California’s Behavioral Health Services Act (Prop 1 – BHSA) is one of the most significant shifts in our state’s behavioral health system in years
California’s Behavioral Health Services Act (Prop 1 – BHSA) is one of the most significant shifts in our state’s behavioral health system in years — and full implementation is required by July 1, 2026. The intent is clear: better serve people with the most significant needs, and strengthen housing, treatment, and accountability. But at the…
American Institutes for Research (AIR) for presenting the Oakland Children’s Initiative (OCI)
🎉 Shoutout to our evaluation partner Gabriele Fain at the American Institutes for Research (AIR) for presenting the Oakland Children’s Initiative (OCI) process study results at the April 2026 OCI Commission meeting at Oakland City Hall last week. As an Oakland based firm, RDA Consulting, SPC‘s Health & Human Services team was thrilled to contribute…
RDA’s Approach to Equitable Evaluation Compensation Structures
In RDA’s evaluation work, we are careful to ensure we honor participants’ time, effort, and intellectual property through compensation, usually in the form of gift cards. The goal is for compensation to be responsive to participants and their day-to-day lives. Gift cards typically range from $10 to $25 and make up less than 2% of…
CDSS CalOAR Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Cycle
Counties across California are gearing up for the CDSS CalOAR Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) cycle — and we know it can feel like a lot. Balancing implementation, stakeholder engagement, data collection, and state reporting isn’t easy… but it’s also an opportunity to strengthen CalWORKs and improve outcomes for families who need support most. At RDA…
Santa Barbara: Strategic Planning With County Partners to Tackle Big Issues
What does it take to build a criminal legal system that’s both accountable and humane? Santa Barbara County is doing the hard work to find out. We’ve had the privilege of partnering with Santa Barbara County’s Community Corrections Partnership to develop a comprehensive Strategic Plan for Adult Diversion, a serious, data-grounded effort to rethink how…
RDA works alongside grantees to strengthen their capacity for data collection, reporting, and evaluation so they can better understand and .
As we transition from the California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) Cohort 4 into Cohort 5, that’s one of the biggest lessons we’re carrying forward. CalVIP supports community-based efforts to reduce violence across California. As the technical assistance provider, RDA works alongside grantees to strengthen their capacity for data collection, reporting, and evaluation, so they…
Celebrating Excellence, Dedication, and the Power of Community!
At RDA Consulting, our mission is driven by our people. Twice a year, we pause to recognize team members who go above and beyond through our internal Impact Awards. These awards are extra special because they start with peer nominations–staff recognizing colleagues who have made a profound impact on a project, a client, or their…
Gun Violence Awareness Day
June is #GunViolenceAwarenessMonth, and today, June 5th is #GunViolenceAwarenessDay. We recognize the individuals, families, and communities impacted by gun violence and honor those working every day to prevent it. 🧡 At RDA Consulting, we have the privilege of partnering with government agencies and community-based organizations across California that are investing in violence prevention and intervention…
How do we define and measure community safety in a way that drives impact?
RDA partnered with the Office of Reentry and Justice (ORJ) at the Contra Costa County Probation Department (CCC Probation) Department to design a local Community Safety Needs Index (CSNI)—a data-driven tool that translates complex social and criminogenic factors into actionable insights for resource allocation and prevention. From interactive maps to equity-focused analyses, the CSNI informs…
Evaluation of the Bay Area Air District’s (BAAD) James Cary Smith (JCS) Community Grant Program
We are excited to share highlights from our three-year evaluation of the Bay Area Air District’s (BAAD) James Cary Smith (JCS) Community Grant Program where we employed ripple effect mapping – a versatile participatory evaluation tool! RDA facilitated three, half-day workshops with staff and community members from 20 grantee organizations, including youth and monolingual Spanish-speakers, to…
May is Mental Health Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and at RDA Consulting, we believe in the power of supportive conversations. Our work across the behavioral health landscape is deeply person-centered. We move beyond the diagnosis to focus on the inherent value of each individual, which allows communities to create more effective solutions and foster meaningful dialogue about…
CoCo Probation AB109 Learning Collaborative Trainings
RDA Consulting was honored to deliver three Introduction to Cognitive Behavioral Interventions trainings for the Probation Department’s contracted AB 109 providers. We are thankful for our longstanding partnership with the Contra Costa County Probation Department and the Office of Reentry and Justice. It is especially meaningful to see strong relationships continuing to grow across the…
Annual Staff Retreat 2026
RDA Consulting, SPC recently held its annual all-staff retreat. Our team members traveled to the Bay Area from various locations, including Portland, New York, Florida, South Lake Tahoe, and many other places across the United States to join us. The agenda included foundational discussions for strategic planning with our partners at Be Kind Lyfe, self-discovery…
Honoring Indigenous Justice on Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2025
RDA Consulting observes Indigenous Peoples’ Day annually in place of the Columbus Day Federal holiday. First observed in Berkeley, California in 1992, the celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day has spread across the United States. Today, 17 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and numerous localities nationwide celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the second Monday…
Supporting Juneteenth and Abundant Opportunities
We know that poverty disproportionately affects Black women and children in the US, which compounds disparities in maternal and child health. These disparities, an effect of systemic racism, are further exacerbated by social and economic stressors. The results of poverty, including lack of safe housing and access to healthy food, and the stress created by…