Evaluation
Action-oriented and community-based evaluation and consultation to support data-driven decision-making and promote equitable and sustainable change.
Lasting organizational and community change is dynamic, iterative, and relies on strong partnerships, dynamic skill sets, and equal collaboration. C4 Innovations centers a utilization-focused, trauma-informed, and racially equitable framework to conduct evaluation that is relevant, feasible, and impactful for our clients. We use a mixed-methods, action-oriented approach that reflects best practices in equitable evaluation, uplifting the voices of individual with lived experiences throughout the process. We work alongside our clients to promote learning, implementation, and program development while fostering accountability and improvement.
Our Evaluations Are:
- Scientifically rigorous
- Mixed methods and adaptable
- Responsive to organizational- and community-driven needs and questions
- Designed to produce equitable solutions that are feasible, relevant, and impactful in the communities we serve
- Aligned with principles of Community-Based Participatory Research and inclusive of people with lived experience throughout design, implementation, analysis, and dissemination
- Imbued with a lens of racial and social justice in design and execution
- Characterized by continuous quality improvement efforts and open feedback loops
- Committed to dissemination of findings to all partners, including communities and consumers
Types of Evaluation We Do:
- Public- and private-sector evaluation of programs, including federal grants and cooperative agreements with state- and community-based organizations
- Evaluation of organizational programs, initiatives, policies, or processes
- Evaluation design, including identification of evaluation priorities, goals, and questions
- Process (formative) evaluations and outcome evaluations, capturing short-, intermediate-, and long-term outcomes using descriptive, quasi-experimental, and non-experimental designs
Evaluation Topic Areas:
Behavioral health for children, youth, and adults: Evaluating behavioral health programs, practices, and policies for community, state, and federal partners.
- Substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery
- Mental health, including shared decision making and person-centered planning
- Peer-delivered interventions, including near age peer mentorship with adolescents
Racial equity across the housing, health, and recovery spectrum: Supporting agencies and communities to make data-driven decisions for sustainable program improvement and structural change.
- Structural analyses of assessment tools and processes for racial inequities
Person-centered, trauma-informed evaluation across the housing, housing unstable, and homeless sectors: Supporting our partner organizations to more effectively serve families and individuals who are marginalized by housing instability and homelessness.
- Evaluation of innovative models serving families and individuals experiencing homelessness
- Supporting organizations to build evaluation capacity and planning through collaboration
Learn more about our evaluations and how to partner with us.
Our Experts
Examples of Our Work
Evaluating Training & Technical Assistance for Families
C4 staff are evaluators for the National Family Support Technical Assistance Center, a SAMHSA initiative supporting families and caregivers of children who experience serious mental illness and/or substance use challenges. The Center provides training and resources for families and professionals working with them so families can best support their children’s health and resilience. In partnership with center staff, we collect data about services provided and make recommendations for improving quality. The Center is led by the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, and project partners include Council on Addiction, SAFE Project, and Boston University. Learn more about C4’s work on substance use and mental health recovery supports.
Evaluating Collegiate Recovery Services in Washington
C4 and partners at Washington State University (WSU) conducted an environmental scan to assess availability and quality of collegiate recovery support services in Washington State. We collected data from multiple sources including current literature, surveys, policy reviews, and stakeholder interviews. In the report, we make recommendations for individuals and organizations providing collegiate recovery supports. WSU also examined educational needs and priorities for young people in recovery who are transitioning to collegiate settings. C4’s evaluation team continues to examine collegiate recovery seed grantee outcomes. Read “Reshaping the Conversation: Collegiate Recovery Supports and Services in the State of Washington.” For more information, contact Patricia Maarhuis, PhD at WSU and Jennifer Battis, MRes at C4 and learn more about collegiate recovery from Washington State University. Read more about this initiative:
Examining Recovery Housing in Ohio
C4 staff partnered with Ohio Recovery Housing and Ohio’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) to explore accessibility, quality, trends, and needs for recovery housing statewide. We used what we learned to develop recommendations for addressing unmet needs, implementing best practices, and taking actionable steps. Next steps identified include continuing to address service gaps and barriers to recovery housing, ensuring access for underserved and rural Ohioans, providing additional clarity to operators and residents regarding quality standards and requirements, and advancing racial equity among recovery support services. Read an overview of our findings and the full report. Learn more about our findings and recommendations specific to equity and the COVID-19 pandemic. More info about our work on recovery housing.
Analyzing Potential of Assessments to Perpetuate Racial Inequities
C4 examined the potential for Coordinated Entry System assessments to perpetuate racial inequities for people seeking housing assistance. We examined data to determine whether people of color differed from white people on prioritization scores, whether there is a statistically significant association between race and being classified into a specific vulnerability group, and the effect of race on high prioritization scores. Our findings point to the pressing need for change in Coordinated Entry System assessments and prioritization processes to ensure racial equity. This project was a partnership with Building Changes and four Continuums of Care. Read the analysis and recommendations. Learn more about our work on equity and homelessness.
Supporting SAMHSA’s Performance Accountability and Reporting System
From 2014-2021, C4 designed and delivered training and technical assistance to support SAMHSA grantees in reporting timely and accurate data in collaboration with RTI International. We completed an expert overview of reporting requirements and data entry, developed best practices for staying in touch with clients and conducting interviews using a trauma-informed approach, and identified progress towards meeting goals and improving processes and services. We created written technical guidance documents, developed and delivered live and pre-recorded training sessions, and provided targeted technical assistance. We also supported grantees in overcoming data collection challenges and understanding and interpreting data. Learn more about our work on substance use and mental health recovery supports.
Evaluating an Integrated Care Program
Staff from C4 and The Bassuk Center are partnering to evaluate New Reach’s Integrated Care Program in New Haven, CT. Our goal is to learn how to best provide outreach, engagement, and services for women experiencing homelessness along with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. We are reviewing project performance, identifying effective interventions, and analyzing outcomes such as reductions in hospital visits. Learn more about the New Reach project and our work on substance use and mental health recovery supports.
C4 strives to create a research climate that promotes objectivity in research by establishing standards such that the design, conduct, and reporting of Public Health Service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded research is free from bias resulting from financial conflict of interest (FCOI). Learn more.