Office of Research and Evaluation Projects
Current Projects
The Early Childhood Mental Health Promotion and Access Initiative Evaluation
IFF is working with he Healthcare foundation of New Jersey to evaluate an innovative program that provides behavioral health services for young children in preschool programs in the cities of Newark and Irvington New Jersey. In addition to using qualitative and quantitative methods to document program outcomes, the evaluation includes a cost-effectiveness analysis.
The Career Gateway Evaluation
IFF is evaluating the Career Gateway Program offered at sites
throughout New Jersey by Allies, Inc. The program seeks to help high
school graduates with physical disabilities work toward job placement.
Specific program goals include (1) reducing the time between leaving
high school and gaining employment; (2) preparing recent high school
graduates with physical disabilities for the attainment of basic and/or
work readiness skills; (3) providing various environment for graduates
to sample career opportunities; and (4) linking graduates to social
services that can best support their individual career objectives. This
multi-method evaluation will assess program implementation and process,
as well as document outcomes achieved by program participants.
Footprints for Life Evaluation
IFF is working with the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency of Middlesex County, Inc. to examine changes in knowledge and behavior among second and third graders participating in a substance abuse prevention intervention. Based on pretest/posttest reports from teachers and parents, preliminary findings suggest that children who participated in the program had statistically significant improvements in social competency compared to children who did not participate in the program.
Passaic Even Start Evaluation
United Passaic Organization (UPO) is the designated Community Action Agency of the City of Passaic. A broad based community service organization, UPO works to alleviate poverty and to improve the quality of life for the city's low income residents. UPO operates the Even Start Family Literacy Program, which helps break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy by integrating early childhood education, adult literacy or adult basic education, parenting education, and interactive parent and child literacy activities into a unified family literacy program that helps children reach their full potential.
IFF is evaluating the extent to which UPO's Even Start program improves literacy for children and families, resulting in increased economic opportunities. Initial findings have identified substantial gains in literacy among both children and parents participating in the programs.
Paterson Housing Authority Evaluation
This evaluation project assessed three federally- funded programs that provide opportunities and support to public housing residents. A program aimed at senior and disabled residents seeks to help them maintain their independence by bringing relevant support services to public housing sites. A second program helps struggling families access social service programs, provides adult computer literacy classes, financial literacy training, cultural and fitness activities for youth, employment readiness programs, and job placement services. The third program seeks to develop a neighborhood network through computer classes, employment readiness services, and summer enrichment for youth. IFF's work is focusing on documenting the implementation of these programs and evaluating the outcomes that have been achieved by clients.
Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon Ryan White Part A Program Support and Quality Management
IFF provides technical assistance with evaluation and quality management activities to the Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon Ryan White Part A program. In addition to maintaining a program-wide service utilization database, IFF evaluates the extent to which Ryan White-funded services result in improved health outcomes for people living with HIV/AIDS. In addition, IFF provides a comprehensive quality management program that documents the extent to which services delivered through the local Part A program meet established quality indicators.
Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon HIV Health Services Planning Council Support
IFF provides staff support to the Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon HIV Health Services Planning Council. The group is charged with several federal mandates including (1) assessing community needs; (2) conducting comprehensive planning; (3) establishing funding priorities and allocating resources for HIV/AIDS services; (4) ensuring coordination with other Ryan White and other HIV-related services; (5) assessing the administrative mechanism; and (6) developing standards of care. The group allocates about 2.3 million in funding each year.
Wellness Initiative for Senior Education (WISE) Evaluation
IFF is assessing the progress of senior citizens who participate in the WISE substance abuse prevention program. Through both quantitative and focus group evaluation, IFF is documenting changes in knowledge, attitudes, and self efficacy of the WISE program participants.
Funded through the New Jersey Prevention Network, WISE evaluation activities have found significant differences between those who participated in WISE and a control group that did not participate in the program. Specifically, the evaluation determined that participants had an enhanced knowledge of medication and the effects of alcohol, felt empowered by the program, increased their understanding of health and wellness, and changed their lives in a positive way. Overall, the participants enjoyed the program and the information it provided.
Completed Projects
Understanding the Needs of New Immigrant Families: Moving from a Client Centered to a Family- Centered Model of Service
IFF provided technical assistance to the Internal Institute of New Jersey (IINJ), a major provider of services for immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in northern New Jersey. To enhance its direct service programs, IINJ embarked on a five year initiative to plan, pilot, and implement culturally and linguistically adaptable, family centric services to improve outcomes for low income, newly arrived immigrant and refugee families resettling in New Jersey. IFF helped IINJ to move from individual centered to family centered services by 1) investigating the needs of immigrant families, 2) assessing staff skills in working with families, and 3) establishing best practices in this emerging field
Institutional Abuse Investigations Unit Monitoring Report
IFF assisted the Office of the Child Advocate in preparing its annual Institutional Abuse Investigations Unit Monitoring Report. The study found that allegations of child abuse in institutional settings are being investigated in a timely manner and that the conclusions reached in those investigations are largely consistent with state law. The study involved an in-depth review of 90 investigations of allegations of abuse and neglect involving 131 children living in out of home settings, including resource homes, group homes, residential treatment centers and juvenile detention centers.
United Way of Greater Union County Focus Groups
IFF conducted focus groups for the United Way of Greater Union County, convening local stakeholders and subject matter experts to identify 1) local priorities reflecting the United Way of Greater Union County's recent needs assessment, 2) innovative practices and strategies for addressing identified local priorities, and 3) appropriate outcomes and indicators for improvement to the identified areas. Findings from this project were used by the United Way of Greater Union County to streamline its community impact goals and related funding priorities to coincide with the goals and objectives established by the United Way of America. Additional focus groups were conducted to explore 1) the extent to which transportation services are available and used by recipients of health and social services in Union County and 2) the quality of/potential barriers to utilizing existing transportation systems.
Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Evaluation
IFF worked with the Southern New Jersey Prenatal Cooperative to conduct a multi-year evaluation of its Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies program in the Atlantic City area. The outcome evaluation focused on examining the extent to which the program resulted in improved pregnancy outcomes, reduced prevalence of bacterial vaginosis, and improved parenting skills.
Trenton Public Schools Head Start Transition Demonstration Project
IFF was the local partner in conducting evaluations for the National Head Start Transition Demonstration Project. This project followed approximately 200 children who were enrolled in Trenton Head Start programs from preschool through the sixth grade. In collaboration with Civitan, the lead agency for this national evaluation, IFF collected information from children, parents and teachers on a variety of outcomes including school performance, school records, perceived school quality, neighborhood characteristics, socioeconomic variables, and demographics.
Abbott Preschool Participation Study
In collaboration with the Nicholson Foundation and Programs for Parents, an Essex County-based child care coordination agency, IFF conducted a study to determine why some parents chose not to enroll their children in the high-quality, free Abbott Preschool Program. Using geo-spatial analysis, parent interviews, and focus groups with professionals, the study found that parents who enrolled their child in a non-Abbott preschool program typically did so to meet childcare needs (particularly extended hours and proximity to home or work), because of parental perception of the quality of care or education program, or due to a previous relationship with the chosen agency or provider. Parents who opted not to enroll their children in any early care or education program tended not to know how to enroll their children in an Abbott program or were concerned about the quality of the program.