaster and routine operations. However, their effectiveness is reduced without an operational framework that integrates response and recovery efforts.

Journal Article

Intervening with Practitioners to Improve the Quality of Prevention: One-Year Findings from a Randomized Trial of Assets-Getting to Outcomes

This article reports interim findings from a randomized controlled trial evaluating Assets-Getting To Outcomes (AGTO)

Journal Article

An Intervention to Improve Program Implementation: Findings from a Two -Year Cluster Randomized Trial of Assets-Getting to Outcomes

Studies have shown that communities have not always been able to implement evidence-based prevention programs with quality and achieve outcomes demonstrated by prevention science.

Journal Article

Nongovernmental Resources to Support Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery

Although recent emergencies or disasters have underscored the vital role of nongovernmental (NGO) resources, they remain not well understood or leveraged.

Journal Article

The Promise and Pitfalls of Community Resilience

This commentary describes the potential promise and pitfalls of the concept of community resilience and recommends strategies to overcome its limitations.

Report

Interventions to Prevent Suicide: A Literature Review to Guide Evaluation of California's Mental Health Prevention and Early Intervention Initiative

Prevention and early intervention initiatives aim to reduce the incidence of suicide and other mental health problems, and the authors evaluate these initiatives by reviewing suicide prevention (SP) literature to learn about SP program effectiveness and methodologies.

Journal Article

Citizen Preparedness for Disasters: Are Current Assumptions Valid?

Despite extensive messaging about the importance of citizen preparedness and countless household surveys purporting to track the preparedness activities of individuals and households, the role individual Americans are being asked to play is largely based on conventional wisdom.

Report

Assessment of the Content, Design, and Dissemination of the Real Warriors Campaign

Presents the results of an assessment of the Real Warriors Campaign, a multimedia program designed to promote resilience, facilitate recovery, and support the reintegration of returning servicemembers, veterans, and their families.

Report

National Evaluation of Safe Start Promising Approaches: Assessing Program Outcomes

Shares the results of Safe Start Promising Approaches, a community-based initiative that implemented and evaluated promising and evidence-based programs to prevent and reduce the impact of children's exposure to violence in 15 U.S. program sites.

Journal Article

Establishing and Evaluating the Key Functions of an Interactive Systems Framework Using an Assets-Getting to Outcomes Intervention

Community practitioners can face difficulty in achieving outcomes demonstrated by prevention science.

Journal Article

An Examination of Measures Related to Children's Exposure to Violence for Use by Both Practitioners and Researchers

This review of measures to screen, assess, and track outcomes for exposure to violence among children identifies gaps in available measures and recommends establishing a centralized item bank accessible to researchers and practitioners.

Journal Article

Building Capacity for Outcomes Measurement in Human Service Organizations: The Getting to Outcomes Method

Published in: Outcomes Measurement in the Human Services, 2nd Edition: Cross-Cutting Issues and Methods in the Era of Health Reform / Magnabosco, Jennifer L. and Manderscheid, Ronald W., Eds. (Washington, DC : NASW Press, Dec. 2011), Chapter 6, p. 73-88

Report

Patient Incentives to Motivate Doctor Visits and Reduce Hypertension Disparities

Examines whether small financial incentives for patients can motivate physician visits and reduce racial/ethnic disparities in hypertension.

Research Brief

Addressing Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Among Servicemembers and Their Families: Existing Department of Defense Programs and Options for Improvement

Provides overviews and detailed descriptions of 211 programs currently sponsored or funded by the Department of Defense to address psychological health and traumatic brain injury, along with recommendations to maximize program effectiveness.

Report

Programs Addressing Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Among U.S. Military Servicemembers and Their Families

Provides overviews and detailed descriptions of 211 programs currently sponsored or funded by the Department of Defense to address psychological health and traumatic brain injury, along with recommendations to maximize program effectiveness.

Research Brief

Reducing the Impact of Children's Exposure to Violence: Results of the National Evaluation of Safe Start Promising Approaches

RAND's evaluation of Safe Start Promising Approaches identified program successes and challenges in implementing programs for children exposed to violence. The evaluation results, though largely inconclusive, can inform similar efforts going forward.

Report

Source Materials for the Healthy Communities Toolkit: A Resource Guide for Community and Faith-Based Organizations

Provides content for a toolkit that will prepare community and faith-based organizations to take advantage of opportunities presented in the Affordable Care Act and engage faith and community leaders in promoting health in their communities.

Report

The Nongovernmental Sector in Disaster Resilience: Conference Recommendations for a Policy Agenda

This report summarizes findings from a conference intended to generate a national policy agenda for better engaging nongovernmental organizations in disaster response and recovery.

Research Brief

Building Community Resilience to Disasters: A Roadmap to Guide Local Planning

Examines ways in which communities can improve their ability to withstand and recover from adversity.

Report

Building Community Resilience to Disasters: A Way Forward to Enhance National Health Security

Provides a roadmap for federal, state, and local leaders who are developing plans to enhance community resilience for health security threats and describes options for building community resilience in key areas.

Research Brief

The War Within: Suicide Prevention in the U.S. Military

The increasing number of suicides is causing concern in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Suicide-prevention programs in DoD and across the services have some (but not all) of the characteristics of comprehensive programs.

Report

The War Within: Preventing Suicide in the U.S. Military

The increase in suicides among military personnel has raised concern. This book reviews suicide epidemiology in the military, catalogs military suicide-prevention activities, and recommends relevant best practices.

Draft

Guide to the Behavioral Health Care System in the District of Columbia

Offers a detailed description of the public behavioral health care system in the District of Columbia.

Research Brief

Lessons Learned from Disaster Case Management in Louisiana

Louisiana implemented a disaster case management pilot program five years after the 2005 hurricanes. Challenges in client identification, interagency communication, and invoice approval led to delays; half the expected number of cases were opened.

Report

National Evaluation of Safe Start Promising Approaches: Assessing Program Implementation

Documents the implementation of 15 programs across the country that provide interventions for families in which children have been exposed to violence, with the goal of building knowledge about the effectiveness of specific intervention strategies.

Report

Navigating the Road to Recovery: Assessment of the Coordination, Communication, and Financing of the Disaster Case Management Pilot in Louisiana

Researchers assessing a disaster case management pilot recommend that future efforts establish better ways to find affected residents, consider needs/vulnerabilities in planning, and ensure continuity of services before, during, and after disaster.

Draft

Understanding Community Resilience in the Context of National Health Security: A Literature Review

This review lays a foundation for upcoming analyses that will provide a working definition of community resilience, identify activities for building resilience, and offer associated metrics.

Journal Article

Disaster Recovery Also Involves Human Recovery

This commentary argues that unless the U.S. examines and plans for the psychological consequences of disasters such as Katrina and the recent oil spill, communities will be struggling to address acute and chronic health issues while trying to rebuild.

Report

Behavioral Health in the District of Columbia: Assessing Need and Evaluating the Public System of Care

Report

The Role of Nongovernmental Organizations in Long-Term Human Recovery After Disaster: Reflections From Louisiana Four Years After Hurricane Katrina

Lessons learned and challenges faced by Louisiana NGOs in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina serve to inform potential policy changes and future research directions to improve long-term human recovery efforts following future disasters.

Report

A National Agenda for Public Health Systems Research on Emergency Preparedness

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response asked RAND to facilitate the development of a public health systems research agenda for emergency preparedness with a focus on both short- and long-term priorities.

Report

Assessing Health and Health Care in Prince George's County

Assesses the health care needs of the residents of Prince George's County, Maryland, and the capacity of the county's health care system to meet those needs.