EVALUATION OF AN ONGOING TREATMENT PROGRAM - INITIATIONS, PROBLEMS, IMPLICATIONS (FROM CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT ISSUES ON INNOVATION AND IMPLEMENTATION - V 1, 1978, BY MICHAEL L LAUDERDALE - SEE NCJ-59268)

• NCJ Number: 59277
• Author(s): M PERRY; C NARR
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

SERVICE EVALUATION IS DISCUSSED AS IMPLEMENTED FOR A TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR ABUSING PARENTS IN TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

Abstract

FOLLOWING A LIST OF BENEFITS THAT CAN BE DERIVED FROM AN EFFECTIVE EVALUATION PROGRAM, THE PANEL FOR FAMILY LIVING PROGRAM IS DESCRIBED. SERVICES ARE PROVIDED FOR PARENTS EITHER ACCUSED OF BEING OR ADJUDGED TO BE ABUSIVE OR NEGLECTFUL. PROGRAM ACTIVITIES ARE IN THE GENERAL CATEGORIES OF COMMUNITY COORDINATION, COMMUNITY EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL TRAINING, CLIENT SERVICES, AND RESEARCH. CLIENT SERVICES INCLUDE GROUP THERAPY, PARENT EDUCATION CLASSES, OUTREACH SERVICES, AND PARENT AIDES. PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF A RESEARCH DESIGN ARE DISCUSSED. RANDOM ASSIGNMENT TO SERVICES WAS JUDGED TO BE BOTH IMPRACTICABLE AND CLINICALLY UNDESIRABLE, AND A RANDOM GROUP OF CLIENTS COULD NOT SERVE AS A CONTROL GROUP WITHOUT WITHHOLDING SERVICES, WHICH WAS UNACCEPTABLE. EFFORTS ALSO HAD TO BE EXERTED TO DISPEL HOSTILITIES OF THE STAFF TOWARD EVALUATION PROCEDURES, DUE TO EXPERIENCES WITH A PREVIOUS, DISTASTEFUL EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM. THE PLAN SELECTED INVOLVED EVALUATING EACH CLIENT JUST PRIOR TO SERVICE, AGAIN 3 MONTHS LATER (HAVING DOCUMENTED THE KIND AND AMOUNT OF SERVICES RECEIVED DURING THAT TIME), AND FINALLY UPON TERMINATION. THE PURPOSE OF THE COLLECTED DATA WAS TO DESCRIBE IN DETAIL THE CHARACTERISTICS OF CLIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES; AND TO DOCUMENT CHANGES IN CLIENTS, INCLUDING BOTH CHANGES SPECIFIED BY THE TREATMENT STAFF AND CHANGES IN AREAS NOT NECESSARILY SINGLED OUT FOR TREATMENT. DATA WAS COLLECTED THROUGH INTERVIEW, PAPER AND PENCIL QUESTIONNAIRES AND INVENTORIES, OBSERVATION, AND CHILD TESTING. A CONTROL GROUP OF NONABUSERS ALSO WAS USED. CERTAIN CHANGES ARE SUGGESTED. THE SERVICE PROVIDED SHOULD VARY ACCORDING TO THE GROUP CLASSIFICATION OR INDIVIDUAL PROFILE. ALSO, THE SERVICES THAT BOTH ABUSERS AND SPOUSES RECEIVE SHOULD ATTEND TO THEIR DIFFERING NEEDS. WHILE SOME DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND BETWEEN THE ABUSE GROUP AND THE CONTROL GROUP ON ANXIETY, EXPRESSIVENESSS, AND APPROPRIATE DIRECTION IN DISCIPLINE SITUATIONS, SOME EXPECTED DIFFERENCES WERE NOT FOUND. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)