Service Improvement

Building a Community-Focused Path to Re-entry
Approximately 40,000 adults are under the supervision of the Los Angeles County Probation Department. To help these individuals successfully reintegrate into communities, the department is working to increase community engagement, peer mentorship, and access to comprehensive wraparound services for justice-involved individuals. To advance these efforts, FUSE Executive Fellow Amy Cross... Read more
Coordinating Social Services to Reduce Recidivism
The Los Angeles County Probation Department seeks to reduce the financial and societal cost of recidivism by helping people reintegrate more effectively into their communities after prison. To support that goal, the department enlisted FUSE executive fellow Barry Goldberg to assess how county agencies involved in re-entry can coordinate to improve... Read more
Applying Human-Centered Design to Improve Workforce Services
The Los Angeles County Department of Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services (WDACS) provides services to connect the most historically vulnerable populations in the County with high-quality jobs and careers. FUSE Executive Fellow Patrick Koppula applied a human-centered design approach to help WDACS integrate and deliver services at key moments... Read more
Improving Outcomes for Justice-Involved Youth
The Juvenile Services Division (JSD) of the Los Angeles County Probation Department is responsible for the well-being and safety of approximately 6,000 justice-involved youths. Providing trauma-informed programming to support the development of these youths, whether they are in probation facilities or the community, is one of its primary goals. FUSE... Read more
Investing in Economic Inclusion to Unlock Broad-Based Growth
Racial and ethnic minorities comprise nearly 70 percent of Long Beach residents, and many of them are small business owners. Supporting these entrepreneurs is a critical part of the city’s 10-year economic plan. The Economic Development Department enlisted FUSE executive fellow Daniel Han to help connect minority and women entrepreneurs... Read more
Creating an Integrated Service Delivery Model to Improve Public Health
Residents of Long Beach have access to more than 40 programs through the Department of Health and Human Services. These programs address a variety of community health needs, including family planning, HIV care, homelessness, veteran support, and more. But there is no department-wide standard for determining client need or eligibility... Read more
Cultivating and Revitalizing Sacramento’s Economy
Working alongside Mayor Kevin Johnson, FUSE Executive Fellow Erika Dimmler played a leadership role in executing the Greenwise Action Plan. Erika brought together key stakeholders throughout Sacramento, including Sac High, Sacramento's public schools, and the city of Sacramento, to build a national prototype for a healthy food and jobs program... Read more
Leveraging the Power of the Internet for Equal Access
Thomas supported the City of Richmond’s initiative to build an innovative culture in the Department of Social Services. By adopting civic technology and open data he was able to improve service delivery and access to services and information for employees, non-profit partners, and the city's residents. Thomas developed a regional... Read more
Championing Sacramento as the “Farm to Fork” Capital of America
Sarah spent her fellowship year championing the Sacramento region as the "Farm to Fork Capital of America.” Mayor Kevin Johnson recognized that few places rival the region's resources - natural, economic, historical and political- and that their synergies give Sacramento an extraordinary comparative advantage in fulfilling this collective identity. In... Read more
Uniting Stakeholders to Build a Safe, Healthy, and Educational Life for D.C.’s Children
FUSE Executive Fellow Lisa Gans focused on changing the strategic approach of the Washington D.C. Promise Neighborhoods Initiative (DCPNI), a local coalition providing youth development support to ensure that children in the Parkside/Kenilworth neighborhood reach adulthood ready to participate in the economic and civic life of their community. During her... Read more