Social Services
Working to address the needs of society’s most vulnerable is at the core of our institutional mission. From identifying and designing programs to reduce poverty to modeling the incentive effects of program rules, eligibility thresholds, and phase-outs to identifying revenue streams to support needed programs, our experts are committed to using the firm’s analytical resources to improve outcomes and drive policy innovation.
Featured Projects
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Reducing Poverty In Sonoma CountyReducing Poverty In Sonoma County
Addressing poverty is one of the most important and most challenging issues counties confront. This report identifies several promising, research based strategies that can be employed at the county level to reduce poverty. This report further examines the impact of a county-level living wage policy, including information about the number and types of workers affected and the likely cost to the county to implement such a policy.
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Improving Mental Health Services Integration in Medi-Cal: Strategies for ConsiderationImproving Mental Health Services Integration in Medi-Cal: Strategies for Consideration
This paper, commissioned by the Blue Shield of California Foundation, describes some of the current challenges facing California’s system of mental health services, explores strategies for improving mental health integration, and proposes scenarios for changing aspects of law, policy and organizational practices that could promote improved integration.
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Assessing the Budget's Impacts on Local CommunitiesAssessing the Budget's Impacts on Local Communities
The California Endowment enlisted our help in identifying the impact of health and social services program budget cuts on local communities. We examined how proposed changes to CalWORKs, Medi-Cal, IHSS, SSI/SSP, and state-supported child care would affect local communities and program recipients. The qualitative and quantitative impacts we unearthed were then used to help educate community stakeholders on the impact of the proposed reductions.
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Accountable Communities for Health: An Evaluation Framework and Users’ GuideAccountable Communities for Health: An Evaluation Framework and Users’ Guide
Accountable Communities for Health (ACHs) are place-based initiatives in which community, clinical, and policy strategies are coordinated with the aim of improving health outcomes and controlling health care costs. The multi-sector nature of ACHs combines strategies addressing specific chronic diseases or other health conditions in a mutually reinforcing way. The framework provides a methodology or “road map” for communities, funders, or government agencies interested in conducting an evaluation of local ACH initiatives or understanding and interpreting the results of such an evaluation.
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Santa Cruz County Safety Net Landscape AssessmentSanta Cruz County Safety Net Landscape Assessment
The Blue Sky Consulting Group assessed the access to ambulatory care medical services for Medi-Cal and indigent care patients and explored issues about the safety net “ecosystem” in Santa Cruz County. This report is intended as a resource to inform discussions about an evolving safety net. Funded by the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency.