Public Policy Lab

Are you a?social worker, case planner,?or someone who provides?direct services to underserved communities?in NYC??Do you strive to improve how services are provided??The Public Policy Lab is?convening?a professional network just for you! We’re bringing?siloed?direct service professionals together to connect, share knowledge, and grow through networking and professional development opportunities. This will include:?? ?? Quarterly virtual gatherings via Zoom? ?? An exciting in-person networking event this fall Sign up?to register for our first meeting and be part of a supportive community making a difference! https://lnkd.in/eGr37TgC

Join us on Wednesday, October 9, at 4:00 p.m. ET for a virtual demo of The People Say (thepeoplesay.org), a new, first-of-its-kind public platform for civic research. Register for the Zoom session here: https://bit.ly/4dwYOgg Developed in collaboration with?The SCAN Foundation, the platform was designed with and for policymakers, program leaders, researchers, and the public. Join the briefing to learn how you can use in your work – and hear from early users and people who participated in the research.?

After four months, the Prevention Pathways pilot has officially wrapped! A key goal of this project is to reduce unnecessary child maltreatment reports in NYC and keep children in their homes; after interviews with pilot participants, we were happy to learn that, using the new referral process, staff felt more empowered to offer families supportive services when they saw a family in need of support and a report to the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR) was not legally required. To read more about our pilot learnings, check out the Prevention Pathways case study on our website. https://lnkd.in/ecmMSZy3

Happy October! As summer comes to a close, we've been reflecting on all the living and learning we've done at work and beyond. Check out our most recent PPL Post newsletter to see what PPLers have been doing, thinking, and making outside of the office--including biking through the islands of Japan, coaching Bed-Stuy baseballers, building modern-inspired cat houses, and more! https://lnkd.in/eU_b_7wm

Our collaborative project with Public Policy Labs and the CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance (ISLG) has sparked new ideas around enhancing pathways for students transitioning back into education. On Wednesday, the teams from SUNY HEP, Public Policy Labs, and CUNY ISLG met to review our preliminary research findings. We are excited to explore how this work can inform SUNY’s expanding re-entry and pre-release support initiatives. A special thank you to Public Policy Labs, CUNY ISLG, the John Jay College Institute for Justice and Opportunity, CUNY BMCC, and NYC Opportunity for their collaboration and for making this project possible! Learn more about the project here: https://lnkd.in/exYgDmRS

We love to see where our Layer Cake Zines are landing! Keep the pictures coming ??

?? Calling all early-stage STEM founders! ??Participate in our pilot program with the opportunity to receive $20K for eligible business expenses! Please share widely. The Compass Pilot project is looking for 25 early-stage underrepresented innovators to test and provide feedback on a tool we have developed with innovators. We are particularly interested in innovators who identify as Black, African American, Indigenous/Native American, Latinx, and/or rural communities. We are also looking to work with students currently enrolled in Tribal Colleges or Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) who are interested in building a science and technology startup. You’ll get early access to our tool and shape a resource tailored for underrepresented innovators. Participants are eligible for a $20K grant towards the progress of their innovation. Apply by October 18: https://lnkd.in/e5C5tR_c

Today I received a great mail from Public Policy Lab, which is a Layer Cake Zine. It shows a great example of system-thinking and human-centered design applications on how to deliver better public services. Big shoutout to the people who designed this cake and meticulously prepared the mails! If you are curious about it, you can access the digital version of the zine below. https://shorturl.at/VtFS5

It's time for #BenCon2024! Join us next week (Sept. 17-18) for a two-day in-person and virtual event focused on making public benefits more accessible, equitable, and effective through innovative technology. Over these two days, the conference will host important discussions on improving digital service delivery, leveraging digital identity, and exploring the role of automation and AI in public benefits. Our team will be speaking at two sessions that dive into strategies for engaging lived expertise and digital service delivery. We're excited to partner with our friends at Public Policy Lab, Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation, APHSA -- American Public Human Services Association and so many more amazing leaders and orgs. You can still register as a virtual attendee here: https://lnkd.in/eRwNxpFc. Will you be there?

You've got mail! ?? 90+ copies of our Layer Cake Zine are now en route to service design enthusiasts across the country. Shout out to our zine team for all their meticulous folding and packaging. While this round of orders has come to a close, you can still access our digital version here: https://lnkd.in/eH8aT8ji