Current and Recent Projects

Behavioral Health--Prevention and Treatment
  1. SBIRT - Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment
    Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) through DHS, the WI Initiative to Promote Healthy Lifestyles (WIPHL), has been conducting patient screenings for risky substance use in health care settings throughout Wisconsin. UWPHI is conducting six-month follow-up of patients and an economic analysis of SBIRT services provided to Medicaid patients to provide real-world information on the economic costs and benefits of SBIRT services. (Moberg, Weimer, Lecoanet, Linnan, Goodrich, Paltzer).
  2. SPF-SIG - Strategic Prevention Framework-State Incentives Grant
    We are working with the Wisconsin Division of Health Services (DHS-DMHSAS) and 20 local programs on a wide range of epidemiological and evaluation tasks related to community-based substance abuse prevention efforts. It is funded by SAMHSA through state agencies (Moberg, Piper, Lecoanet, Jovaag, Niemuth, Linnan, Black, Paltzer).
  3. South Dakota's Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF SIG)
    The PHI contract with the SD Department of Social Services provides process and outcome evaluation of a SAMSHA-funded grant to improve state prevention infrastructure and funds 15 local coalitions to reduce substance abuse-related consequences. We also are providing training in evaluation for ATOD prevention practitioners. (Piper, Linnan, Blaalid, Walters).
  4. Mental Health Services Evaluation
    We are collaborating with DHS on its ongoing statewide evaluations of the mental health service system examining client satisfaction, client outcomes, service utilization, and program effectiveness. Major projects include redesign of the State public mental health data system, monitoring statewide trends in the use of the mental health system, and evaluation of client and system- level outcomes in children’s mental health programs that use a wraparound, integrated approach. Funded by the SAMHSA through DHS (Connor).
  5. Recovery Schools Research
    Recovery High Schools are alternative high school programs for students in recovery from substance abuse. UWPHI has been involved in research on these programs since 1993. Currently we are involved in a rigorous outcome study in collaboration with Vanderbilt University and the University of Minnesota, funded by an R01 grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH- NIDA) and the Department of Education. (Moberg).

Health Disparity-Related Programs
  1. Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families Evaluation
    Coordinating evaluation activities for a major multi-year initiative to reduce African American infant mortality in four communities in south east/central WI, sponsored by the WI Partnership Program (Eberle, Moberg)
  2. Honoring Our Children
    This program evaluation of a Healthy Start initiative to reduce infant mortality and improve maternal and child health has been ongoing since 1999. The Honoring Our Children program serves American Indian families through outreach, case management, health education, interconceptional care, depression screening and referral, and consortia-building in 8 Wisconsin Tribal communities. Funded by DHHS, HRSA via GLITC (FitzGerald)
  3. Honoring Our Children Doula Project
    The evaluation assesses maternal and child health outcomes for a community based project that provides Doula support and birthing assistance to first-time mothers in 4 Tribal communities. Funded by HRSA via GLITC (FitzGerald).
  4. Home Visiting Programs
    The evaluation assesses program implementation and outcomes in 5 Tribal Communities that are using the evidence-based Healthy Families America model with at-risk families. Program goals include improving maternal and child health, school readiness, economic self-sufficiency, and coordination with community resources, and preventing child maltreatment and domestic violence. Funded by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families via GLITC and the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe (FitzGerald, Gallagher).
  5. Great Lakes Native American Research Centers for Health
    Background on UWSMPH-American Indian Partnership

Infrastructure/Services
  1. WI Chronic Disease Program Integration
    Working with WI DHS to evaluate federally-sponsored efforts to integrate chronic disease services. Funded by the CDC as part of a multi-site program (Lecoanet, Busarow).
  2. ICTR - Institute for Clinical Translational Research
    Paul Moberg is leading the evaluation for the UW’s NIH infrastructure grant, overseeing the work of Jan Hogle, PhD who is coordinating this evaluation at ICTR. Paul Moberg is ICTR’s Director for Evaluation.
  3. Wisconsin Public Health Infrastructure Improvement
    UWPHI is evaluating a five-year CDC-funded effort to systematically increase the performance management capacity of public health departments in order to ensure that public health goals are effectively and efficiently met (Piper, Black)

Health Promotion
  1. WI Partnership for Childhood Fitness
    A second phase of this program has been funded with a goal of reducing disparities in fitness in 50 schools in WI. Collaboration with Dept. of Pediatrics and WI DPI. Funded by the WI Partnership Fund (Carrel, Moberg, Bowser).
  2. FIT Families
    This child obesity prevention program targets parents of 2 to 4 year old children at 9 Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Projects in Wisconsin. The evaluation results during the Wisconsin Partnership Program grant showed that WIC children participating in Fit Families increased their fruit and vegetable consumption and daily physical activity and reduced their juice consumption and screen time, compared to WIC children who were not enrolled in the one year program. The program is funded byUSDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education via the La Crosse County Health Department (FitzGerald).
  3. Active Schools Evaluation (ARRA)
    Assisting DPH and DPI in evaluation of school-based efforts to increase physical activity among children in 20 schools throughout WI (Moberg, Bowser, Carrel).

Criminal Justice/Correctional Health (Van Stelle)
  1. Treatment Alternatives and Diversion Program (TAD)
    Evaluating drug treatment courts and court diversion projects in nine WI counties that divert non-violent offenders from jail/prison into substance abuse treatment. Collaboration among the WI DOC, DHS, and the Office of Justice Assistance (2006-2014). Report to the legislature in December 2011 on program effectiveness, criminal recidivism outcomes, cost-benefit analyses, and future programmatic and funding recommendations.
  2. Milwaukee Offender Reentry
    Funded by SAMHSA through the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division (2009-2012), Mi-LINC enhances the successful transition from prison to the community for incarcerated offenders. The program provides prison reach-in and release planning, case management services, substance abuse treatment in the community, and employment support. PHI provides technical assistance with program implementation, liaison between DOC and Milwaukee County, data collection and instrumentation design, data collection and management, and preparation of semi-annual reports and continuing application materials for submission to SAMHSA.
  3. Evaluation Collaboration with the WI Office of Justice Assistance
    Providing technical assistance to the Office of Justice Assistance to evaluate the effectiveness of 15 misdemeanor diversion and youthful offender programs in Wisconsin. To also collaborate in the development and implementation of a web-based reporting system for these projects. Define common data elements for collection, assist in development of web-based evaluation system, pilot testing of reporting system, data quality monitoring, and analysis of data reported by sites during 2012. Funded by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding through the WI Office of Justice Assistance (2011-2012)
  4. Outagamie County Mental Health Court
    Assist Outagamie County in the development of a database system to document the development, implementation, and participant characteristics of a mental health treatment court (2011-2013). Mental health courts divert offenders with mental health issues from the criminal justice system into comprehensive treatment and case management services in lieu of incarceration.
  5. Sawyer County Traffic Offender Program (STOP)
    Evaluated the provision of intensive supervision for offenders charged with repeat drunken driving (2009-2011). Provided database development, preparation of reports to WI Department of Transportation, collection of recidivism data, and analysis of participant data.
  6. Study of Wisconsin Probation and Parole Revocation
    UWPHI collaborated with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections to examine patterns in probation/parole revocation of offenders admitted to prison without a new sentence/offense. The results include recidivism findings, analyses of agent decisions to file for revocation of probation/parole, an examination of racial disparities in revocation, and recommendations for system and departmental policy and practice improvement. (Van Stelle and Goodrich)
    DOC Link: http://www.wi-doc.com/Revocation%20Study.htm

Program Evaluation Shared Service
  1. With seed money from the Collaborative Center for Health Equity, the UWPHI is developing a shared service providing program evaluation services to internal UW programs and external partners. Services offered include program planning and evaluation design, analysis of evaluative data sets, assistance in grant applications, training presentations on program evaluation, and conduct of program evaluations using the full range of evaluation methods and approaches as relevant to the needs of the client. Candace Peterson, Ph.D., is leading this effort.