Assessing Needs of Older Adults and of the Aging & Adult Services Workforce
Emmeline Chuang, Professor
Social Welfare
Applications for Fall 2024 are closed for this project.
Students would be asked to support one of the following projects:
PROJECT 1: ASHBY VILLAGE
Ashby Village is a community-based nonprofit in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties that provides a range of support services and programs focused on helping older-adults “age in place” in the community. The organization is part of the National Village Movement, and is grassroots, member-driven, and self-governing. This project will focus on supporting Ashby Village with analyzing a 2024 survey of its members. The survey assessed member needs and satisfaction with Ashby Village services, and will directly inform future grants, programming, and quality improvement activities. This project is being conducted in collaboration with UCB faculty member Angie Perone.
Project 2: BAY AREA SOCIAL SERVICES CONSORTIUM ADULT SERVICES COMMITTEE
The Bay Area Social Services Consortium (BASSC) Adult Services Committee is comprised of 11 county human service agency directors responsible for overseeing local programs for older adults (e.g., Adult Protective Services, In-Home Supportive Services, Area Agencies on Aging, etc.) This project is focused on understanding how to improve recruitment and retention of Adult & Aging Services staff, e.g., through a review of existing staffing structures and induction practices.
Role: Potential tasks for the Ashby Village project:
1. Assist with analyses of 2024 survey data using software of choice (Excel, R, Stata)
2. Prepare short reports and communications for dissemination to Ashby Village members and potential funders (e.g., Kaiser)
3. Participate in meetings with Ashby Village leaders and volunteers
Potential tasks for the BASSC Adult Services Committee project:
1. Qualitative coding of documents (e.g., job classifications) or interview data; any necessary software will be provided
2. Notetaking for qualitative interviews and meetings with directors of county Adult & Aging Services departments and their staff, or with BASSC staff (if of interest; not required)
3. Content analysis of themes from qualitative coding
4. Literature review
Other tasks TBD based on project needs and student interests.
Qualifications: *Student majoring in public health, social work, public policy, journalism, or related fields preferred.
*Interest in or familiarity with research literature in the following or related areas: public health, older adults, social services
*Proficiency with online library and journal search engine resources
*GPA minimum 3.0.
Hours: to be negotiated
Off-Campus Research Site: Remote
Social Sciences