NCJ Number
175871
Date Published
1995
Length
69 pages
Annotation
This publication provides an overview of an evaluation process for drug abuse treatment programs that is consistent with standards of the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations; it further provides a hypothetical program's evaluation from start to finish.
Abstract
An overview of the evaluation process discusses a description of the drug treatment program; the framing of evaluation questions; refining the evaluation questions and selecting measures; choosing an evaluation design; selecting, adapting, and developing data collection instruments and procedures; completing evaluation procedures and implementing data collection; analyzing the data; and reporting and using the findings. After an overview of this evaluation process, this booklet summarizes key points; namely, reasons for conducting an evaluation, common misperceptions about evaluation, resource needs, end results, and a note on the case study. The case study involves a hypothetical program called Project NOVA, a drug treatment program in a major metropolitan area that provides outpatient services to both adults and youth, offering clients both group and individual counseling services. The case study describes the experience of Project NOVA's program administrator and staff as they move from deciding to conduct an evaluation, through the intermediate steps of planning and conducting the evaluation, to analyzing the results, and, finally, to reporting the findings. The case study links the evaluation process of this hypothetical project to the materials in the "Guide" (see NCJ- 175872) and makes use of worksheets included or mentioned in the "Guide." For individual documents in the series, see NCJ-175872- 73, and for the complete packet, see NCJ-175870. 6 exhibits and 4 tables