MPA student Andrew Bean awarded Indy Chamber HobNob Policy Internship

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Michael L. Jackson

SPEA MPA candidate Andrew Bean was officially recognized as the 2018 Indy Chamber HobNob Policy Intern at a reception following the organization’s “Political Bootcamp” on Thursday.

The internship, which includes a $5,000 stipend from Cripe Architects + Engineers, is awarded annually to a SPEA IUPUI graduate student who is interested public policy and political action and advocacy. The internship was first offered in 2004.

“I was elated and relieved,” Bean said of hearing the news that he had been awarded this year’s internship. “SPEA does a fantastic job of getting these types of opportunities in front of their students.”

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Leaders: Do you know what is on your organization’s horizon?

Posted on August 22, 2017 by Sara M Johnson

While relaxing on a recent cruise to Cuba, I started thinking about leadership (I know … I can’t help it). Ever an observer and student of leadership and organizational culture I was struck by lessons that can be learned on both land and sea.

As we left the port on the cruise ship, I positioned myself on the top deck to watch our departure. As we worked our way to the Skyway Bridge at the edge of Tampa Bay, I noticed the ship turning subtly left and right within a path of lighted buoys. Slowly, the ship would veer left, then right, threading its way through the Bay as we headed out to sea. There was great attention to direction and the required turns that led us safely out to the Gulf. The narrow passage under the bridge also required a precise positioning by the captain in order to prevent the cruise ship from hitting the bridge supports. This seemed a strategic process to ensure the safety of the ship and its passengers. Though it may have been something the captain did all the time, it was strategic, subtle and purposeful. I doubt I would have known it was happening had I not been on the deck observing his path. (more…)

PPI researchers will evaluate effectiveness of city’s newly-formed mobile crisis team

Posted on August 17, 2017 by O'Neill at IUPUI

M-CAT; mobile crisis assistance team; public policy institute; research; mental illness

By Katie Bailey and Joti Kaur

Researchers from the Indiana University Public Policy Institute will conduct process and outcome evaluations of the city’s newly-adopted Mobile Crisis Assistance Team, also known as M-CAT. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett announced the formation of the crisis team earlier this month.

Like several other cities across the county, Indianapolis is aiming to divert people with a mental illness from the cycle of incarceration at the earliest point of the criminal justice system: arrest. To accomplish this, the Office of Public Health and Safety has collaborated with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services, and Eskenazi Midtown Community Mental Health to pilot M-CAT.

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Fear of arrest stops some needed calls to 911 after opioid overdose

Posted on July 19, 2017 by O'Neill at IUPUI

Fear of being arrested still undercuts an Indiana law that shields anyone who administers naloxone from criminal charges, according to a survey conducted by two researchers at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Naloxone is a lifesaving emergency reversal drug for opioid overdose.

Approximately 73 percent of survey respondents said 911 was called after naloxone was administered for an overdose, but 27 percent of respondents indicated 911 was not called, according to Dennis Watson, an associate professor in the Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, and Brad Ray, an assistant professor in the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs, both at IUPUI.

Watson and Ray said their research shows that people don’t call 911 because they are afraid of being arrested. (more…)

Fentanyl-related deaths lead another record year for drug overdoses in Marion County

Posted on June 30, 2017 by Brad Ray

With Dr. Dennis Watson, Fairbanks School of Public Health

Opioid overdoses continue to make local and national headlines. We recently worked with a group of researchers to publish a study showing dramatic increases in fatal opioid-related overdoses in Marion County; however, the data we used were only through 2015. We feel it is important to update the residents of our community on more recent trends, and so we have been working with Philip Huynh (Fairbanks School of Public Health) to update the toxicology data and Peter Phalen (University of Indianapolis) to estimate and map trends in overdose. We have used the same methodology from our earlier study, which looks at the detection of substances rather than the cause-of-death. It is important to note that with this methodology cases are not mutually exclusive so a single drug overdose can contain several substances and would be counted in each of those categories.

Drug Overdose Deaths in Marion County by Year

The updated data Phil collected shows drug overdose deaths have continued to rise in Marion County, reaching an all-time high of 345 in 2016. This is more than four times the average number of yearly traffic fatalities (85) in Marion County. This rise in drug overdose deaths has continued into the current year. As of May 1, 2017 (our most up-to date data), there have been 130 drug overdose deaths. This is in contrast to the 98 deaths that were recorded at the same time last year.

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