兰德-洛杉矶县公共卫生部家庭援助项目评估（英）-2025.6_20页_488kb

Summary:

The report evaluates the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's (LACDPH) Family Assistance Program (FAP), established in 2019 to provide timely, trauma-informed, and culturally-responsive support to families affected by fatal encounters with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD), such as in-custody deaths or deputy-involved shootings.

Program Description:

• FAP offers emotional (short-term counseling), logistical (assisting with county processes, repatriation), and financial support (funeral reimbursement).
• Services are delivered by trained clinical social workers primarily through home visits. The program emphasizes collaboration with partners (LASD, LADME, LACDMH) and operates within the principles of trauma-informed care.
• Key activities include crisis response, grief counseling, case management, and burial assistance. A logic model outlines inputs, activities, outputs, and long-term impacts like improved public trust and violence prevention.

Evaluation Methods and Findings:

• Data Sources: Administrative data (burials, reimbursements, service usage), client survey (low 11% response rate due to sensitivity), database (Microsoft Access) review, and program documentation.
• Operational Findings:
  • Timeliness was generally strong: Social workers assigned within three days for most cases (92%).
  • Funeral reimbursements (up to $7,500) were timely for 69% of eligible families upon authorization.
  • Client satisfaction surveys indicated high levels of satisfaction with compassion, responsiveness, and support.
  • Roughly half of FAP engagements resulted in a request for burial services; when requested, staff helped families navigate the process.
• Infrastructure Limitations (Database):
  • Used Microsoft Access, lacking multi-user support, longitudinal tracking capabilities, standardized fields for key data (referral sources, timelines), and secure integration for psychosocial data (often stored externally).
  • Challenges included database access issues (version mismatches) and difficulties modifying the system without risking data loss.
• Psychosocial Data Challenges:
  • Lack of standardized and repeated measures (e.g., for PTSD, depression, grief) limits tracking of long-term outcomes.
  • Re-traumatization risks and privacy concerns hindered efforts to collect follow-up survey data.

Recommendations:

1. Transition to a Dedicated Case Management System: Prioritize multi-user access, longitudinal tracking, secure data storage, structured fields, and protection from data loss.
2. Standardize Key Data Fields: Improve data quality and analysis by using standardized terms (e.g., service types, NOK relationship, referral source).
3. Integrate Psychosocial Assessments: Merge these into the case-tracking system to enable evaluation and holistic service delivery.
4. Explore Ethical Data Collection for Psychosocial Outcomes: Incorporate standardized measures (e.g., PHQ-9, PTSD screeners) for longitudinal tracking.
5. Improve Client Feedback Mechanisms: Explore alternative, low-threshold methods (e.g., verbal feedback, brief surveys, community partnerships) due to low survey response rates, related to mistrust.*
6. Implement Automated Alert Systems: Use scripts (e.g., Python/R) to generate operational reports (e.g., summary emails, alerts for delays).
7. Refine Database Structure (GUI): Modify the existing Microsoft Access interface to allow multiple, structured assessments per client profile.
8. Develop Ethical Protocols: Create clear procedures for handling sensitive psychosocial data, including de-identification, secure storage, and appropriate follow-upconsidering re-traumatization risks.

Conclusion:

FAP provides timely and sensitive trauma-informed support to affected families. However, infrastructure improvements (database) and standardization of data collection are crucial for program evaluation, enhanced coordination, scalability, and deeper understanding of its long-term impact.