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Evaluation of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program
The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) contracts with Macro to evaluate community implementation of systems of care that deliver services to children with serious emotional disorders and their families. We identified existing measures when possible, and developed measures when necessary to assess unique identified program constructs. To assess program implementation fidelity, we created the System of Care Assessment Framework, which yields quantitative data from qualitative interviews and documentary and observational data. We developed additional instruments to collect child and family demographic and descriptive information, service experience information, and functional outcomes for which no established instruments existed. We also developed an instrument to assess the factors influencing program sustainability beyond the end of grant funding. Federal policymakers use the data to understand how systems of care develop, to examine the impact that systems of care have on the lives of children and their families, and to conceptualize new and continued initiatives. Funded communities use the data to monitor client and program-level quality, identify gaps and redundancies in existing service arrays, establish local priorities around serving children and families, and leverage additional funds for sustained system of care implementation.
 Division of Adult and Community Health Measurement Tool
For the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Division of Adult and Community Health, Macro developed a measurement tool to assess how the public perceived epilepsy and seizure disorders. This tool shed light on the challenges in the social environment confronted by people with epilepsy and by their caregivers. Macro reviewed literature and online support groups and worked with a panel of technical experts to identify critical issues to develop specific items to include on this scale. Macro also conducted a series of focus groups with the general public and with people with epilepsy and their caregivers to identify issues and items for possible inclusion on the scale.
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