Social Policy Commons^™

Economic Security & Older Adults In Massachusetts: Infographic, Center For Social And Demographic Research On Aging, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

The Elder Index measures the income older adults need to meet their daily living costs while staying in their own homes. This fact sheet presents overview data of economic security of Older Adults in Massachusetts based on the 2025 Elder Index data.

Physical And Behavioral Health Diagnoses And Comorbidities Associated With Transition From Military Health System To Veterans Health Care Among Post-­ 9/11 Veterans, Nikki R. Wooten, Megan E. Amaun, Madeline Meyers, Prince Nii Ossah Addo, Jeffery Bowers, Felicia R. Carey, Rudolph P. Rull, Edward J. Boyko, Nathaniel Bell, Ana Defede-Lopéz, Mary Jo V. Pugh

Faculty and Staff Publications

Objective

To identify factors associated with transitioning from Military Health System (MHS) to Veterans Health Administration (VHA) care in post-9/11 veterans.

Study Setting and Design

Retrospective cohort study from the Long-Term Impact of Military-Relevant Brain Injury Consortium Phenotype Study.

Data Sources and Analytic Sample

Population-level data were analyzed from MHS and VHA electronic health data (FY2000-2020). Participants received ≥ 3 years of MHS care and separated from the military before October 1, 2016. The primary outcome was transition from MHS to VHA care after military separation. Covariates included demographic, military, and deployment characteristics at military separation; physical, mental, and substance …

Economic Security & Older Adults In The United States: Infographic, Center For Social And Demographic Research On Aging, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

The Elder Index measures the income older adults need to meet their daily living costs while staying in their own homes. This fact sheet presents overview data of economic security of Older Adults in the United States based on the 2025 Elder Index data.

Temporary Protected Status Populations In Massachusetts In 2026, Phillip Granberry, Iván Espinoza-Madrigal

Gastón Institute Publications

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is one of the best expressions of U.S. humanitarian protection and relief. It recognizes a basic truth: people should not be deported to danger.

May this report help build a stronger Commonwealth for all by advancing more thoughtful policymaking and stronger interventions that recognize the deep connections among immigration, community, and economic life.

Do Purpleair Monitors Democratize Data For The Environment?, Christopher Rick, Kyla Lorden

Student Publications

PurpleAir monitors may serve a vital role in marginalized or under-monitored communities nationwide. These low-cost monitors—roughly $300—give communities the ability to monitor their air quality at local geographies in ways that are infeasible for expensive, regulatory-grade air monitors. They also have the potential to aid community advocacy efforts around environmental and transportation policy by giving community members literal ownership over the monitoring, including precise locations, and philosophical ownership over the advocacy efforts. To determine the potential democratization of air quality data by PurpleAir monitors in socially disadvantaged communities, we analyze the sociodemographic characteristics of neighborhoods with PurpleAir monitors. We find …

Brief #3: Collaborative Aggregation & Marketing Of Local Farm Food: Customer Perspectives On Participation Barriers, Evan England, Rachel Filippone, Hannah Stokes-Ramos, Cindy (Luyue) Zheng, Olivia Burton, Analena Bruce

Food Practice Research

No abstract provided.

Call To Action Against Sex Trafficking Of Black Women And Girls, Stephany Powell, Tracey Sylvester, Brenda Myers-Powell, Audrey Morrissey, Melanie Thompson

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Nh Ece Research Consortium 2025 Activity Timeline, Jess Carson, Evan England

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

The New Hampshire Early Care and Education (NH ECE) Research Consortium is a network of researchers and research users committed to strengthening the state's ECE landscape through the use of data. Discover what Consortium staff accomplished throughout 2025 in this 2025 Activity Timeline.

Nh Ece Research Consortium Member Information, Evan England, Jess Carson

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

NH ECE Research Consortium membership is open to individuals and organizations with relevant expertise that aligns with the purpose of the Consortium, including the advancement of knowledge to support early care and education in NH. This document describes the benefits of membership, what it means to be a member, and the role of the Carsey School.

Status Of New Hampshire Public School-Affiliated Preschool Programs: 2024-2025 School Year Infographic, Tyrus Parker, Kamala Nasirova, Jess Carson

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

This infographic describes findings from the second annual census of New Hampshire elementary schools conducted by the Carsey School of Public Policy to identify preschool programs implemented by school districts. These data reflect the 2024-2025 school year.

Nh Ece Research Consortium Data Technical Assistance, Jess Carson

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

The New Hampshire Early Care and Education (NH ECE) Research Consortium helps community partners access and interpret data to support funding, business, and planning decisions. This resource outlines the variety of data available.

April 2026 Nh Ece Research Consortium Newsletter, Evan England, Jess Carson, Harshita Sarup

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

The April 2026 NH ECE Research Consortium Newsletter includes a registration link for the 2026 Consortium Convening coming in May. Also find the latest data, research publications, Consortium resources, upcoming events, opportunities, and more.

Nh Ece Data Collection Inventory Overview, Jess Carson, Evan England, Tyrus Parker

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

The NH ECE Research Consortium maintains an inventory of current and complete NH ECE-relevant data collection efforts to strengthen public access for data users, improve awareness and coordination among researchers, and minimize duplication. Check out this graphic that describes what the data collection inventory is and how you can use it.

Protection Vs. Progression: A Macroeconomic Approach To Military Expenditure Direct Effects On Social Outcomes Using Ihdi Measures, Connor Graham

Global Tides

This study examines whether military expenditure reduces inequality-adjusted human development and how national governance quality moderates these effects. Using panel data covering 121 countries from 2010-2023, two-way fixed effects models are employed to estimate the relationship between military spending and the Inequality-Adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI). Three key findings emerge from the analysis based on the resulting data. First, a one percentage point increase in military spending reduces IHDI by 0.0012-0.0015 points. Second, the effects prove seven times larger in developed countries than in developing ones, which runs contrary to expectations and prior literature. Lastly, political stability emerged as a …

From Arrival To Opportunity: A Policy Analysis For Supporting Newly Arrived English Learners In California, Valeria Gabrielli, Stephanie Mendoza Hernandez

School of Public Policy Capstones

Newly arrived immigrant students, commonly referred to as “newcomers,” represent a notable portion of the English Learner (EL) population in California’s K–12 public schools. As of Fall 2023, the California Department of Education reported that newcomers comprised 3.27% of total student enrollment. Although enrollment is projected to decline in the near term, the potential for future increases highlights the need for sustainable, evidence-based support systems. This study examines how California K–12 public schools with large EL populations provide academic and trauma-informed support services to newcomer students, with a particular focus on early intervention in grades K–5. Using the Bardach policy …

The Living Lab: Instructional Design Interventions To Improve Communication And Equity In Federal Housing Programs, Joana I. Camp

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

The Living Lab is an independent applied research project informed by my 25 years of lived experience as a Section 8 voucher holder, examining how instructional design strategies can improve administrative workflows, communication, and equitable access within the Housing Choice Voucher Program. Drawing on sustained participation, the research identifies two primary systemic barriers: the federally mandated 15-day inspection period and incomplete Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) packets. To address these issues, the project developed the RFTA Roadmap—a zero-cost, clarity-driven communication tool that embeds sequential instructions directly within procedural workflows, mitigating the Split-Attention Effect and cognitive “Bandwidth Tax” associated with standard …

Analyzing Methods To Support Students Left Behind In Colorado Primary/Secondary Schools, Grace Hudson

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

In the United States, there has been an increase of deportations, since 2024, of undocumented immigrants. This has disproportionally affected Mexicans and others from Latin American countries (Dreby 2012) due to them being the largest group of undocumented people in the United States. One effect of these deportations is an increase in children that are left in the United States while their parent(s) are in detention or have been deported. Some of these children are in mixed-status families, which means that the child has a different citizenship status than their parents or other members in their family, which allows for …

Opportunities, Challenges, And Conspicuous Absences: An Integrative Review Of The Social Work Literature On Artificial Intelligence, Michael J. Massey, Ian G. Williams, Grace C. Polistina, Eathan A. Breaux

Publications and Research

INTRODUCTION: Social work discourse regarding artificial intelligence (AI) in practice, research, and education has proliferated over the last 5 years, reflecting both excitement over its potential and ambivalence about its ethical challenges. However, the extent to which social work is fully engaging with the structure of AI and its enormous impacts on the environment, labour, and distribution of power remains unclear.

METHODS: An integrative review of social work literature from 2020–2024 was conducted to address two research questions: 1) What is the nature of the social work discourse related to AI? 2) To what extent is the discourse …

Evaluating The Impact Of A Lend-Based Family Mentorship Program For Pre-Service Professionals, Matthew Bogenschutz, Sarah Lineberry, Jackie Robinson Brock, Flip Grey, Kathryn Flinn

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Family-led pre-professional mentoring programs have been shown in past literature to have multiple positive outcomes, including better provider communication, increased sensitivity to the needs and contributions of family members in clinical settings, and better understanding of disability policy contexts among professionals. Yet there have been relatively few examples of exemplary programs that have developed successful models for family mentoring of pre-service professionals. Using qualitative evaluative data from one such program, a component of a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program, this study shares the experiences of both families and trainees. Common themes shared between these two groups …

Designing For Dementia: Lessons In Using Wayfinding, Design, And Policy To Retrofit Neighborhoods For People Living With Dementia, Kiaya Siu Ling Batkin

City and Regional Planning

With advancements of modern medicine, more people are living longer lives. However, cognitive decline has become a greater issue faced by a growing number of people. The amount of People Living With Dementia (PLWD) has increased substantially, almost 10 million a year, and as such need different living conditions than what used to serve them (Alzheimer’s Disease International, n.d.). The common solution in the western world is to care for elders in specific sites for them like nursing homes or to hire a live-in nurse to care for them. These services are costly, highly specialized, and tailored to care for …