Public Administration Commons^™

Managing Burnout And Secondary Traumatic Stress In Human Service Organizations, Naomi Ingram

School of Professional Studies

This Case Study explores how burnout and secondary traumatic stress impact staffing, service delivery, and organizational effectiveness in a human service agency. The Case Study is focused around Ascentria Care Alliance’s Children & Family Services in Massachusetts, which encompasses three foster care programs: the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM), Division of Children’s Services (DCS), and Intensive Foster Care (IFC) programs. Both individual and organizational approaches are needed to most effectively address burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Individual workers need to build resilience factors such as self-compassion and mindfulness, set appropriate boundaries with clients, engage in ongoing training, support, consultation, and supervision, …

Rest Homes: Their Value On Massachusetts Healthcare Continuum, Ronald Pawelski

School of Professional Studies

In Massachusetts, rest homes provide cost effective care for elderly residents in a community setting. Rest homes, however, are not well-understood and the rest home industry itself suffers greatly, not only from a lack of understanding of the services they provide, but also from the strain on their financial resources due to both competition from other healthcare options and insufficient reimbursement rates for residents’ care.

The paper explores the financial challenges facing the industry and outlines the data that speaks to the value of the rest home care option for both the residents themselves and Massachusetts state healthcare budget. It …

A Case Study On The Best Practices Of The Facilitating Organization For Peer Recovery Support Services In The State Of New Hampshire, Maggie Ringey

School of Professional Studies

In working with the Facilitating Organization for Peer Recovery Support Services through Harbor Homes, I have found that the Recovery Community Organizations that receive support through the FO provide valuable services that help individuals that struggle with substance use disorder achieve and maintain long term sobriety and recovery. The RCOs throughout New Hampshire bridge gaps in services and treatments that are left untouched by traditional clinical methods and through regular check ins, participants at the RCOs have reported that the services provided resulted in positive outcomes in their lives. Throughout the course of this research, I found that the RCOs …

Elder Isolation In Immigrant Communities, Jessica Da Silva

School of Professional Studies

This paper examined loneliness, as a measurement of perceived social isolation, in older immigrant adults. Previous research shows that older adults are more likely to experience social isolation and loneliness. Both of which have a direct correlation with their overall health (Wilson & Molton, 2010, Cacioppo et al., 2002) and mortality rates (Holt-Lunstad et al, 2015). Another international study found that immigrants in particular are at a higher risk for experiencing loneliness (Government of Canada, 2018). In this study, 35 immigrants and non-immigrants participants answered a survey which included 20 questions from the UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3 (Russel, 1996). …

Dallas, Tx: The Staggering Wealth Gap, Macy Golman

School of Professional Studies

In the summer of 2019, I had the privilege of serving as an AmeriCorps member with an organization called Equal Heart. One of Equal Heart’s main initiatives was to provide meals to children in underserved populations, to make sure that without school in session, these children would still be receiving food. Unfortunately, in many instances, without these meals, many of the children we served would likely not know when they would be eating their next fulfilling meal. There were certain pockets of Dallas that we would travel to everyday, places that were fifteen minutes maximum from my house, but places …

Weaponizing The Epa: Presidential Control And Wicked Problems, Craig A. Jones

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In its broadest sense, presidential control encompasses all the actions, in both word and deed, whereby presidents “go it alone” to adopt policies in the absence of congressional will to do so, and sometimes directly contrary to it. This dissertation studies how President Obama used rhetorical and administrative tools of presidential control to address the “wicked problem” of climate change. The “administrative presidency” and the “rhetorical presidency” are familiar political science terms, but in the case of climate change policy, they appear to be moving policymaking in a new and perhaps profound direction, which this study refers to as “post-deliberative …

Creating Accessory Dwelling Units (Adus) During The California Housing Shortage: Benchmarking Adu Programs Within Selected Bay Area City And County Jurisdictions Against The City Of The Santa Cruz And The County Of Santa Cruz, Ivo Niko Basor

Master's Projects

The State of California is currently in a housing crisis, which many researchers believe stems from a foundational issue with the supply and demand for housing (Tanner, Garcia, Buhayar, 2019). More specifically, California has seen a steady population increase for several decades; however, the growing demand for housing has not kept up with supply. The influx of new people coming to California, and birth rates exceeding death rates, have been defining factors in the growing demand for housing (Public Policy Institute of California, 2018). As high paying jobs are created and bring in top wage earners, and the cost of …

Improving Indigent Defense: An Evaluation Of Program Effectiveness For The California Defense Investigators Association’S Defense Investigator Training Academy, Sheree Martinek

Master's Projects

Training is a crucial component of investigation work; however, there is a significant discrepancy regarding the training mandated and received by prosecution-oriented and defense-oriented investigators. Prosecution investigators (such as law enforcement detectives or District Attorney investigators) have considerable resources and require extensive training aside from one’s education. In respect to training, investigators who work for the prosecution are required to complete the California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). Completion of POST is a minimum of 664 hours of training (POST, 2020). However, there is no mandatory training program, academy, or number of cumulative training hours required for an investigator …

Equity-Based Resource And Service Allocation For The City Of San José’S Department Of Parks, Recreation And Neighborhood Services, Patrick Córdova

Master's Projects

The purpose of this research is to examine the literature and public agency practice to understand how public agencies are using equity to allocate funding for services to provide an adequate level of service to stakeholders based on need. The research question is, based on existing research and other governmental agency models, how can the City of San José’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) develop guidelines to allocate its resources within an equity-based framework?

Getting To Zero: An Evaluation Of Santa Clara County’S Hiv Prevention Program In Comparison To Selected Counties, Nupur Rathore

Master's Projects

Research Question: This research project compared SCC with nine other counties in California to determine, how SCC’s outcome of its GTZ program varies in comparison to other selected counties? The project also focused on determining how SCC’s spending for its GTZ differed from the other selected counties?

Credit For Prior Learning Among Student Veterans Across Selected Campuses Of University Of California And California State University: A Managerial Audit, Janani Chandrasekar

Master's Projects

What variations are observed in the implementation of Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) for student veterans across different public universities in California? What gaps, if any, exist in SJSU’s CPL program when compared to other campuses, and what recommendations can be made to build a more efficient process?

Ensuring Resilience: Efforts To Retrofit Soft-Story Housing In California, Griffin Weizer

Master's Projects

The intention of this study was to determine what soft story housing retrofit ordinances have been offered by local governments in the State of California since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and to analyze the components and provisions therein to determine possible trends and best practices.

Operational Procedures For Releasing Police Records: A Process Evaluation Of California Law Enforcement Agencies’ Implementation Of Senate Bill 1421, Bianca Madrid

Master's Projects

This research intends to explain how law enforcement agencies in California have implemented operational procedures to comply with the CPRA pursuant to SB 1421 requirements. Because SB 1421 vastly expanded the CPRA, demand for law enforcement record requests has significantly increased in volume. Also, due to key components of SB 1421 which lack clarity in defining specific terminology, each law enforcement agency had to develop its own interpretation of how to implement requirements set forth by the statute. Law enforcement agencies have implemented new requirements to reflect the changes in SB 1421 by establishing working protocols for compliance, developing standard …

Educating Children And Youth Experiencing Homelessness By Funding Local Implementation: Compliance For Positive Student Outcomes Under The Mckinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, Darius Jamal Brown

Master's Projects

This project focused on two LEAs that received EHCY funding in California, and aimed to answer the following research question: How does receiving EHCY funding affect the services directed at fulfilling the goal of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of ensuring free public education for children and youth experiencing homelessness in two California counties?

Veteran Service Organizations’ Declining Membership And How To Fix It, Ben Sok

Master's Projects

The purpose of this project is to provide VSO’s struggling to recruit and retain members with a resource to assist them in identifying potential members, their barriers for membership, what programs and services they desire, and solicit recommendations for improvement. By focusing on TAL and analyzing their issues, a standard survey pool can be developed so that similar organizations can create personalized surveys that are concise, efficient, and effective as well as reducing respondent burden as much as possible. Such a survey is more likely to be completed by veterans and their families offering more data for analysis useful in …

Cost Effectiveness And Hospitalization Rates Of Those With Mental Health Issues Using On-Site Versus Off-Site Job Coaching, Jerry Dattilo

Master's Projects

The State of California’s Department of Rehabilitation has established a goal of reducing the rate of unemployment for people suffering from mental illness (Department of Rehabilitation, 2020). Sheltered workshops and short duration employment efforts have proven to be less effective than the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) or other supported employment models. Provided that they have the right support and strategies, those suffering from mental illness can maintain competitive employment and reduce their incidences of hospitalization, dependency, boredom, and lack of fulfillment. The alienation one suffers from lack of social connection and employment cannot be understated. Participants in supported employment …

California’S Proposition 47: The Safe Neighborhoods And Schools Act, Edith Garcia Fong

Master's Projects

Proposition 47 made drastic changes to California’s criminal justice system. Critics and proponents of the measure have made sweeping claims about its impact on crime trends and the criminal justice system, in general. However, many of these claims are based on assumptions and are not based on actual data and research. Given the fact that California’s prison population is still subject to court oversight, it is essential that the effectiveness of Proposition 47 as a solution to this issue be evaluated. If the state hopes to maintain compliance with the court-mandated prison population caps, it must ensure to exhaust all …

Purchasing For A Better Future: Sustainable Procurement In The County Of Santa Clara, Mariah Teal Lindberg

Master's Projects

In brief, this study aims to address sustainable procurement in SCC and its Procurement Department (PRC). A multi-varied analysis and discussion of market industries and the vendor community, present SCC policies and programs, and the overarching feasibility and environmental impact of sustainable procurement is provided to assist SCC in meeting its vision of sustainability. Procurement is a dynamic process, and for that reason, requires transformation and "strategic decision-making about how to best pursue and achieve long-term sustainability aims and goals" through SCC's purchasing vehicles (SCC OOS, 2018c, para. 4). Today, SCC, like many other governments, is grappling with the problems …

Youth Employment And Work Readiness: An Outcome Evaluation Of The County Of Santa Clara Intern & Earn Program, Kimlien Le

Master's Projects

The purpose of this research was to conduct an outcome evaluation of the County of Santa Clara Intern & Earn summer internship program, evaluating the impact of the program on the youth participants’ perception of their work readiness, as measured by their understanding of employer expectations, ability to communicate professionally, knowledge of career options, and their educational aspirations for future career advancement.

By placing low-income youth in subsidized summer employment programs that provide early work experiences with public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private businesses; disadvantaged youth are given the opportunity to access skills development and employer networks, increase family earnings, …

Combating The Silver Tsunami: How Can Santa Clara County Local Agencies Develop The Next Generation Of Leaders?, Nadia Webster

Master's Projects

Although retirements are expected as part of a lifecycle within organizations, the Silver Tsunami potentially removes a large amount of valuable expertise and intellectual capital from public agencies. The implications of this wave of retirements not only include an inadequate number of senior executives in public service, but also the loss of institutional knowledge that has been acquired within agencies over time. This research will explore the implications of the wave of retirements of baby boomers from senior executive roles within the public sector, and analyze what Santa Clara County local government agencies are doing to prepare and develop the …

Sustainable Cannabis Policy In California: Addressing The Legal Cannabis Industry’S Carbon Footprint, Genevieve Yip

Master's Projects

As cannabis cultivation can be highly energy-intensive, the legalization of cannabis growing has created concerns for energy forecasting, electric system reliability, rate design, and energy efficiency policies, as well as possible ramifications for the state’s electricity grid (California Energy Commission, 2018b). Indoor cannabis cultivation in California accounts for 3% of the state’s total energy consumption (Mills, 2012), and as the industry continues to grow, its energy consumption will result in significant greenhouse gas emissions, unless otherwise mitigated (Warren, 2015). The addition of a new industry that is highly energy-intensive, such as the legalized cannabis industry, is a problem for California. …

Student Health Services On Community College Campuses In California, Travis Cheng

Master's Projects

A community college's main mission is to provide access to education and providing access to basic healthcare bolsters success and lessens the educational disparity gap. Furthermore, community colleges provide greater opportunities for social and physical well being by offering student health care as one of its services. Besides contributing to the limited body of literature on the topic of student health centers on community college campuses in California, the purpose of this research is to gain a better understanding of how the student health centers on community college campuses have evolved in California regarding the services provided, and to explore …

The Adoption Of Zero-Emissions Vehicles By Low-Income Consumers In California: An Outcome Evaluation Of The Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, Julie Nguyen

Master's Projects

Is the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP) program achieving its planned outcomes of accelerating the adoption of Zero-Emissions Vehicles (ZEVs) by low-income consumers in California? This research will evaluate what effect additional CVRP rebates provided to low-income consumers have on their adoptions of ZEVs. The purpose of this research is to determine whether the CVRP rebates are making it feasible and compelling enough for low-income consumers to adopt ZEVs at a rate that will lead to California meeting its greenhouse gas reduction goals.

Pupil Transportation Alternatives: An Analysis Of Alternative Pupil Transportation Models, Jarrett Garife

Master's Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine whether alternative pupil-transportation models are more cost efficient and safer for students than traditional school bus transportation in California. The study also focused on the fiscal and safety challenges that school districts face when transporting students. For the purpose of this analysis, “safer” will be defined in relation to the estimated injury or fatality costs resulting from a vehicle/school bus accident during pupil transportation.

The study analyzed the transportation departments of five California school districts (San Francisco Unified School District, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, Salinas City Elementary School District, Chualar Union …

Building A Collaborative Governance Framework: A Five Step Process, Jim Johnson, Wendy Willis, Cat Mcginnis

National Policy Consensus Center Publications

As collaborative governance groups form and evolve, they increasingly need a clearly articulated organizational structure to advance their strategy and achieve their goals. This guide provides groups with a process for developing a collaborative governance framework.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Revolution: A Case Study Of Public Policy In The Nevada Legislature, Caitlin J. Saladino

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explain the dynamics of metropolitan policymaking in Las Vegas, Nevada. This study utilizes advocacy coalition framework to show how underlying beliefs among policy actors, and within the coalitions they form, impact decisions made at the level of the Nevada Legislature. As the newest metropolitan region to emerge among the top 30 metros in the United States, a case study exploring Las Vegas offers a unique contribution to existing literature in public policy and urban affairs. In the wake of economic downturn in the Great Recession and the adoption of a new …

Writing As A Nonprofit Leadership Tool, Samantha Weinberg

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

When writers use their skills towards a nonprofit’s mission, they can help enhance communities and change lives. There are roles in the nonprofit sector that are very writing centric, such as grant writers and communication specialists, that writers commonly hold. However, writing is also a necessary skill for those in management or leadership positions in nonprofit organizations. This capstone project explores the kinds of writing skills and deliverables that are critical to the responsibilities of nonprofit managers and how writing impacts the effectiveness of nonprofit managers and organizations.

And Lettuce Is Nonanimal: Toward A Positive Theory Of Voluntary Action, Roger A. Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Much recent conceptual and theoretical effort to identify and define the kinds of voluntary action that take place outside households, economic markets and governments has a consistent emphasis on negation: It seems to define these matters by what they are not: not for profit, or nonprofit, nongovernmental, unproductive, inefficient, examples of contract failure, market failure, government failure and more. This paper is a beginning effort to shift the emphasis to the positive and the describe and explain what voluntary action is and what it consists of. It proposes the beginnings of an economics of common goods production, and differentiates such …

What’S Shaking In Timpson: Why All The Earthquakes?, Leslie Leathers

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

They say that everything is bigger in Texas, and that is especially true of the vast oil fields located throughout the state. Today, Texas is the #1 oil producer in the U.S., producing more than a million barrels per day. Since the start of the most recent oil boom, the Lone Star State has seen a huge increase in seismic activity. Although earthquakes have been happening for years, scientific data has proven the recent events in the small town of Timpson can be attributed to oil field practices. However, state regulators and politicians still say this science is far from …

East Texas Council Of Governments: Gobus Fare Collection, Melissa Cure

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

The purpose of this research paper is to provide the decision makers at the East Texas Council of Governments GoBus rural transit system with information as a basis for the future of how fares are collected, and to look for ways to resolve problems in our current fare collection method. The main issue involves accepting cash and checks because of the large service region GoBus Transit covers. GoBus depends on the bus operators to collect fares and make deposits, which becomes a major problem with accounting. As listed on the official website of SWARCO, an Austrian technology company, an “Automated …