Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
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** March 21, 2024
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Making 988 and 911 Work Together
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched in the summer of 2022, establishing an easy-to-remember number for people experiencing a mental health emergency. Although use of 988 has risen sharply since its debut, 911 remains the default number that people call in most emergencies. This means that close coordination between 911 and 988 is key.
In a new study, RAND researchers looked at three communities to see how 911 and 988 call centers are working together. Overall, the results show that special efforts are needed to ensure that callers are routed to the appropriate system and that the emergency response is optimized. Such efforts will involve a wide range of stakeholders, including representatives from 988 and 911 call centers, law enforcement officers, behavioral health specialists, and people who have lived experience with crisis services.
Our experts also find that it's important to have a "local champion" for 988/911 coordination. These individuals help set a path toward establishing formal protocols, procedures, or agreements that allow for the transfer of calls from 911 to 988 and vice versa.
"For the system to work to its full potential," says lead author Stephanie Brooks Holliday, "the two systems need to be interoperable--to work together to make sure the proper resources are used, regardless of which number a caller uses."
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Tech, National Security, and China: Conversation with Jason Matheny
Why is the semiconductor market so important? Could China produce AI on a scale that will be militarily problematic for the United States or Taiwan? Is the AI competition between Washington and Beijing similar to America's arms race with the Soviet Union? RAND president and CEO Jason Matheny tackled these questions and more in a sweeping interview with The Wire China. Overall, he says, it's crucial to find "some way for the United States and China to compete that doesn't escalate to catastrophe."
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Public-Private Collaboration Is Key to Supply Chain Resilience
China has proven its willingness and ability to weaponize supply chains against the United States and U.S. allies. This has led the U.S. government and American companies to pivot away from supply chain efficiency and toward supply chain resilience. However, there doesn't appear to be a comprehensive understanding of how to effectively manage this shift, say RAND experts. "Too frequently, decisions of significant consequence to the private sector are made without even an attempt at consultation with the industries that are most affected." Building resilient supply chains will require collaboration to ensure alignment between private sector interests and public policy goals.
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** RAND Recommends
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- Saudi Arabia is reportedly planning to invest roughly $40 billion in AI. Writing late last year, RAND experts said that Riyadh's willingness to pay top dollar on AI and the rise of Saudi Arabia as a tech hub "complicates U.S. critical technology strategy."
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- Civic education is essential to preparing students to participate in democracy. But RAND researchers note that civics-focused extracurriculars may be limited.
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- The United States can't be everything Armenia wants and needs from a partner. RAND experts say that America should provide Armenia with the capabilities to defend itself but set clear expectations about the limits of its commitments.
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** Events
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How Could Evolving State Policies Affect LGBTQ+ Veterans' Health?
Thursday, March 21, 2024 (Online)
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Policy Lab: How Can New Technologies​ Help Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change?
Wednesday, April 24, 2024 (Online)
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