At the heart of effective policy is reliable data and evidence. 

Join the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research on Monday, November 17, 2026, for a special California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) Data User Training designed for legislative, policy, and government agency staff. Held in person at the UC Student and Policy Center in Sacramento, just steps from the State Capitol, this hands-on training will show you how to quickly access and use trusted California data to support decision-making, legislative development, program planning, and more. 

Each year, CHIS interviews more than 20,000 California households — including adults, adolescents, and children — on a wide range of health matters and topics that influence health, including: access to and use of healthcare, health insurance, health conditions (e.g. asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure), health behaviors (e.g. smoking, alcohol use, diet), mental health, oral health, food insecurity, adverse childhood experiences, hate incidents, climate change and extreme weather events (e.g. wildfires, heatwaves, droughts), child care, caregiving, housing, public program participation, and much more. 

Attendees will learn how to use CHIS’ free and most comprehensive data tool, AskCHIS™, which features more than 32 million estimates across 700+ variables and topics, including newly released annual data available in October 2026. 

Data can be viewed by counties and regions across the state, as well as sociodemographic factors such as race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, income level, immigration status, veteran status, language, household type, and more. View the full list on the CHIS Questionnaires and Survey Topics webpage. 

Whether you're drafting legislation, evaluating programs, preparing briefings, responding to constituent concerns, or identifying emerging community needs, CHIS can help you find the evidence you need.

We'll show you how to: 

• Set up a free account; 
• Search for health statistics by geography (county, region, and state); 
• Compare topics and look across various sociodemographic factors; 
• Identify patterns and trends (with many topics featuring data since 2001); 
• View and export data in tables, charts, and graphs; 
• … and more! 

Presenters will also demonstrate how to use AskCHIS™ Neighborhood Edition (NE), which provides select health estimates at more granular levels of geography: census tract, ZIP code, city, county, and legislative district levels. 

The training is free to attend, but advance registration is required. To reserve your spot, email chpr@ucla.edu.