Spreadsheets, service providers, and the Statehouse: using data and the wraparound process to reform systems for children and families.
Evaluation descriptions in the research literature tend to ignore the full context of the community change efforts from which they emerged. In this paper, we describe a range of evaluation studies and data collection activities conducted over the course of one state's effort to reform its child welfare system on behalf of families with children experiencing serious mental health problems. Initial activities included studies of the prevalence of unmet mental health need in children and youth in the state. As these needs were addressed, evaluation activities examined the impact of a pilot wraparound program that became a major part of systems reform. Later efforts included implementation analysis of wraparound programs and assessment of priorities for continued systems reform. As we describe this set of evaluation activities, we discuss how data collection evolved to meet the needs of stakeholders over time and consider lessons learned about the roles of research and information sharing in shaping community change efforts.