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Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Improving Rural Healthcare through Doctor-Owned Practices

Rural areas in the United States face significant healthcare shortages, with 20% of the U.S. population living in rural areas but only about 10% of physicians practicing there. Supporting doctors as small business owners in these areas can address both healthcare access and economic development challenges.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Veterans & Substance Use Disorder (SUD): Evidence-Based Strategies & Programs

Veterans are at significantly higher risk of developing a substance use disorder (SUD) as compared to non-veterans. As such, there is an increasing need to tailor prevention programs for veterans, in addition to providing integrated support that addresses social determinants of health (e.g., housing and employment).
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Impacts of Increasing Access to Contraception for Women

Preventing unplanned pregnancies through contraception has led to significant cost savings for government programs, largely by reducing maternity and infant care expenses. Despite improvements in women’s access to contraception, there are barriers to contraceptive access that could be addressed.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Strategies to Support the Needs of Substance-Exposed Infants: Services & Monitoring

Prenatal substance exposure is a significant public health problem that can lead to multiple negative consequences for infants and their families. Although multifaceted care is critical for the health and well-being of both parents and their children, there are barriers to pregnant individuals receiving care for substance use.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Strategies to Support the Needs of Substance-Exposed Infants: Screening & Notification

The stigma and punitive policies surrounding substance use disorders can pose a significant obstacle for pregnant individuals and families in seeking care for their substance use disorder - care which could prevent detrimental outcomes associated with untreated addiction for individuals and their children.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Events and Videos

Addressing Healthcare Workforce Shortages to Advance Access to Care

Healthcare workforce shortages have worsened in the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the pandemic placed immense strain on physician and nursing professions that have yet to recover.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Improving Access to Health Care: The Challenges & Potential of Telehealth & Telementoring

Telehealth has evolved from a concierge convenience for private insurance companies into an essential tool for increasing access to care1and improving health equity.2 The benefits and challenges of telehealth and telementoring are documented below, as are recommendations for policymakers to consider to improve individuals’ access to care.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Policy Brief – Community Health Workers: Critical Connectors

In September 2022, the Biden Administration awarded $225 million in American Rescue Plan funding to train over 13,000 Community Health Workers (CHWs), the largest ever one-time federal investment in the CHW workforce.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Addressing Health Impacts Caused by Extreme Heat Events

Heat exposure has killed more people in the U.S. than any other weather-related event over the past 30 years. The human body can only adapt to a narrow range of temperature change.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Air Pollutants: Policy Considerations for Conveying Associated Health Risks

The World Health Organization has identified air pollution as the fifth-largest cause of death globally and “one of the biggest environmental threats to human health.” Pollutants, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels, caused approximately 200,000 deaths in the U.S. in 2019–more than those caused by strokes, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative
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Audio

Episode 20: Chronic Diseases: Underserved Communities, Prevention, And Genetic Factors

This month’s episode tackles a fascinating combination of topics involving the impact of biological and social factors on chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes, and the prevention and treatment efforts for those chronic diseases through state and local government programs.
Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative
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Audio

Episode 19: Mental Health Screenings For Adolescents In The K-12 School System

This month’s episode discusses mental health screenings for adolescents in the K-12 school system. We spoke to Deepa Sekhar, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics at the College of Medicine, and Executive Director, Penn State PRO Wellness; Perri Rosen, PhD, NCSP, Consulting Psychologist, Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Pennsylvania Dept. of Human Services, and Steve Sharp, School Counselor in the Hempfield School District, and K-12 School Counseling Coordinator for the Hempfield School District about why having mental health screenings (or mood screenings) in K-12 schools makes a difference when helping children who might be struggling and getting them the resources that they need to succeed.
Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative
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Audio

Episode 18: The Perfect Storm: College Students, Mental Health, And The Sense Of Belonging On Campus

The end of the spring semester marks the release of another episode! This month, we tackled the tough topic of mental health among college students. We talked about how COVID-19 has impacted college students seeking mental health services, the challenges for counselors and administrators working in university mental health centers, policy solutions to the crisis, and other things that have happened as a result of the pandemic like changes in technology.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Disentangling Neglect from Poverty

The U.S. spends over $29 billion each year to identify and protect victims of child abuse and neglect through various Child Protective Services (CPS) processes and programs. Isolated allegations of child neglect (without concurrent abuse allegations) account for 60% of substantiated CPS allegations (confirmed as true).
Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative
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Audio

Episode 15: Innovations In Healthcare: Enhancing Value, Health Equity, And The Social Determinants Of Health

In this month’s episode, we tackled innovations in healthcare. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve seen a focus on various healthcare innovations and technology like artificial intelligence, cloud-enabled solutions, and inpatient telehealth, but other innovations are important, too. Some of these focused on in Pennsylvania include how we can get more value out of the country’s healthcare system without sacrificing the quality of care and lowering barriers for underserved populations.
Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative
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Audio

Episode 12: The Pandemic Perspective: Revealing The Hidden Crisis Of Food Insecurity

According to the U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, food insecurity is defined as the disruption of food intake or eating patterns because of lack of money or other resources. For example, this could mean cutting down on the number of meals or changing the types of food that you eat to save money.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Addressing School and Education COVID Disparities

COVID-19 has upended the lives of nearly every individual in the United States, with prolonged school closures one of the major driving forces of disruption for youth and families.
Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative
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Audio

Episode 10: Exploring PacMAT, The Pennsylvania Coordinated Medication-Assisted Treatment Program

For our March episode, we explore the Pennsylvania Coordinated Medication-Assisted Treatment Program, or PacMAT, which builds evidence-based medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs for Pennsylvanians suffering from opioid use disorder. Currently, there are 14 PacMAT centers throughout Pennsylvania that utilize a hub-and-spoke model.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Policy Recommendations to Support Quality Child Care

High-quality, affordable, and reliable child care options are not accessible across the country. Child care deserts—areas with an insufficient supply of licensed child care options—are most frequently observed in marginalized and rural communities.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Teen and College Student Alcohol Use During COVID-19

Excessive alcohol use costs the US an estimated $249 billion each year.[1] The COVID-19 pandemic has affected young people in ways that may increase their risk for heavy alcohol use.
Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative
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Audio

Episode 9: The Pandemic Perspective: The Local And State Government’s Response To COVID-19, The 2020 Election, And Everything In Between (Part 2)

As part of our new series, The Pandemic Perspective, we spoke with Commissioner Mike Pipe, Centre County Chair of the Board of Commissioners and Co-Chair of the Election Board of Centre County, and Dr. Chris Witko, Associate Director of the School of Public Policy and Professor of Public Policy and Political Science at Penn State University. This episode is the second episode of a two-part episode about this topic. Listen to Part 1 here.
Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative
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Audio

Episode 8: The Pandemic Perspective: The Local And State Government’s Response To COVID-19, The 2020 Election, And Everything In Between (Part 1)

For the second episode of our new series, The Pandemic Perspective, we spoke with Commissioner Mike Pipe, Centre County Chair of the Board of Commissioners and Co-Chair of the Election Board of Centre County, and Dr. Chris Witko, Associate Director of the School of Public Policy and Professor of Public Policy and Political Science at Penn State University. This episode is broken into two parts – we had a lot to talk about! – and will be released biweekly.
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Wisconsin Family Impact Seminar #39

Beyond Healthcare Policy: Building the Foundation of Health for Wisconsin Families
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Hazardous Misinformation: Key Policy Levers

While misinformation has long been a component of traditional print and broadcast media, digital technology allows for the frictionless dissemination of false and manipulated content with, at times, acutely dangerous consequences.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Providing Support to Parents with Substance Use Disorders During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has produced unique challenges for parents with substance use disorders (SUDs). Although some barriers have been alleviated (e.g., medication assisted treatment is more accessible for some and telehealth is broadly available), COVID-19 has still resulted in barriers to support for parents with SUDs.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Policy Recommendations for Excessive Alcohol Use Amid COVID-19

Excessive alcohol use is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States[i] and has been made worse by the stress, anxiety, depression, and isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative
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Audio

Episode 5 – The Stigma Of The Opioid Crisis

What is there left to say about the opioid crisis that has not already been said? It’s claimed thousands of lives, torn apart families and communities, strained our country’s already fractured healthcare system, and cost the economy billions, perhaps trillions, of dollars. If burning a path through communities for the last twenty years was not enough, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many individuals and families to endure joblessness, potential homelessness, and other uncertainties, causing a spike in substance use and subsequently, overdoses.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Incarceration and COVID-19

More than 2.2. million people are incarcerated in the U.S.; this is more people than in any other country and over half of these individuals are incarcerated for non-violent offenses. Incarcerated populations, correctional staff, and their families are at an especially increased risk to become infected with COVID-19, as the prison environment does not lend itself to be protective against illness.
Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative
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Audio

Episode 4 – The Chronic Crisis Of Housing

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and unemployment benefits for many Americans decrease significantly at the end of July, many Americans will be unable to pay rents and mortgages and may face eviction. Given the severity of this particular crisis, July’s episode focuses on multiple issues related to housing in America, like the lack of affordable housing and housing as a means to improve overall health and well-being. In this episode, we spoke to Bryce Maretzki, Director of Policy and Planning for the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, and Selena Ortiz, PhD, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Administration as well as Demography, at Penn State.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Contact Tracing During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Considerations for Equity

Contact tracing is critical to containing and mitigating the spread of COVID-19. It is a tried and true, evidence-based mechanism to identify disease patterns during a pandemic. Coordinated federal efforts, including the use of national contact tracing strategies, are effective at containing and mitigating the impact of pandemics.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

COVID-19 and Racial Mental Health Disparities

The COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting people of color, in terms of number of cases, mortality rates, pay cuts, and job loss. The health and economic devastation of this outbreak, in addition to the distress raised by the recent killing of George Floyd and many others, are significantly contributing to the stress of the nation and disproportionately impacting the mental health of people of color.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

COVID-19 and the Mental Health Workforce

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 125,000 additional mental health professionals were required to meet the nation’s mental health needs. Recent events have intensified the need for mental health professionals and the services they provide.
Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative
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Audio

Episode 3 – Health In Rural Communities

Pennsylvania is considered one of the most rural states in the nation, and is anchored by Pittsburgh in the southwestern and Philadelphia in the southeastern parts of the state. Across the nation, however, rural counties have much in common in terms of geographic isolation and significant challenges like access to economic development, transportation infrastructure, broadband services, healthcare services, and many others. As the U.S. continues to weather the COVID-19 pandemic, the inadequacy of our country’s healthcare system hangs heavily over rural communities and the people living in them.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Mitigating the Implications of Coronavirus Pandemic on Families: Issue 7

This issue presents research-informed policy recommendations regarding the effects of COVID-19 on welfare-youth, and human trafficking and exploitation. The prevalence of human trafficking heightens with the growing impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable communities.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

COVID-19: Human Trafficking and Exploitation

Human trafficking is the crime of using force or fraud for the purpose of compelled labor or a commercial sex act. The United States considers “trafficking in persons,” “human trafficking,” and “modern slavery” to be interchangeable umbrella terms that refer to both sex trafficking and labor trafficking.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

COVID-19: Perinatal Support

Providing necessary care and social support is critical during the perinatal time period to ensure the health and well-being of parents and children. Due to concerns related to COVID-19, hospitals have limited the number of people who can be present during and following birth.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Human Trafficking During COVID-19: A Provider’s Perspective

Human trafficking involves individuals being compelled to work, provide services or engage in commercial sex through the use of force, fraud or coercion. COVID-19 has negatively impacted the screening and identification of human trafficking victims as well as reduced survivors’ access to the mechanisms associated with successful recovery (e.g., case workers, social workers and legal assistance).
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

COVID-19 and Child Welfare

Stressful situations combined with increased drug and alcohol use set the stage for potentially dangerous situations, especially for youth in abusive homes. Youth who consider school a safe haven may now be confined at home with their abusers.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

COVID-19 and Special Education

COVID-19 has created new barriers for students with disabilities. Students receiving special education services toward learning or behavioral goals are already at elevated risk for falling behind in school.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

COVID-19 and The Digital Divide

Youth living in poverty are more impacted by the digital divide. This divide may widen as many schools transition to online learning.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Mitigating the Implications of Coronavirus Pandemic on Families: Issue 6

This issue presents research-informed policy recommendations regarding migrant workers and children. Particularly, attending to the impact of COVID-19 on health and economic disparities among America’s international workforce, as well as implications for educational access and linguistically diverse students
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Mitigating the Implications of Coronavirus Pandemic on Families: Issue 5

The U.S. is the new epicenter of the Coronavirus pandemic. Mitigation strategies are more critical than they ever were before; however, they may exacerbate socioeconomic inequities and disparities that endanger the health and well-being of families.
Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative
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Audio

Episode 2 – Aging In America: Challenges And Opportunities

For this month’s episode, we spoke to Penn State’s Marty Sliwinski, PhD, Director of the Center for Healthy Aging and Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, and Stephanie Cole, Director of Special Projects and Executive Assistant at the Office of the Secretary at Pennsylvania Department of Aging, about challenges and opportunities related to aging.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Mitigating the Implications of Coronavirus Pandemic on Families: Issue 3

In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, many families are facing social shifts, economic uncertainty, and disruptions in their daily life, as well as coping with closures to school and childcare facilities and demands of providing for educational and childcare needs.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

COVID-19: Migrant Families and Children

Immigrant families and children who are infected/influenced by COVID-19 face various barriers in seeking healthcare.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

African American Employment and COVID-19: Disparities and Compounding Risks

COVID-19 is an equal opportunity virus, but exposure to this virus does not take place in an equal opportunity context. Although only some states and counties provide COVID-19 cases and outcomes by race, the data available indicate that disparities are stark.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

COVID-19 and Linguistically Diverse Students

All students deserve an appropriate and effective education, including English Learners (ELs) [1] and dual language learners (DLLs) [2], collectively referred to as linguistically diverse students.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

COVID-19: Homelessness

Persons experiencing homelessness are at high risk of infection, transmission, complications and mortality from coronavirus. Persons experiencing homelessness have higher rates of physical and mental health conditions compared to the general public.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

COVID-19 and Opioid Risk Mitigation

Improve Access to Items Needed to Reduce Harm Associated with Opioid Misuse.
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Wisconsin Family Impact Seminar #38

Strategies to Divert Adolescents with Behavioral Health Needs from the Juvenile Justice System
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Influx of Refugees: State Challenges and Opportunities

Refugees face structural and cultural barriers associated with higher physical and mental health disparities, poverty, and uncertainty about their rights and legal status.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Diabetes Programs for Tribal Communities

The Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) has led to decreased incidence of diabetes in tribal communities; however, there is room for program improvements.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Maternal and Infant Health

Racial disparities are connected to maternal mortality, especially African American women. Inadequate healthcare has been a concern with racism being a primary cause.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Quality Implementation of Trauma Informed Care

Trauma-informed care (TIC) refers to strategies that agencies, programs, and service providers can use to understand, identify, and respond to individuals who may have experienced trauma.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Substance Abuse Treatment: Predictors of Success and Accountability

Addiction is a complex disease, and there is no “one-size fits all.” Treatment should be personalized, measure progress over time, and develop a long-term strategy for continuing care after treatment.
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Infant Mortality and Home Visit Programs

We have begun to identify researcher-oriented professionals who have expertise in the following areas...
Research-to-Policy Collaboration
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Written Briefs

Child Trauma and Trauma Informed Care

This brief summarizes child trauma and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Utah Family Impact Seminar #4

Taking the Bull by the Horns: Utah and the Upcoming Tsunami of Alzheimer’s Disease
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Kentucky Family Impact Seminar #3

Reducing Child Abuse and Neglect: Evidence-Based Parent Education and Other Support Programs
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Rhode Island Family Impact Seminar #1

Economic Well-Being of Rhode Island Families: The Promise and Practice of Two-Generation Approaches
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Texas Family Impact Seminar #2

Toxic Stress and Early Childhood: What Policy Makers and Funders Need to Know
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Iowa Family Impact Seminar #6

Aging in Iowa: Policy Responses to Changing Demographics
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Iowa Family Impact Seminar #5

The Future of Healthcare: The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Iowa Families
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Kentucky Family Impact Seminar #1

Building Strong Families for Kentucky Partners in Food and Health
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Virginia Family Impact Seminar #4

Military and Veteran Families: Focus on Strategies for Sustainable Housing and Family Well-Being
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Illinois Family Impact Seminar #8

Guarding All Children in Sleep: New Ideas for Reducing Disparities in Safe Sleep Practices
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Georgia Family Impact Seminar #5

Supporting Georgia’s Military Members and Families: Implications for State Policy
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Michigan Family Impact Seminar #12

Improving Health Care Quality While Controlling Costs: What Can State Policymakers Do?
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Wisconsin Family Impact Seminar #24

Affordable Strategies to Cover the Uninsured: Policy Approaches from Other States
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Wisconsin Family Impact Seminar #23

Long-Term Care Reform: Wisconsin’s Experience Compared to Other States
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Wisconsin Family Impact Seminar #22

Medicaid: Who Benefits, How Expensive is It, and What are States Doing to Control Costs?
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Michigan Family Impact Seminar #9

Supporting Children and Families While Controlling Medicaid Costs
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Michigan Family Impact Seminar #7

Innovative State and Local Approaches to Health Coverage for Children
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Wisconsin Family Impact Seminar #18

Rising Health Care Costs: Employer Purchasing Pools and Other Policy Options
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Wisconsin Family Impact Seminar #10

Building Resiliency and Reducing Risk: What Youth Need from Families and Communities to Succeed
Family Impact Seminars
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Events and Videos

Wisconsin Family Impact Seminar #5

Welfare Reform: Can Government Promote Parental Self-sufficiency While Ensuring the Well-being of Children?

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