Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute

Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute

Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute 2017 Program Proposal September 2016

Making a Difference Through Research

Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute JDC Hill Jerusalem 91037 Israel Phone: 972-2-655-7400 Fax: 972-2-563-5851 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.jdc.org.il/brookdale The Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute is Israel’s leading center for applied research on social policy and services, serving Israel, the Jewish world, and the international community. The Institute is an independent, non-profit partnership between the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the Government of Israel, and the David and Inez Myers Foundation.

© All rights reserved 2016

Table of Contents Introduction

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Supporters and Donors

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Research Areas 1. Aging: Center for Research on Aging

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2. Health: Smokler Center for Health Policy Research

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3. Children and Youth: Engelberg Center for Children and Youth

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4. Disabilities: Center for Research on Disabilities

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5. Employment: Center for the Employment of Disadvantaged Populations

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6. Development of Public Administration Infrastructure

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Center for Quality Promotion Systems

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Unit for Learning from Success and Ongoing Collaborative

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Learning in Human Service Organizations

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Center for System-Wide Impact and Measurement

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Cross-Cutting Programs

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Introduction The Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute is Israel’s leading center for applied research on social policy and services, serving Israel, the Jewish world, and the international community. MJB’s goal is to continue to seek out the most effective means for Israeli society to address its major social challenges, increase the wellbeing of Israeli citizens, and expand the opportunities of society's most vulnerable members. The establishment of the Institute in 1974 was a milestone in the efforts to promote the use of research to improve the effectiveness of Israel’s social service system. Since then, MJB has been involved in Israel’s most important social initiatives, contributing to the planning and implementation of significant social policy and program reforms. Today, in large part due to the work of the Institute, the use of data, evidence, and ongoing learning is now ingrained in much of Israel’s social policy and program development processes. Internationally, MJB’s knowledge and expertise are increasingly sought after by Jewish communities around the world, international organizations, philanthropic foundations, and others. MJB makes a difference by:  Producing independent, relevant, and trusted information  Engaging intensively with strategic national and local decision makers  Promoting action based on research findings  Exchanging knowledge and best practices with the international community and the Jewish world MJB's multi-year program as approved in the 5-year contract is divided into six major areas: 1. Aging 2. Health 3. Children and Youth 4. Disabilities 5. Employment and promotion of populations struggling to integrate into the job market 6. Development of Public Administration Infrastructure In the pages that follow, we present each area according to key research themes and subthemes for 2017. 4

2017 Research Program and Projects Proposal  Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute

Supporters and Donors We continue to be grateful to our supporters and donors for their generous support of the Institute.

MJB Founders Government of Israel (full funding partner of Institute core budget) American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (full funding partner of Institute core budget) The Brookdale Foundation The David and Inez Myers Foundation Atlantic Philanthropies The Mandell L. and Madeleine H. Berman Foundation Alfred and Gail Engelberg Connie and Bert (dec.) Rabinowitz Annie and Arthur Sandler Carol and Irving Smokler Marshall Weinberg The Maurice and Vivienne Wohl Charitable Foundation

MJB Major Special Funds Mandell Berman Fund for Research on Children with Disabilities Connie and Bert Rabinowitz Fund for Creative Breakthrough Research Marshall Weinberg Fund for Professional Collaboration and Development Harry Weinrebe Fund for the Advancement of Children Wohl Strategic Fund

Major Donors Stuart and Diane Altman Foundation

Nancy Hackerman

The Bader Philanthropies (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)

Jewish Federation of Cleveland

Nora and Guy Barron

Marion Ein Lewin

The Dorset Foundation

Karen Lombart

Andrea and Michael Dubroff

Robert Rothberg

Pat and Mannie (dec.) Gantz, Eric Zahler and

Rothschild Caesarea Foundation

Karen Gantz-Zahler

Yad Hanadiv Foundation

www.jdc.org.il/brookdale  www.facebook.com/MJBInstitute

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Research Area: Aging Center for Research on Aging Established 1974  Director: Jenny Brodsky Israel is in the midst of a dramatic demographic shift, with the elderly population projected to double over the next 20 years. This growth is expected to require many adaptations in the health system, social services, labor market, pension system, and the role of elderly people in society. It will create a significant demand for the expansion of services for this population and their families. MJB’s Center for Research on Aging is central to the national effort to develop policies and services to respond to this challenge.

2017 Research Themes Consequences of the aging process and strategies to address them 

Implementation of the National Strategic Plan for the Elderly with Dementia

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Prevention of loneliness among the elderly with the rise in life expectancy

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End-of-life care for the elderly in the health system

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Development and evaluation of programs to encourage continued participation in the labor force of older workers

Models of integrated care for elderly with complex needs 

Expansion of a national inter-organizational initiative to provide integrative services to the elderly

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Healthcare in the home : How to improve and expand the homecare services of the health plans

Family caregivers  Examination of different models for effective support of family members caring for the elderly

Database on the needs of the elderly and the development of services  Publication of the annual Statistical Yearbook on the Elderly

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2017 Research Program and Projects Proposal  Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute

Research Area: Health Smokler Center for Health Policy Research Established 1986  Director: Bruce Rosen More than two decades after the establishment of National Health Insurance, Israel’s health system is again at a critical juncture amidst ongoing concerns about workforce shortages, the growth of private medicine, and inequalities in access to health services. There are efforts to improve patient services and to reduce gaps in accessibility to public health care. In addition, there are important initiatives to expand the public health care package. MJB’s Smokler Center for Health Policy Research plays a key national role in addressing these concerns.

2017 Research Themes The transfer of responsibility for service provision from the government to the health plans in accordance with the National Health Insurance Law  Nursing home care

 The national mental health reform

The development of private medicine and insurance and their consequences for the public health system  Trends in the development of

 Maintaining an appropriate balance between

private medicine (insurance,

the public and private health systems

services, expenses)

Monitoring trends in the consumer’s perspective on the quality of service and performance of the health system  Satisfaction

 Patient-centeredness

 Access to services

 Disparities in care among regions and populations

Strategies for addressing manpower shortages in the health professions, with special attention to the public hospitals  The full-timer program

 The physician assistant initiative

Contracting and remuneration methods with service providers  Incentives to attract health care professionals to peripheral regions  Contracting methods for nursing home services  Capitation formula for allocating resources in national health insurance  Hospital budgeting and reimbursement

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Research Area: Children and Youth Engelberg Center for Children and Youth Established 1995  Director: Miriam Navot Over the past two decades, Israel has made a dramatic effort to transform the service system for children and youth at risk, with emphases on community-based services, systematic data-based planning, and inter-ministerial and inter-agency collaboration. Throughout this period, MJB’s Engelberg Center for Children and Youth has influenced the national agenda through studies of the needs of children and youth at risk, and the service system designed to address them.

2017 Research Themes Expanding opportunities for disadvantaged populations and reducing gaps in the education system  Developing programs to assist schoolchildren with difficulties and reduce the rate of overt and hidden dropouts  Promotion of career and technological education and the transition to the labor force for high risk youth  Strengthening the education system for minority populations: Arab, immigrant, and ultra-Orthodox students

Integrative approaches to assisting children and youth at risk  Expansion of the National Program for Children and Youth at Risk  Support for the development and implementation of the National Initiative for Young Adults at Risk

Strengthening the community service system for child protection and reducing out-of-home placement  National monitoring of the characteristics and extent of child maltreatment  Improving transition from out-of-home placement back to the community  Implementation of the recommendations of the committee regarding out-ofhome placement and the wellbeing of children in high conflict marital disputes:  Upgrading the committees for assessment and care planning  Strengthening the Family and Improving parenting as an alternative to outof-home placement  Assistance to parents in high-conflict divorce situations

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2017 Research Program and Projects Proposal  Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute

Research Area: Disabilities Center for Research on Disabilities Established 1993  Director: Dori Rivkin In recent years, the inclusion and integration of people with disabilities has become a priority in Israel and elsewhere around the world. MJB’s Center for Research on Disabilities has played a leading role in the effort to develop policies and services to enable people with disabilities to become full and productive members of Israeli society.

2017 Research Themes Integration into the community 

Integrating young adults with disabilities in centers for young adults

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Preparing young adults for independent living

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Using rehabilitation equipment and mobile devices

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Supporting parents with disabilities in Ultra-orthodox communities

Strengthening families with children with disabilities 

Abuse, neglect, and violence towards children and youth with disabilities

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Supervision of guardians in personal matters

Integration into education and the labor force 

Transition to adulthood

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Development of a model for group employment for people with disabilities

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Research Area: Employment Center for Research on Employment of Disadvantaged Populations Established 2003  Director: Nir Levy The expansion of opportunities for employment, vocational training, and career advancement is critical to addressing the general challenges of poverty and inequality between different population groups. There have been extensive efforts in recent years to develop better strategies for dealing with these challenges, and the integration of disadvantaged populations in the labor force has improved. Many unmet needs remain, however, further spurring the search for effective means of redress. It is also widely agreed that professional development and maximal integration of disadvantaged populations into the labor force are essential to the continued growth of Israel's economy. MJB’s Center for Research on Employment of Disadvantaged Populations is integral to the development of Israel’s social policy and services in this area.

2017 Research Themes Holistic interventions for labor force integration 

People with disabilities

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Arab-Israelis

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Ethiopian-Israelis

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Ultra-orthodox

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Clients of social services

Advancement of low-income workers 

Encouraging job stability

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Encouraging advancement in the workplace

New Approaches to Vocational education and training  Developing standards in light of the international experience

Increasing access to and achievements in higher education

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2017 Research Program and Projects Proposal  Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute

Research Area: Development of Public Administration Infrastructure In addition to engagement in the major issues on the public agenda, MJB also engages in the development of public administration infrastructure relevant to these issues. Our research program for 2017 focuses on six categories of infrastructure development: 1. Contracts for procuring social services from the profit and non-profit sectors  Learning from and applying the experience and developments in other countries to various service systems in Israel 2. Inspection and quality assurance  Developing supervision systems for key public services  Participating in planning of national policies across all ministries 3. Processes of ongoing learning and organizational development  Assisting public institutions to engage in ongoing learning within their organizations. For example, municipal educational systems in the Arab sector, the National Program for Children and Youth at Risk 4. Outcomes-oriented planning and ongoing outcomes measurement  The inter-ministerial outcomes initiative  Cooperative initiatives between JDC and the government  The National Program for Children and Youth at Risk  Measurement on a national scale of the extent and nature of child abuse and neglect and government responses 5. Ministerial, inter-ministerial and cross-sector cooperation and shared measurement  Developing shared measures in a number of fields such as employment and the rehabilitation of disadvantaged families 6. Methods for cost-benefit analysis  Applying the cost-benefit approach to employment programs  Applying the cost-benefit approach to social services for a variety of populations at risk MJB's research in the development of public administration infrastructure is concentrated in three research units, which are detailed in the pages that follow.

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Center for Quality Promotion Systems Established 1987  Director: Tamar Zemach-Marom Since the late 1980s, MJB’s Center for Quality Promotion Systems has worked to assist the government to improve the quality of its care through better regulation and ongoing quality assurance. It does so using the RAF (Regulation, Assessment, and Follow-up) System, a state-of-theart system developed by the Institute to promote objective and systematic regulation of services. Last year, the Center became part of a key strategic process of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services, to develop, establish and implement outcome-based thinking and ongoing measurement in social services in Israel. The initiative was launched in 2007 by the Ministry's Unit for Research, Planning and Training, in partnership with MJB and with the support of the Mandell Fund.

2017 Research Themes Assisting in the Implementation of the National reform of the regulatory system of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services serving a broad range of populations, including the elderly, children at risk, people with disabilities and those dealing with addiction to alcohol and drugs

Linking outcome measurement to quality assurance processes Continued assistance to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services in incorporating

outcome-based

thinking

into

the

Ministry's

planning,

measurement, and training

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2017 Research Program and Projects Proposal  Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute

Unit for Learning from Success and Ongoing Collaborative Learning in Human Service Organizations Established 1995  Director: Sarit Ellenbogen MJB’s Unit for Learning from Success and Ongoing Collaborative Learning in Human Service Organizations develops and implements innovative learning practices to help organizations provide high-quality, appropriate, and beneficial services to the populations they serve. The Learning from Success (LFS) approach seeks to create environments that encourage ongoing collaborative learning within organizations.

The LFS approach is based on three types of

interconnected, collaborative learning methods: 1. The “retrospective method,” for learning from past successes. 2. The “prospective method” for introducing a learning process with respect to an important unresolved issue, implementing the conclusions, testing them out, and measuring the results. 3. The “Learning about Learning for Action method,” for introducing ongoing reflection-based learning on the process of learning itself. As one of the major strategies to implement the LFS approach broadly, the Unit trains “learning companions” to develop and disseminate learning processes within their own or other organizations.

2017 Research Themes Implementing the process of Learning from Success and Ongoing Collaborative Learning in various settings 

Municipal social service departments

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Arab education sector

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Career and technological education

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Schools for students with difficulties

Promoting ongoing learning about the Learning from Success method 

Training Learning Companions

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Publishing book on the “Learning About Learning for Action,” for introducing ongoing reflection-based learning into human services organizations

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Center for System-Wide Impact and Measurement Established 2014 Director: Yehonatan Almog Over the past decade, there has been a shift in social service delivery from a more fragmented and “siloed” approach to an emphasis on service integration and organizational partnerships to advance common goals. This, is perhaps expressed most clearly in attempts to promote collective impact, in which government, civil society and third sector organizations, philanthropy, and others commit themselves to a common agenda for solving complex social problems. To support these efforts, the field of measurement and evaluation is also evolving, with increasing attention paid to shared measurement. MJB’s Unit for System-wide Impact and Measurement works to develop the theoretical and practical foundations for inter-organizational measurement and evaluation on the organizational and crossorganizational level.

2017 Research Themes

Development of shared indicators and shared measurement

Evaluating cross-sectoral initiatives, and initiatives to improve the cross-sectoral interface

Developing organizational strategies for measurement and evaluation

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2017 Research Program and Projects Proposal  Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute

Cross-Cutting Programs MJB also operates four cross-cutting research programs that spread across multiple MJB research centers. The specific projects for these programs are listed in the project lists of the primary research center.

Program on Immigrant Absorption

Program on the Arab Population in Israel

Global Jewish Cooperation & Exchange

Middle East Cooperation & Exchange

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