Current Projects

Helping communities tell compelling stories

We work with a variety of groups and organizations across the state of Indiana to help improve outcomes for individuals, children, and families. We’ve evaluated a number of federally funded grant projects that focused on improving systems to better support young children and their families. We’ve collaborated with community coalitions in more than ten counties to provide capacity-building technical assistance, strategic planning, and evaluation within a “collective impact” framework designed to address specific issues or barriers to health and well-being. We’ve also partnered with Systems of Care in Southeastern and Northern Indiana with support from federal and local foundation grants to assess and ensure the effective coordination of services for children and youth within multiple systems.

Current Projects

Jail Chemical Addiction Program (JCAP)

The Dearborn County Jail Chemical Addiction Program (JCAP) serves men and women who struggle from addiction issues. The unique context of JCAP is that it serves a population residing in a jail setting, prior to sentencing for felony crimes or probation violations. JCAP men and women participate in the evidence-based programming, Criminal Conduct & Substance Abuse Treatment (CCSAT) and Thinking for a Change (T4C), which are rooted in the well-researched therapeutic intervention, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and are geared specifically for offender populations. Participants learn effective coping skills to help reduce criminal conduct and their dependence on substances.

Partners: Dearborn County Jail ,Dearborn County Community Foundation , Indiana Attorney General's Office

Building Communities Of Recovery

This program is designed to mobilize resources within and outside of the recovery community to increase the prevalence and quality of long-term recovery support from substance abuse and addiction in Dearborn County, IN, and promote expansion to neighboring counties. This project is intended to support the development, enhancement, expansion, and delivery of recovery support services (RSS), specifically supports via certified peer-recovery support specialists. Similarly, this project will advance the promotion of and education about addiction science and recovery. This program is principally governed by people in recovery from substance abuse and addiction through 1Voice, the peer-recovery support organization of Dearborn County. Dr. Allison Howland and her research team from the Center will conduct comprehensive evaluation, including the collection and reporting of all required performance measures, for Collaborative Systems Change (CCSC) at Indiana University’s Indiana Institute on Disability and Community.

Partners: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, One Community One Family, 1Voice

Living Well

The goal of the Living Well initiative at the Indiana Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS) is to engage and empower self-advocates, families, and other key stakeholders to build the capacity of innovative community supports while renovating and enhancing the current system for monitoring safety, health, and well-being of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities(I/DD), thus promoting independence, community integration, and access to quality non-paid and paid community supports and services. Objectives include: (1) Collaborate with and empower self-advocates, families, and key stakeholders throughout this project, ensuring full involvement in the development of practices, policies, and procedures to elevate Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS), (2) Develop and implement an improved process for analyzing data from HCBS providers to influence practices, policies, and procedures for increasing quality of and access to services that improve positive outcomes for individuals with I/DD, (3) Develop and test tool kits for providers, individuals, and their families to improve monitoring of safety, health, and well-being of individuals with I/DD as well as reduce risk factors for abuse, neglect, and exploitation and, (4) Identify, develop, and implement an innovative approach to build the capacity of community supports for individuals with I/DD, bolstering paid and non-paid community services and supports.

Partners: Indiana Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services

Elkhart County Systems of Care Expansion Grant

The goal of the "Elkhart County System of Care Expansion: No Wrong Door," project is to enhance the capacity of The SOURCE, Elkhart's system of care (SOC). The Project expands SOC reach and depth by strategic infrastructure expansion and development of services to youth 0-17 with significant mental health challenges. In the area of service development, three priorities were identified for this project: early childhood mental health consultation; screening, assessment and diversion of youth with mental health concerns from restrictive services like juvenile detention; and early identification and intervention with at risk youth in schools and youth serving agencies.The Center for Collaborative Systems Change (CCSC) is working collaboratively to conduct an extensive external evaluation of SOC expansion and services. Using a community-based participatory approach, the CCSC team is responsible for the collection and reporting of all grant performance measures together with the development and implementation of local evaluation components in ways that capitalize on existing resources, while building capacity for sustained project evaluation. Multiple data sources are integrated into the study design to explore change over time in service outcomes, return on investment of the SOC as it relates to hospital, residential, and juvenile placement, challenges and achievements.

Partners: Oaklawn, The SOURCE

Preschool Development Grant

Over the past decade, the State of Indiana has substantially increased its investment in early childhood care and education (ECCE). In addition to federal funding and programs such as Head Start and Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) vouchers, Indiana has also invested state funds and time in expanding access to high quality preschool for young children from low income backgrounds through the On My Way Preschool program and enhancing the quality of ECCE programs through the Paths to Quality (PTQ) rating system. These efforts have made substantial improvements in the overall quality and access to ECCE services in many counties; however, there is still a need to further support this system as there are a number of gaps in data and services. In response to this need, and to actively support the state’s continued progress in service for young children and their families, Indiana recently applied for and was awarded a federal Preschool Development Grant (PDG). The Early Childhood Center, at the Indiana Institute on Disability, in conjunction with Dr. Allison Howland of CCSC, are in engaged in ongoing evaluation of this grant.hart County.

Partners: IIDC Early Childhood Center

Current Projects

Helping communities tell compelling stories