Efficacy Research And Program Evaluation
Efficacy Research And Program Evaluation
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There needs to be a seperate response to each peer’s posting and it needs to be supported with at least two references for each peer’s posting.
1st Peer Posting
What differences do you note between efficacy research and program evaluation?
The difference between efficacy research and program evaluation is the scientific aspect. Program evaluations “primary purpose is to provide data that can be used by decision makers to make valued judgements about the processes and outcomes of a program (Sherpis, Young, & Daniels, 2010). Therefore, letting the agency know what needs to be changed in the program to make the program effective to their clientele. Efficacy research based on empirical data which is an essential to the scientific method. Therefore, efficacy research is where clients are in controlled environments and interventions can be tested.
What are the key strengths of efficacy research?
The key strength of efficacy research is the scientific process. In the article, The Efficacy of Child Parent Relationship Therapy for Adopted Children with Attachment Disruptions, the researcher wanted to test the child parent relationship therapy (CPRT) which “is an empirically based, manualized counseling intervention for children presenting with a range of social, emotional, and behavioral issues” (Cranes-Holt, & Bratton, 2014). The purpose was to test this theory on adoptive families. Thus, a control group was designed to test CPRT. The researcher used the Child Behavior Checklist-Parent Version (CBCL) and the Measurement of Empathy in Adult-Child Interaction (MEACI). These are both empirical test, the CBCL measures the parents of the child’s behavior problems; whereas, the MEACI is an operational measure that defines empathy between the parents and the child while playing. These tests are conducted in control environments where no outside distractions are permitted and the hypothesis of the researcher can be tested.
What are the key strengths of program evaluation?
The key strength of the program evaluation is the clients are the people who are participating in the program evaluation and whether the interventions used are effective for them. Thus, this lets the research know what changes are needed for the agency to be successful. Therefore, surveys are used to collect data for the participants, the parents, are people that work with the clients or caregivers with the client. This give the ideas of opinions of the people directly or indirectly receiving services. In the article, Evaluating Batter Counseling Programs: A Difficult Task Showing Some Effects and Implications, a multisite evaluation was done and the participants were “administered a uniform set of background questionnaire, personality inventory (MCMI-III; Millon, 1994), and alcohol test (MAST; Selzer, 1971)” (Gondolf, 2004). Therefore, given the research opinions of the clientele over the four sites and let the researcher know what treatment is working and not working. Therefore, the conclusion of the program evaluation “the batterer programs, in our evaluation, appear to contribute to this outcome— there is a ‘‘program effect.’’ (Gondolf, 2004). “Referral to the gender-based, cognitive–behavioral programs, moreover, seems to be appropriate for the majority of men” (Gondolf, 2004).
What contribution does each of these types of research make to the counseling field?
The contribution that efficacy research makes to the counseling field is that there is scientific data that the interventions used with the client will work; if they are utilized correctly by the client. Efficacy research gives the counselor confidence in providing treatment inventions for the client because it will help in the client’s mental health. Program evaluations aid the counselor in what intervention are working and not working for the client population they serve. Program evaluations make sure the agency has the client’s best interest in mind and the agency is using the best intervention and treatment planning to service their client. Program evaluation helps the counselor increase their knowledge base of treatment, interventions, assessments, and diversity for the clients they serve. “Counselors recognize the need for continuing education to acquire and maintain a reasonable level of awareness of current scientific and professional information in their fields of activity. Counselors maintain their competence in the skills they use, are open to new procedures, and remain informed regarding best practices for working with diverse populations” (APA, 2014).
