WVPRC Evaluation Projects

The following list details the WV Prevention Resource Center's current and past evaluation projects. Additional information is available by contacting the designated evaluator for a particular project.

Community Development Specialist (CDS) Network Process Evaluation
EVALUATOR:
FUNDING: Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant administered by the WV DHHR's Division on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

Community Development Specialists (CDSs) are specially trained professionals who provide technical assistance to families, organizations and communities in the area of substance abuse prevention. The foundation of CDS work is based on the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) strategies for effective prevention. The process evaluation is compiled based on data reported by CDSs via an online monthly activity reporting system (MAR).

Community Development Specialist (CDS) Network Qualitative Evaluation
EVALUATOR: Anne Swedberg
FUNDING SOURCE: Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant administered by the WV DHHR's Division on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

This report was developed to gain insight into the measure of success produced by West Virginia's CDSs. The qualitative evaluation report is based on in-depth interviews of 16 CDSs from around the state.

Key Informant Survey (2002-2006)
EVALUATOR: Andy Whisman
FUNDING: Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant administered by the WV DHHR's Division on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

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
EVALUATORS: Valerie Ponder and Judy Hall
FUNDING: Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant administered by the WV DHHR's Division on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

A database system primarily intended for collecting, disseminating and managing information obtained from statewide Public Inebriant Shelters.

Share The Vision Conference Evaluation
EVALUATORS: Judy Hall
FUNDING: Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant administered by the WV DHHR's Division on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

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, valuate the conference's activities.

WV Prevention Needs Assessment Database (2002 to Current)
EVALUATOR:Andy Whisman
FUNDING: Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant administered by the WV DHHR's Division on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

In 2002 with support from the WV DHHR's Division on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, 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. Data requests may be sent to the contact evaluator above.

WV RADAR Network Clearinghouse Evaluation
EVALUATOR:
FUNDING: Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant administered by the WV DHHR's Division on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

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.

WV Prevention Information Network (2005- Current)
EVALUATORS: Andy Whisman and Melanie Jones
FUNDING SOURCE: WV Department of Education

In partnership with the WV Department of Education, this project is intended to improve management of drug and violence prevention programs at the state and local levels. In this project, WV will to develop procedures for consistent data collection across Local Education Agencies (LEAs); provide Internet-based graduate level coursework on research methods in education to local school officials, including a human subject assurance training component; build the capacity at the state and local level to ensure data-driven planning and selection of prevention and student support programs; and develop an internet-based prevention information system integrating multiple data sets for the use of not only schools, but the communities they serve.
Through a grant partnership with the WV Department of Education, Office of Healthy Schools, the WVPRC is developing CIMES; the Community Information Management and Evaluation System. Data will be gathered from the WVDOE, and aggregated with other population-based indicators from various federal and state agencies. The web site will serve as a single repository for student survey 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.

FY 05-06 Report

Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Capacity Building Program 2002-2006)
EVALUATORS: Andy Whisman and Melanie Jones
FUNDING SOURCE: Purdue Pharma

The WV Prevention Resource Center 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 Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant SPF SIG) State System Evaluation
External Qualitative EVALUATORS: Linda Spatig, Paula Flaherty, Karen McComas, Tracy Wassinger
FUNDING SOURCE: Federal Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant administered by the WV Division of Criminal Justice Services

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 Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF SIG) Phase I Process and Qualitative Evaluation
EVALUATORS: Andy Whisman and Anne Swedberg
FUNDING SOURCE: Federal Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant administered by the WV Division of Criminal Justice Services

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 Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF SIG) Phase II Evaluation (2004-Current)
EVALUATOR:Andy Whisman
FUNDING SOURCE: Federal Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant administered by the WV Division of Criminal Justice Services

WV's SPF SIG Phase II Implementation evaluation plan is founded on a mixed method perspective that relies on quantitative data to demonstratewhat 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.It is important to note that in the SPF SIG prioritization process, 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 12 have targeted alcohol related issues in some way. As such, the focus the Phase II outcome evaluation is on alcohol.

Child and Family Service Funding Study (2003-Current)
EVALUATOR: Melanie Jones
CONTRACTOR: Steve Heasley
FUNDING SOURCE: U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Block Grant administered by the WV Division of Criminal Justice Services

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.

Truancy Diversion Social Work (TDSW) Evaluation (2001-2002)
EVALUATOR:Andy Whisman
FUNDING SOURCE: WV Children's Home Societey

The Truancy Diversion Social Work (TDSW) program underwent a comprehensive program evaluation during 2001. Evaluation components performed by the WV Prevention Resource Center 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

Educare
EVALUATOR: Valerie Ponder
FUNDING SOURCE: WV Governor's Cabinet on Children and Families

West Virginia Educare is a statewide pilot initiative administered by the West Virginia Governor's Cabinet on Children and Families. The goal of the initiative is to ensure that families of children birth to kindergarten can access high quality and affordable services to help children prepare for school and lifelong learning. The initiative establishes quality standards for early childhood programs and provides resources to meet these standards.

Mountain State Measures (1998-2003)
EVALUATOR: Andy Whisman
FUNDING SOURCE: WV Governor's Cabinet on Children and Families

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 West Virginia 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 WV Prevention Resource Center, the Cabinet on Children and Families monitored thirty-seven 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.