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Evaluation of an Infrastructure Development Model to Address Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disparities
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| Presenter(s):
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| Tabia Henry Akintobi, Morehouse School of Medicine, takintobi@msm.edu
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| Gail Mattox, Morehouse School of Medicine, gmattox@msm.edu
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| Eugene Herrington, Morehouse School of Medicine, eherrington@msm.edu
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| Donoria Evans, Morehouse School of Medicine, devans@msm.edu
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| Shironda White, Morehouse School of Medicine, swhite@msm.edu
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| Abstract:
The Historically Black Colleges and Universities National Resource Center for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Infrastructure Development (HBCU-NRC), funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, supported substance abuse curriculum development, mental health pilot projects, and student career development among 103 HBCUs (2005-2008). This presentation will detail The Morehouse School of Medicine Prevention Research Center HBCU-NRC evaluation approach. Assessment processes included 1) strategic planning among stakeholders to couple measurement expertise with sensitivity to HBCU contexts, 2) translation of abstract program success concepts to measurable objectives and 3) development of a mixed-method evaluation design. Results demonstrated increases in perceived career skill application, curriculum development and research collaboration. Data-driven decision making, tri-directional learning among programmatic staff, evaluators, and HBCUs, technical assistance and built relationships were central to evaluation of the HBCU-NRC. These practices also supported and sustained creative, campus-specific approaches to addressing substance abuse and mental health disparities.
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Designing a Comprehensive 'Menu' to Assess and Monitor the Development of Children With Vision Loss
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| Presenter(s):
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| Lorna Escoffery, Escoffery Consulting Collaborative Inc, lorna@escofferyconsulting.com
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| Marta Pizarro, Health Foundation of South Florida, mpizar4682@aol.com
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| Abstract:
Early intervention programs have been shown to make a difference for many children including those with vision loss. The Blind Babies Program was developed to address the absence of a fee-free comprehensive intervention program and includes identification as well as training and rehabilitation vision services for these children. The program is structured around a five-component cycle (Identify and Enroll; Assessments; Interventions; Outreach, Support, Training; and Evaluation) that aims to provide quality, appropriate services promoting a child's physical, psychological and social development. Program staff and the external evaluator have developed and/or identified a variety of tools and methods to be used during each component and that consider the importance of the external and internal context for client and program improvement.
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Multiple Contexts, Challenges, and Opportunities of a Rapid Needs Assessment of a Large Health System Using the Environmental Scan Approach
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| Presenter(s):
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| Boris Volkov, University of North Dakota, bvolkov@medicine.nodak.edu
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| Abstract:
This paper examines challenges and opportunities of using the environmental scan (ES) approach to provide information about a state-wide health system. The lessons come from the Environmental Scan of Health and Health Care in North Dakota project that was designed as a rapid needs assessment process to help inform decision making and enhance knowledge about the health arena in North Dakota. The specific purposes of the ES were to: 1) promote collaboration of diverse stakeholders in the health arena by enhancing knowledge about health and health care issues and key health initiatives underway in North Dakota; and 2) through the use of relevant health and health care metrics, inform the development of effective interventions to address identified challenges. This paper illustrates how ES can be used to assess and describe the current state of a large health system to establish the baselines for positive health transformation.
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Finding Promising Practices: An Evaluability Assessment Approach
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| Presenter(s):
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| Aisha Tucker-Brown, Northrop Grumman, atuckerbrown@cdc.gov
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| Susan Ladd, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sladd@cdc.gov
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| Rachel Barron-Simpson, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rbarronsimpson@cdc.gov
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| Nicola Dawkins, ICF Macro, nicola.u.dawkins@macrointernational.com
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| Deborah R Brome, GEARS Inc, dbrome@gettingeaar.com
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| Abstract:
Evaluability assessments (EA) can be used to guide investments in evaluations that are likely to lead to conclusive, useful results. EA allows evaluators to pre-assess a program's context, data collection system, apparent outcomes, and readiness for evaluation before embarking on a costly, full-scale evaluation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (DHDSP) conducted EA to identify promising practices in state health departments, worksites, and hospitals. We first discuss prior methods DHDSP used to build 'practice based evidence' and describe two projects that build on these past experiences, one focused on hypertension and the other on reaching disparate populations. EAs conducted on interventions for these projects also provided feedback to programs on how to develop and strengthen its evaluation capacity. The EA approach allowed DHDSP to be efficient and focused in selecting interventions for rigorous evaluation. Presenters will highlight the context in which these evaluability assessments were conducted, our EA protocol, and lessons learned.
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