Innovative Research-Based Policy Solutions to Intersecting Grand Policy Challenges: Transformative Ideas for the Next U.S. President's Agenda

Background & Purpose: Many conversations at SSWR 2016 in D.C. will focus on the upcoming national election and what the new administration's social welfare agenda might be. Furthering SSWR's goal of policy influence, this roundtable session will present innovative, research-based policy solutions to intersecting grand policy challenges in ways that can increase legislative impact. This solution-oriented session will show how the presenters' empirical findings can be used to "prime" policymakers and researchers in the audience and beyond toward transformative policy solutions to some of the persistent challenges impacting the country's most vulnerable and poor persons and families. Such intersecting challenges include: mass incarceration; substance abuse and homelessness; mental health equity; youth safety and opportunity; and work.

Methods & Context: First, the ability to reach policymakers with research findings requires a major shift in language. Thus the presentations will illustrate: ways to express complex research-based solutions in everyday language; the importance of using vibrant, persuasive terms; and ways to add illustrative visuals. Second, because policymakers must simultaneously consider multiple topics for their legislative attention, the session's provision of multiple interrelated social problem topic areas parallels how policy action develops and gains traction.

Results & Implications: Two SSWR leaders will facilitate this session. Six presentations will provide innovative, mixed methods research-based policy solutions to the following intersecting grand policy challenges:

Grand Challenge #1: Maximize productive and meaningful activity throughout life (includes mental health and work)

"Legally Mandated Outpatient Mental Health Treatment: Not the Answer to Preventing Violent Tragedies." This presenter's findings redirect the controversy around Assisted Outpatient Treatment, which is considered a euphemism for outpatient commitment, to solutions based on new human rights-oriented legislation.

"Moving Beyond Today's Wage Work Crisis: The Postwork Society." This presenter's research-based solution to sole reliance on precarious low-wage jobs, our country's crumbling infrastructure, and the need for more person-help in community organizations is a radical expansion of how we currently think about and pay for as "work."

Grand Challenge #2: Ensure all youth get a good and healthy start

"Child Abuse Isn't Child Welfare." This presenter's research on the persistent challenge of maltreatment and death in the child welfare system identifies creative new ways to restructure child protective service organizations and reallocate funding to better support social caseworkers.

"Foster Care Then Where? Why Independent Living is Getting it All Wrong." This presenter's research suggests an innovative 'natural mentoring' solution for youth aging out of foster care--i.e. interdependent versus independent living programs.

Grand Challenge #5: End homelessness

"Breaking the Homelessness, Substance Use, Incarceration Cycle: Combatting Intersecting Risk Environments." This presenter's multilevel, multisystemic solution to the failed "war on drugs" and its adverse impact on homelessness stems from his research and policy work with governments in the US and other countries.

Grand Challenge #7: Safely reduce our incarcerated population

"Mass Incarceration:  What’s at Stake and What to Do." These presenters' prison- and community-based research and practice lead to evidence- and social justice-informed solutions to the enormous economic and human harm caused by today's level of mass incarceration.