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Social Services and Welfare

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Report

How Social Service Providers in L.A. County Are Responding to COVID-19

Aug 24, 2020

Social service providers have adapted quickly to ensure continuity of care for their clients during the pandemic. Obstacles have included a lack of technology access among clients, reductions in revenue and workforce, difficulties having clients shelter in place, and other stressors on staff.
Report

One-Stop Social Services Efforts May Improve Community College Outcomes

Nov 30, 2016

Students participating in programs that provide a comprehensive range of support services are more likely to persist in attending community college.

Explore Social Services and Welfare

Journal Article

Journal Article

Innovations in Adult Social Care and Social Work Report

Researchers identified and prioritised a shortlist of top priority innovations to evaluate in adult social care and social work.

Sep 17, 2020
Commentary

Access to Mobile Technology Could Help with Homelessness

The vast majority of people experiencing homelessness have cell phones, which often serve as their lifelines. Providing technological supports, such as Wi-Fi access and opportunities to charge devices, could result in better access to social services and, ultimately, better quality of life and outcomes.

Sep 16, 2020
Blog

The Evidence on Kids and COVID-19, China's Use of Big Data, Telemedicine: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on what we know (and what we don't) about kids and COVID-19, how China is using big data, the future of telemedicine, and more.

Sep 4, 2020
Blog

Voting in a Pandemic, the U.S. Postal Service, Defunding the Police: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on Americans' views about voting in the age of COVID-19, what makes the U.S. Postal Service so essential, why some in law enforcement may be open to “defunding the police,” and more.

Aug 28, 2020
Report

The Law Enforcement Response to Homelessness

Despite lacking the tools and resources to address the underlying causes of homelessness, police are constantly under pressure from business leaders and communities to “fix” it. Some law enforcement agencies are trying new approaches, but they need support to improve these efforts.

Aug 25, 2020
Report

Would Law Enforcement Leaders Support Defunding the Police?

Police have expressed frustration with being expected to handle complex social problems such as homelessness and substance use. Budgeting less money for police and more for other public safety strategies might appeal to law enforcement if these efforts relieve some of the unrealistic expectations on them.

Aug 20, 2020
Report

Transforming social care provision: first steps towards sustained innovation

The main focus of this Perspective is on ideas to stimulate and sustain innovation in social care; and ideas for research to bring closer a system of sustainable social care innovation.

Aug 12, 2020
Commentary

An Uncertain Future for Jail Reform in Los Angeles

There is momentum in Los Angeles County to do the difficult work of criminal justice reform. This will take considerable investments of time and resources, as well as a commitment to implementing new strategies and evaluating their effectiveness along the way.

Jul 21, 2020
Commentary

Preventing Homelessness Among Survivors of Domestic Abuse

Without assistance, domestic violence survivors are more likely to be forced into homelessness. Now could be the time to invest in programs that help victims—before a second wave of COVID-19 cases pushes more families into unsafe environments.

Jul 2, 2020
Commentary

Defund the LAPD? Garcetti Budget Proposal Takes a Step in That Direction

Calls to “defund the police” have grown common and urgent in the wake of police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and numerous other Black Americans. Research and community activists agree: Public safety can be improved by investing more public dollars in a social safety net, and less in policing and incarceration, in Los Angeles.

Jun 30, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Provision of Social Services and Health Care Quality in US Community Health Centers, 2017

Some community health centers provide social services on-site and this was associated with better performance on measures of health care quality.

Jun 25, 2020
Commentary

Long-Term Furloughs During COVID-19 Hold Risks for Employee Health and Well-Being

Governments around the world have offered furlough schemes to try to delay employers from making any restructuring decisions during the pandemic. The aims of such programs are laudable. But they may come with unintended consequences.

Jun 15, 2020
Commentary

Emergency COVID-19 Aid Helps College Students with Food and Housing

COVID-19 has expanded the pool of cash-strapped college students, but many were already struggling before the pandemic. The crisis could draw attention to food and housing insecurity among college students, and give college leaders a chance to consider how to address these needs more systematically over the long term.

May 26, 2020
Commentary

The Role of Faith-Based Organizations During the Pandemic

Maintaining social and spiritual connections in the midst of COVID-19 are not the only challenges facing communities of faith. Congregations play critical roles in providing social services within communities. How can their services, such as food assistance, be delivered safely?

Apr 16, 2020
Commentary

Emergency Homeless Services During the COVID-19 Crisis

The recently passed $2 trillion stimulus package includes a suite of measures designed to support households that are affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. But policymakers may want to consider what protections the package offers to a particularly high-risk group: people experiencing homelessness.

Apr 7, 2020
Commentary

The Public Charge Rule's Likely Hazard to Our Nation's Health During COVID-19

The Public Charge rule makes immigrants who receive Medicaid and other publicly-funded benefits potentially ineligible for green cards, and, in some cases, subjects them to deportation. Fear and reluctance to seek assistance among immigrants is likely to worsen during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Apr 6, 2020
Essay

Supportive Housing Can Help Keep People with Mental Illness Out of Jail

Hundreds of thousands of people with serious mental illnesses cycle in and out of American jails every year. In Los Angeles, some of them are getting diverted into a supportive housing program where they can get the treatment they need. And the results are promising.

Feb 27, 2020
Research Brief

Research Brief

Estimating the Costs and Benefits of LifeSet

RAND researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of the costs and benefits of LifeSet, Youth Village's program for transition-age youth, as implemented and evaluated in Tennessee.

Feb 10, 2020

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RAND Topic:
Social Services and Welfare

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