WVPRC Evaluation Projects
FUNDING SOURCE: U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Block Grant administered by the WV Division of Criminal Justice Services
OVERVIEW: An interagency group of policy makers and practitioners began planning a funding study in 1998 to improve children and family services for West Virginia. The Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council commissioned the funding study in 2000. The Governor's Committee on Crime Delinquency and Correction's Juvenile Justice Subcommittee voted to fund the WVPRC to conduct the study with the United States Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention grant funds. The ongoing study focuses specifically upon analyzing all funding streams that are administered by any WV state agency that provides services to children and families in the state.
Community Assessment and Evaluation Coaches (2009 - Current)
FUNDING: U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention’s
Prevention as Community Development: Projects of Regional and National Significance Grant administered by Marshall University and
Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant administered by the WV DHHR's Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities
OVERVIEW: As an extension of the State-level Epidemiological Workgroup of the WV Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being (WV Partnership), Community Assessment and Evaluation Coaches assist and support communities in the process of acquiring, analyzing, interpreting, and using epidemiological data and other non-epidemiological considerations for determining local substance abuse patterns, corresponding consequences, and factors that cause or contribute to them. Coaches provide technical assistance and guidance to local communities in using data for local assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation activities. They also provide on-site and regional learning opportunities for communities in all regions of the state.
Community Development Learning Program (2009 - Current)
Certificate of Advanced Study in Applied Evaluation
FUNDING: U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention’s
Prevention as Community Development: Projects of Regional and National Significance Grant administered by Marshall University
OVERVIEW: In partnership with Marshall University Graduate College’s Graduate School of Education and Professional Development (GSEPD), the Community Development Learning Program contributes to a statewide workforce development program targeting West Virginia Communities with the purpose of enhancing community development initiatives in support of substance abuse prevention and mental health promotion. The primary goal of this year-long Participatory Action Research and Development project is to develop, in collaboration with community development organizations and initiatives across the state, a range of “learning-doing” opportunities to include the development of Community Development Master’s Degree; Professional Certificate, CEU programs; and other independent learning opportunities.
FUNDING SOURCE: Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant administered by the WV DHHR's Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities
OVERVIEW: Community Development Specialists (CDSs) provide technical assistance to communities in the area of community development and substance abuse prevention. The process evaluation is based on data reported by CDSs via an online monthly activity reporting system (MAR) relative to training and technical assistance services delivered to communities in accordance with the components of the U.S. Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) Strategic Prevention Framework and six strategies for effective prevention. The qualitative evaluation was developed to gain insight into the measure of the complexity and dynamic nature of providing those services throughout WV. It is based on in-depth interviews with 16 CDSs from around the state.
WV Early Intervention Pilot Program Evaluation (2009 - Current)
OVERVIEW: The WV Early Intervention Program targets services at high school children at risk of substance abuse. Participants, that is children found to be experimenting with alcohol, drugs, or tobacco, are referred from the schools, court, and Division of Children Services systems. Both children and parents complete surveys which provide data on substance use and sources of influence. Children also receive 2-week prevention education and provide data for analyzing changes in their behavior and attitudes towards substance use during the prevention education program and afterwards. The program is currently taking place in Mercer and Logan Counties. It will be extended to two more counties in 2010.
WV Epidemiological/ Evaluation / Research Workgroup Coordination (WV's State Epidemiological and Outcomes WG)(2003-Current)
OVERVIEW: The purpose of the workgroup is to serve in an advisory capacity to the
WV Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being on the collection and analysis of archival indicator data and/or other primary data collection efforts as part of a statewide needs assessment. The workgroup’s goals include bringing systematic, analytical thinking to prevention; promote data-driven decision making; provide core support for data-driven decision-making to the WV Partnership on the basis of an analysis of epidemiological data compiled at the State and local level.
WV Peer Recovery Program Evaluation
OVERVIEW: The WV Peer Recovery Program Evaluation is structured to evaluate a long-term, residential program using a social model of recovery through peer mentoring and personal accountability without pharmaceutical intervention. It is structured after The Healing Place in Louisville, Kentucky that includes peer support, daily living skills training, job responsibilities, and challenges to practice sober living.
WV Prevention Needs Assessment Database(2002 - Current)
FUNDING SOURCE: Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant administered by the WV DHHR's Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities
In 2002 with support from the WV DHHR's Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities, WVPRC began compiling social indicator data from multiple administrative and survey data sources for the purpose of supporting the development of a comprehensive prevention system funded with federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant through the U.S. Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP). Initially, the focus was on compiling indicators corresponding with the traditional risk and protective factor model for prevention and was used to support the work of WV's network of sixteen Community Development Specialists. Since 2004, with the award of the CSAP Federal Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF SIG), the database has been expanded to include not only risk and protective factor data but indicators relating to the consequences of substance use and abuse, substance consumption patterns, and other factors that contribute to substance use and abuse. The database, which still supports the development and maintenance of WV's substance abuse prevention system, is updated on a continual basis.
WV Prevention Information Network (2005 - Current)
FUNDING SOURCE: U. S. Department of Education's
Grants to States to Improve Management of Drug and Violence Prevention Programs administered by the WV Department of Education
OVERVIEW: In partnership with the WV Department of Education, this project was intended to improve management of school- and community-based drug and violence prevention programs at state and local levels. Through this project the WVPRC developed the internet based
WV Prevention Information Network (WVPIN) for the dissemination of population-based indicators related to substance abuse from various federal and state agencies, including data compiled in the WV Prevention Needs Assessment Database. The web site serves as a repository for social indicator data, and will serve as a one-stop needs assessment, planning, grants application/management, and evaluation resource for school-based and community-based substance abuse and violence prevention programs.
FUNDING SOURCE: Federal Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant administered by the WV Division of Criminal Justice Services
- State System Evaluation
OVERVIEW: This evaluation component is intended to document and describe systems change, i.e. the formation, nature, and evolution of relationships among WV's Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being members and their respective agencies/constituencies throughout SPF SIG implementation. Evaluators conduct face-to-face interviews of selected Partnership members and WVPRC staff from time to time, as act as participant observers at Partnership and its workgroup meetings. The expectation is that relationships initially characterized as networking or communicating (i.e. exchanging information for mutual benefit) will evolve toward collaboration (i.e., enhancing capacity for mutual benefit and to achieve a common purpose, sharing risks, resources, responsibilities, and rewards).
- WV SPF SIG Phase 1 Process Evaluation
- WV SPF SIG Qualitative Evaluation
OVERVIEW: This evaluation seeks to accomplish three broad objectives: 1) document community perspectives and experiences with respect to substance abuse issues and 2) monitor the implementation of Phase I of the SPF SIG Project. Relevant evaluation questions for these objectives community organizations/coalitions are applying for planning grants? What is the capacity of community organizations to develop and implement comprehensive strategic prevention plans? What common or disparate needs are communities experiencing? What assets or resources do communities have, or lack? How do communities mobilize to address substance abuse issues? What stories do people tell about substance abuse in their communities?
- WV SPF SIG Phase II Evaluation (2004-Current)
OVERVIEW: WV's SPF SIG Phase II Implementation evaluation plan is founded on a mixed method perspective that relies on quantitative data to demonstrate what has happened and on qualitative data to illustrate how or why it happened. The intent of the evaluation is to provide continuous feedback on prevention system development at the state level and targeted prevention implementation at the local level. The West Virginia Prevention Resource Center (WVPRC) evaluation team coordinates the evaluation and, as needed, provides technical assistance and evaluation capacity building to sub-recipient County Prevention Partnerships (CCPs). Outcome expectations were specified generally in WV Phase II strategic plan as the reduction of county specific substance abuse consequences and consumption patterns leading to improved well-being.
Through the SPF SIG Phase I assessment and planning process, communities constructed logic models linking their most urgent substance abuse problems, corresponding consumption patterns, the factors contributing to those problems, and prevention strategies to address those problems. It is in these logic models and corresponding prevention plans that specific county level problems are identified. While some implementation counties are targeting prevention needs across multiple substances, i.e., tobacco, alcohol, and/or drugs, all implementation counties have targeted alcohol related issues in some way. As such, the focus the Phase II outcome evaluation is on alcohol.
Previous WVPRC Evaluation Projects
Key Informant Survey (2002-2006)
FUNDING SOURCE: Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant administered by the WV DHHR's Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities
OVERVIEW: A Key Informant Survey was conducted in the spring of 2003 as part of a substance abuse community needs assessment. Based on the Risk and Protective Factor framework of substance abuse prevention, the survey was intended to collect data on the opinions, perceptions, and attitudes of selected community leaders about alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) issues in their communities. Results will be used in an assessment of community needs with respect to ATOD prevention and informational or awareness gaps among community leaders across the state. The initial report providing an introduction to the project, a description of the research methods and questionnaire, a demographic profile of respondents, and some general perceptions about youth and ATOD issues is available below. Subsequent reports will address ATOD issues in communities more generally and will include these topics: community perceptions; attitudes and beliefs about alcohol, tobacco, and other drug issues; availability of services; general comments and ideas about addressing alcohol, tobacco, and other drug issues.
SURVEY REPORTS: Survey results are now available in two parts that represent a re-write of the original report posted on this web page in early 2005. The reports are available in PDF format through the links below and are formatted to be printed double sided.
Part I is a technical report describing the questionnaire, research methods, and reliability analyses of sub domains of the community risk and protective factor domain.
A Key Informant Survey about Alcohol, Tobacco, and other Drugs Part I Technical Report: Project Description, Methods, Respondents, and Risk and Protective Factor Domains
In
Part II results of comparative analyses among three key informant groups (Justice System, Community, and Services)and a geographic comparison among the 16 Community Development Specialist areas across the state are presented. Part II also contains results of a qualitative analysis of narrative responses key informants provided to two (2) open ended questions.
A Key Informant Survey about Alcohol, Tobacco, and other Drugs Part II Results Report: Risk and Protective Factor Comparisons
Public Inebriant Shelter System Database (through 2008)
FUNDING: Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant administered by the WV DHHR's Division on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
OVERVIEW: A database system primarily intended for collecting, disseminating and managing information obtained from statewide Public Inebriant Shelters.
FUNDING SOURCE: Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant administered by the WV DHHR's Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities
OVERVIEW: Share The Vision is an annual statewide prevention conference that brings together prevention professionals and other individuals from communities, agencies and organizations. Conference participants attend keynote presentations, receive training in research-based prevention programs, and have the opportunity to network with others interested in prevention in West Virginia. WVPRC staff, separate from those who administer this conference, evaluate the conference's activities.
Mountain State Measures (1998-2003)
FUNDING SOURCE: WV Governor's Cabinet on Children and Families
OVERVIEW: In late Spring of 1997, work began within the Office of the Governor's Cabinet on Children and Families to establish explicitly defined outcomes for WV families and to identify key indicators of child and family well-being. These key indicators would be used to measure progress toward each of the outcomes. The Staff of the Governor's Cabinet on Children and Families reviewed related projects and work from other states including similar frameworks that have been developed in Georgia, Vermont, Minnesota, and Oregon. Six outcomes for West Virginia's children and families:
- Healthy People - West Virginians will achieve and maintain good physical and mental health.
- Ready for School - West Virginia's children will be ready to succeed in school.
- Good Skills, Good Jobs - West Virginians will possess marketable skills and have access to good jobs.
- Strong Families - West Virginia's parents will have adequate resources to protect, nurture, educate and support their children.
- Stable Homes - West Virginia's children will live in permanent, stable homes.
- Safe Communities - West Virginians will be safe in their homes and communities.
Through a partnership with the WVPRC, the Cabinet on Children and Families monitored 37 indicators of child and family well-being related to the six outcomes. The indicators were made available for public use via an internet site called Mountain State Measures.
FUNDING SOURCE: Purdue Pharma
OVERVIEW: The WVPRC Evaluation Team participated in the Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Capacity Building Program in two ways. First was a qualitative account of the pilot sites' (Logan, Mingo, and Wyoming counties) experiences, obstacles, and efforts surrounding the prescription drug abuse epidemic over a 13-month study. Second was an Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug (ATOD) Prevalence Survey of the three counties. The program was sponsored by Purdue Pharma, Inc., and included collaboration with S.T.O.P. (Strong Through Our Plan) organizations in southern West Virginia.
WV RADAR Network Clearinghouse Evaluation
FUNDING SOURCE: Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant administered by the WV DHHR's Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities
OVERVIEW: The Regional Alcohol and Drug Awareness Resource (RADAR) Network is an information component of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Information. RADAR resources include alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention (ATOD) materials such as brochures, curricula, posters, and research materials. The materials primarily target teens and their parents. Teachers, librarians, law enforcement officers, prevention specialists and other community members may request the materials for free. The West Virginia Library Commission is the state's RADAR Network Clearinghouse, which is evaluated annually by the WVPRC.
Truancy Diversion Social Work Evaluation (2001-2002)
FUNDING SOURCE: WV Children's Home Societey
OVERVIEW: The Truancy Diversion Social Work (TDSW) program underwent a comprehensive program evaluation during 2001. Evaluation components performed by the WVPRC consisted of satisfaction surveys of families and school staff; structured telephone interviews of school principals from schools served by the program; and an analysis of selected case success stories using the Results Mapping methodology.
Satisfaction Survey Report
Principal Interview Report
Results Mapping Report