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Abstract Awareness and interest in involving male caregivers in child mental health treatment has grown, especially for youth with disruptive behavior disorders like oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between male caregiver involvement and treatment engagement for child ODD. Children (n = 122) ages 7–11 and their caregivers participated […]

Yung Chun, Oren Heller, Jason Jabbari, Yaniv Shlomo, Ayala Hendin, Fanice Thomas  and Michal Grinstein-Weiss The COVID-19 pandemic made significant and wide-ranging impacts on child education by disrupting learning process and exacerbating existing inequalities across continents. School closures intended to curb the virus’s spread, resulted in reduced instructional time and limited access to crucial resources […]

By Katie Ragsdale & Katie Kristensen At the Social Policy Institute (SPI), we are deeply committed to fostering inclusive and impactful policy research. We recognize that the traditional top-down approach to policymaking often neglects the voices and experiences of communities and stakeholders most impacted by the problem at hand. Over the past two years, we […]

By Katie Ragsdale, Katie Kristensen, Dr. Leah Hamilton, and Dr. Latrice Rollins The Social Policy Institute (SPI) seeks to shift to a participatory approach throughout its research and programming. Our working definition of a participatory approach draws on the theory and practice of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR). While CBPR is not always feasible or appropriate […]

Two renowned research centers become one, with expanded leadership, a broader research agenda and greater potential for policy and program impacts. The start of this integration is a key step in the broader beginning of a new era of leadership and excellence in social development and policy at Washington University’s Brown School.
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We’re thrilled to announce and welcome a new group of emerging leaders in policy research and translation to the JPMC Social Policy Research Scholars Program! This initiative, now in its second year, supports doctoral students from historically marginalized groups underrepresented in academia in their efforts to create a more inclusive, socially, racially, and economically just […]

What is the role of data in improving impact? And why is this a matter of equity? St. Louis social sector leaders addressed these questions in a panel discussion at STL DataFest 2024 titled Power in Numbers: How Data for Social Impact Cultivates Inclusive Growth on Friday, May 17. The panel was moderated by Simon Huang, Chief Technology Officer for […]

To build connection and capacity for social sector leaders in equitable, collaborative data practice, Data for Social Impact (DSI), an initiative of the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis, launched a Data Equity learning cohort in January 2024 in collaboration with Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP) of the University of Pennsylvania. […]

Participation in a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) apprenticeship program increased job happiness, finds a new study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Four Social Policy Institute researchers presented their papers and hosted discussions at the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) conference from November 9-11, 2023. Below are the papers and discussions presented by the SPI team. Thursday, November 9, 2023 Friday, November 10, 2023 Saturday, November 11, 2023

SPI Associate Director Dan Ferris and faculty affiliate Sarah Moreland-Russell co-editing. Submission deadline May 15, 2024. The topic is “Nutrition Policy and Programs in Educational Settings: Equitable Approaches to Food Security.”

The St. Louis Guaranteed Basic Income Program has opened applications, and SPI will help evaluate its outcomes.