Author Archive
Kaitlyn Levinson
Management
City tackles first responders’ opioid compassion fatigue
When physically and emotionally exhausted emergency personnel started saying, “Let them die,” officials in Huntington, West Virginia, knew they had a problem. They also had a solution.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson
Management
From foster care to secure housing: How vouchers help young adults build self-sufficiency
While some first-time renters rush to thrift stores to find eclectic pieces to decorate their new apartments, for adolescents leaving the foster system, the experience of moving out is often much bleaker.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson
Management
Amid a housing crisis, hospitals offer a dose of relief
The housing crisis may be too big for state and local governments to overcome. That’s why hospitals are stepping in to remedy housing and health care gaps.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson
Management
What's the poop? Wastewater data predicts overdoses
Analyzing wastewater samples can help public health workers paint a reliable picture of a community’s rapidly evolving drug use to to get ahead of overdoses.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson
Management
Easing the housing squeeze on low-income renters
The State and Local Innovation project will work with policymakers to draft bill language and leverage data and best practices to keep the lowest income renters in stable housing.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson
Management
Data for dementia: State’s brain health registry helps prep for an aging population
The Virginia Memory Project will catalog dementia cases and caregiving needs to inform policy and programming for aging adults.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson
Finance
State, local govs crack down on menthol cigarettes by pumping prices up
Setting minimum retail prices and increasing taxes can help officials address public health concerns surrounding menthol cigarettes.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson
Finance
States take aim at local basic income programs
The no-string-attached cash assistance initiatives have become the target of some state policymakers who claim the programs are a misuse of public funds.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson
Infrastructure
One city takes to the streets to address extreme heat
A Los Angeles neighborhood tested the impact of an innovative cool pavement coating, and research shows it holds potential to supplement climate mitigation efforts.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson
Management
First state-regulated overdose prevention center preps for opening
Rhode Island is using part of its opioid settlement money to expand harm reduction strategies and demonstrate how the center can impact drug use, crime and recovery.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson
Emerging Tech
In one city, litter meets its mechanical match
A pilot program in Detroit has enlisted a trash removal robot to reduce plastic pollution on the beach from entering local waterways.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson
Management
How states can help formerly incarcerated individuals stay sober
A Medicaid waiver can help state corrections facilities finance reentry services aimed at keeping previously incarcerated individuals in recovery and curbing the opioid crisis.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson
Management
Why a lawsuit may be state and local governments’ best chance to cut insulin prices
The skyrocketing cost of insulin hits employee health plans and limits governments’ ability to finance other projects, such as infrastructure improvements. The multidistrict litigation aims to fix that.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson
Management
States, White House gear up to bring prescription costs down
Maryland’s prescription drug affordability board will evaluate eight drugs for potential cost reduction. The federal government could help move the process along, one expert says.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson
Management
Beyond the books: Teens check out mental health resources at libraries
In Hartford, Kentucky, the public library invites teens to weekly sessions to foster positive thinking amid a growing youth mental health crisis.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson
Infrastructure
Turf wars: States, cities grow skeptical of artificial grass
Bans on synthetic turf look to address its impact on the environment and human health.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson
Finance
Cash isn’t the only thing guaranteed income programs can deliver
Data is starting to show that supplemental income programs can boost participants’ employment, housing stability and family well-being.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson
Management
States look to Medicaid to curb maternal mortality
Expanding Medicaid postpartum care from 60 days to 12 months gives states more tools for addressing rising maternal death rates.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson
Digital Government
For effective community research, get the right people at the table
When people with lived experience participate in a research project’s design, data collection and analysis, they can increase engagement, build trust and lay the groundwork for system-level change.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson
Workforce
County supports its aging residents by focusing on family caregivers
To ensure its older adults receive quality care, Fairfax County, Virginia, steps up services for their families.
- By Kaitlyn Levinson