Faculty and researchers at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School make headlines every day for work that advances social justice and creates a more just world.
Check out some of the top stories from the past month:
Pay for Success: Robert Fischer
March 26
Ohio Treasurer Aims to Help Tackle Drug Addiction and Other Social Problems
cleveland.com
The model for Pay for Success, also referred to as social-impact bonds originated in the United Kingdom and has been used in the United States. Cuyahoga County in 2013 was among the first governments in the U.S. to try it out. That five-year program, designed to try to reduce the number of children in foster care, is close to wrapping up, according to Mandel School faculty member Rob Fischer, co-director of the Poverty Center, who is helping evaluate the program’s effectiveness.
Learn more about the Pay for Success model
Sexual Assault: Rachel Lovell
April 2
Sexual Assault Kit Initiative: What Testing Backlogged Sexual Assault Kits is Teaching Law Enforcement About the Crime
FBI
Rachel Lovell of the Begun Center discusses revelations from testing backlogged sexual assault kits, concerns about how many individuals don’t report assaults and the improvements made in investigating these crimes.
Read more from the FBI
April 2
How Is Ohio Changing Its Response To Sexual Violence?
Eye on Ohio
WXVU (Cincinnati NPR affiliate)
WOSU
Cleveland Scene Magazine
In an examination of how communities across the state are responding to survivors of sexual assault, Rachel Lovell of the Begun Center discusses the center’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative and the sharing of data in the field.
Read about improvements in preventing assault and supporting survivors
April 3
FBI and U.S. States Zeroing in on Historical Sex Offences
Central Asia Times
The work being done to test a backlog of sexual assault kits is one part of the story. The other part is what has been discovered about the serial nature of many sexual offenders as thousands of cases are added into the FBI's national DNA and violent crime databases. When you test so many kits at the same time, you can see how much serial offending is going on, says the Begun Center’s Rachel Lovell.
April 10
SB 52 Would Improve Sexual Assault Response, Make Communities Safer
Valley Journal
In an opinion piece about pending legislation in Montana, Representative Kimberly Dudick points to research by the Begun Center’s Rachel Lovell regarding repeat offenders.
Read about Senate Bill 52
Lead Exposure: Robert Fischer
April 2
Can Reading Counteract the Effects of Lead Poisoning?
WCPN
WVXU
WKSU
For children with lead poisoning, the key is to remove the source of lead exposure and provide a nurturing environment where learning can happen. The Poverty Center’s Rob Fischer is planning a new study to gather some data about programs that get books into the hands of children with lead exposure.
Read more about how reading may counteract some effects of lead exposure
April 3
City Council to Stay the Course as Community Group Presses Ahead with 'Lead Safe' Legislation
WEWS Channel 5
In response to research by the Poverty Center’s Robert Fischer, a group of community activists delivered a petition with more than 10,000 signatures to the City Council Clerk, seeking to put lead-related legislation before voters in November.
Read more about the effects of Fischer’s lead research
April 11
Cleveland’s Toxic Legacy of Lead Poisoned Housing Must Be Addressed Now
Cleveland Plain Dealer
The editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer point to research by the Poverty Center’s Robert Fischer to demonstrate the gravity of Cleveland’s lead problem and urge action.
Read their plea for change
Survivors of Abuse: Dan Flannery
April 3
Backlog of Open Arrest Warrants in Cleveland Leave Survivors of Abuse at Risk
WEWS Channel 5 Cleveland
Local and state agencies are taking steps to improve an overwhelmed system that is leaving survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence at risk of having history repeat itself. Daniel J. Flannery, director of the Begun Center, says the backlog is dangerous for survivors of abuse and puts the general public at risk.
Read about the effects of outstanding warrants
Suicide Prevention: Jane Timmons-Mitchell
April 16
WRUW
Jane Timmons-Mitchell of the Begun Center discusses the negative pressures of social media, including cyber bullying, intense pressure on young people to succeed, and the need to strengthen appropriate social relationship skills, including empathy.
Life After Incarceration: David Hussey
April 22
Helping Ex-convicts Rebuild Their Lives
WTAM 1100
David Hussey of the Mandel School was included on a panel on current reentry research efforts during the Cuyahoga County Office of Reentry’s second annual Reentry Awareness Week. The series of events highlighted the barriers individuals face after incarceration and opportunities that can improve their outcomes for a successful reentry and reduced recidivism.
Animal-Assisted Social Work: Aviva Vincent
April 30
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University Using Saliva to See How Humans Benefit from Therapy Animals
WEWS Channel 5
Why, or how much, therapy animals help is still largely a mystery to the scientific community. By measuring the biological response in saliva, the Mandel School's Aviva Vincent is among the first trying to figure out how much therapy animals help reduce stress in people.
Read more about her research