Health and Social Policy at the LBJ School of Public Affairs
Via conferences, social events and colloquia, CHASP creates opportunities for alumni and students to stay informed of the latest developments and trends in the field. Social, Health and Economic Policymakers (SHEP), a student organization, collaborates with CHASP to offer even more opportunities for networking and sharing information about internships, jobs, research and events.
The LBJ School also offers a certified specialization in social and economic policy for students planning careers in such fields. With their broad range of interests and knowledge, CHASP faculty members teach and coordinate a variety of classes and policy research projects each year, covering issues such as health care policy, poverty and welfare issues, family policy, education, and labor and workforce policy.
Policy Research Projects
Policy Research Projects (PRPs) are year-long courses in which students, led by faculty, work for a client to produce defined deliverables, enabling students to gain practical experience. Following are just a few of the projects that focus on health and social policy.2007-2008
Compulsory Community Service Lodis Rhodes
The team will assesses national models of compulsory service that provide a community service option as an alternative to military service with the goal of highlighting effectiveness of different service models.
Health Reform and Coalitions Jeanne Lambrew
Students will assist the newly formed Better Health Care Together coalition, comprised of businesses and social and labor organizations, to develop strategies for targeting state and local governments to pass resolutions to support coalition initiatives to reform the health care system. Students also will produce issue briefs and background materials for coalition events.
Evaluating Mental Health System Transformation Pat Wong
The State of Texas is undergoing a five-year, federally funded mental health system transformation that includes the integration of information system and organizational processes across departments, the development of collaborative processes at the community level, and the application of information technology at the service level. This project will be part of that evaluation effort, with an emphasis on organizational processes and on community collaboration.
Evaluating Technology in Community-Based Services Gary Chapman
Part of the LBJ School's long-term evaluation of the State of Texas' transformation of mental health care services (see above), this project focuses on the role of information and communication technologies. Students also will investigate how communities can expand and strengthen public services using the Internet, mobile phones, video, podcasts, instant messaging and other communications media.
Other Social Policy Courses:
The school also offers a variety of courses leading to a specialization in social and economic policy, including Gender, Health and Society; Health Economics; Family Policy; and many more. A complete course listing is available via http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/students/registration.php.
