Program Evaluation
“Domestic violence is pervasive throughout our society and has devastating conse- quences. The Heart & Hope team brings com- mitment, dedication, professionalism, and the desire to succeed in addressing this issue. I am confident that this intervention program has the potential to become an exemplary regional or national Extension program.”
What are some of the out- comes you’ve seen and how do you report them, given your program’s sensitivity? The mother I mentioned previously in this interview learned to connect the dots among domestic violence expo- sure, children’s development, chil- dren’s behavior, and helpful parenting responses to guide her child. As a result, she had a new understanding of and greater empathy for what her daughter experienced and how it might still impact her, even after they left the domestic violence situation. Three generations of that family par- ticipated in Heart & Hope and were able to establish a strong foundation upon which they could thrive and have hope for a positive future. In the years after their participation, the grandmother even donated to the program. The daughter became a program volunteer and then a pro- gram staff member. Her story made tangible the hopes and dreams of the program. We plan to publish evaluation results in Extension reports and in journal arti- cles—but whenever we collect, aggre- gate, analyze, and report, we do so in ways that maintain anonymity. ➤
dynamics and respond with kindness, understanding, empathy, patience, and encouragement, then participants feel supported to make changes in their lives. Community partners are essential for Extension work. Developing and maintaining community partnerships is a great way to sustain community programs. Our program staff learned the value of partnerships early on. These partners refer families, donate meals, provide meeting space, pay for taxis, and give holiday meals and gifts to families. Program partners show program participants that they are not alone and that the community supports them on their journey toward a positive future. Another lesson we’ve learned through the NTAE grant cycle is the impor- tance of clear communication. Other Extension teams considering adopting Heart & Hope will benefit by incor- porating teambuilding and frequent opportunities to reflect on the team development process.
We’re also shifting our ideas about technology. Until now, our program staff relied on print material to pro- mote and deliver the program. We struggled to enter the technology space for many reasons, including limited staff, knowledge, skills, and time. Incorporating technological components, including chatbots, Google forms, and social media, has sometimes seemed overwhelm- ing. It’s been challenging to decide how and where to start. With what we’re learning this year, these tech- nological improvements are becom- ing part of our program plan. Finally, Rose Hayden-Smith, a Key Informant in publishing for the foun- dation, provided great feedback and encouragement in the devel- opment of our children’s curriculum facilitator guide.
Data collected between 2017 and 2021 indicate that the program is having a positive impact. Adult participants reported increases in their use of these positive parenting practices: • coping skills and stress management • maintaining healthy relationships • having hope for the future • strengthening family relationships • using child development resources • opening up communication with children • using positive guidance strategies • modeling emotional competency • problem solving and conflict management
What can you share with Extension educators who may want to adopt this program? Extension professionals know to begin with needs assess- ment and literature reviews to place the right program in communities at the right time. Extension educators con- sidering Heart & Hope or another violence prevention/ intervention program will best serve their communities by first understanding the local statistics and existing programs that address domestic violence. For a good reason, most domestic violence-related programs and services focus on crisis services. Heart & Hope is different because we focus on education for families after or out of crisis. A critical early step is identifying partners to support the launch of a new program and getting their buy-in. Train- ing staff and volunteers on the complexities of domestic violence work is also vital. It takes a victim multiple attempts before successfully leaving an abuser. They choose to stay for many reasons—children, finances, employment, fear, etc. When program staff understand these perplexing
What surprised you the most this year?
— Dr. Dyremple Marsh NTAE Catalyst
Aaron Weibe, the Key Informant in communications and marketing, asked us where program participants learn about Heart & Hope. After some analysis, we learned that the majority of participants find out about us through community agencies such as the Division of Child and Family Services, the Family Resource Center, and local domestic violence ad- vocates. This information helped us understand the value of partnerships with community agencies as well as the impor- tance of well-designed, eye-catching program flyers. This information also highlighted a gap in our promotional plan: a need for digital promotion. NTAE had the experts, knowledge, skills, and time to support program staff in this area. We were happy to learn that Aaron could assist us in making Heart & Hope easier to find in a Google search and use analytics to determine how many people search for the program. This will be extremely valuable to us as we promote our next session.
See the Heart & Hope team member names on page 80.
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EXTENSION FOUNDATION/NTAE | 2022-2023 YEARBOOK
2022-2023 YEARBOOK | EXTENSION FOUNDATION/NTAE
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