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Essay
America's Opioid Crisis: Adopting an Ecosystem Approach
The opioid crisis is metastasizing throughout society, reaching across public health and public safety, but also education, employment, and the child welfare system. Without profound change and new approaches to the crisis, hundreds of thousands of people could die in the coming years.
Jun 30, 2023
Commentary
Treating Mental Health Within Jails Should Start Beyond Jails
In the United States, people with mental health concerns are disproportionately jailed at a staggering rate. It is essential that people have access to the health care they need while incarcerated. But efforts to build up community-based alternatives are essential, too.
Jun 22, 2023

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Report
Evaluation of Los Angeles County's 2023 Mental Health Campaigns: Identifying the Reach and Impact of the Take Action for Mental Health Los Angeles County and Do Worthwhile Work Campaigns
This report describes the evaluation of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health’s 2023 mental health prevention and early intervention and mental health workforce campaigns.
Nov 30, 2023
Essay
Why Are U.S. Military Families Experiencing Food Insecurity?
Around a quarter of active-duty service members qualify as “food insecure.” But what's causing that, how to fix it—even what it means—is not clear. Food insecurity is a multifaceted problem that needs multifaceted solutions.
Nov 6, 2023
Report
Food Insecurity Among Veterans
Veterans experiencing food insecurity are less likely than nonveterans to be enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. What factors affect this? And how might policymakers address the problem?
Sep 20, 2023
Research Brief
Reducing Policy Barriers to SNAP Participation by Food-Insecure Veterans
Food-insecure veterans are consistently less likely than their nonveteran peers to be enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), but there are opportunities to improve policies and boost veterans’ program participation.
Sep 20, 2023
Journal Article
Somewhere to Exist: Understanding the Landscape of Daytime Services for People Experiencing Homelessness in Los Angeles County
The study, undertaken between November 2022 and April 2023, reviewed Los Angeles County’s landscape of daytime services for people experiencing homelessness to inform UWGLA’s investment strategy in this sector.
Aug 30, 2023
Journal Article
Rapid Evaluation of Service Innovations in Health and Social Care: Key Considerations
This essay explores the emerging field of rapid evaluation in health and social care, drawing out the ways in which it is distinctive from or similar to other forms of applied research.
Aug 4, 2023
Journal Article
Are Household Formation Decisions and Living Together Fraud & Error Affected by the Living Together as a Married Couple Policy? An Evidence Review
This report summarises evidence on living together fraud and error (LTFE) and the social and economic context in which LTFE is embedded, with a view to informing DWP's living together policy and its application to reserved GB benefits.
Jul 11, 2023
Report
Implementation and Outcome Evaluation of LA DOOR: A Proposition 47-Funded Program in Los Angeles: Cohort 2 Final Evaluation Report
The authors discuss the Los Angeles Diversion, Outreach, and Opportunities for Recovery program, which uses a health-focused preventative approach to engage those at risk of misdemeanors related to substance use, mental illness, or homelessness.
May 24, 2023
Research Brief
Diversion Instead of Courts: Improving Outcomes for People Arrested for Low-Level Crimes
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office invested $7.76 million in Project Reset, a program to divert adults arrested for low-level crimes into community-based support programs and out of the court system. Among the key findings were improved arrest outcomes for participants and no increase in rearrests.
May 16, 2023
Report
A Process and Outcome Evaluation of Project Reset
In this report, RAND researchers share results of a process and outcome evaluation of Project Reset, a program that diverts adults arrested for low-level crimes into community-based support programs and out of the court system.
May 16, 2023
Report
Evaluability Assessment and Evaluation Options for an Elder Abuse Shelter Model
RAND researchers conducted a formative evaluation and evaluability assessment of the Weinberg Center's EAS in New York and designed three rigorous studies to test the impact of the Elder Abuse Shelter (EAS) model.
Mar 23, 2023
Research Brief
The Weinberg Center's Elder Abuse Shelter Model: Ready for Impact Evaluation
RAND researchers conducted a formative evaluation and evaluability assessment of the Weinberg Center’s Elder Abuse Shelter (EAS) in New York and designed three rigorous studies to test the impact of the EAS model.
Mar 23, 2023
News Release
U.S. Opioid Crisis Best Viewed as Connected Ecosystem; Changing Policymakers' Approach Can Aid Solutions
The nation's opioid crisis, which kills thousands of Americans annually, is best viewed as an ecosystem where all parts of the vexing problem are interconnected, underscoring the need for holistic solutions that address the broad needs of those with substance use disorders, their families, and the communities where they live.
Mar 16, 2023
Report
America's Opioid Ecosystem
Patterns and consequences of opioid use are changing dramatically. Researchers provide a nuanced assessment of America's opioid ecosystem, highlighting how leveraging system interactions can reduce addiction, overdose, suffering, and other harms.
Mar 16, 2023
Visualization
The Ecosystem Approach to Opioid Policy
RAND researchers created a tool to help federal, state, and local policymakers better understand issues surrounding opioids as an ecosystem—and explore innovative policy ideas.
Mar 16, 2023
Brochure
Spotlight 2022–2023
The events of 2022 underscore the continuous nature of change and the constant need for policy informed by evidence. Spotlight 2022-2023 highlights selected projects that we undertook in our 30th anniversary year to address some of today's most pressing policy issues.
Jan 24, 2023
Report
Alternative Approaches for Expanding the Air Force's Task Force True North Program
This report identifies approaches to expanding the Air Force's Task Force True North program, which seeks to provide prevention and treatment programs to airmen in need by embedding health care providers directly into units.
Dec 22, 2022
Report
Evaluation of Los Angeles County's L.A. Dodgers 2022 Mental Health Campaign
This evaluation indicates that the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health–Dodgers partnership to expand the reach of the WhyWeRise program successfully reached county residents and raised awareness of county mental health resources.
Nov 30, 2022

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RAND Topic:
Social Services and Welfare

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Lynn A. Karoly

Senior Economist

Lynn Karoly (she/her) is a senior economist at RAND and a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Her research has examined human capital investments, social welfare policy, child and family well-being, and labor markets. Much of her recent child policy research has…
Natalie Picken

Senior Analyst

Natalie Picken (she/her) is a senior analyst at the RAND Corporation. Working primarily for RAND Europe in the area of home affairs and social policy, her research interests focus on social inclusion, across employment, criminal justice systems, child and family policy, and education.…

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