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Innovators Insights




  • Criminal Justice and Public Safety
  • Environment and Natural Resources
  • Economic and Community Development
  • Health and Social Services

  • Policy Partnerships for an Aging America
  • Related IAG Awards
  • Relevant Research
  • Upcoming Events
 
June 10, 2005
New on our site
Unleashing Change: A Study of Organizational Renewal in Government


In Unleashing Change, public management expert Steven Kelman presents a blueprint for organizational change and improvement within government, based on his experience orchestrating procurement reform in the 1990s.


Take a virtual book tour of Unleashing Change.

Criminal Justice and Public Safety
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D.A. creates environmental unit to tackle crime mostly affecting the poor

06/01/2005 | The San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris has established a new environmental justice unit to target environmental crimes. These types of crimes, which include illegal dumping and the pollution of local water resources, disproportionately affect the poor. While many state and federal prosecutors are tasked with policing environmental crimes, underfunded local authorities rarely monitor these infractions adequately.

Environment and Natural Resources
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Biologists use innovation to save Blackfoot Reservoir cutthroat trout

05/26/2005 | Idaho Falls Post Register (Idaho)

Idaho officials have unveiled a "unique type of bird fence" to protect cutthroat trout in the Upper Blackfoot River. Due to droughts in recent years, the trout have been forced to migrate in stretches of water as shallow as six inches, where they have become easy prey for pelicans. More typical conservation techniques, such as scaring off the birds with gunfire, have not worked. As a result, Idaho is experimenting with flagging, in which biologists use fishing line and colored flags to deter birds from attacking the fish in shallow waters.

Economic and Community Development
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New web cams show air pollution that obscures scenic vistas, poses health risks

04/28/2005 | US Fed News

Although air pollution continues to threaten the health of people and the environment, it is often difficult to see the "big picture" when it comes to air quality. In an effort to raise awareness about this growing issue, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has unveiled new high-resolution digital web cameras that monitor air pollution and visibility, giving residents and visitors real-time images of local air quality. The new web cams are part of a broader Northeast digital on-line network that charts regional atmospheric conditions for researchers and the public.

Health and Social Services
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HUD joins with NCMEC to help find missing children

05/25/2005 | States News Service

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) have struck a strategic partnership to locate missing kids. Operation Find HUDkids compares the lists of NCMEC missing children cases and the over 3.88 million children living in HUD-assisted housing nationwide to generate investigative leads, reopen cold cases, and assist law enforcement in solving these cases.

Policy Partnerships for an Aging America
In the next 20 years, the number of Americans over the age of 65 will double from 35 to 70 million. Because of healthier lifestyles and modern medicine, older Americans are remaining independent and active longer. And they increasingly want public policies that ensure their continued independence. As a result, government resources and legislation will continue to realign to match this growing population's health, housing, and economic security needs.


 

The public, private, and non-profit sectors are pooling their expertise, stepping up outreach efforts, and promoting the replication of best-practice models nationwide in order to address this demographic shift successfully. Mobile gyms and testing centers, intergenerational technical training, alternative tax schemes, on-line legal services, alternative cruise ship residences, smart cottages that sense when patients need aid, and complex care demystification guides are but some of the many fruits of these efforts.

 

Currently, over half of all non-drivers over age 65 have limited transportation options, especially in rural and smaller communities; these restrictions often contribute to lower rates of civic engagement among this population. In response to this problem, the American Public Transportation Association has launched "Easy Rider: Advanced Mobility Needs for Aging Americans" to ensure that the nation's 6,000 transit systems are sharing and promoting lessons learned in transit service delivery. Easy Rider will collect and disseminate materials, case studies, and current initiatives that make public transportation more attractive for seniors, including low-floor vehicles, reduced fares, and flexible bus routes that help seniors arrive at preferred destinations.

 

In an effort to help seniors choose the optimal insurance plan for their specific health and financial situation, the Florida Department of Elder Affairs' SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) program is collaborating with the Social Security Administration's "Extra Help" program to provide comprehensive counseling services to applicants and beneficiaries. Experienced social workers, case managers, and other trained volunteers will assist seniors in navigating the State's Medicare, Medicaid, prescription assistance, and long-term care programs.

 

In many neighborhoods, environmental hazards, such as poor air and water quality, often trigger health problems, particularly in older adults. To help raise awareness and counteract these negative effects, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has begun to fund a series of aging initiatives, including a new project at Temple University that trains 15 to 20 motivated and articulate senior citizens to become environmental coaches in schools and environmental stewards in their own neighborhoods. The coaches will help students and other seniors recognize regional environmental risks and teach them how to protect themselves, their families, and their communities from toxicants.
Related IAG Awards
Read about these winners of the Innovations in American Government (IAG) Award:

Elderly Services


1992 Winner, Spokane County, WA

 
Elderly Services provides a multi-faceted approach that integrates mental health into its spectrum of home services. The Gatekeeper program trains community members, such as police officers, librarians, and supermarket employees, who regularly interact with the elderly to link high-risk seniors lacking their own support system to appropriate services. Spokane's Gatekeeper program has been replicated nationwide.
 

 
Partnership for Long-Term Care
1994 Winner, Albany, NY

 

In 1988, the State of New York, in cooperation with the insurance industry, designed a model health care program for the State's 700,000 elderly residents who often deplete their life savings on medical services. Today, Partnership for Long-Term Care continues to provide health insurance and subsidized long-term care through Medicaid to elderly New York residents, protecting participants' assets and enabling insurance policy sales. 

 

 
ElderCHOICE
1995 Winner, Boston, MA

 

ElderCHOICE provides long-term mortgage financing to private developers of assisted-living facilities. Through tax-exempt debt, it creates housing options for elderly residents from various income groups, requiring 20 percent of development units to be reserved for low-income households. By facilitating assisted living, the program continues to helps seniors avoid high-cost nursing homes.
Relevant Research
The following research examines policy responses to the aging of the U.S. population:

 

Accounting for Social Security and Its Reform.

Howell E. Jackson. Center for Business and Government, John F. Kennedy School of Government, 2003.

 

Letting Older Workers Work: Rethinking Retirement Policies.

The Urban Institute, 2002.

 

Beyond Social Security: The Local Aspects of an Aging America.

William H. Frey. The Brookings Institution Center for Urban and Metropolitan Policy, 1999.

 

Confronting the Challenges of Long-Term Care: A State Focus.

The Urban Institute, 2002.
Upcoming Events
Join the following conferences to learn about and share policy innovations that improve the lives of older citizens:

 

Universal Village: Livable Communities in the 21st Century

Washington, DC

June 15, 2005

 

World Aging & Generations Conference

St. Gallen, Switzerland

September 29 - October 1, 2005

 

White House Conference on Aging

Washington, DC

October 23 - 25, 2005
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