Evaluating Program Outcomes

Evaluating and Reporting Outcomes: a Guide for Respite and Crisis Care Program Managers.

Planned and crisis respite programs across the United States field tested tools for measuring program outcomes. Under contract with ARCH, the tools were developed by Dr. Ray Kirk, then with the University of North Carolina, and revised by Casandra Firman, ARCH Outcome Evaluation Specialist, and are published in the ARCH guidebook, Evaluating and Reporting Outcomes: a Guide for Respite and Crisis Care Program Managers. The need to demonstrate program outcomes is critical in today's climate of limited and more competitive funding. Respite programs, both planned and crisis, must be able to clearly and compellingly demonstrate that their programs are achieving worthy outcomes related to the improvement of quality of life, and outcomes related to saving tax-payer dollars on more costly interventions such as foster care, nursing homes, or other institutional care. This 150-page guide is available for purchase from ARCH online here.

Phase 1 Field Test Results

The ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center launched an Outcome Evaluation Initiative in 1998 to develop instruments, in the form of surveys, for measuring the efficacy of planned and crisis respite programs. This report describes the field-testing process, outcomes of the field-testing, and subsequent recommendations for instrument revisions. (Please note that this is a 46-page report. On a 56K modem, it will take several minutes to download.) Click here for Phase 1 Results. 

Phase II Field Test Results

The ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center launched an Outcome Evaluation Initiative in 1998 to develop instruments, in the form of surveys, for measuring the efficacy of planned and crisis respite programs. After being field tested and revised, the instruments were field tested again in 2002. Just over 1,000 caregivers from 43 sites participated in the second field test by responding to the surveys. The surveys asked questions designed to examine how respite affected such things as caregiver stress, health and family relationships. Phase II data indicate that respite has an overall therapeutic effect on caregivers and their families. Click here for Phase II Results. 

Following the Phase II testing, the instruments were revised based on feedback from participants and published in Evaluating and Reporting Outcomes: A Guide for Respite and Crisis Respite Program Managers (ARCH, 2nd ed.).

To order Evaluating and Reporting Outcomes online through the ARCH store, please click here.