Case 10: Evaluating the Consultation and Education Department Paper

Essay Instructions:

This is the case study: Case 10. Evaluating the Consultation and Education Department At the Greenby Community Mental Health Center, the Consultation and Education Department was about to go under. Although consultation and education are required for all community mental health centers, not all centers have fully staffed and active departments. Instead, they implement consultation and education as a percentage of each professional's work. That was what Henry McDonald, the executive director, was suggesting for Greenby. “You have to understand my position,” he exclaimed to a distraught consultation and education director. “Our funding has been cut back. We're more dependent than ever on fees for service and third-party payments. Consultation and education are luxuries we really can't afford. They don't bring in the funds we need, and we've got to put our resources into programs that carry their weight.” “But you know that C and E programs are a high priority. Every center has to have one to keep up its funding,” Andy Cutler replied. “Andy, let's not play games here. You know we don't have to have a C and E department with a full-time director. We only have to provide the service. The real issue is whether your program stays in operation the way it is now, and I'm saying it can't. Now, stop worrying. Your job isn't in jeopardy. You'll be able to move over to the clinical program.” “Henry, believe it or not, it's not my own job that I'm concerned about. No matter what kind of measurement you use, you have to see that the C and E department does pull its weight. We've developed liaisons with every major employer in the area, we've got preventive programs going in the schools, and our divorce and family workshops are attracting more people every time we put them on. Word is getting around in the community.” “Sure, the workshops attract people. At five dollars a head, why shouldn't they? The program is self-supporting, I'll grant you that, but it's not pulling in enough capital to pull its weight with the center as a whole. There's no way it can.” “But what you're not recognizing, Henry, is that this program is supporting the other programs. You've had an increase in the number of people referring themselves for alcohol and drug abuse programs. I'm telling you that this is because of the preventive programs we've been doing at the factory. You've had an increase in self-referrals for family therapy. I think they're coming from our workshops. The programs we offer help people recognize their problems, and when they recognize them, they start to come in for more help.” “That's very possible, Andy. But I've got a board of directors to deal with, and I don't know whether they're going to buy that line of reasoning. They're not professionals, you know, and they don't necessarily see those relationships that way. What they can see is the difference between what a person pays to participate in a workshop and what the same person would pay for one of the other programs. It's a good thought to say that you're feeding into the other services, but we don't really know that. We don't really know anything about the impact you're having. Give me something I can tell the board. Give me something I can tell the state. Just give me something.” This the book of reference: Management of Human Service Programs, Fourth Edition Chapter 10: Evaluating Human Service Programs ISBN: 9780495007821 Author: Judith A. Lewis, Thomas Packard, Michael D. Lewis copyright © 2007 Brooks Cole This is the essay instruction: . Individual Assignment: Case 10: Evaluating the Consultation and Education Department Paper - Resource: Case 10 of Ch. 10 of Management of Human Services Programs - Write a 1,050- to 1,750-word paper which addresses the following in reference to the case study: o Develop at least one process evaluation measure and at least one outcome evaluation measure that you suggest for the Consultation and Education Department at Greenby Community Mental Health Center to display the program's effectiveness and efficiency. o What are the scope and purpose of your process evaluation measure and outcome evaluation measure and how did they influence your design? o What issues and challenges may arise from evaluating the Greenby Community Mental Health Center? o Explain why an evaluation may be helpful to the Consultation and Education Department director's situation. - Format your paper according to APA guidelines.

Essay Sample Content Preview:

EVALUATING THE CONSULTATION AND EDUCATION DEPARTMENT PAPER Name: Grade Course: Tutor`s Name: (26 July 2011) Evaluating the Consultation and Education Department Paper Project evaluation is a logical process of collecting and analyzing data in order to answer questions about departments within an organization. The evaluation is particularly targeting the effectiveness and efficiency within these departments. Regardless of whether an organization is private or public, stakeholders will always analyze if their funds are accomplishing the intended purpose. This is the job of an evaluator, to inform the stakeholders. Since most projects require huge financial investments, there must be a way of measuring the impact of these investments (Lewis, et al. 2007). Project evaluators use both quantitative methods and qualitative analysis in their research. Professionals from fields such as sociology, economics, statistics and social work can do program evaluation. The complex problem at Consultation and Education Department at Greenby Community Mental Health Center require comprehensive solution. Analysis of this department will assist planners to ensure that programs are implemented without any hindrance. The director of this department can therefore decide how to use the limited financial resource at his disposal. In fact, a process evaluation measure is necessary to display the effectiveness and efficiency of the program. The evaluation developed to tackle this problem consists of four stages. The first stage analyzes the importance of the program, the second stage involves the program`s cost, the third one analyzes the implementation and the last stage examines the design and logic of the program. Through the four stages, the performance of Consultation and Education Department at Greenby Community Mental Health Center can be successfully analyzed (Eisenhardt & Martin 2000). The achievement of this department should be expressed in measurable standards. The information existing in the C and E department should be used for this purpose. The important question that evaluators should ask is whether the C and E and department are running as designed. This question will enable them to monitor progress within the department. Apart from the progress, they will be able to make corrections concerning the implementation of various activities. For instance, carefully analysis of the use of finances is necessary, as it is the source of all problems. Since the funding towards this program is dwindling, various activities that consume finances should be monitored. They should be evaluated with an understanding that there is need of reducing the amount of expenses they consume. Outcome evaluation involves analyzing the direction that the department is headed towards. Since there are objectives in each department, outcome evaluation is the process of examining if the short term, intermediate and long-term objectives are accomplished. The outcome of an objective should determine the changes to be made, particularly in structure and functioning of the department (Barney, 1995). The evaluators should look into the effects of the effort put in any activity. This should be based on the desired outcome of reducing the financial input into various activities. This is because, as the director states, Consultation and Education Department at Greenby Community Mental Health Center should be closed since it is consuming funds from ...

Updated on January 26, 2024

Get the Whole Paper!

Not exactly what you need?

Do you need a custom essay? Order right now:

Order