Evaluation of Adult Lucas County Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime, Inc. (TASC): Outcomes Related to Program Completion

The central purpose of this research was to evaluate the Lucas County, Ohio Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime (TASC) program for adult clients. The principal investigator was Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Melissa W. Burek, Ph.D. from Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in conjunction with Stacey Rychener, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Evaluation Services and associates at BGSU. Co-author of the report that follows was Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Christine Englebrecht, Ph.D., also of BGSU. Data collection for the project began in January 2009 and completed in late March of same year. We had three general objectives for this evaluation study: To identify the extent to which TASC participants complete treatment compared to non-TASC participants To ascertain significant factors related to TASC program completion To identify the extent of recidivism for TASC participants compared to non-TASC participants In general, compared to the probation-only sample, simply participating in TASC on some level led to decreased problem behaviors. This finding is definitely something for which Director Sylak and his staff should be commended and supported to continue for the communities in Lucas County and Toledo, Ohio. TASC is a promising program and has already demonstrated its effectiveness since the first evaluation study

Wood County Project Connect: Final Report for Event Held October 15, 2014

Project Connect is an outreach and an awareness raising event based on a model endorsed by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. The event is an opportunity to inform the community about the need that exists, as well as a chance to address that need. Project Connect (PC) is designed to provide immediate goods and services to at risk individuals in one day at one location. Our report presents that descriptive data and evaluation of a PC event that occurred in October of 2014 in Wood County, Ohio

Wood County Project Connect: Final Report for Event Held October 19, 2016

Project Homeless Connect (PHC) is designed to provide immediate goods and services to homeless individuals and those nearing homelessness. PHC provides basic needs and critical services in one day at one location. Along with providing valuable and necessary services to help alleviate homelessness, an additional positive outcome for service providers is the opportunity to network with different agency members, and reinforce relationships, collaborations, and partnerships. On October 19, 2016, Wood County, Ohio held its fourth Project Connect (PC) event at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Bowling Green, Ohio. This report presents a compilation of data collected at the event, as well as recommendations for future efforts

Wood County Project Connect: Final Report for Event Held October 14, 2015

On October 14, 2015, Wood County, Ohio held its third Project Connect (PC) event at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Bowling Green, Ohio. Project Connect is designed to provide immediate goods and services to homeless individuals and those nearing homelessness. PC provides basic needs and critical services in one day at one location. Along with providing valuable and necessary services to help alleviate homelessness, an additional positive outcome for service providers is the opportunity to network with different agency members, and reinforce relationships, collaborations, and partnerships. This report presents the descriptives about the guests, providers, and volunteers at the event, as well as their feedback

A Study of Ohio\u27s Correctional Institution Inspection Committee\u27s (CIIC) Inmate Surveys

Correctional facilities have a discernible social climate, or collection of contextual properties that derive from perceptions of both staff and prisoners. These properties include the physical, organizational, social, and emotional characteristics of correctional institutions. Ohio\u27s Correctional Institution Inspection Committee (CIIC) requested research assistance to assess the validity of their adult and youth surveys, which are administered during the CIIC\u27s regular inspections of facilities. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity of these instruments and the process by which they are administered. The study builds on the existing line of research on prison social climate surveys

Teach In -- Opioids Bowling Green State University Evaluation Report

In 2017, the United States Department of Health and Human Services declared a national opioid epidemic. As a result of widespread prescription and non-medical use, the opioid crisis has had devastating impact on Ohioans, including college aged adults. Bowling Green State University took action in 2018 to address the opioid epidemic by hosting a university-wide Teach-In focused on opioids, “Changing the Story.” The Teach-In included engagement of faculty, community members, administration, staff, and students to increase knowledge of resources and connect the population with secondary prevention and treatment services. The Teach-In resulted in the development of an original film and course modules focused on bringing attention and awareness to the college campus. During the Teach-In, 447 session evaluations were collected; 75% or more of session respondents had strong agreement that the Teach-In location was accessible, speakers were knowledgeable, and the topic was important to be addressed on the college campus. Encouragingly, \u3e 60% indicated a strong agreement that their knowledge on the subject increased as a result of the session, the teaching methods were appropriate, knowledge regarding resources increased, and that the session provided them with ideas that could be used to understand or address the opioid crisis. The majority indicated that they would attend another Teach-In and would recommend future events to friends or colleagues

Changing the Story: Evaluation Results of an Opioid Awareness Teach-In

Teach-Ins have historically been used as a way for educators to raise knowledge and awareness around an urgent social problem. We report findings from an action evaluation of the Bowling Green State University (BGSU) Opioid Awareness Teach-In, which was designed to (a) make clear that the BGSU community believes we can work to change the story of the opioid epidemic in northwest Ohio and (b) raise awareness of resources available for those struggling with opioid dependence in our community. Campus wide, anonymous questionnaires administered to students, faculty, and staff before (n = 275) and after (n = 140) the Teach-In indicated positive, and statistically significant, changes in knowledge of resources available, treatment options, and the attitude that BGSU is a community that cares about those struggling with opioid addiction. Qualitative feedback suggests that the Teach-In was helpful as a step toward changing the story and inspiring hope. In particular, our work to facilitate communication and awareness around opioid addiction, and reduce the silence and stigma associated with addiction, appears to have resonated strongly with participants

Wood County Project Connect: Final Report for Event Held October 18, 2017

Wood County, Ohio Service providers and volunteers came together to serve those at risk for homelessness and under-served populations at the 5th Annual Project Connect. Data were collected from guests, volunteers, and providers to capture the characteristics and satisfaction levels of those in attendance and those involved in carrying out this expansive, one-day event. The results are presented in the report

Wood County Project Homeless Connect: Final Report for Event Held October 16, 2013

On October 16, 2013, Wood County, Ohio held their first Project Homeless Connect event at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Bowling Green, Ohio. Project Homeless Connect (PHC) is designed to provide immediate goods and services to homeless individuals and those nearing homelessness. It provides basic needs and critical services in one day at one location. It originated in San Francisco and was later adopted and revised by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) to decrease homelessness in major American cities (Knetch & Martinez, 2009). PHC was created following the premises of the former President George W. Bush Administration’s policy of compassionate conservatism and the “armies of compassion” model, which “sought to rebuild public-private relationships to address social problems and avoid increasing government spending” (Knetch & Martinez, 2009, p. 522). More than 170 cities in the United States, Canada, and Australia have adopted the PHC project. This report presents the characteristics, satisfaction levels, and expectations about the inaugural event by guests, volunteers, and providers at the event

Wood County Reentry Coalition: Needs Assessment Survey Results

The purpose of this research was to assess the services needed by offenders who are soon going to be released. As a result, we recruited all incarcerated persons in jails, prisons and community-based correctional facilities (CBCFs) in Ohio who would be returning to the Wood County area upon release (i.e., we recruited incarcerated individuals who had a Wood County, OH address as their last place of residence prior to their most recent incarceration, or were arrested in and processed through Wood County courts). We designed a survey for individuals in Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) custody containing questions related to reentry needs and challenges. Only inmates who resided in Wood County, Ohio prior to their incarceration were eligible to take the survey. The survey questions were designed to gain insight into: What are the services needed by the reentering offenders after a period of incarceration? What are the gaps in services in Wood County for reentering offenders? Does services utilization reduces recidivism among offenders? What are the gaps in offender reentry services