Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Health Information Exchange: A Strategy For Improving Access For Rural Veterans In The Maine Flex Rural Veterans Health Access, Karen B. Pearson Mlis, Ma, Amanda Burgess Mppm, John A. Gale Ms, Andrew F. Coburn Phd, Anush Yousefian Hansen Ms, Ma

Access / Insurance

This paper reports on the design and implementation of a first-in-the nation project to expand rural veterans’ access to healthcare by establishing a bi-directional connection between Maine’s statewide health information exchange (HIE) and Veterans Administration facilities and centers. The paper reviews key factors that have contributed to implementation challenges and successes and lessons relevant to efforts to create interoperable health IT systems across multiple, complex organizational settings.

Enhancing Access To Alcohol Use Disorder Pharmacotherapy And Treatment In Primary Care Settings: Adapt-Pc, Hildi J. Hagedorn, Randall Brown, Michael Dawes, Eric Diepernick, Donald Myrick, Elizabeth M. Oliva, Todd H. Wagner, Jennifer P. Wisdom, Alex Harris

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

Background: Only 7.8% of individuals meeting diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder (AUD) receive treatment in a given year. Most individuals with AUDs are identified in primary care (PC) settings and referred to substance use disorders (SUD) clinics; however, only a minority of those referred attend treatment services. Safe and effective pharmacological treatments for AUD exist, but they are rarely prescribed by PC providers. The objective of this study is to refine, implement, and evaluate an intervention to integrate pharmacological AUD treatment options into PC settings. This paper provides a detailed description of the intervention design and the evaluation components. …

Climate Change Planning In Dallas-Fort Worth: Discourse And Public Participation In A Politically Conservative Region, Ann W. Foss

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges currently facing our world, and in the field of planning there has been much attention paid to climate action planning by environmental leader cities. However, political controversy surrounds climate change in the United States, making it difficult for some cities and regions to explicitly and effectively respond to climate change. This dissertation examines planning actions related to the federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, and climate change more broadly, in the politically conservative Dallas-Fort Worth region of Texas from 2005 to 2015. In particular, the research strives to better understand the …

A Comparison Of Magnet Schools To Traditional Schools: Application Of Critical Education Theory, Gregory Dale Cartwright

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

After considerable research, it was determined that a research gap exists that examines the overall impact of school choice concerning magnet and traditional high schools. The timing is especially critical in Texas with the passing of House Bill 5, which attempts to loosen the stranglehold of standardized testing. High schools will be given the opportunity to provide creative educational opportunities to students. Many school districts are transitioning to pathway programs in an attempt to increase the academic performance of an urban population as well as high school completion. Accordingly, this dissertation attempts to operationalize critical education theory, by comparing traditional …

Developing Housing Finance Framework As An Approach To Provide Affordable Finance Mechanisms For Middle Income Citizens And Housing Developers In Saudi Arabia, Musaed Khalid-Ak Alqannas

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

With high economic growth rate, population rate, increased employment, and income opportunities, the demand for housing has increased, along with the lack of affordable finance mechanisms. A main concern of the housing problem in Saudi Arabia is the high demand compared to housing needs. Saudi Arabia lacks a housing finance framework or strategy to create flexible and affordable lending mechanisms to tackle the affordable finance problems. This research targets: 1) the middle income citizens to increase the homeownership rate and 2) the housing developer to increase affordable housing units and the investment in the housing market. This research compares the …

School Based Mentoring: An Evaluation Of Carrollton-Farmers Branch Isd Mentoring Program., Nicole Calhoun, Heidi Mims, Yolanda Williams

Public Administration Capstone Reports - Archive

Program Coordinator Victoria Mendoza of the Carrollton - Farmers Branch ISD requested a comprehensive evaluation of the Farmers Branch Elementary and Vivian Field Middle School Mentoring Program and its impact on student achievement. The program is in its fifth year of operation and has served approximately 185 students. Mendoza requested an evaluation to determine if the mentoring program is successful, how the district should measure the impact of the program, and what improvements could be made to improve the program from the evaluation data that is collected.

Coalition For Prisoners' Rights Newsletter, Vol 41-Xx, No. 5, Coalition For Prisoners' Rights

Coalition for Prisoners' Rights Newsletters

All Year Realities for Many Families and Youth

Luchamos por Nuestras Vidas

Let Us Count the Ways

Warnings

2016 The Promise Of A New Day: Support For Service Members Transitioning To Civilian Life In San Diego, Kim D. Hunt, Mary Jo Schumann

Military

This report highlights the first year program evaluation of zero8hundred, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to proactively link transitioning military families to a broad range of resources, helping them successfully transition to civilian life in San Diego County.

Make The Connection: Personal And Institutional Identity In The U.S. Department Of Veterans Affairs Ptsd Campaign, Staci B. Smith

Open Access Theses

The common procedure in a health campaign is to use fear and guilt appeals to influence health behaviors among target populations (Mattson & Lam, 2016). The use of identity, identification, and reframing in a health campaign has been relatively under-explored. This study examines invitations to identification and reframing in a specific health campaign, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) “Make the Connection” campaign. With the issues of mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reaching high levels of attention in media and society, the VA’s Make the Connection campaign encourages military veterans and their families to seek help for …

A Cross-Sectional And Mixed-Method Assessment Of Safety Culture And Safety Climate At A Regional Airline, Micah S. Walala

Open Access Dissertations

The researcher applied a mixed methods approach to conduct a cross-sectional assessment of the safety culture, safety climate, and SMS at a regional airline in the United States. Data collection techniques were comprised of interview, on-line-survey, and a focus group activity. Participants in the current study were maintenance technicians, flight attendants, dispatchers, pilots, and managers. Results indicated significant differences of perception of safety climate, safety culture, and Safety Management System between the maintenance technicians and flight attendants. The length of time a participant had worked at the subject airline and age of the participant appeared to be significant factors of …

Utilizing The Signaling Theory In Order To Enhance Minority Recruitment In Law Enforcement, Donald B. Terheide

Open Access Dissertations

Minority recruitment has been an emphasis for law enforcement agencies for decades. These agencies have attempted to recruit minority officers through different venues, including college visits, career fairs, advertising, high school visits, community organizations, and other avenues in an attempt to have their department more representative of the community. However, there has been a limited amount of research on the potential applicants’ perspective concerning how these recruiting efforts have persuaded them, and the messages conveyed to the applicants.

This dissertation has been written utilizing the Signaling Theory, and determining what signals are sent to minority applicants, and how they are …

Predicting Depression In Older Adults: Community Vs. Nursing Home, Hannah Vitello, Skye Leedahl

Senior Honors Projects

With the population of the United States slowly growing older, the issues surrounding long-term services and supports (LTSS) will become more prevalent. Little research has been done comparing older adults living in nursing homes to older adults living in the community, especially regarding mental health and depression. Depression is a mental illness that affects people emotionally and physically, as well as mentally, which can lead easily into other health complications in the older adult population. This study seeks to determine if factors such as demographics, health, social interaction, and family relationships affect mental health in nursing home residents differently than …

Happiness And Government: The Role Of Public Spending And Public Governance, Lok Sang Ho, Yew Kwang Ng

Centre for Public Policy Studies : CPPS Working Paper Series

We use a quadratic form in the key spending variables to estimate optimal government spending, using World Value Survey data covering 78 countries. We found that the average of total public spending for countries of good public governance, at 36.45% of GDP, is almost identical to the average of estimates of optimal public spending at 36.49%. However, significant over-spending or under-spending is found for individual countries. Optimal spending on both healthcare and that for education increase with population aging. Spending on education is found to reduce optimal healthcare spending. Per capita GDP increases optimal healthcare spending but reduces optimal education …

The Power Of A Secret: Secret Societies And The Easter Rising, Sierra M. Harlan

Senior Theses

The Irish Republican Brotherhood (I.R.B.) and the Irish Volunteer Force (I.V.F.) altered Irish Nationalist tactics from Parliamentary supported Home Rule to a republican movement for Irish Independence. The actions of these secret societies between 1900 and 1916, during the Irish Revolutionary period,[1] are the reason that Ireland gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1922. The change from political negotiations by the ineffective Irish Parliamentary Party to the republican movement would never have happened without the Easter Rising of 1916. The centennial anniversary of this Easter Rising makes The Power of a Secret: Ireland’s Secret Societies and the Easter …

It’S About Time: Costs And Coverage Of Paid Family And Medical Leave In Massachusetts, Randy Albelda, Alan Clayton-Matthews

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

In the United States, some, but far from all, employers offer certain forms of wage replacement when workers take a leave for medical or family reasons. In 2015, only 12% of all workers had access to paid family leave from their employers, 38% had access to short-term disability leave, and 65% had paid sick leave. Extending paid family and medical leave to all employees through a statewide program would share the costs and expand access, level the employment playing field, and reduce inequality among workers. One often-cited obstacle to providing paid family and medical leave in the United States is …

Cycling Around The Car : An Analysis Of America’S Car Culture, Cycling For Transportation In The Netherlands, And An Exploration Of Policy Solutions., Stephanie Dooper

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

Using Applied Public Relations To Develop The Londonderry Rail Trail, Meghan Rimol

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This project uses applied public relations research and theory to plan, implement and evaluate a campaign in partnership with nonprofit organization Londonderry Trailways to facilitate the development of the Londonderry Rail Trail in the town of Londonderry, New Hampshire. Using formal organizational analysis and research techniques, this project explores the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the organization relative to the Rail Trail project and outlines a comprehensive plan to address these issues. This plan, which was implemented between June 1, 2015, and January 1, 2016, includes a digital media campaign and various promotional events aimed at engaging key stakeholders …

Media Technology: An Evolving Political Machine, Jesper Van Den Bergh

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The goal of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of social media and the role that it plays when it comes to influencing legislation. The methodology was two-fold, a historical comparison with the role of social media being compared to the roles of media/information technology in the past, and a quantitative analysis of fiscal spending and social media presence. Possible problems could include a lack of quantitative data when it comes to social media, and a failure to establish enough of a connection between social media and technologies of the past. However, through these avenues the argument was advanced …

Jesus Wouldn’T Mow, He’D Grow: Transforming Congregations, Lawns, And Food Security In Linn County, Ia, Juliette Crellin

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This study looks at religious organizations, lawns, and food insecurity in Linn County, and seeks to evaluate a hypothesis set forth by the founder of a farming nonprofit in the county. The Kendrick Hypothesis states that Linn County congregations could grow enough food on their lawns to eliminate food insecurity in the region. The study assesses this hypothesis using a yield analysis and survey of local religious leaders. While the study found that full participation in a congregation garden program could produce enough yield to significantly impact the county’s food insecurity, the results do not support the Kendrick Hypothesis. The …

Implementation Of The Public Distribution System: An Empirical Analysis Of The Right To Food In An Urban Slum, Dipika Jain, Brian Tronic

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Malnutrition is one of the biggest problems facing India today. Thus, the functioning of the Public Distribution System (PDS) - which provides subsidized food to hundreds of millions of people is critically important. However, while numerous studies have evaluated the performance of the PDS in rural areas, there is a notable lack of research in urban slums, a rapidly growing population. Through interviews with PDS beneficiaries and other stakeholders, the present study examines the PDS in one slum in Delhi and finds numerous problems, including low quality grain, corruption, and the lack of an effective complaint mechanism. Although several states …

Biblioworks: Advocating For The Creation Of Libraries For Children In Chuquisaca, Bolivia, Jhasmany Saavedra

Capstone Collection

During 2015-16, I completed my SIT professional practicum as an intern with BiblioWorks based in the Asheville, North Carolina office. Founded in 2005, the focus of this very small organization has been to provide funding and support for libraries and other educational programs in one part of Bolivia. I am from Bolivia and, prior to my scholarship to study at SIT, had worked with local NGOs. During my on-campus phase, I took a sequence of courses in policy advocacy and thus, along with other assignments, I became BiblioWorks’ US-based resource person working with the Bolivia-based director as the organization began …

Mother-To-Mother: Creating A Peer Mentor Program For Mothers In Homelessness, Taylor D. Hartman

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Mothers with children represent a growing segment of the homeless population. The American Psychological Association (APA) responded to the problem by initiating a task force in 2009 calling psychologists to step forward and enhance the treatment and services available for this population. However, providing treatment is often a challenge for this population because of the power differential and other barriers that negatively impact the potential relationship between mental health providers and the person living in homelessness (Hoffman & Coffey, 2008). The use of a peer mentor to mitigate the risk factors for a specific population has been an effective intervention …

Police Use Of Force With The Mentally Ill, Chelsea Moore

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Police officers experience many difficult situations in their line of duty, but two situations stand out as particularly unsettling for police officers: when they interact with people who are (a) under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and when (b) people appear to be suffering from serious mental illness (Kaminski, DiGiovanni, & Downs, 2004). This study explores the impact of these conditions on whether or not police officers resort to using force within a Northwestern metropolitan police department. A set of archival data consisting of force incidents was divided into four subgroups depending on subject (suspect) substance use and mental …

Cultural Values And Risk And Benefit Perceptions: An Examination Of The Mediating Roles Of Trust And Knowledge Hubris, Clayton Creed Tumlison

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the process by which cultural value predispositions influence perceptions of risks and benefits of energy policies, specifically focusing on High Voltage Power Line (HVPL) installations and Hydraulic Fracturing (fracking). For HVPL installations I examine the role of (dis)trust in three groups associated with the HVPL debate – the government, environmental groups, and the energy industry – in determining risk and benefit perceptions of HVPL installation. Findings indicate that cultural value predispositions guide policy elites’ perceptions of trustworthiness. Further, this trust, in turn, guides perceptions of risks and benefits of HVPL installations, partially mediating the effects of cultural …

Sri Lanka National Mine Action Strategy 2016-2020, Ministry Of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement, And Hindu Religious Affairs

Global CWD Repository

This national mine action strategy was developed with the active participation of all relevant stakeholders in Sri Lanka’s mine action programme, including:

• representatives from the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL);

• Sri Lankan Army Humanitarian Demining Units (SLA HDUs);

• national and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs); and

• civil society organisations.

The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) assisted with facilitating a four-day strategy and prioritisation workshop in Colombo in June 2015, bringing all key stakeholders together. The strategy is based on information gathered during that workshop as well as on follow-on meetings and discussions on specific topics. …

Advanced Training On Ammunition Identification And Disposal In Afghanistan, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

GICHD delivered an advanced level training course on ammunition identification and disposal in Kabul, Afghanistan on 16-29 April 2016. The focus of the course was to build on existing skillsets and improve the knowledge of the characteristics of NATO and other ammunition encountered in Afghanistan.

By not offering a formal IMAS explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) qualification and associated testing protocols, the course curriculum allowed flexibility. On the first day the program was customised to the assessed needs of the attendees, based on the feedback from interviews with them all. As a result the curriculum allowed, for the practicing of alternative …

A Guide To Cluster Munitions, Gichd, Convention On Cluster Munitions

Global CWD Repository

Since the CCM entered into force in 2010, much expertise has been acquired by States Parties and partner organisations. This expertise addresses challenges in treaty compliance and best practices that have been developed within the sector to support effective and efficient implementation of the Convention.

This new edition of A Guide to Cluster Munitions features updated information on the Convention’s key obligations such as stockpile destruction and cluster munitions clearance. It features comprehensive descriptions and illustrations of the types of cluster munitions in contaminated areas. It also explores good practices in risk education and victim assistance, as well as other …

The Manifestation Of Blight: Examining The Effects Of Inner City Decline On Populations In The Bronx, New York And New Orleans, Louisiana, Bianca R. Stewart

Honors Theses

Urban decline, and the developments that trigger a collapse among formerly prosperous cities, is a phenomenon that is capable of leaving a lasting mark on any urban system. The collapse and disintegration of the urban landscape carries a variety of facilitators, and with that, this research sought to examine two distinct representations of urban decline and the populations that shifted in tandem with blight: the New York City fiscal crisis of the 1970s and post-Katrina conditions in New Orleans, Louisiana. Through New York City’s fiscal crisis and the act of condensing a city in hopes of rectifying urban decline, known …

Perceptions Of University Community Members Regarding Alcohol Restriction Policies, Katherine A. Meeker

Honors Theses

There has been a growing concern regarding sexual assaults on college and university campuses. The push to decrease sexual assaults has lead researchers and universities to examine alcohol abuse as a contributing factor. Many colleges and universities have developed new policies for alcohol restriction, but they have done so without taking into consideration the views of the campus community. In the absence of collaboration between the campus community and university administration, such policies will likely be ineffective. This study explores the beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes of the campus community regarding alcohol restriction policies at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Implementing A Good Catch Program In Nursing Homes, Leigh Raposo

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Rationale and processes for reporting near misses and evidence-based tools were collected by a literature search, seminal works by Sidney Dekker and James Reason, and websites for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Tools, information, and strategies found in this research were evaluated for implementation in Maine nursing homes. The tools provide a communication vehicle for nursing home staff to safely report to management near misses, or mistakes that do not harm residents. To emphasize a positive approach, the project replaces the term …