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Los Angeles

With its headquarters campus in Santa Monica, the Los Angeles area is understandably the focal point of significant RAND interest. Research on Los Angeles and its surrounding communities spans a wide analytical range, from policing, airport and harbor security, and traffic congestion to education, child care, health, and demographic issues.

News Release

Young Adults Who Live Near Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Use Marijuana More Often, Have More-Positive Views

Young adults who live in neighborhoods with more medical marijuana dispensaries use marijuana more frequently than their peers and have more-positive views about the drug. The associations were strongest among young adults who lived near dispensaries that had storefront signs.

Jun 17, 2019
Dissertation

Dissertation

The Criminal Justice System and More Lenient Drug Policy: Three Case Studies on California's Changes to How Its Criminal Justice System Addresses Drug Use

Explores California's recent liberal policies, mostly associated to drug-related crimes, to provide implications for future policymaking.

Apr 15, 2019
Commentary

How to Ensure Quality Drinking Water Service for All? One Option Is Fewer Utilities.

California's Human Right to Water Bill declares that “every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water adequate for human consumption, cooking, and sanitary purposes.” One clear barrier to reaching this target is the sheer number of small water utilities that pose service sustainability and public health risks to their customers.

Mar 26, 2019
Commentary

How Water Systems Can Learn From Smart Electric Grids

As drought and population growth place increasing pressure on water supply, the need to save and efficiently manage Southern California's water resources becomes increasingly critical. A single information and communication technology platform could go a long way toward moving water utilities from reactive to proactive maintenance practices.

Mar 22, 2019
Commentary

Increasing Groundwater Reliance in L.A. County Means Dealing with Extensive Contamination

As the Los Angeles region increases its reliance on groundwater sources to become more resilient in the face of drought and to reduce demand for imported water sources, advances in the information available on groundwater quality and contamination could help community water systems avoid health hazards and better ensure a safe drinking water supply.

Mar 12, 2019
Commentary

Is Los Angeles County Successfully Creating a Youth Movement Around Mental Health Issues?

A new community engagement campaign called WhyWeRise seeks to increase awareness of mental health access as a civil rights issue and increase civic engagement. The campaign reached its target audience—people aged 14 to 24—and showed signs of changing attitudes toward mental illness.

Dec 6, 2018
News Release

News Release

Youth-Oriented Mental Health Campaign Shows Evidence of Success

A community engagement campaign launched by Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health to address mental health barriers had an impressive reach with the younger audience it targeted and showed signs of changing attitudes.

Nov 14, 2018
Research Brief

Evaluating Los Angeles County's Mental Health Community Engagement Campaign

The WeRise/WhyWeRise campaign targeted young people to encourage them to engage with mental health issues and create a movement to lower barriers to mental health access. People exposed to the campaign reported more-supportive attitudes toward people with mental illness and greater mobilization toward action around mental health issues.

Nov 13, 2018
Report

Evaluation of Los Angeles County's Mental Health Community Engagement Campaign

The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health conducted a community engagement campaign to increase awareness of mental health access as a civil rights issue and to increase civic engagement. Youths who took part showed increased supportive and understanding attitudes toward mental illness, and empowerment and mobilization toward activism around mental health issues.

Nov 13, 2018
Research Brief

Los Angeles County's Mental Health Full Service Partnerships Yield Cost Savings

RAND estimated government spending and cost savings associated with outcomes targeted by Full Service Partnership programs in Los Angeles County: homelessness, criminal justice detention, health care (inpatient and outpatient), and employment.

Oct 29, 2018
Report

Evaluating Cost Savings Associated with Los Angeles County's Mental Health Full Service Partnerships

This report estimates government spending and cost savings associated with outcomes targeted by Full Service Partnership programs in Los Angeles County: homelessness, criminal justice detention, health care (inpatient and outpatient), and employment.

Oct 29, 2018
Multimedia

Prevention Outcomes Monitoring: Data Collection for Prevention Program Providers Webinar

Webinar of training guidance for data collectors and data entry personnel who will be using surveys to monitor prevention program outcomes.

Oct 22, 2018
Tool

Monitoring Prevention Mental Health Programs: Supporting California Counties to Meet Statewide Reporting Requirements

In this document, RAND researchers describe how they developed a tool to help the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health comply with regulations to report on outcomes for prevention mental health programs.

Sep 28, 2018
Report

Report

Local Evaluation Report for Los Angeles County's Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reduction (MIOCR) Program

RAND researchers assessed a Los Angeles County program to improve outcomes for individuals suffering from mental health disorders who are returning to the community after incarceration.

Sep 7, 2018
Essay

Supportive Housing Reduces Homelessness—and Lowers Health Care Costs by Millions

Los Angeles County has moved some of its most chronically homeless and vulnerable residents into permanent housing. Providing them with social services and health care has dramatically reduced their use of emergency rooms and other services, saving taxpayers millions of dollars.

Jun 27, 2018
Commentary

Why Children Need to Be Shielded from Marijuana Ads

By design, advertising is aimed at persuading us to want something. In the case of marijuana, that something is definitely not good for teenagers.

Jun 18, 2018
Commentary

Advertising and Teens in the Era of the 'Blackout Brownie'

Exposure to marijuana advertising may play a significant role in shaping teen attitudes about the drug, and contribute to increased marijuana use and related negative consequences throughout adolescence. Restrictions on marijuana advertising similar to those on alcohol and tobacco would likely help limit its exposure to teens.

May 31, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Evaluating Community Partnerships Addressing Community Resilience in Los Angeles, California

This study measured a key characteristic of community resilience: the growth of organizational networks and partnerships over time. Information from this research may be useful to local health departments interested in applying a community resilience framework to disaster preparedness.

May 4, 2018
News Release

News Release

Evaluation of Mental Health Service Act in L.A. County Shows Services Reaching Those in Need

Funding from California's special tax for mental health services has allowed Los Angeles County to reach the seriously mentally ill and those at risk for mental illness with services and prevention efforts, lowering both homelessness and the need for psychiatric hospitalizations, while improving employment and wellbeing.

Mar 13, 2018
Research Brief

The Mental Health Services Act in Los Angeles County: Evaluating Program Reach and Outcomes

RAND researchers examined the geographic and demographic reach of Mental Health Services Act-funded activities in Los Angeles County and assessed their impact on clients.

Mar 12, 2018

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