What is Program Evaluation? Generating Knowledge for Improvement

In this introductory article, we discuss the nature of Program Evaluation,describing the concepts that underlie our formal and informal evaluative efforts. ProgramEvaluation, like any deliberate inquiry process, is about learning. The processexplicates program purposes, activities, and outcomes and generates knowledge abouttheir merit and worth. This knowledge can inform planning and lead to program improvement.We present and discuss various definitions of Program Evaluation,focussing on its purposes and uses. We also provide an overview of the inquiry process,grounding the search for merit and worth in the American Evaluation Association’sGuiding Principles for Evaluators. Because program evaluations are typically conductedto inform decision makers, we discuss aspects of professional practise that contribute tothe use of an evaluation

Adolescent Development as a Determinant of Family Cohesion: A Longitudinal Analysis of Adolescents in the Mobile Youth Survey

Previous research has demonstrated the effect of family cohesion on adolescent outcomes. However, little attention has been given to the effect of adolescence on the family environment. Family systems theory suggests that as adolescents develop, their development will impact the family environment. The current study examined the impact of adolescent development on family cohesion. Specifically, 4 years of data from the Mobile Youth Survey, a study of adolescents living in low-income neighborhoods in Mobile, Alabama, were analyzed. Survey participants were between the ages 13 and 16 and 97 % of them were Black American. Adolescent development was measured using three dimensions—identity style, self-worth, and hopelessness. Family cohesion was measured along two dimensions: maternal and paternal warmth. Adolescent gender was used as a covariate. The longitudinal models revealed that parents responded differently to identity styles and to levels of self-worth depending upon the adolescent’s gender. Our study provides evidence that family cohesion, a key predictor of adolescent behaviors, changes in response to adolescent development

An examination of social capital as a delinquency protective factor for youth living in impoverished neighborhoods

This research utilized the Mobile Youth Study (MYS), a community-based multiple cohort longitudinal study of at-risk behaviors of youth living in the Mobile, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The extent that social capital serves as a protective factor in deterring juvenile delinquency for youth living in impoverished neighborhood was examined. Social capital included neighborhood connectedness, routine activities, attachment to school, hope, caring, attachment to friends, and warmth toward mother. Juvenile delinquency included gun carrying, knife carrying, weapon brandishment, and weapon use. Using multiple linear regression, within the Granger Causality framework, this study explored social capital as a protective factor in deterring juvenile delinquency. Results indicate a juvenile was more likely to carry a knife or gun depending on their age and if they identified their birth mother as the person most like a mother to them. Social capital factors of attachment to school and hours spent weekly hanging out with friends serve as a protective factor in deterring juveniles to brandish a weapon. Social capital factors of caring about others, hours spent working at a paid job, and attachment to school serve as protective factors in deterring juveniles from using a weapon. Implications for social work practice in schools, families, and communities are discussed in light of social capital factors deterring juvenile delinquency. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Family environment and adolescent hopelessness in low-income, urban African American families

Literature on the subject of adolescent development in high-risk, low-income neighborhoods has detailed negative consequences for mental health outcomes. These neighborhoods not only affect adolescents, but can increase stress and strain on families. Urban, African American families who reside in high-risk, low-income neighborhoods are not immune from the potential hazards of economic stress, strained familial relationships, social disorganization, and other negative consequences which impact optimal family functioning. Utilizing HLM techniques, this study examined the relationship between dimensions of the family environment and adolescent feelings of hopelessness. In general, a more supportive family environment resulted in lower scores of adolescent hopelessness. However, higher conflict in families also resulted in lower scores of adolescent hopelessness, indicating a need to further explore the nature of conflict in families who reside in high-risk neighborhoods. Directions for future research and implications for social work practice are outlined. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Community and individual factors that influence housing need among low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS

The objective of this research was to study the influence of individual- and community-level conditions on the housing needs among low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Secondary data analysis was conducted on HIV/AIDS housing survey data collected in 2006 in a four-county metropolitan area. The study sample consisted of 384 low-income PLWHA living in 78 ZIP Code areas. Community-level data were compiled from 2000 Decennial Census, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other affordable housing databases. Using hierarchical linear modeling, two housing need outcome variables (a) need for housing assistance and (b) housing stability were studied. The first research question concerned the influence of individual conditions (socio-demographics, housing situations, and social histories) on housing need. In predicting need for housing assistance, none of the socio-demographics of age, gender, race, or ethnicity was a significant predictor of housing need. Of the housing situation predictors (housing burden, household composition, potential impact of rent increase, housing subsidy), only housing burden was a statistically significant predictor. Lastly, considering social history (work status, history of homelessness, mental illness and substance use history), a history of homelessness and substance use history were significant predictors. Only a history of homelessness statistically significantly predicted housing stability. The second research question concerned the influence of the community conditions of distress, degree of rurality, and social infrastructure on housing need. All the community predictors, except number of affordable housing units (a measure of social infrastructure), were statistically significant predictors of need for housing assistance. None of the community variables was a statistically significant predictor of housing stability. The findings suggest that community conditions are associated with the need for housing assistance. The third research question concerned interactions between the individual- and community-level conditions. The relationship between history of homelessness and need for housing assistance was stronger in areas where there were more affordable housing. The findings of the study support the conclusion that both individual and community conditions are associated with housing need among PLWHA. The report concludes with a discussion of these results and offers implications for social work practice, policy, and research. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Exploring the uptake of evidence-based practice in social work

This document reports findings from a research study that used an online survey to explore the reported experiences of social work practitioners with evidence and evidence-based practice. This research best describes a mature, experienced group of licensed American social workers, largely female and Caucasian, the majority of whom work in private practice settings. Data are explored both quantitatively and qualitatively to help determine how the responding social workers make practice-related decisions, where they get evidence for practice, how they assess the utility of evidence and the trustworthiness of sources, and whether workplaces are oriented towards EBP. The data also considers barriers and facilitators to the uptake of EBP, and attitudes about the movement. Two models of practice-based decision making were considered--one being used to help frame the survey, and one being compared post-hoc to the data--and suggestions made for new modeling that might help to shed additional light on how research evidence is used in practice. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries