| Session Title: Gaining Real World Forensic Evaluation Experience in the Classroom |
| Multipaper Session 879 to be held in Panzacola Section G1 on Saturday, Nov 14, 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM |
| Sponsored by the Graduate Student and New Evaluator TIG |
| Chair(s): |
| Gregory T Capriotti, Wright State University, capriotti.2@wright.edu |
| Discussant(s): |
| Betty Yung, Wright State University, betty.yung@wright.edu |
| Cheryl Meyer, Wright State University, cheryl.meyer@wright.edu |
| Abstract: A group of graduate students from Wright State University School of Professional Psychology collaborated on multiple pro bono program evaluations for five local human service and governmental agencies. All evaluations conducted were forensic in nature. Group consultation took place over the course of ten weeks as part of a Program Evaluation Class. This collaborative effort generated new surveys, improved methodology, and recommendations that will allow these agencies to better serve their community. This training method allows local agencies to receive valuable services while contributing to the professional development of psychology students. The papers presented in this panel will describe the process of collaborative evaluation as a classroom assignment at the graduate level. It will also focus on factors inherent in forensic evaluation including ethics, the sensitive nature of client information, and political motivation. Two projects involved juvenile courts, one with family services and one with a bar association. |
| Drug Court Report Card: Capturing the Quantitative and Qualitative Aspects of Success in Drug Court |
| Caprice Parkinson, Wright State University, parkinson.7@wright.edu |
| Gregory T Capriotti, Wright State University, capriotti.2@wright.edu |
| In strength-based Juvenile Drug Court Programs, it is imperative to assess the participant's motivation, resilience and level of self-esteem. In addition, the relationship between the probation officer and participant is integral in the child's growth and progress within the program. However, to determine effectiveness, it is important to be able to assess progress of each participant through the program. In our evaluation, we attempted to create an instrument to integrate measurable, objective data with subjective judgments of these Drug Court Programs. Objective data included prior offenses, education and family life. Subjective data allowed the probation officer an opportunity to "grade" the subjective functioning of each participant. Our goal is to find validity within the subjective data and to help these programs better serve the participants. |
| The Dayton Bar Association Judicial Candidacy Preference Poll Evaluation |
| Jennica Karpinski, Wright State University, karpinski.2@wright.edu |
| The Dayton Bar Association (DBA) requested an evaluation of the preference poll the organization conducts prior to Montgomery County judicial elections. Poll results in 2008 were criticized due to perceived racial and gender bias. The method in which the DBA poll is currently conducted leaves the results vulnerable to criticism and dismissal because of ambiguous evaluative categories and scales. After researching judicial evaluation processes nationwide and standards put forth by the American Bar Association (ABA), the evaluator determined that the poll should be re-structured to be clear and to follow guidelines put forth by national organizations such as the ABA. The foremost recommendation of this research encouraged a transition from a preference poll to an evaluation poll. A modified Judicial Evaluation Poll was created for this purpose. Additional recommendations included improving statistical analysis, and providing more information about methodology to the public so poll results could be better understood. |
| Family Preservation: Family Stability Committee Decisions Regarding Placement for Children in Troubled Families |
| Patrice Hairston, Wright State University, hairston.15@wright.edu |
| Seema Jacob, Wright State University, jacob.14@wright.edu |
| The Family Stability Committee (FSC) is a multi-agency team whose primary goals are family preservation, safety of children and communities and stabilization of families in crisis. The committee meets with families to make a recommendation either for placement into foster care or for additional services to be provided for the family of origin. The objectives of this program evaluation are to : 1) compare and contrast the percentage of placements versus the percentage of non-placements (per the FSC decision), and 2) identify common characteristics of the families staffed at FSC. A coding sheet was developed to code the information of the families staffed at FSC during 2008. Results indicated that 42.72 percent of the families faced removal of children from their homes. The common characteristics of these families in danger of their children being removed included legal problems, single parent and financial problems. |
| Increasing Referrals to a Program for Offenders Who are 10 and Under |
| Jennifer Esterman, Wright State University, esterman.2@wright.edu |
| Stephanie Adams, Wright State University, adams.173@wright.edu |
| The Montgomery County Juvenile Court in Ohio has a program for offenders ten years of age and younger. The purpose of this evaluation was to determine reasons for the low referral rate to the program by police officers. The three police districts that referred the least amount of child offenders to the program were surveyed to determine why they were not making referrals. Overall, respondents indicated a lack of knowledge of the program. In addition, police officers indicated they received information about programs through coworkers and emails. Therefore, it was recommended they revise their program materials addressing myths about the program and disseminate program information via listservs and email. |
| After Care Program: A Needs Assessment for Juvenile Offenders Leaving Residential Treatment |
| Joann Wright-Mawasha, Wright State University, mawasha.2@wright.edu |
| Candace Beck, Wright State University, beck.54@wright.edu |
| The purpose of the project was to design an assessment tool to capture quantitative and qualitative outcome data to determine the effectiveness of a local Aftercare program for juvenile offenders who had been discharged from a residential treatment facility. Because the Aftercare had recently changed its focus, the program evaluation team determined that a needs assessment would be an important first step to identify the types of services that were needed by the families and adolescents. Results indicated that both parents and adolescents would be willing to participate in an Aftercare program, and both preferred services in the areas of anger management and employment. Recommendations were provided to serve as a blueprint in the design, implementation, and successful service delivery of the Aftercare program. |