Social Services and Welfare

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  • Woman walking by a convenience store with signs indicating acceptance of WIC and food stamps in Chelsea, Massachusetts, April 16, 2020, photo by Keiko Hiromi/Reuters

    Commentary

    The Biden Administration's Chance to Improve SNAP and Nutrition Support

    May 19, 2021

    If policymakers were to make permanent the relaxed rules forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, it could be a start to increased racial equity in SNAP. Given broad public support for SNAP, making benefits easier to access, particularly for those already eligible, could be a bipartisan priority.

  • Officer Jose Ibarra and clinical therapist Cynthia Ferreiro (far left) assist a man in Indio, California, photo courtesy of Indio Police Department

    Essay

    Rethinking How Police Respond to Homelessness

    Mar 4, 2021

    Around one-fifth of people experiencing homelessness have a severe mental health disorder. Almost as many have a substance-use disorder. Police need better policies and community partnerships to help make their response to homelessness safer, more humane, and more effective.

Explore Social Services and Welfare

  • Report

    Report

    Evaluation of Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health's 2020–2021 L.A. Dodgers Mental Health Campaign

    This report presents an evaluation of a Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health campaign with the Los Angeles Dodgers that focuses on early intervention for mental health challenges—an effort specifically aimed at the team's diverse fan base.

    Apr 6, 2022

  • A woman picks up free groceries at La Colaborativa, a nonprofit organization providing food and housing assistance in Chelsea, Massachusetts, June 2, 2021, photo by Brian Snyder/Reuters

    Commentary

    The Marriage Plot

    For more than a quarter century, the U.S. government has been sending an unmistakable message to poor, single mothers: Get married. If America genuinely wants to address poverty and achieve gender equality, this has to change.

    Apr 4, 2022

  • People fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine rest in a temporary refugee center located at a local track-and-field athletics stadium in Chisinau, Moldova, March 4, 2022, photo by Vladislav Culiomza/Reuters

    Commentary

    With the Ukrainians, Avoid the Mistakes of Other Refugee Crises

    Because of Russia's invasion, millions of Ukrainians have fled their country or are internally displaced. At this critical moment, European Union countries have an opportunity to avoid some of the worst pitfalls of how the world has handled other refugee crises.

    Mar 25, 2022

  • Two women hugging in a group setting, photo by FatCamera/Getty Images

    Report

    Evaluating WhyWeRise 2020 and 2021

    WhyWeRise is a social marketing campaign conducted by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. It is focused on prevention of, and early intervention for, mental health challenges among county residents. Surveys suggest that this campaign reached a racially, culturally, and economically diverse group of county residents; fostered a feeling of support among those exposed to the campaign; and boosted residents' awareness of local resources.

    Mar 10, 2022

  • Temporary shelters inside the Veterans Administration complex in West Los Angeles, photo by Diane Baldwin/RAND Corporation

    Essay

    The Lives of Veterans Experiencing Homelessness

    The United States pledged in 2009 to end veteran homelessness. The numbers have fallen by nearly half since then, but there are still more than 37,000 veterans living in their cars, in temporary shelters, or in makeshift camps. Researchers followed 26 of them for one year to see how they live and what keeps them on the streets.

    Feb 25, 2022

  • Report

    Report

    Support for National Security Families

    In this report, RAND researchers review the set of support programs and services available to nonmilitary national security families, comparing it with the robust portfolio of resources provided to military families by the Department of Defense.

    Jan 21, 2022

  • Mother working at home on laptop while child looks at mobile phone, photo by Andor Bujdoso/Adobe Stock

    Journal Article

    Juggling Work and Childcare During COVID-19: How EU Member States Supported Working Families in 2020

    This report outlines existing evidence about the experiences of working parents and families in Europe during the COVID-19 outbreaks in 2020 and reviews the policies set out by 10 selected EU member states in response to these challenges.

    Jan 11, 2022

  • Volunteers distribute food to veterans at a Veterans Affairs food pantry in Dayton, Ohio, October 15, 2020, photo by Jeffrey Dean/Reuters

    Commentary

    Why Are U.S. Veterans at Heightened Risk of Food Insecurity?

    U.S. veterans are at great risk of food insecurity, but there is limited understanding of exactly how many veterans lack resources to attain adequate and nutritious food and why. If resources are to be directed more effectively, the United States needs better clarity into the magnitude of the problem.

    Nov 24, 2021

  • Spectators hold signs supporting veterans along the 2018 Veterans Day Parade route in New York City, November 11, 2018, photo by EJ Hersom/Department of Defense

    Report

    American Perspectives on Veterans

    What benefits and services do Americans think the U.S. government should provide to veterans? And do they support paying more in taxes to fund such support?

    Sep 30, 2021

  • Report

    Report

    Final Evaluation of LA DOOR: Proposition 47 Grant Program

    In this report, the authors summarize their findings from an evaluation of Cohort 1 of the Los Angeles Diversion, Outreach, and Opportunities for Recovery program.

    Sep 30, 2021

  • Journal Article

    Journal Article

    Absenteeism and Presenteeism Among American Workers

    We analyze the relationship between absences, presenteeism, and work outcomes using data from the American Working Conditions Survey.

    Aug 10, 2021

  • A worker checks the identification of a veteran receiving aid at food bank in Dayton, Ohio, October 15, 2020, photo by Jeffrey Dean/Reuters

    Report

    Veterans Experience Food Insecurity

    Food insecurity is associated with poorer mental and physical health, as well as homelessness. Some veterans are at higher risk, including women, those who have been homeless, and those with serious mental illness. Few veterans receive support from federal programs designed to prevent food insecurity.

    Jul 21, 2021

  • Food blogger Katy McAvoy reaches to hang up daughter Paige's jacket after her return from school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, March 2, 2021, photo by Emily Elconin/Reuters

    Commentary

    Should Mothers Work? We've Been Asking the Wrong Question

    As schools and day cares closed due to the pandemic, millions of women were driven from the labor market. What is it worth to the United States to have mothers in the workforce?

    May 10, 2021

  • Journal Article

    Journal Article

    SNAP Participants and High Levels of Food Insecurity in the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic

    We examined how people enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, particularly Black participants, and participants residing in food deserts.

    Apr 2, 2021

  • Journal Article

    Journal Article

    Rapid Prioritisation of Topics for Rapid Evaluation: The Case of Innovations in Adult Social Care and Social Work

    This paper aims to describe and discuss a process of rapidly identifying and prioritising a shortlist of innovations for rapid evaluation applied in the field of adult social care and social work.

    Mar 18, 2021

  • Woman sitting beside window at home, photo by SimonSkafar/Getty Images

    Commentary

    Domestic Violence Support Staff Need More Help

    During the first wave of COVID-19 lockdowns, European Union states had a 60 percent increase in emergency calls about intimate-partner violence. Amid a protracted second wave that has led to further lockdowns, it may not be too late to provide the funding and legislative changes necessary to ensure domestic violence service providers can offer crucial support.

    Mar 15, 2021

  • People standing in a line with paperwork in their hands, photo by Victoria Labadie - Fotonomada/Getty Images

    Journal Article

    Is the Rise in Illicit Opioids Affecting Labor Supply and Disability Claiming Rates?

    Researchers examined how increased use of illicit opioids such as heroin and fentanyl affected labor market participation and claims for disability insurance.

    Mar 10, 2021

  • A woman receives a box of donated food items during the COVID-19 pandemic in her car, photo by SDI Productions/Getty Images

    Commentary

    Striking Rates of Food Insecurity in Two Pittsburgh Neighborhoods

    The number of Americans experiencing food insecurity has increased since the pandemic began. And rates are higher among African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, and Alaska Natives. Proactive and aggressive policy actions could help reduce the inequities in places like Pittsburgh's Hill District and Homewood neighborhoods.

    Feb 9, 2021

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