Communities That Care (CTC): Self-Assessment System (SAS) Final Report

• NCJ Number: 221261
• Author(s): Mark Feinberg Ph.D.; Mark Greenberg Ph.D.
• Date Published: February 2004
• Length: 59 pages
• Grant Number(s): 11586
• Sponsoring Agency: Pennsylvania Cmssn on Crime and Delinquency
• Corporate Author: Penn State University Prevention Research Ctr
• Sale Source: Pennsylvania Cmssn on Crime and Delinquency
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Downloaded on January 21, 2008.

Annotation

Findings and recommendations are provided from research intended to evaluate the process, short-term outcomes, and diffusion/institutionalization of the Communities that Care (CTC) Initiatives (for adolescent problem behavior) in Pennsylvania.

Abstract

Major findings were found in several areas: technical demands related to the Web survey (self-assessment system (SAS)); process of implementation; response rate; reliability of the scales; coordination with Regional Strategic Consultants (RSCs); acceptance and use of results by sites; statewide results; and transfer of system operation to RSCs. Highlights of recommendations resulting from the project include: (1) the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) continues to fund the SAS as a means of obtaining inexpensive data on statewide trends in Communities that Care (CTC) operations; (2) support should be provided for the analysis of the State youth survey data on risk factor (PAYS) in conjunction with the CTC functioning data provided by the SAS; and (3) State agencies should coordinate evaluations of local initiatives, such as CTC, such that burden is reduced on board members. In summary, the use of the SAS has demonstrated a relatively economical system for valid data collection that allows for understanding of coalition functioning and technical assistance at the local and statewide level. These findings and recommendations resulted from a research project sponsored by the PCCD to evaluate the process, short-term outcomes, and diffusion/institutionalization of the CTC Initiatives. The project was conceptualized to provide timely feedback to CTC sites. The research was conducted in five steps which included: development of the Web-based SAS, implementation of the SAS with the majority of CTC sites, generation of site reports based on the SAS data, gathering feedback data about the value of the process and reports, and training and discussion with the RSCs. This report summarizes how board members perceive the CTC project including its strengths and areas that need support. Appendixes A and B