Research and Evaluation by Subject
Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention
Child Welfare Education & Training
Family Decision Meeting (FDM) Studies
Adolescents
Runaway and Homeless Youth Collaborative Research
<Current Project>
Project Years: 2007-2010
Funding Source: Contract with Looking Glass, Inc.
(Original grant funds from the Federal Children’s Bureau/Compassionate
Capitol Fund)
Description: Working with a state-wide coalition
of runaway and homeless youth providers and youth leaders Center researchers
will:
- Develop and keep updated a list of evidence-based practices in runaway and homeless youth services.
- Work with the coalition to develop a logic model describing core services provided by all providers.
- Create a data base to capture descriptive and outcome data for Oregon’s providers
- Create a fundable design for intervention research and pursue additional funding
Contact: Katharine Cahn, cahnk@pdx.edu, (503) 725-8122
Native Youth Suicide Prevention Program <Current Project>
Project Years: 2005-2008
Funding Source:NARA NW - SAMHSA Garret Lee Memorial Act Funding
Description: The Center for Improvement of Child and Family Services, in partnership with NPC Research, Inc., is conducting an evaluation of the Native Youth Suicide Prevention Program. The program is a congressionally-sponsored national effort to increase the knowledge base regarding the prevention of and response to youth suicide. The Native American Rehabilitation Association (NARA NW), United Indian Students in Higher Education (UISHE) at PSU, and eight federally recognized tribes are implementing the program in Oregon. A national cross site evaluation, overseen by ORC Macro, is designed to describe the products and services developed as a result of the grant, evaluate grant-sponsored trainings, and track identification and referral activities at the project sites. A local evaluation component will identify successes and challenges and more fully investigate the impact of grant activities on local communities.
Contact: Anna Rockhill, rockhill@pdx.edu, (503) 725-8007
Child Abuse & Neglect
Child Abuse Assessment Centers
Project Years: 2003 – 2004
Funding Source: CJA
Description: This project developed evaluation and
reporting protocols for use by the state’s Child Abuse Assessment
Centers and the CAMI Account coordinator. Protocols were developed
in partnerships with the Network of Child Abuse Intervention Centers,
Department of Human Services, and the Department of Justice CAMI Account
Program.
Contact: Mandy Davis, madavis@pdx.edu,
(503) 725-8008
Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention
Children’s Trust Fund of Oregon
Evaluation of Funded Projects <Current Project>
Project Years: ongoing
Funding Source: Children’s Trust Fund of Oregon
(CTFO)
Description: Work with CTFO Board of Directors and
Executive Director to capture learning across programs from the thirty
or more grant-funded child abuse prevention activities supported by
the trust fund every year. Provide support to individual programs
in their approach to quality assurance and program evaluation.
Contact: Katharine Cahn, cahnk@pdx.edu,
(503) 725-8122
Child Welfare Education & Training
Title IV-E Student Graduation and Workplace
Retention Evaluation
Project Years: 2006-2007
Description: This study is a longitudinal examination
of outcomes for graduates of the Child Welfare Education Program.
The study examines graduation and employment records of participating
MSW students in relationship to program goals of recruiting promising
social work graduates into long-term public child welfare careers
and increasing professional skills of public child welfare practitioners
within the Department of Human Services.
Contact: Richard Hunter, hunterr@pdx.edu,
(503) 725-4161
Child Welfare Training Evaluation <Current
Project>
Project Years: ongoing
Description: Trainings evaluated on an ongoing basis
include: core child welfare training, Foster/Adoptive/Relative Caregiver
training, and training provided through distance delivery. Evaluation
is aimed at improving training design and delivery.
Contact: Kirstin O’Dell, odellk@pdx.edu,
503-399-5152
Training for Excellence in Child Welfare
Practice in Rural Oregon and Alaska <Current
Project>
Project Years: 2003 - 2008
Funding Source: Children’s Bureau
Description: This project is an evaluation of a training
grant awarded by the Children’s Bureau. Trainings offered or
supported by the grant are evaluated, including: “In Celebration
of Rural and Tribal Child Welfare Practice Training Institute,”
NetLink online trainings, University based online courses (WebCT),
and Tribal Safety Assessment training.
Contact: Kirstin O’Dell, odellk@pdx.edu,
503-399-5152
Child Welfare
System Studies
Evaluation of Oregon’s Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration Project <Current Project>www.ccf.pdx.edu/cwp/pgCWP_evaluation.php
Federal System of Care Project to Improve Permanency
Outcomes (IPOP) <Current Project>
Project Years: 2003 - 2008
Funding Source: Children’s Bureau, Administration
for Children and Families
Description: The goal of Oregon’s Federal System
of Care to Improve Permanency Outcomes Project (IPOP) is to increase
the likelihood of permanency for children and youth in care 8 months
or longer by developing and/or enhancing systems of care for child
welfare practice. IPOP is implemented in Washington County, Clackamas
County, and Morrow-Umatilla counties. As part of Oregon’s cooperative
agreement with the Children’s Bureau, IPOP participates in a
national cross-site evaluation of the 9-state federal Systems of Care
initiative.
Contact: Jim White, whitejm@pdx.edu,
503-725-8027
24-Hour Response/Guided Assessment Process (GAP) Implementation
Evaluation
Project Years: 2002-2004
Funding Source: Oregon Department of Human Services
Description: Evaluation of the initial
pilot implementation through the statewide rollout of the 24-hour
response/ Guided Assessment Process (GAP) project. DHS/CAF revised
the front-end of its child welfare child protective services (CPS)
processes of screening, case assignment, and initial child safety
threat assessment of reports involving an allegation of child abuse/neglect.
The goal was to improve the timeliness, consistency, and quality
of the response to these reports. As part of this revision,
a protocol to assist in determining the field response to these reports
– immediate (same day), impending (24-hour)
and response required (5-day) – had been piloted to
be used in combination with a more systematic, guided assessment process.
The initial pilot test took place in September-December 2002 at selected
sites in four counties. A second phase of the pilot occurred
during the month of April 2003 in these same sites. Oregon implemented
an interim version of GAP statewide in July, 2003. Statewide
implementation of the final design occurred in the summer of 2004.
Separate reports are available for both of the pilots and the statewide
implementation of ‘interim GAP.’
Contact: Jim White, whitejm@pdx.edu,
503-725-8027
Cohort Studies
Project Years: 1987- 1995
Funding Source: Oregon Department of Human Resources
Description: The Cohort Studies describe the children
entering Oregon’s foster care system and include the following
data: type and severity of abuse/neglect, parental figures in the
home, problems of the children and parents (these include substance
abuse, history of abuse/neglect, criminal involvement, domestic violence,
inadequate housing, chronic unemployment), barriers to the children
returning home, why the child did or did not return, and return home
rates.
Contact: Anna Rockhill, Rockhill@pdx.edu,
503-725-8007
Strengths/Needs Based Services Evaluation
Project Years: 1996 - 2001
Funding Source: Oregon Department of Human Resources
Description: In 1996, an agreement between the Juvenile
Rights Project and the Oregon State Office for Services to Children
and Families (SOSCF) resulted in a plan for a change in the way in
which services are delivered to families throughout the state. That
year, six pilot branches (Polk, Deschutes, and the four metro Portland
branches) began gradual implementation of the new model. Subsequent
implementation was mandated for the rest of the state, to be completed
by June 2001. Named System of Care, the service includes individualized
assessment of children's needs, strengths-based work with families,
involvement of community partners, and flexible funding to pay for
wrap-around services to meet children's needs. The Regional Research
Institute for Human Services (RRI), in collaboration with the Child
Welfare Partnership, assumed responsibility for evaluating the implementation
of the Strengths/Needs Based service delivery system, the critical
practice component of the System of Care.
Contact: Angela Rodgers, rodgersa@pdx.edu,
503-725-8022.
Domestic Violence
Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Project
Project Years: 1998 - 2004
Funding Source: Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
funds through Oregon Department of Human Services
Description: Evaluation of co-located domestic violence
advocate services in child welfare offices. Research included surveys
of child welfare and domestic violence staff regarding changes in
knowledge and practice, as well as interviews with staff and clients
regarding the impact of the project on clients, case outcomes, domestic
violence and child welfare practice, relationships between domestic
violence and child welfare agencies and broader systems issues.
Contact: Anna Rockhill, rockhill@pdx.edu,
503-725-8007
Substance Abuse
Robert Wood Johnson Substance Abusing Parents and ASFA Project
Project Years: 2001-2004
Funding Source: NPC Research, Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation
Description: An examination of the influence of ASFA
timelines on child welfare systems, substance abuse treatment systems,
and legal systems, and on key child welfare and treatment outcomes
such as reunification, time to treatment and treatment completion.
There are five monographs available: Accessing Substance Abuse Treatment:
Issues for Parents Involved with Child Welfare; Is the Adoption and
Safe Families Act (ASFA) Influencing Child Welfare Outcomes for Families
with Substance Abuse Issues?; Does Substance Abuse Treatment Make
A Difference for Child Welfare Case Outcomes? A Statewide Longitudinal
Analysis; What’s All the Fuss About? Collaboration Between Child
Welfare and Substance Abuse Treatment; and Understanding patterns
of substance abuse treatment services for women involved with the
child welfare system: influences of family characteristics and social
policy.
Contact: Anna Rockhill, rockhill@pdx.edu,
503-725-8007
Early Childhood
Oregon!
Ready to Learn Initiative Evaluation
Project Years: 2001-2005
Funding Source: Oregon Community Foundation
Description: An evaluation of the training, planning
and implementation programs awarded grants from the Oregon Community
Foundation’s Oregon! Ready to Learn Initiative. The purpose
of the Initiative was to strengthen the capacity of communities to
provide evidence-based early literacy services to children birth to
three and their caregivers.
Contact: Kirstin O’Dell, odellk@pdx.edu,
503-399-5152.
Family Decision Making Meetings (FDMs)
Family Decision
Making Meeting Studies
Project Years: Study I: 1998-1999;
Study II: 1999-2000
Funding Source: Oregon Department of Human
Services
Description:
Study I: This process study employed a grounded
theory methodology and sought to examine the nature and function of
Family Decision Meetings (FDMs) used by DHS Child Welfare in Oregon.
Data collection methods included meeting notes, meeting observations
and in depth interviews with all meeting participants in 26 child
welfare cases. Findings describe the dynamics of decision making
and planning in FDMs and the various factors that either hinder or
facilitate meaningful family involvement in those processes.
Study II: This descriptive study looked at
a larger sample of cases (N = 100) throughout Oregon to create a profile
of average use of meetings used by DHS Child Welfare and to look at
follow through on meeting plans 45-60 days after meetings. Meeting
notes and plans were reviewed for information on meeting frequency,
timing, format, purpose, facilitation, attendance, and whether meetings
addressed safety, attachment, and permanency needs of children.
Interviews with caseworkers and family members were conducted 45-60
days after meetings regarding follow through on plans and reasons
for lack of follow through. Findings show that practice varies
widely from branch to branch. Regarding follow through, while
parent noncompliance and relapse was most frequently cited for plan
failure or delay, agency, service provider, and court issues also
played a significant role.
Contact: Angela Rodgers, rodgersa@pdx.edu,
503-725-8022
Juvenile Delinquency
Schoolworks
Project <Current
Project>
Project Years: 2003-2008
Funding Source: Juvenile Rights Project, Byrne Grant
Description: Evaluation of SchoolWorks, a program
providing education-related legal advocacy to dependent and delinquent
youth. The research included measures of short-term outcomes, a satisfaction
survey administered to a range of community partners, interviews with
key stakeholders such as school and court personnel and foster parents,
and a process evaluation which highlighted successes and challenges
associated with implementation.
Contact: Anna Rockhill, rockhill@pdx.edu,
503-725-8007
