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Addressing Work-Related Traumatic Stress Nebraska - Needs Assessment Summary, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

Exploration of Needs

The Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) worked with the Nebraska Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to conduct a needs assessment. The team leveraged: (1) administrative data, primarily from the Nebraska Department of Children and Family Services’ Human Resource department (DCFS-HR); (2) formal surveys of child welfare staff and supervisors; (3) QIC-WD team expertise; and (4) subjective perceptions and expertise from the Nebraska Workforce Project Team members.

DCFS-HR data included metrics and processes related to recruitment, hiring, and retention; culture and climate; and other workforce processes and initiatives, such as onboarding, mentoring, supervision, …

Promoting Health Equity Among Racial And Ethnic Minorities During And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Alexandra Viramontes, Deserry Salgado

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Racial and ethnic minorities experience disproportionate health outcomes during a pandemic, yet preparedness plans have failed to address the social determinants of health that produce the most severe impact. By examining social workers’ perspectives on the health disparities faced by racial and ethnic minorities during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study provides insight into the ways in which services can be improved in a future health crisis. In this exploratory study, a qualitative approach was utilized where social workers were asked to participate in interviews consisting of open-ended questions. The qualitative data was obtained in the form of interview transcripts, which …

A Cautionary Tale From Nevada's Desert-People Before Company: A Case Study On Economic Development Approaches In Nevada, Ryann P.S. Juden

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project utilized a mixed methods research design consisting of a case study of Nevada to explain the state’s reliance on company-based government incentives to attract new businesses to the state. Additionally, the project applied a comparative analysis of Brazil’s and Tennessee’s use of company-based government incentives, and a more detailed comparative analysis of Virginia’s people-based government incentive approach to economic development incentives to explore policy alternatives available to decision makers. This project used the historical institutionalism approach to show how policymakers have certain institutionally dominated predispositions impacting policy outcomes leading to a path dependency where rational choice theory’s credit …

Quality Of Care: A Business Case For Us Hospitals, Iwimbong Kum Ghabowen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act present some threats and opportunities to many hospitals across the USA. Under the Value-Based Purchasing Program, acute care hospitals' rewards are tied to incentive payments for the quality of care provided in the inpatient hospital. In the last 20 years, growing research has examined the effects of the quality of care on the financial performance of hospitals. There is a gap in the literature, particularly exploring the relationship between quality and hospital financial performance using national samples. This dissertation investigates the association between patients' experience of care, 30-day readmission rates, and case-mix-index (CMI) …

The Impact Of Collaboration Outcomes In Rape Crisis Centers, Robin J. Mendoza

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sexual violence is a health and human service issue that touches a multitude of individuals, organizations, and communities. Collaboration is essential to achieving desired outcomes to prevent or intervene in sexual violence. Rape crisis centers depend on cooperation and communication with other health and human service organizations to achieve common goals of reducing sexual violence. Increasing organizational effectiveness and diversifying social and systems change through maximizing relationships is an important facet of collaboration. The purpose of this research is to identify the extent of effective collaboration amongst rape crisis centers and their affiliates in the United States. Social and organizational …

On The Same Page: Student Government And The University Administrative Agenda Alignment, James Michael Diloreto-Hill

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Within institutions of higher education, shared governance is an essential component to a healthy functionality. Among the many stakeholders at these institutions, students are the largest in number and hold primacy. Participation in student governance establishes a sense of shared ownership over their communities while also providing a unique avenue for students to gain wisdom and develop critical skill sets. Senior administrators at these institutions have many inherent challenges due to an organization that is largely decentralized and autonomous (Duderstadt, 2007). Regarding agenda setting, the Garbage Can Model (Cohen et al., 1972) was utilized as a theoretical framework. The purpose …

Decision Making Under Uncertainty Among Agricultural Commodity Traders, Marei Undine Houpert

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding how humans behave has received increased attention in research in the most recent decades. While insights into human behavior are essential for the functioning of markets, these insights are also crucial for the guidance of policymaking and public spending decisions to ensure that markets are fair and accessible for all. This research has the unique opportunity to use a dataset of commercial grain trader transactions to study the decision-making and behavior of commercial traders in agricultural commodity markets rather than institutional investors or speculators.

Paper one focuses on the performance of commercial grain traders and their ability to perform …

Other Transaction Authorities: Evaluating Innovation Policy Impact Of Alternative Contract Vehicles In The Department Of Defense, Dolores Kuchina-Musina

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Since 1958, government agencies have used Other Transactions (OT) to encourage innovation and the development of new technology. OTs' purpose is to help government agencies acquire leading-edge technology from private sector sources in a flexible, goal-oriented manner. This dissertation is a pilot study assessing whether innovation policies, specifically 10 USC 2371b (Pub. L. No. 114-92, 2015) that authorizes DoD prototype OTs, influence the Department of Defense (DoD) alternative contracting activities to promote the development of innovative technologies and products. Using existing literature and interrupted time series analysis, this dissertation examines publicly available contract data to answer the following research question: …

The Effect Of Rhetoric On Progressive Health Care Reform Policies’ Public Perception, Megan Geher

Honors Theses

Health care is one of the most contentious issues in United States politics today, and there are a variety of reform plans on the table. In order for these reform plans to be politically feasible, it is fundamental that the rhetorical framing strategies utilized are done so with caution. In this paper, I seek to understand to what extent rhetorical framing plays a role in how Americans perceive progressive health care reform plans. While there are many factors that go into public support of policies, rhetoric is one factor that cannot be ignored, as it has shown to have significant …

Vermont: A Health-Focused Landscape Analysis, Katherine Ahrens Phd, Amanda Burgess Mppm, Mph, Carly Milkowski Mph, Louisa Munk Mph, Yvonne Jonk Phd, Erika C. Ziller Phd

Population Health

The Northern Border Regional Commission State and Region Chartbooks compile county- and state-level data related to health and health care access for the Northern Border Region and the individual states of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. Topics covered in the chartbooks include demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, access to care, health outcomes, mortality rates, Health Professional Shortage Areas, and the location of Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, hospitals, and substance use treatment facilities. When data allow, we highlight the counties with the worse performance on a measure, compared with the rest of the counties in the Northern …

The Value Of Education: School Policy Decisions During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Elika W. Somani

Individually Designed Interdepartmental Major Honors Project

During the COVID-19 pandemic, lacking national U.S. policies, wide variation and conflict over chosen public school policy decisions emerged. What factors and guidelines informed the decision-making process in K-12 public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic and who were the key stakeholders? This study examines three school district types – a large city, medium city, and small-town – across Minnesota as case studies to unpack how policy decisions were made during the pandemic. Stakeholder interviews uncovered that the school decision-making process was a) connected to a district's political opinions, b) made by the superintendent and school board, c) primarily influenced by …

New Hampshire: A Health-Focused Landscape Analysis, Katherine Ahrens Phd, Amanda Burgess Mppm, Mph, Carly Milkowski Mph, Louisa Munk Mph, Yvonne Jonk Phd, Erika C. Ziller Phd

Population Health

The Northern Border Regional Commission State and Region Chartbooks compile county- and state-level data related to health and health care access for the Northern Border Region and the individual states of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. Topics covered in the chartbooks include demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, access to care, health outcomes, mortality rates, Health Professional Shortage Areas, and the location of Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, hospitals, and substance use treatment facilities. When data allow, we highlight the counties with the worse performance on a measure, compared with the rest of the counties in the …

Maine: A Health-Focused Landscape Analysis, Katherine Ahrens Phd, Amanda Burgess Mppm, Mph, Carly Milkowski Mph, Yvonne Jonk Phd, Louisa Munk Mph, Erika Ziller Phd

Population Health

The Northern Border Regional Commission State and Region Chartbooks compile county- and state-level data related to health and health care access for the Northern Border Region and the individual states of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. Topics covered in the chartbooks include demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, access to care, health outcomes, mortality rates, Health Professional Shortage Areas, and the location of Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, hospitals, and substance use treatment facilities. When data allow, we highlight the counties with the worse performance on a measure, compared with the rest of the counties in the …

The Northern Border Region: A Health-Focused Landscape Analysis, Katherine Ahrens Phd, Amanda Burgess Mppm, Mph, Carly Milkowski Mph, Louisa Munk Mph, Yvonne Jonk Phd, Erika Ziller Phd

Population Health

The Northern Border Regional Commission State and Region Chartbooks compile county- and state-level data related to health and health care access for the Northern Border Region and the individual states of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. Topics covered in the chartbooks include demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, access to care, health outcomes, mortality rates, Health Professional Shortage Areas, and the location of Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, hospitals, and substance use treatment facilities. When data allow, we highlight the counties with the worse performance on a measure, compared with the rest of the counties in the Northern …

New York: A Health-Focused Landscape Analysis, Katherine Ahrens Phd, Amanda Burgess Mppm, Mph, Carly Milkowski Mph, Louisa Munk Mph, Yvonne Jonk Phd, Erika Ziller Phd

Population Health

The Northern Border Regional Commission State and Region Chartbooks compile county- and state-level data related to health and health care access for the Northern Border Region and the individual states of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. Topics covered in the chartbooks include demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, access to care, health outcomes, mortality rates, Health Professional Shortage Areas, and the location of Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, hospitals, and substance use treatment facilities. When data allow, we highlight the counties with the worse performance on a measure, compared with the rest of the counties in the Northern …

Striving For Protection: Whistleblowers In Jordan, Wa'ed Alshoubaki, Michael Harris

Public Administration Faculty Research

Whistleblowers take it upon themselves to protect public goods and resources by blowing the whistle on corruption. Yet, they are at risk of facing retaliation from their employers, as well as of experiencing firing, unfair appraisal, and isolation at work. In this article, we investigate the extent of whistleblower protection in Jordan. We discuss whistleblowers’ significant role in reporting wrongdoings and fighting corruption, as well as the price that whistleblowers pay to protect the public interest. In this study, we used the protection analysis approach by identifying the potential risks to which whistleblowers are exposed. Specifically, we used official documents …

The Political Economy Of Border Wall Construction, Molly Rovinski

Undergraduate Theses

During the 2016 presidential election, the construction of a border wall along the United States – Mexico border came to the forefront of the political sphere in America. Since then, state governments along the border have continued the call for increased border security through increased fencing. However, the ideation of a border wall was not a new one for American border security, with most of the wall having been constructed following the Secure Fence Act of 2006. The purpose of this paper is to explore the political economy of wall construction along the border. The argument is made that the …

A 2020 Census Portrait Of America’S Largest Metro Areas: Population Growth, Diversity, Segregation, And Youth, William Frey

Policy Briefs and Reports

The nation’s major metropolitan areas—those with populations exceeding 1 million, which are home to nearly six in 10 Americans—have been a focal point of the nation’s economic vibrancy, politics, and racial and ethnic diversity. The 2020 census provides an opportunity to see how they fared in the 2010-2020 decade. Unlike the previous decade, major metro areas grew more sharply than their smaller-sized counterparts, and their cities showed growth surges even in a decade when the nation’s population registered historically low growth. Moreover, the increased racial and ethnic diversity that characterized the nation is especially concentrated in major metro areas and, …

American Rescue Plan Act (Arpa): City And County Budget Allocations In The Mountain West, Katie M. Gilbertson, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet details how city and county governments within the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah allocated funds from the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) portion of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Brookings Metro in partnership with the National League of Cities and the National Association of Counties created the “Local Government ARPA Investment Tracker” to display how communities across the country allocate this financial resource. This interactive site allows budget information from cities and counties to be added as such decisions are made.

Electric Vehicle (Ev) Infrastructure In The Mountain West, 2020-2021, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Transportation & Infrastructure

This fact sheet highlights data on electric vehicles (EVs) and EV charging stations, as originally reported by Zutobi in The 2022 EV Charging Station Report. This report examines the presence of EV infrastructure across the United States. The Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah are considered here.

Mountain West Personal Income Growth, 2021, Kristian Thymianos, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet highlights personal income growth in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The data are retrieved from The Pew Charitable Trusts (Pew) report, “Fiscal 50: State Trends and Analysis.” The compound annual growth rate in state personal income through the second quarter of 2021 and the year-to-year change in state personal income are presented. These values are adjusted for inflation.

Fortunate People In A Fortunate Land: Dwelling And Residential Alienation In Santa Monica's Rent-Controlled Housing, Lauren E.M. Everett

Dissertations and Theses

The importance of safe and stable housing for individual and community wellbeing is widely acknowledged. However, for the one third of Americans who rent their homes, housing-related stress and precarity (residential alienation) may undermine stability and a sense of home. Rent control is perhaps the most well-known tenant protection policy in the United States, but it remains highly controversial and its efficacy has been debated for decades. This research is the first academic inquiry to examine the policy through the experience of residents of rent-controlled housing. In academic discourse dominated by quantitative inquiry from the discipline of economics, this study …

The Theoretical Challenges In Ukraine, Andrew Kim

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

The unfolding situation in Ukraine seems like a scene out of the Cold War, the complexity within it not only lies in how fast these events are occurring but also in the unpredictability of Russia’s leader; to address this current conflict requires the acknowledgment of a brief background within these events and also the possible responses which we could expect to see. The following policy brief addresses the matter of the historical influences and challenges that would be facing US national security policy because of the Russia and Ukraine conflict and how this question isn’t a historical question, but rather …

2023 Graduate Program Rankings, Unlv & Unr, Olivia K. Cheche, Joshua Padilla, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Higher Education

This fact sheet highlights the 2023 U.S. News and World Report graduate program rankings for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). Rankings are displayed for graduate programs in the following fields: business; education; engineering; fine arts; law; medical; sciences and mathematics; and social sciences and humanities.

Both UNLV and UNR first achieved Carnegie R1 status in 2018 and retained the designation of very high research activity in December 2021. The graduate program rankings explored in this fact sheet help to illuminate efforts toward enhancing graduate education, an important metric to achieving and …

‘Vox Populi?:’ Assessing Nato Popularity Relative To Political And Economic Indicators In Selected Member Nations, Zachary W. Cheek

Undergraduate Economic Review

This paper seeks to identify the impact of political and economic conditions on a nation’s popularity/favorability ratings towards North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the world’s most powerful military alliance. It is found that in random-effect models there exists a significant positive relationship between a country’s democratic strength and favorability, as well as a negative relationship regarding unemployment. In fixed-effect models, however, there is slight evidence of a positive relationship with per-capita GDP, as well as negative relationships with the unemployment rate and the trade index. Overall, differences in member-nations largely account for whether democratic or macroeconomic conditions influence support.

Stakeholder Participation And Influence At State Public Utility Commissions, Genevieve Theresa Kruse

Dissertations and Theses

Despite the international consensus that climate change is a problem, few substantive policies are being pushed forward at the national level to meet international greenhouse gas reduction commitments under the Paris Agreement. The most significant climate change policies are emerging at state public utility commissions (PUCs). While PUCs were traditionally structured to regulate utilities, state PUCs are now finding themselves at the hub for renewable energy, clean energy, and distributed energy policies. Despite the increase in renewable and clean energy policies at state PUCs, there is a noticeably small environmental and clean energy stakeholder presence at those PUC proceedings. A …

Lessons Learned: Steven Rattner, Mary Anne Chute Lynch

Journal of Financial Crises

Steven Rattner, an investment banker and private equity professional, joined the Obama administration as counselor to the Secretary of the Treasury and head of the Obama administration’s Task Force on the Auto Industry, which was charged with providing aid to Chrysler and General Motors, and later to other entities, to avoid their disorderly failure and the loss of a million or more jobs. The Auto Task Force worked intensely throughout 2009 to swiftly negotiate with the corporate leadership, unions, investors, and other stakeholders of the two manufacturers to design an orderly restructuring that would put the companies on a path …

Lessons Learned: Harry Wilson, Mary Anne Chute Lynch

Journal of Financial Crises

Harry Wilson was one of four senior advisers to the US Department of the Treasury during the Obama administration and served on the President’s Task Force on the Auto Industry, which was established in 2009 and charged with providing aid to General Motors and Chrysler, and later to other entities, to avoid their disorderly failure and the loss of a million or more jobs. The Auto Task Force worked intensively throughout 2009 to swiftly negotiate with the corporate leadership, unions, investors, and other stakeholders of the two manufacturers to design an orderly restructuring that would put the companies on a …

Lessons Learned: Mara Mcneill, Mary Anne Chute Lynch

Journal of Financial Crises

Mara McNeill was senior counsel to the US Department of the Treasury on the Obama administration’s Automotive Investment Financing Program (AIFP) during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2007–09. As senior counsel, McNeill was responsible for the department’s $80 billon financing of General Motors, Chrysler, Ally Financial, and Chrysler Financial. She worked with the Auto Team Task Force, the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) legal team, and the Department of Treasury. The bipartisan AIFP team was charged with overseeing the government’s efforts to assist the companies toward a “new lease on life,” while exercising strong financial principles to protect the …

Lessons Learned: Matthew Feldman, Mary Anne Chute Lynch

Journal of Financial Crises

Matthew Feldman was the chief legal advisor to the Department of the Treasury on the Obama administration’s Task Force on the Auto Industry, which was established in 2009 and charged with providing aid to Chrysler and General Motors (GM), and later other entities, to avoid their disorderly failure and the loss of a million or more jobs. The Auto Task Force worked intensively throughout 2009 to swiftly negotiate with corporate leadership, unions, investors, and other stakeholders of the two manufacturers to design an orderly restructuring that would put the companies on a path to stability. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner recognized …