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Social Services
Westat applies our analytical and surveillance talents to help clients effectively and equitably respond to the needs of multiple populations: the elderly, at-risk youth, veterans, children and families, victims of sexual violence, individuals experiencing homelessness, and others seeking to thrive.
Overview
The well-being of a society is inextricably linked to how well its needs are met. Meeting those needs for all Americans—our aging populations, at-risk youth, children and families, military personnel, and marginalized individuals—demands precisely executed examination of the social policies that affect them. Westat’s experts deliver the critical intelligence leaders require to effectively and equitably respond to multiple complex challenges. Our strategy is simple: Engage our talents in evaluation design, behavioral modeling, policy analysis, and nationwide surveillances to elicit accurate data captures and top-quality analyses to determine the best ways for our people to thrive.
Our Expertise
Aging Populations
The steady rise of our graying population has escalated our nation’s quest to address the health care needs of older Americans and their caregivers. Westat’s rigorous studies help measure trends in late-life functioning and individual aging pathways to guide efforts to reduce disability, maximize functioning, and enhance the quality of life for older Americans. We are performing research to find new ways to improve care for seniors with dementia and expand supportive services for family caregivers. We’re exploring data about the aging process as it relates to race, socioeconomic status, and health outcomes. And Westat’s behavioral and social science researchers with our state-of-the art tools and techniques are studying ways to strengthen and clarify health communications for our older populations to improve health literacy.
Criminal Justice
The issues facing our criminal justice system stretch across a wide landscape of unanswered questions—questions about how to more accurately count America’s missing children, improve outcomes for at-risk youth, protect inmates from sexual victimization, and make our college campuses safer. Westat’s experts are examining each of these issues. Our evaluation of a statewide youth opportunity program will determine its cost-benefit, outcomes, and success in safeguarding at-risk youth from criminal justice system involvement. Westat’s uncovering of the full scope of services available and provided to victims of crime is helping funders and policymakers better understand just what providers of these services need to support victims. And our surveys of sexual assaults and misconduct on 33 college campuses streamlined the data needed to develop effective preventive policies and programs.
Family Support
Westat evaluates the effectiveness of programs that set out to meet the needs of at-risk families. Our research helps inform policies that offer choices and encouragement to parent advocates seeking to navigate a complex system to support their child’s well-being.
Homelessness and Housing
Homelessness is a growing problem in America with more than half a million people without housing and more than a million youths experiencing homelessness at least 1 night over the course of a year. Leaders looking for original strategies to prevent housing insecurity and homelessness or seeking help in implementing effective housing programs or wanting to provide services for special-needs populations have tapped Westat for its adaptive, innovative research strengths, reliable study methods, and state-of-the art company-designed tools. Using mixed methods for systemic investigations, we’ve assessed countywide reforms of homeless service systems, examined programs offering housing and supportive services for rural victims of domestic violence, and examined ways to unlock intelligence regarding preventing and ending youth homelessness.
Youth With Multisystem Involvement
Many youth with behavioral health challenges seek help from multiple agencies of care. This multisystem approach can cause gaps in evaluation and treatment for at-risk youth. Through research and evaluation, Westat is supporting our clients’ goals to bridge these gaps and improve policy, systems development, and service delivery.
Experts
Meet the Team
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David C. Wittenburg
Vice President & Practice Director, Social Policy & Economics Research
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Erika Bonilla
Senior Research Associate
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Robert Drake
Senior Advisor
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Mary Gabay
Principal Research Associate
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Joseph Gasper
Associate Vice President
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Maeve E. Gearing
Principal Research Associate
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Lindsay J. Giesen
Principal Research Associate
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Cindy Gruman
Vice President
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Mustafa C. Karakus
Associate Vice President
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Janice Machado
Associate Vice President
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Debra Rog
Vice President
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Naomi Dyer Yount
Principal Research Associate
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Thea Palmer Zimmerman
Principal Research Associate
Projects
Keep Reading
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Washington State Department of Corrections
What tasks occupy community corrections staff’s day? -
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
How can we monitor quality at long-term and acute care facilities? -
Administration for Children and Families
How can we enhance our understanding of ACF programs?
Insights
Deep Dive with Our Experts
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Expert Interview
Passport to Careers: Aiding Foster and Homeless Young AdultsJuly 2024
The Passport to Careers program in Washington State supports former foster youth and homeless youth unaccompanied by a parent or guardian in achieving their college…
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Issue Brief
Doula Support in Black Maternal HealthApril 2024
The U.S. currently faces a crisis in Black maternal health. Black women die from pregnancy complications at a rate 2 to 4 times higher than…
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Perspective
Impact of COVID-19 on Intimate Partner ViolenceOctober 2023
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pressing and pervasive public health concern in the United States. There are many different definitions for IPV, but generally…