Dana Schultz

Dana Schultz
Senior Policy Researcher
Pittsburgh Office

Education

M.P.P. in public policy, Harvard University

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or email media@rand.org.

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Overview

Dana Schultz (she/her) is a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. She has extensive experience in research and evaluation design, implementation and outcomes evaluations, quantitative and qualitative methodologies, developmental and participatory evaluation approaches, and collaborative research relationships with agencies and organizations in different health and social service sectors. She has conducted numerous evaluation studies to document implementation and assess effectiveness of programs designed to improve health, mental health, and other outcomes for parents, children, and families. She brings substantive expertise in maternal and child health and well-being, child and adult behavioral health interventions, child welfare, and children exposed to violence. She has also undertaken efforts to assess the availability and capacity of services, supports, and needs for different populations and portfolio review efforts to assess the outputs and outcomes from government and foundation funded research. She received her M.P.P. from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Recent Projects

  • Prediction and Reduction of Infant Mortality in Western Pennsylvania
  • Strategy Evaluation of the Healthy and Equitable Futures Initiative
  • Strategic planning and support for the Health and Well-being program
  • Evaluation and research services relating to the Connections to Care initiative
  • Needs Assessment of Women Veterans in Western Pennsylvania

Selected Publications

Schultz, Dana, Susan L. Lovejoy, Kayla M. Williams, Kerry Lindquist, and Teague Ruder, A Needs Assessment of Women Veterans in Western Pennsylvania: Final Report to Adagio Health, RAND Corporation (RR-A2023-1), 2023

Schultz, D., Lovejoy, S., & Peet, E., "Tackling Persistent and Large Disparities in Birth Outcomes in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania," Maternal and Child Health Journal, 2022

Schultz, Dana, Susan L. Lovejoy, and Evan D. Peet, Examining Interventions to Address Infant Mortality in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, RAND Corporation (RR-A858-1), 2020

Ayer, L. and Schultz, D., eds., Mental Health Task-Shifting in Community-Based Organizations: Implementation, Impact, and Cost — Evaluation of the Connections to Care Program, RAND (RR-3083), 2020

Ringel, J., Schultz, D., Mendelsohn, J., Holliday, S., Sieck, K., Edochie, I., and Davis, L. , Improving Child Welfare Outcomes: Balancing Investments in Prevention and Treatment, RAND (RR-1775), 2017

Schultz, D., Jaycox, L., Ayer, L., Setodji, C., Mahmud, A., Kofner, A., Barnes-Proby, D. , Improving Outcomes for Children Exposed to Violence: Safe Start Promising Approaches, RAND (RR-1728), 2017

Schultz, D., Reynolds, K., Sontag-Padilla, L., Lovejoy, S., Firth, R., and Pincus, H. , Transforming Systems for Parental Depression and Early Childhood Developmental Delays: Findings and Lessons Learned from the Helping Families Raise Healthy Children Initiative, RAND (RR-122), 2013

Schultz, D., Reynolds, K., Sontag-Padilla, L. Lovejoy, S.L., Firth, R., Schake, P., Hawk, J., Killmeyer, S., Troup, E., Myers-Cepicka, M., Perich, M., A Toolkit for Implementing Parental Depression Screening, Referral and Treatment Across Systems, RAND (TL-102), 2012

Commentary

  • Depression

    New Depression-Screening Guidelines Could Help Both Mother and Child

    Behavioral health professionals and community agencies often do not consider the impact of parental depression on young children or focus on the adult's role as a parent. New guidelines recommending depression screening during primary care visits for pregnant women and new mothers are a critical first step.

    Mar 18, 2016

    Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

  • Minority Students

    Realizing the Potential of 'My Brother's Keeper'

    The White House has mobilized an impressive coalition to address a critical national challenge, and used the power of research evidence to begin to structure the initiative. By drawing more lessons from research, the initiative can further bolster its chance to build strong and lasting ladders of opportunity and success for boys and young men of color.

    Mar 16, 2014

    The Hill

  • Preschool Pays Off

    Published commentary by RAND staff: Preschool Pays Off, in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

    Sep 20, 2006

    Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Publications