Current Projects
- Behavioral Health / Juvenile Justice Program Evaluation (2005-2007)
- Safe Schools/Healthy Students Evaluation Consortium (2005-2007)
- The Prison Experience and Reentry: Examining the Impact of Victimization on Coming Home
- Summit County Children Who Witness Violence (2002-ongoing)
- Cuyahoga County Strengthening Communities-Youth (SCY) (2002-2007)
- Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative, Cleveland Heights – University Heights (2003-2006)
- Berea Children’s Home Evaluation Services (2004-ongoing)
- Stark County Gang Assessment (2004-2006)
- Tapestry (2004-present)
- The Treatment Effectiveness Study (TES) (2005-2008)
- Idaho Drug Court Evaluation (2005-2006)
- The Title II Evaluation (2006-2007)
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Behavioral Health / Juvenile Justice Program Evaluation (2005-2007)
Funding Agency: Ohio Department of Mental Health, Ohio Department of Youth Services, Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services
Project Description: Statewide evaluation of six counties in Ohio who, with support from the above agencies have been funded to provided services to meet the needs of juvenile offenders, age 10-17, who also have mental health problems. Three of the six sites are focusing solely on females. Sites are using models such as Multisystemic Therapy, Functional Family Therapy, and Intensive home based treatment to address the multiple needs of these children and their families. ISPV is serving as the evaluation partner on this project. The goals of the evaluation include 1) identification and description of the target population, 2) evaluation of the success of the specific programs by assessing children on several measures throughout treatment, 3) examination of youth post-treatment to determine whether the program produces lasting effects, and 4) evaluation of the processes by which juvenile offenders with mental health problems are identified and treated.
Safe Schools/Healthy Students Evaluation Consortium (2005-2007)
Funding Agency: Research Triangle Institute, International
Project Description: The initiatives include: three Safe Schools/Health Students (SS/HS) grants, and two systems of care (SOC) cooperative agreements through the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The SAMHSA cooperative agreements are through the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) and the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). Investigators propose to examine the dynamics of system of care development within a community by specifically studying the relationship between schools, or education systems, and SOC development. We will study this relationship from two perspectives: 1) the macro perspective -- looking at how schools interface with coordinated systems of care infrastructure development (Figure 1), and, 2) the evidence based perspective -- examining the selection, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of evidence-based practices within and across SS/HS and SOC sites.
The Prison Experience and Reentry: Examining the Impact of Victimization on Coming Home
Funding Agency: National Institute of Justice
This study will explore the incidence and impact of emotional, physical, and/or sexual victimization on inmates who are returning to the community. Little, if any, research has explored the additive effect victimization may have on an already difficult transition period for offenders. This victimization impact intensifies mental health problems,
substance abuse rates, family conflicts, and criminal behavior. Halfway house clients from nearly 25 halfway house programs will be selected for this study. Standardized instruments will be used to assess the inmates psychological status in various areas, including but not limited to post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, criminality,
coping mechanisms, cognitive processes, and addiction. Post release interviews will delineate the process of reentry and ascertain the perceived long-term effects of the victimization. The final analysis will compare recidivism rates between those who report having been victimized and those who have reported not being victimization.
Summit County Children Who Witness Violence (2002-ongoing)
Funding Agency: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Project Description: The project was created to intervene with families and provide services to children who have been exposed to violent incidents. The program began in Cuyahoga County and has expanded to Summit County. The CWWV program is based on the premise that law enforcement officers often are the first to encounter violence-exposed children, especially in domestic violence situations, and that police officers could be a critical “first line” referral source for children and their families. A model was developed for police officers to provide information and referral services when encountering situations in which children were exposed to violence. More specifically, when police officers respond to a violent incident witnessed by a child, they refer the family to the CWWV program by calling the Mental Health Services (MHS) crisis line. An intervention specialist is assigned to the family, makes contact with them typically within 24 hours and schedules an initial visit at the family’s earliest convenience. This program offers immediate home-based crisis intervention and trauma support services for children ages’ birth to 17 who witness domestic violence. This program is currently being implemented in Akron, Ohio through the collaboration of Akron Children’s Hospital and 28 community partners. The Program is housed under Akron Children’s Hospital in Akron, Ohio.
Cuyahoga County Strengthening Communities-Youth (SCY) (2002-2007)
Funding Agency: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency
Project Description: This project is a systems-of-care initiative designed to impact the major child-serving systems in the following ways: 1) Improve linkages and networking mechanisms throughout the community; 2) Increase capacity across the continuum of substance abuse services (e.g., best practice models); 3) Develop and integrate county MIS capacity to facilitate identification, referral, treatment, and tracking of youth; 4) Address morbidity issues between substance abuse and violence; and 5) Develop and implement outreach activities leading to earlier identification, referral, and treatment for court involved youth.
Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative, Cleveland Heights – University Heights (2003-2006)
Funding Agency: U. S. Department of Education
Project Description: The Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative seeks to promote safe and healthy environments in which children can learn and develop without the distractions of violence and substance abuse issues that compromise the educational climate. The Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District is implementing and evaluating a comprehensive plan to promote Safe Schools and Health Students. The plan includes a number of components including Life Skills, a substance abuse prevention program; Second Step, a violence prevention program; and Multisystemic Therapy which is an intensive family- and community-based treatment for juvenile offenders. The goals of the evaluation conducted by ISPV are to: 1) Provide and maintain a safe school environment with community support, 2) Improve mental health and functioning of students and promote prevention of mental health difficulties through collaboration among school-based mental health providers, community providers, and administrators of mental health services and 3) Decrease alcohol and drug use and promote prevention through education.
Berea Children’s Home Evaluation Services (2004-ongoing)
Funding Agency: Berea Children’s Home and Family Services
Project Description: This collaboration involves several programs. One project is the evaluation of the Berea’s ProKids program. This program provides juvenile court diversion services to children who have been found to be unruly by the juvenile courts. ISPV is also conducting an evaluation of the MST Services and the Sister to Sister programs. The outcome focus is on measuring recidivism rates and treatment success for youth receiving community-based treatment.
Stark County Gang Assessment (2004-2006)
Funding Agency: Stark County Citizens Council for Non Violence
Project Description: This project outlines a procedure to assess the extent of the gang problem in Stark County. This initiative is a collaboration of Kent State University’s Institute for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Case Western Reserve University’s Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education, and the Stark County Citizens Council for Non-violence. This project has two goals. The first goal is to gather data that will clearly identify the nature of the gang problem in Stark County, its major population centers, and a sample of rural communities. The initial focus of the gang assessment will be Canton. The expression “nature of the gang problem” refers to assessing the number of gangs and gang members, and the types and severity of crime gang members commit. The nature of the gang problem will permit a clear assessment of the adverse effects gangs and gang crime has had on Stark County and its constituent communities. The second goal is to use assessment data as a planning guide that will permit the development and implementation of the gang prevention and intervention initiatives in local communities.
Tapestry (2004-present)
Funding Agency: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency
Project Description: Project Tapestry is an 18.5 million-dollar system of care demonstration and research project through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. ISPV investigators are examining the dynamics of system of care development in Cuyahoga County from three perspectives: 1) the macro perspective looking at how large child serving systems (i.e., education, mental health, health, juvenile justice, and child welfare) develop coordinated planning, governance, and service delivery structures to better serve youth with severe emotional disturbances (SED); 2) the individual systems level and the challenges that child serving systems experience in coordinating care and implementing effective, evidence-based services; and 3) the individual perspective, examining changes in youth and family behavioral functioning over time. The initial project planning year ends 9/30/04, and services will be implemented through 2009.
The Treatment Effectiveness Study (TES) (2005-2008)
Funding Agency: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency through subcontract with ORC Macro International
Project Description: TES project is a sub-study of The Tapestry Project, intended to conduct a study on a subset of children involved in the national evaluation, specifically the Longitudinal Child and Family Outcome Study (LOS) which will involve additional measures and an assessment of the effectiveness of an evidence-based therapy delivered within a system of care. The Treatment Effectiveness Study (TES) is a randomized control trial of Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) for a subset of LOS clients. The study will assess the effectiveness of BSFT within a system of care on clinical outcomes by comparing outcomes among children who received the standard system-of-care services plus an evidence-based treatment to those among children who received the standard system-of-care services including an individually matched therapy. The TES measures treatment fidelity and outcomes specific to treatment goals, with measures administered to service providers, caregivers and youth. Areas of child clinical and functional status assessed include symptomatology, diagnoses, strengths, functioning, development (among young children), substance use, school attendance and performance, delinquency and juvenile justice involvement, and stability of living arrangements. Assessment of families includes family support, communications, resources, and caregiver strain.
Idaho Drug Court Evaluation (2005-2006)
Funding Agency: NIJ, through Subcontract with University of Cincinnati
Project Description: The project will provide a longitudinal statewide evaluation of 12 selected felony drug courts across Idaho. The project will examine the differences among the drug court and comparison group members along a variety of measures. Examining a variety of outcomes between both groups will provide an assessment of the impact of drug courts on future criminal behavior. While most published evaluations report outcomes of only one court, the current study reports outcomes of twelve drug courts across the state in an effort to fill a much needed gap in our knowledge of drug courts overall.
The Title II Evaluation (2006-2007)
Funding Agency: Ohio Department of Youth Services
With funding from the Ohio Department of Youth Services (ODYS) and in collaboration with the Ohio State University’s Center for Family Research (CFR), the ISPV is working towards developing a comprehensive evaluation of the 38 Title II funded programs in the state of Ohio. A comprehensive evaluation will facilitate the collection of individual level outcome data specific to program area ensuring that Title II funds are used to support evidence-based programming. Currently the 38 funded programs encompass six areas: alternatives to detention, delinquency prevention, family strengthening, mental health, sex offenders, and substance abuse.
ISPV
230 Carol A. Cartwright Hall
Kent State University
Kent, OH 44242
Phone: 330-672-7917
Email: kretherf@kent.edu