When children and families move from one service to the next, they can easily be set back by the complex and differing intake procedures between organizations, requiring them to repeat their history multiple times. In combination with more broader systemic changes that make family referrals easier, a warm handoff can make all the difference for ensuring families are smoothly transferred…
SPI’s Navigating Change program, in partnership with the San Diego Regional Center, held it’s 1 Year Celebration in February 2026, during which our team shared highlights from the first year of operation. This program focuses on improving equitable service access and transition planning for youth ages 16 – 22 with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are completing high school and…
Black and Latino youth are significantly overrepresented in the juvenile justice system. In San Diego County, Black youth are incarcerated at 13 times the rate of white youth. These disparities demand systemic change. A new issue brief, “Pathways to Equity: An Innovative Approach to Juvenile Justice Reform,” developed by SPI Juvenile Justice intern Jessica Laing and Program Manager Yvonne Epps, urges…
Some individuals experience more positive health outcomes than others due to various factors known as the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). The Social Determinants of Health encompass a person’s environment, their individual behaviors, political factors and more. In our latest Knowledge to Action Brief, we discuss the SDOH in depth and how closely they are intertwined with Adverse Childhood Experiences…
In alignment with the Office of Child Abuse Prevention’s vision, and in partnership with Strategies 2.0 and CAPCs throughout the state, the Social Policy Institute has developed Best Practice Guidelines for California CAPCs. Child Abuse Prevention Councils (CAPCs) are the catalyst, convener and coordinator of the countywide approach to prevention of child maltreatment. Each CAPC prioritizes strategies for action that…
The Breaking Barriers Toolkit was developed to highlight the essential components of effective cross-systems practice and the strategies that improve outcomes for children, families and communities. Implementation of these practice components—Shared Leadership, Shared Data and Outcomes Management, Shared Fiscal Management, and Shared Community—leads to successful integration of care and services, thereby addressing the unmet social, emotional and developmental needs of…
The 5 Protective Factors are widely known in the Family Strengthening Field as a way to increase family strengths and decrease the likelihood of child abuse and neglect. They can also play a significant role in preventing and reducing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in children and families. In our newest knowledge to action brief, we discuss a 6th protective factor,…
The majority of people living in California have experienced at least one (1) adverse childhood experience (ACE). Fully 16% have experienced 4 or more ACEs. In SPI’s first ACEs Aware Knowledge to Action Brief, we focus on the challenges children face in the midst of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how lasting impacts can be prevented or reduced using the…