York City Agencies Research Articles

A mixed methods study of satisfaction with justice and desire for revenge in survivors of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York City's World Trade Center.

This study used mixed methods to investigate satisfaction with justice and desire for revenge in a sample of employees from New York City agencies affected by the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. A volunteer sample of 196 employees of eight affected agencies provided a short essay about what justice means to them in relation to the 9/11 attacks, followed by 20 quantitative questions covering personal experiences and perceptions of 9/11-related justice. Wilcoxon rank sum tests were performed for bivariate comparisons of quantitative items and qualitative thematic codes. Mixed methods analysis was used to inspect the associations of the content of all text coded for themes with quantitative categories within and across domains. Only the revenge domain showed a significant association between the quantitative category and the qualitative theme. The quantitative revenge category was positively associated with the qualitative justice through safety theme. Examination of qualitative content provided insights into the relationships with quantitative constructs. Qualitative and mixed methods research on justice and revenge in mass casualty settings add new findings to the existing literature and have the potential to contribute to the interpretation and potential expansion of topic areas assessed by quantitative scales.

Advertising Industry Diversity: We've “Kind of” Come a Long Way Baby, but Larger Pipeline and More Intentional Action from Industry and Educators Needed

Diversity in the workplace makes us smarter. Recent studies show that diversity, particularly diversity, in both large corporations and small groups, enhances creativity and leads to innovation, better decision-making and more effective problem solving (Phillips, 2014). While society has grown more demographically diverse over the years, the advertising industry - along with the academic institutions that provide it with the talent pool - has fallen woefully behind the country. For example, according to a study by the Madison Avenue Project, Blacks represent 13% of the population but make up only 5% of advertising professionals (Schultz, 2011). In fact, the study pointed out that nearly a fifth of large ad agencies employ no Black professionals, a rate that is 60% higher than the general labor market (Schultz, 2011). Moreover, research demonstrates that, on those occasions when Blacks are employed in the industry, most are generally relegated to jobs in stand-alone multicultural agencies (Bendick & Egan, 2009).The advertising industry has been charged with and trusted to reach and influence an increasingly racially and ethnically diverse populace, but lacks credibility given the limited extent to which it has impacted the color line within its own industry. Frankly, this problem is not just the responsibility of the advertising industry. It shares responsibility with the academy for the lack of workplace diversity in advertising.Although advertising managers voice their desire to hire more ethnic minorities, many claim they cannot find diverse candidates, because few minorities pursue advertising as a career (Schultz, 2011). This is partially true. The majority of college students studying advertising and related fields actually reflect the advertising workforce - predominantly white and mostly female (Bendick & Egan, 2009; Fullerton & Kendrick, 2014). To impact change, there needs to be a more concerted effort by both the industry and the academy to diversify agencies by creating a talent pipeline of diverse candidates.The History of Advertising Workplace DiversityThe advertising industry has a dismal history of hiring members from underrepresented groups. As early as the 1960s, agencies have been under significant pressure by civil rights organizations to diversify, an issue that became particularly evident after an Urban League investigation revealed few creative and executive positions were occupied by Blacks (Chambers, 2008). Another investigation, led by the American Association of Advertising Agencies in 1963, discovered that fewer than one percent of employees at Madison Avenue agencies were Black (Patel, 2010). This disgraceful hiring record sparked the New York State Commission on Human Rights (NYSCHR) to launch several inquiries examining the hiring practices of many New York City agencies (Elias, Phillips, VanRysdam & Chun, in press).For example, in 1968 the Commission charged nearly a dozen leading ad agencies with employment discrimination (Chambers, 2008) and initiated complaints against a number of agencies for what the Commission called a poor record of hiring minorities and an unwillingness and inability to make meaningful changes to the culture (Chambers, 2008).In fact, just ten years ago the New York City Commission on Human Rights threatened to force executives at leading advertising agencies to testify about their dismal record of hiring ethnic minorities. Out of this fear, 16 of New York's top ad agencies signed agreements with the Commission to increase their ethnic minority recruiting, diversify senior management and allow city officials to track their hiring progress (Texeira, 2006). Despite these efforts, a 2008 follow-up study conducted by attorney Cyrus Mehri and the NAACP concluded in a 100-page report that despite the threat of fines, necessary improvements in balance in advertising employment rates never occurred. The NAACP study revealed that racial discrimination is 38 percent worse in the advertising industry than in the overall U. …

Lesson From the New York City Out-of-Hospital Uncontrolled Donation After Circulatory Determination of Death Program

In 2006, the Institute of Medicine emphasized substantial potential to expand organ donation opportunities through uncontrolled donation after circulatory determination of death (uDCDD). We pilot an out-of-hospital uDCDD kidney program for New York City in partnership with communities that it was intended to benefit. We evaluate protocol process and outcomes while identifying barriers to success and means for improvement. We conducted a prospective, participatory action research study in Manhattan from December 2010 to May 2011. Daily from 4 to 12 pm, our organ preservation unit monitored emergency medical services (EMS) frequencies for cardiac arrests occurring in private locations. After EMS providers independently ordered termination of resuscitation, organ preservation unit staff determined clinical eligibility and donor status. Authorized parties, persons authorized to make organ donation decisions, were approached about invivo preservation. The study population included organ preservation unit staff, authorized parties, passersby, and other New York City agency personnel. Organ preservation unit staff independently documented shift activities with daily operations notes and teleconference summaries that we analyzed with mixed qualitative and quantitative methods. The organ preservation unit entered 9 private locations; all the deceased lacked previous registration, although 4 met clinical screening eligibility. No kidneys were recovered. We collected 837 notes from 35 organ preservation unit staff. Despite frequently recounting protocol breaches, most responses from passersby including New York City agencies were favorable. No authorized parties were offended by preservation requests, yielding a Bayesian posterior median 98% (95% credible interval 76% to 100%). In summary, the New York City out-of-hospital uDCDD program was not feasible. There were frequent protocol breaches and confusion in determining clinical eligibility. In the small sample of authorized persons we encountered during the immediate grieving period, negative reactions were infrequent.

Analysis of twitter users' sharing of official new york storm response messages.

BackgroundTwitter is a social network where users read, send, and share snippets of text (“tweets”). Tweets can be disseminated through multiple means; on desktop computers, laptops, and mobile devices, over ethernet, Wi-Fi or cellular networks. This redundancy positions Twitter as a useful tool for disseminating information to the public during emergencies or disasters. Previous research on dissemination of information using Twitter has mostly investigated the characteristics of tweets that are most effective in raising consumer awareness about a new product or event. In particular, they describe characteristics that increase the chance the messages will be shared ("retweeted") by users. In comparison, little has been published on how information from municipal or state government agencies spreads on Twitter during emergency situations. Retweeting these messages is a way to enhance public awareness of potentially important instructions from public officials in a disaster.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to (1) describe the tweets of select New York State and New York City agencies by public officials surrounding two notable recent winter storms that required a large-scale emergency response, and (2) identify the characteristics of the tweets of public officials that were most disseminated (retweeted).MethodsFor one week surrounding Superstorm Sandy (October 2012) and the winter blizzard Nemo (February 2013), we collected (1) tweets from the official accounts for six New York governmental agencies, and (2) all tweets containing the hashtags #sandy (or #nemo) and #nyc. From these data we calculated how many times a tweet was retweeted, controlling for differences in baseline activity in each account. We observed how many hashtags and links each tweet contained. We also calculated the lexical diversity of each tweet, a measure of the range of vocabulary used.ResultsDuring the Sandy storm, 3242 shared (retweeted) messages from public officials were collected. The lexical diversity of official tweets was similar (2.25-2.49) and well below the average for non-official tweets mentioning #sandy and #nyc (3.82). Most official tweets were with substantial retweets including a link for further reading. Of the 448 tweets analyzed from six official city and state Twitter accounts from the Nemo blizzard, 271 were related to the storm, and 174 had actionable information for the public. Actionable storm messages were retweeted approximately 24x per message, compared to 31x per message for general storm information.ConclusionsDuring two weather emergencies, New York public officials were able to convey storm-related information that was shared widely beyond existing follower bases, potentially improving situational awareness and disaster response. Official Sandy tweets, characterized by a lower lexical diversity score than other city- and Sandy-related tweets, were likely easier to understand, and often linked to further information and resources. Actionable information in the Nemo blizzard, such as specific instructions and cancellation notices, was not shared as often as more general warnings and “fun facts,” suggesting agencies mix important instructions with more general news and trivia, as a way of reaching the broadest audience during a disaster.

Alcohol use disorders and drinking among survivors of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City

Research on the relationship of alcohol and disasters has yielded mixed conclusions. Some studies investigate alcohol consumption but others examine alcohol use disorders in relation to disaster. Alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorders have not be studied concurrently in relation to specific disaster trauma exposures. A volunteer sample of 379 individuals from New York City agencies affected by the September 11, 2001 (9/11) attacks on World Trade Center were assessed approximately 3years postdisaster for alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorders relative to specific disaster exposures. Increases in alcohol consumption were relatively small, eventually returning to pre-9/11 levels, with few cases of new alcohol use disorders or alcohol relapse. The findings suggest that postdisaster alcohol use has negligible clinical relevance for most of the population. Scarce disaster resources should be focused on those at identified risk of excessive alcohol use, that is, those with pre-existing alcohol or other psychiatric disorders.

Developing and implementing the Active Design Guidelines in New York City

Physical inactivity is a leading cause of death in the United States and globally and is also associated with several additional leading causes of death, including obesity, high blood pressure and high blood glucose. The built environment plays a critical role in promoting or discouraging physical activity among adults and children. To create a healthier and more physically active city, a working group comprising several New York City agencies, including the Departments of Design and Construction, Health and Mental Hygiene, Transportation and City Planning, and in collaboration with design organizations and academics, published the Active Design Guidelines (ADG; 〈www.nyc.gov/adg〉) in January 2010. The ADG is a manual of evidence-based and best-practice strategies for increasing physical activity in the design and construction of neighborhoods, streets and buildings. The commentary discusses key activities and events leading up to the publication as well as current implementation activities. It also shares the lessons learned that could assist other communities interested in improving their built environments in developing and implementing similar activities and initiatives.

Mitigating New York City's Heat Island: Integrating Stakeholder Perspectives and Scientific Evaluation

This study of New York City, New York's, heat island and its potential mitigation was structured around research questions developed by project stakeholders working with a multidisciplinary team of researchers. Meteorological, remotely-sensed, and spatial data on the urban environment were brought together to understand multiple dimensions of New York City's heat island and the feasibility of mitigation strategies, including urban forestry, green roofs, and high-albedo surfaces. Heat island mitigation was simulated with the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University-NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5). Results compare the possible effectiveness of mitigation strategies at reducing urban air temperature in six New York City neighborhoods and for New York City as a whole. Throughout the city, the most effective temperature-reduction strategy is to maximize the amount of vegetation, with a combination of tree planting and green roofs. This lowered simulated citywide surface urban air temperature by 0.4°C on average, and 0.7°C at 1500 Eastern Standard Time (EST), when the greatest temperature reductions tend to occur. Decreases of up to 1.1°C at 1500 EST occurred in some neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn, where there is more available area for implementing vegetation planting. New York City agencies are using project results to guide ongoing urban greening initiatives, particularly tree-planting programs.

Childhood out-of-home placement and dynamics of public shelter utilization among young homeless adults

This study determined the prevalence of childhood experiences with child welfare supervision and placement among a cohort of 11,401 young sheltered homeless adults and assessed the associations between this prior involvement with child welfare services and the risk of experiencing recurrent and extended episodes of shelter use. This study used the administrative data from two New York City agencies: the Administration for Children's Services and the Department of Homeless Services. Overall, 29% had a childhood child welfare history, and 21% (74% of those with childhood child welfare histories) had histories of out-of-home placement through the child welfare system. Childhood out-of-home placement was associated with an increased number of days spent in shelters among family shelter users and with an increased likelihood of experiencing repeated shelter stays during early adulthood in both the family shelter and single-adult shelter groups. These findings underscore the need for more extensive support and housing services during early adulthood for persons with childhood child welfare histories.

Family planning providers' perspectives on dual protection.

Family planning providers can play an important role in helping women to identify their risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and to adopt preventive measures. In-depth investigation of providers' attitudes about approaches to STD risk assessment, contraceptive counseling and dual protection--concurrent protection from STDs and unintended pregnancy--has been limited. In semistructured interviews conducted in 1998, 22 health care providers from a large New York City agency offering contraceptive and STD services described how they balanced STD and pregnancy concerns, viewed risk assessment and assessed various contraceptive methods. STD prevention was seen as an integral part of family planning counseling, and most providers believed that risk assessment should be conducted universally. Providers viewed dual protection as use of condoms along with an effective contraceptive; few advocated use of the male or female condom alone. The female condom was believed to be a disease prevention method of last resort and was considered appropriate only for specific groups of women. Although providers lacked understanding about the effectiveness of the female condom and how to counsel clients concerning its use, they expressed interest in learning more. Training is needed to reduce providers' negative perceptions of the female condom and to reinforce the importance of individualized counseling tailored to women's specific circumstances. Studies are needed on how to encourage family planning providers to promote male and female condoms as effective contraceptive methods.

Implications of legal and organizational issues for urban digital government development

This paper discusses implications of the convergence of legal and organizational issues in the context of developing and implementing digital government projects in large urban settings. By the convergence of legal and organizational issues we refer to two important aspects of urban government: (1) the close relationship between legal/policy structures and the way government is organized and functions, and (2) the way the legal/policy elements interact with organizational dynamics and work cultures to influence digital government projects (and government activities generally). It is our contention that convergence in the organizational and legal/policy context is a powerful determinant of how these projects develop and how likely they are to succeed. Therefore the understanding of this convergence and related dynamics is critically important to planning and designing both policy to promote digital government and particular digital government projects themselves. Illustrations of this convergence and its consequences are presented. They are based on research involving two digital government projects in urban settings: development of a management information system for homeless shelter administration and a developing a system for sharing information among New York City agencies.

COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW ABATEMENT PROJECT ENHANCES WATERFRONT PARK AND REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT, AND HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT PLAN IN THE BRONX

COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW ABATEMENT PROJECT ENHANCES WATERFRONT PARK AND REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT, AND HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT PLAN IN THE BRONXThis paper focuses on a description of a highway improvement project that in the course of its development incorporated input from several New York State and New York City agencies to produce a multifaceted project including highway improvements, development of waterfront parks, and water quality improvements resulting from CSO abatement. The practicality of the project centers upon a swapping of...Author(s)Les KlomanRalph DinkleRobert CurtiKevin LloydSourceProceedings of the Water Environment FederationSubjectSession 31 - Surface Water Quality and Ecology Symposium I: Wet Weather CSO IssuesDocument typeConference PaperPublisherWater Environment FederationPrint publication date Jan, 2000ISSN1938-6478SICI1938-6478(20000101)2000:11L.62;1-DOI10.2175/193864700784544415Volume / Issue2000 / 11Content sourceWEFTECFirst / last page(s)62 - 79Copyright2000Word count105

Hispanics in the Labor Force: Issues and Policies.

1. Hispanics in the Labor Force: An Introduction to Issues and Approaches.- 2. An Even Greater U-Turn: Latinos and the New Inequality.- 3. The Effects of Literacy on the Earnings of Hispanics in the United States.- 4. The Effect of Race on Puerto Rican Wages.- 5. Labor Market Structure and Wage Differences in New York City: A Comparative Analysis of Hispanics and Non-Hispanic Blacks and Whites.- 6. Latinos and Industrial Change in New York and Los Angeles.- 7. Hispanic Employment in the Public Sector: Why Is It Lower Than Blacks'?.- 8. Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Employment Segmentation in New York City Agencies.- 9. A Comparison of Labor Supply Behavior among Single and Married Puerto Rican Mothers.- 10. Work and Family Responsibilities of Women in New York City.- 11. Wage Policies, Employment, and Puerto Rican Migration.- 12. Latino Research and Policy: The Puerto Rican Case.- 13. Latinos, Class, and the U. S. Political Economy: Income Inequality and Policy Alternatives.- Epilogue.

Resilience in Adversity Among Long-Term Survivors of AIDS

This study evaluated psychological and behavioral aspects of quality of life and medical care utilization in a population of gay men whose intake records at a New York City agency indicated the presence of an AIDS-defining opportunistic infection at least three years before entry into the study. Fifty-three men participated in a standardized psychiatric assessment of current mood disorders, psychiatric distress, future outlook, quality of life, and physical functioning using several clinician- and self-rated scales and a semistructured interview. Almost all of the men had experienced more than one episode of life-threatening illness, and many had been led to believe that they had only months to live. Nevertheless, low rates of current syndromal mood disorders and psychiatric distress were found. Degree of physical impairment was unrelated to psychiatric distress or life satisfaction, although men with more limited physical function were less optimistic about the future. Nearly all study participants displayed an extraordinary psychological resiliency and shared the conviction that good times lay ahead and that life continued to be worthwhile.

Family day care: Where it's at-updated New York City

Almost five years ago, (November 1974)Day Care and Early Education surveyed the state of family day care in a series of four articles entitled “Family Day Care: Where It's At.” In one of these articles, Betti Whaley, then Commissioner of the New York City Agency for Child Development, reported on that city's system for serving working mothers and providing children with the best possible home care. The following article on the present situation in New York City, and several others to appear in future issues, will provide an update on what has happened in family day care around the country since 1974, review the pros and cons of this type of day care, and consider prospects for the future.