Laura Schrager - December 2008

The 2008 Legislature included a budget proviso for the Institute to survey foster youth and foster parents about how well current services are meeting needs of youth aging out of foster care. Of the 169 foster youth surveyed, 84 percent believed they were very or somewhat prepared to live on their own. In contrast, only 46 percent of foster parents (out of 194 surveyed) rated their foster children in these categories. Foster youth and parents identified money, work, and housing as challenges for transitioning youth; needed services identified by both groups include continued state support, Independent and Transitional Living provider services, and improved preparation of foster youth through more classes and support.

Amy Dworsky, Judy Havlicek - December 2008

The 2008 Washington State Legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to “conduct a national review of state programs for youth transitioning out of foster care” (ESHB 2687, Sec. 610.12). The review was to include a survey of the 50 states and the District of Columbia that would focus on “eligibility requirements for continued foster care, age thresholds for transitioning services, types of services provided, and use of state funds to supplement federal” Chafee dollars. A contract to design the survey instrument and administer the survey was awarded to Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. The results of that survey are presented in this report.

Jim Mayfield - December 2008

In 2007, the Washington State Legislature enacted Senate Bill 5926 creating the Joint Task Force on the Underground Economy in the Construction Industry to “formulate a state policy to establish cohesion and transparency between state agencies so as to increase the oversight and regulation of the underground economy practices in the construction industry.” In addition, assisting in determining the extent of and costs associated with the underground construction economy, subsequent legislation in 2008 instructed the Institute to organize a committee to identify benchmarks to measure the effect of Task Force recommendations.

This preliminary report describes data (currently available or soon to be collected) that can be used to monitor the implementation of legislatively enacted policies associated with the Task Force’s recommendations. Because many of the activities enacted during the 2008 legislative session were not implemented until late summer or fall of 2008, the data presented here only represent a baseline against which to measure future outcomes. Data reflecting the first fiscal year of implementation will be available prior to the 2010 legislative session.

Julia Bosch - November 2008

The Washington State Institute for Public Policy contracted with Berk & Associates to conduct a study of adult literacy rates and programs in Washington State, in response to a 2008 legislative directive “to study the status of adult literacy education in Washington.” The study includes “an analysis of literacy rates by county; a review of the research literature; a description of literacy-related services provided by state agencies and community-based organizations; and an analysis of characteristics of persons receiving those services."

Elizabeth Drake, Robert Barnoski - November 2008

The 2003 Washington State Legislature passed a bill that increased “earned release time” for certain types of offenders. The bill authorizes the Washington State Department of Corrections to release eligible offenders earlier if they have demonstrated good behavior in prison.

The 2003 Legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to evaluate whether the enacted changes in earned release have affected recidivism rates. This report is divided into four sections: background information,evaluation design, recidivism findings, and cost-benefit analysis.

Mason Burley - October 2008

In 2001, the Washington State Legislature directed the Institute to conduct a study of the long-term outcomes of the state’s more than 120,000 public mental health consumers. In Washington, community mental health services are overseen by 13 Regional Support Networks (RSNs) under contract with the state Division of Mental Health.

The purpose of this report is to examine regional variations—related to client characteristics, availability of services, patterns of service utilization, and the extent of evidence-based practices—and lay the groundwork for future analyses of long-term outcomes among adult consumers of mental health services in Washington State.

Annie Pennucci, Steve Aos, Irene Ngugi - September 2008

This report summarizes the four comprehensive funding options presented to the Task Force to date, including proposed timelines for phasing in new funding structures. This report also describes the methodology the Institute is developing to project impacts on student outcomes under alternative funding structures. A list of all the comprehensive proposals that were submitted can be found on the Task Force website.

Laura Schrager - September 2008

An FY 09 proviso in the supplemental budget calls for the Institute to review state programs for youth transitioning out of foster care, and identify how well current services are meeting the needs of youth aging out of foster care to independence. In this preliminary report, we describe the activities the Institute is undertaking to conduct the analysis. The final report is due to be completed by December 31, 2008.

Stephanie Lee, Steve Aos, Marna Miller - July 2008

The 2007 Washington Legislature directed the Institute to estimate whether “evidence-based” programs and policies can “reduce the likelihood of children entering and remaining in the child welfare system, including both prevention and intervention programs.” In this report, we study three basic questions: Is there evidence that specific programs “work” to improve these outcomes? If so, do benefits outweigh program costs? Finally, what would be the total net gain to Washington if these evidence-based programs were implemented more widely?

To answer these questions, we systematically reviewed the “what works” literature regarding programs and policies that affect child welfare outcomes. We then estimated the monetary value of the benefits, including factors such as reduced child welfare system expenditures, reduced costs to the victims of child maltreatment, improved educational and labor market performance, and reduced crime-related costs.

Jim Mayfield, Mason Burley - July 2008

In 2006, the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services established two pilot sites for the Integrated Crisis Response Program. At these sites, Designated Crisis Responders (DCR) investigate and have authority to detain individuals with serious mental illness or substance abuse problems. Elsewhere in the state, this function is conducted separately by mental health professionals and chemical dependency specialists. The pilots also created secure detox facilities to hold involuntarily detained individuals. This report describes outcomes of clients admitted to these secure detox facilities. Due to the preliminary nature of this study and the challenge of identifying an adequate comparison group, these findings should not be considered final.