Social Policy Research Associates

SPR is the evaluation partner of the San Francisco Guaranteed Care Income Pilot, a groundbreaking program that provides a monthly check to support the caregiving work of ten single mothers who are at risk of being criminalized and/or of having their child(ren) taken into the child welfare system. SPR's Sallie Yoshida spoke at the September 26 launch event, which featured presentations by pilot participants, the pilot planning group, and San Francisco Department on the Status of Women (DOSW) Executive Director Kimberly Ellis, J.D. #GuaranteedIncome Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, Economic Security Project

Last week, Sergio Martinez, SPR Associate, engaged with Downtown Streets Team to explore their employment social enterprise (ESE), START, as part of the REDF WIOA Employment Social Enterprise Community of Practice in City of San José. ESEs are pivotal in providing training and supportive work environments for individuals facing employment barriers. We first connected with Downtown Streets during our evaluation for County of Santa Clara's Office of Diversion and Reentry Services, which champions ESEs for justice-involved individuals. The START program aims to equip participants with valuable skills in the maintenance field and beyond. In exciting news, California’s Employment Development Department recently allocated $9.9 million in discretionary funding to seven ESEs, highlighting the critical role these initiatives play. As REDF’s learning partner, SPR is eager to dive into how ESEs fit within the broader workforce development landscape and to uncover the key factors that drive their sustainability and growth.

SPR was proud to partner with Oakland Fund for Children and Youth (OFCY) from 2014-2021 in evaluating their program offerings. In 2022, we produced a report about the experiences of the children and youth from birth to twenty-one years old who participated in OFCY programs hosted by community-based organizations and public agencies to support youth in leading safe, healthy, and productive lives. Read about our findings here from FY2021-2022: https://lnkd.in/gmq_ZRzM

SPR served as the learning partner for Fair Chance’s flagship capacity building initiative, the Praxis Partnership program. Our evaluation found that their unique model fostered and sustained improvements to community-based organizations’ capacity over time. Explore our team’s findings here: https://lnkd.in/eaK688Zm

Last week, SPR colleagues Taylor Redmond and Leah Cadena-Igdalsky attended EdTrust-West’s #EducationEquityForum. Our team was excited to connect with others doing exciting work in the Bay Area!

???Last week,?SPR team-member?Oliver Stabbe, MPH?joined fellow leaders and advocates at?the inaugural National Disability Leadership Summit at the Department of Commerce.? Key Takeaways: ? Keynote speeches from Secretary Gina Raimondo and?American Association of People with Disabilities President?Maria Town highlighted the Administration's?specific?commitments?to empowering people with disabilities, showcasing their vital contributions to?the US?economy. ? Panels and?participants?discussions focused on disability representation and equity in workforce systems, featuring insights from?US Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)?and?partners. ? So many models, resources, and strategies were shared during the?Mini-Fair, all aimed at promoting inclusive job opportunities and support systems! The program demonstrated?the?importance of?collaborating?across sectors to ensure that workforce?and human services?policies?help people with disabilities achieve their personal and professional aspirations.????? #DisabilityLeadership #InclusiveWorkforce #Collaboration #Empowerment

?? Hot Off the Press ?? SPR's Kristina Palmer and Leah Cadena-Igdalsky, working with colleagues from Office of Disability Employment Policy and National Disability Institute authored this new brief, "Attracting Direct Support Professionals: Advancing Career Pathways with Job Quality in Mind" for the LEAD Center. They highlight recommendations to make the direct support professional role more attractive to job seekers, and dive into DSP career pathways and wages and benefits.

Recently at SPR, our monthly staff Racial Justice Reading Group session focused on the impacts of mass incarceration on communities of color. We found The Sentencing Project’s policy brief about reform and decarceration to be insightful: https://lnkd.in/eA62g4ce. To learn more about SPR's justice involvement research, check out our Preventing Justice Involvement impact area: https://lnkd.in/gxgDGQ36

This summer, our own Skye Allmang joined a top-notch panel of new scholars at RECS 2024?for a Lightning Talk about?SPR’s work with the Los Angeles Opportunity Youth Collaborative on effectively engaging foster and former foster youth in workforce development services in L.A. County.?RECS?(Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency) is a biennial convening of researchers, policymakers, and practitioners who discuss the latest research on social welfare programs and policies sponsored by?OPRE?at the Administration or Children and Families.?We were so pleased to be a part of it!? View the recorded panel session and learn more about this important work:??https://lnkd.in/g_tUcWcS

Direct Support Professional (DSP) Recognition Week may have wrapped on Friday, but there are more opportunities to engage throughout the month. Our partners at the The Direct Care Workforce Strategies Center are hosting a webinar on the 23rd on "Elevating the Voice of the DSP Workforce: Engagement Practices and State Initiatives." Don't miss it! National Council on Aging, National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP)