Over the past decade, a movement to bolster local response to behavioral health crises in a manner like that of crime, fire, and medical emergencies has risen as a top priority for the nation. As a result, localities have made strides in strengthening their crisis care continuums, consisting of 911 call centers, first responders, and crisis stabilization units. Many localities have adopted varying approaches to address the growing number of behavioral health crises, including crisis intervention teams comprised of specially trained law enforcement officers, co-responder programs involving law enforcement and paired behavioral health professionals, and mobile crisis response teams with behavioral health, peer support, and emergency medical services professionals. The Crime and Justice Institute, with the support of Arnold Ventures, conducted a landscape analysis of state and federal regulations from 2018 to 2023 to learn more about the factors that facilitate the successful implementation of crisis response programs in local communities. This report provides an overview of the crisis response landscape, detailing the most utilized crisis response models and the factors that have driven the movement to bolster crisis response within the past five years. Five response models are outlined within this report, including (1) crisis intervention teams, (2) specialized law enforcement training, (3) co-responder programs involving law enforcement, (4) mobile crisis response teams without law enforcement, and (5) 911 dispatch diversion. The institute determined that federal and state legislative intervention impacts localities’ implementation of crisis response programs, such as funding, cross-agency collaboration, and capacity building.

Historically, research has shown that youth removed from their homes are more likely to be rearrested or arrested for more severe offenses than similarly situated youth supervised in their communities. However, more recent research suggests that youth who are formally processed and supervised are more likely to be rearrested in the future than comparable youth who receive diversion from formal prosecution. The study examines arrests for new offenses and technical violations to assess whether technical violations or diversion programs deter recidivism. The study found that youth charged with their first offense who are diverted from probation are not associated with an increase in offending and are less likely to be rearrested in the future than their matched peers assigned to probation.

Early childhood educators play essential roles in providing stable and high-quality child care for young children and supporting their development and growth. Historically, low wages in the District of Columbia have led to challenges in compensating and retaining qualified early childhood educators and, in turn, building quality child care systems. In 2022, the District of Columbia passed legislation in an effort to generate revenue to increase compensation for early educators working in licensed DC child care programs. The Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund aims to increase early educators’ pay to a minimum that is at par with DC public school teachers with similar education levels. In Fiscal Year 2022, the Pay Equity Fund provided one-time supplemental payments to early educators in licensed centers and home-based programs—$14,000 for full-time lead teachers and $10,000 for assistant teachers and associate caregivers. In Fiscal Year 2024 funds will be distributed to child care facilities to allocate to early childhood educators’ wages. This study surveyed eligible early educators who received payments from the Pay Equity Fund and directors who employed early childhood educators and operated licensed childcare programs to identify these individuals' experiences with implementing the fund and receiving payments in the first years. The study found that 96% of survey respondents had received at least one payment from the equity fund by the time of the survey administration. In addition, early educators reported ease in applying for and receiving payments from the Pay Equity Fund. Lastly, many educators noted that the fund has made early educators feel genuinely appreciated and acknowledged for their essential role in the workforce.

What is the role of the nation’s community and technical colleges in preparing for a workforce transition to the green economy? To begin to answer this question, the Community College Research Center hosted a symposium in April 2024, that brought together community colleges, workforce development organizations, funders, policymakers, and others to discuss the opportunities and challenges of starting, expanding, and sustaining green workforce training programs. Findings from this group include that (1) community colleges are uniquely positioned to address challenges posed by climate change and to prepare students for jobs in the green economy; (2) jobs in the green economy already exist; (3) jobs in the green economy appeal to people across the political spectrum; (4) green jobs have the potential to advance racial and economic equity; and (5) now is an optimal time for colleges to invest in workforce training programs that prepare students for green jobs. Several college leaders noted the importance of mobilizing quickly when unexpected opportunities present themselves. Colleges can prepare by spotlighting and succinctly describing green jobs training programs on their websites, documenting the number and characteristics of students that they currently serve and have the potential to serve, and reaching out to local employers who may offer internships or other training opportunities to students and hire their graduates.

The commercial real estate sector experienced significant demand disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the trends impacting this sector is of broad general interest, as headlines and Congressional hearings have warned us. Commercial real estate distress can destabilize local government fiscal models, the banking sector, or even the entire economy. Across product types, commercial real estate has struggled to keep pace with demand trends that are evolving faster than buildings can be built or renovated. However, it’s not all fragility and bad news—demand remains stronger than ever for vibrant communities that create opportunity, bring amenities into proximity, and build wealth. The authors argue that it’s not a simple question of whether America has too much or too little offices, retail, or rental apartments. Rather, there is a three-way mismatch between available space, locations with demand, and entrepreneurs with resources, including site control, community support, and access to capital. Government, finance, and the real estate industry all have a role to play in fixing this alignment. Retail in particular is a surprising bright spot, with big opportunities for delivering positive economic and social returns. Facts include that 1) retail was the most stable commercial real estate category through the pandemic (relative to office space and industrial space); 2) while headlines have focused on office valuation declines, multifamily losses are comparable in scale; 3) retail rental properties generate stable and competitive returns amid macroeconomic headwinds; 4) the national vacancy rate for retail is at a five-year low point; 5) retail vacancy varies widely at the hyperlocal level; and 6) there is room for growth in investing in Black entrepreneurship in retail.

In 2022, 155 million emergency department visits occurred in the United States. During that year, about 5% of children had two or more emergency department visits in the past 12 months, and about 20% of adults had visited the emergency department in the past 12 months. This report presents characteristics of emergency department visits by age group, sex, race and ethnicity, payment source, and mention of COVID-19, using data from the 2022 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Key findings include that the overall emergency department visit rate was 47 visits per 100 people in 2022. Emergency department visit rates were highest for infants younger than age 1 year (99 visits per 100 infants) and adults ages 75 and older (76 per 100 people). The emergency department visit rate for Black or African American non-Hispanic people (91) was the highest among the selected racial and ethnic groups. The emergency department visit rate for patients with private insurance was lowest compared with all other primary expected sources of payment that were considered; the rate for patients with Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program, or other state-based programs was highest. In 2022, a COVID-19 diagnosis was confirmed for 4.8% of all emergency department patient visits.

Substance use and mental health issues have significant impacts on individuals, families, communities, and societies. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health, conducted annually by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, provides nationally representative data on the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other substances, including illicit drugs; substance use disorders; receipt of substance use treatment; mental health issues; and receipt of mental health treatment among the civilian, noninstitutionalized population aged 12 or older in the United States. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health employs a probability sample designed to represent the nation as a whole and for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. A full sample was available from all four quarters in 2023. Key findings include 23% (or 64.4 million) of survey respondents 12 years of age or older reported using tobacco products or vaping nicotine 30 days prior to the survey, 46% (61.4 million) of survey respondents 12 years of age or older reported binge drinking 30 days prior to the survey, and 18% (4.5 million) of survey respondents reported having a major depressive episode in the past 12 months.

The U.S. Social Security Administration serves over 70 million beneficiaries and delivers vital services to millions more yearly, such as payments for retirement and supplemental security income programs. Significant declines in the administration’s inflation-adjusted budget, combined with complex administrative burdens and the need to update information technology systems, have led to long wait times for basic services and large backlogs of disability insurance claims. Because of current trends, people waiting for the Social Security Administration to make a disability determination are experiencing significant economic and health hardships, including more bankruptcies, evictions, foreclosures, and more significant health risks from delayed access to health insurance and a stable monthly income. In addition, such long wait times have been shown to reduce the number of new applications. This report explores the causes of the administration’s service challenges, examines their impacts on people utilizing these services, and highlights ways to improve their performance. The report finds that factors affecting the administration’s performance include funding for administrative expenses, ongoing COVID-19-related impacts on operations, and changes in the volume of initial disability claims; recommendations include redesigning the disability determination process and investing in new information technology.