Welfare Watch - October 05, 2010 - Data Informed Practices

The Georgia Conference on Children and Families  Corporate Sponsor this year is the Casey Family Programs.  It is fitting that they should sponsor a conference that will be focusing on "Excellence in Policy and Practice."  One important aspect of the Casey Family Programs' work is in their research division.  It evaluates child welfare programs, including prevention programs, and analyzes data about the well being of those who have experienced foster care. They use this data to assist policy makers, providers and child welfare professionals in making informed decisions about the investments they are making for children and families. The Georgia Conference will feature several workshops on the importance of data informing best practice. 

Increasingly our practices are being informed by data.  Our Department of Human Services has implemented the "G" meeting process to use data to inform their practices in the field and with the private sectors.  Performance Based Contracting (PBC) is being implemented toward the end of "paying for the outcomes desired."  The Departments of Human Services (DHS) and Juvenile Justice (DJJ) data is the best that it has been in years.  The data is being continually refined and perfected.  This perfection is toward the goal of measuring the desired outcomes. 

The Federal Government in their Departments of Health and Human Services has embraced this model as well. The mandating and funding of state data reporting systems, the building of SACWIS, Child and Family Service Reviews (CFSR) with their emphasis on outcomes is part of the "data informed practice" model.  The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) collects case level information on all children in foster care for whom state child welfare agencies have responsibility for placement, care or supervision, and on children who are adopted under the auspices of the state's public child welfare agency. See Adoption and Foster Care Statistics for the latest AFCARS reports, and Child Welfare Research for the Child Welfare Outcomes Reports, which include AFCARS data.

Recently, HHS awarded more than $14 million to support patient-centered outcomes research for diverse populations. These funds will be used to develop, implement, and test strategies to increase the adoption and dissemination of interventions based on patient-centered outcomes research among racial and ethnic minority populations. Patient-centered outcomes research is designed to inform health-care decisions by providing evidence on the effectiveness, benefits, and harms of different treatment options. The evidence is generated from research studies that compare drugs, medical devices, tests, surgeries, or ways to deliver health care.

Dr. Howard K. Koh, Assistant Secretary for HHS, said, "We now have the opportunity to determine which interventions truly help diverse populations achieve optimal levels of health."

Decisions can not be made in a vacuum.  Gut instinct is not enough information to act.  Our practice must be toward certain outcomes and these outcomes must be measured.  The old adage is correct, "You get what you measure."

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Welfare Watch, an email newsletter of the
Georgia Association of Homes
and Services for Children
as a public service.
http://www.gahsc.org
                       Normer Adams, Editor
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GAHSC membership
training events

The Georgia Conference on Children and Families
Legacy Lodge, Lake Lanier Island
November 16-18, 2010