Evaluating the Consultation and Education Department

Evaluation can be used as a research tool to improve administrative decision making, improve currently operating programs, provide for accountability, build increased support for effective programs, and add to the knowledge base of the human services. Evaluation can provide information about activities being carried out by the agency and its programs, and the effects of these activities on clients. If the data provides a contrast between current operations with objectives, it can serve as a tool to improve program quality. Evaluation can serve as a tool to improve program quality if it provides data that help contrast current operations or conditions with objectives ( Judith A. Lewis, Thomas Packard, & Michael D. Lewis, 2006 ). Program planners need to be able to make judgments concerning the effects of specific services. The purpose of evaluation is to help improve the ways agencies serve individuals and communities. The Greenby Community Mental Health Center is facing the cutback of the Consultation and Education departments. Although consultation and education departments are required for all community medical centers, they do not have to be fully staffed. They can instead implement consultation and education as a percentage of each professional 's work. The Executive Director insists that funding needs to be given to the programs that bring in revenue. Although consultation and education 's workshops have attracted many from the community who would not be there otherwise, the revenue is shown for other programs not education and consultation. The Executive Director needs something on paper to take to the Board of Directors showing that these departments are needed and should remain fully staffed as is. A process evaluation measure and an outcome evaluation measure is needed to display the programs ' effectiveness. The scope and purpose of each need to reflect how they influence design. Specific issues and challenges may arise from the

References: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1999). Framework for program evaluation in public health. MMWR, 48(RR11), 1-40. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr4811a1.htm Lewis, J., Packard, J., & Lewis, M. Management of Human Service Programs 4th edition. Retrieved from www.ecampus.phoenix.edu.