Contra Costa, CA: Family Maternal and Child Health Programs
County: Contra Costa County, CA

Skill Area: Program Evaluation

Internship summary
The Family Maternal and Child Health Programs is part of Contra Costa Health Services, located in Martinez, California. We are a large county health department, committed to reducing disparities and inequities in health through tenacious, innovative, and community-focused initiatives. This is a county of just over 1 million people, with 13,500 births per year. The FMCH Programs include home visiting, child health and disability prevention, California Children's Services, TeenAge Program, Children's Oral Health Program, Medically Vulnerable Infant Program, and Women, Children and Infants (WIC). We also have several programs funded by First 5 Contra Costa, one focusing on providing prenatal guidance services to incarcerated pregnant women and teenage girls, a program designed to promote smoke free families, and a program to increase participation in prenatal care by pregnant and substance using women.

We are a vibrant health department committed to service excellence, cultural humility, and community engagement in all levels of our work.

Purpose
Conduct an evaluation of one aspect of our newest project -- BEST -- Building Economic Security Today -- an asset development pilot project that utilizes innovative strategies to reduce inequities in health outcomes for low-income Contra Costa County families by improving their financial security and stability. This integration of financial support into health services is a unique approach to both improving health outcomes and maximizing financial stability.

Goals
The following are the overall goals for BEST:
1. Low-income families and individuals will preserve and increase their financial assets
2. Increase in financial security and stability, and improved financial status for low-income individuals
3. Increased access to care, improved housing, better neighborhoods, increased food security, decreased violence, etc.
4. Improved health outcomes and financial status for future generations

With regard to the project we are proposing for the summer internship, we are looking at evaluating several key outcomes of a specific intervention which will be conducted at our WIC centers beginning in January 2010 (see below)

Objectives
1. By June 30, 2010, implement Phase I financial education classes at four WIC sites.
2. By April 30, 2010, conduct eight focus groups with WIC clients (one in English and one in Spanish at each of the four WIC sites) and one focus group with WIC staff to evaluate the Phase I financial education classes.
3. By May 30, 2010, utilize WIC client and staff input to develop and print curriculum and educational materials for the Phase II financial education classes.

We have several specific outcomes we will be looking to measure. I have included a few here:
1. Staff have an increased knowledge of asset development strategies and resources
2. Staff have increased skills to engage clients in adopting asset development strategies
3. Clients demonstrate an increase in knowledge of asset development strategies and resources
4. Clients increase their confidence and readiness to adopt an asset development strategy
5. Each client adopts one asset development strategy
(See attached documents for additional information).

Data or analytic tasks and activities involved
The student will work with staff already engaged with this project to continue data collection, cleaning of data, and beginning of data analysis. There is an extensive logic model that has been developed with consultation from CDC staff in an effort to identify specific measures (see attached). The student will assist us in analyzing the data already collected, refining our data collection processes, determining the best use of pre and post tests from previous staff trainings and matching them with recent staff trainings. Continuing to design and develop an evaluation tool for a project that is aimed at improving health outcomes, but is focused on accumulation of benefits and wealth. We are anticipating that there will be data team meetings every other week as we continue to figure out how we will determine the effectiveness of this intervention in light of our aims to reduce inequities and improve health to improve birth outcomes.

Required data or analytic skills
It would be helpful if the student were familiar with ACCESS, SPSS and the basics of evaluation research. We would also hope to identify a student who has had some experience working with qualitative data and the ambiguities of this type of data.

Begin date
06/07/2010

More information
Attached you will find a copy of our logic model and our evaluation plan for BEST. The evaluation plan is still being finalized, but will be completed by November 30, 2009. Also attached is a fact sheet about BEST.

Attachments