Research, Evaluation and Quality Improvement

Pressley Ridge is committed to lead in the development of innovative programming through evaluation, research and outcome measurement and making positive changes in the lives of youth, adults and families served. For the past three decades, Pressley Ridge (PR) has been steadfast in measuring the outcomes from entry to discharge, and beyond to validate service effectiveness. The evaluation findings monitor and inform service outcomes and highlight opportunities to enhance services by utilizing continuous quality improvement strategies. They also identify staff development needs to improve service delivery and processes. As part of evaluation, the Follow-Up interviews are conducted with individuals and their families at 30 days, 6 month and 12-month intervals following discharge. The Follow-Up evaluation is vital in finding out the long-term impact of the services.

The Research, Evaluation and QI Department (RE&QI)

The Research, Evaluation & QI Department supports the mission of Pressley Ridge by evaluating the outcomes of the youth, adults and families and establishing the difference the services made in their lives. The Pressley Ridge RE & QI Department operates under the leadership of Annette C. Trunzo, Ph. D. and has three full-time master level staff and two part-time staff. Dr. Trunzo brings expertise in the areas of social services, evaluation and quality improvement to the organization. As Director of RE & QI, Dr. Trunzo chairs the PR Research Committee monitoring all research proposals and the PR Quality Improvement Committee monitoring quality improvement at PR. The department conducts the Follow-up evaluation and supports data analyses, reporting, and research and quality improvement for the organization.

Reporting on Outcomes

The reports developed at RE & QI follow service line specific logic models that inform the flow of inputs, activities and outputs to achieve the short, intermediate and long-term outcomes. The Re-Education philosophy is core to service delivery at Pressley Ridge. The outcomes tracked align with the Re-Education principles and are consistent with SAMHSA's Key Outcomes for Children and Families in Systems of Care, the Department of Health and Human Services' Child Welfare Monitoring and Child & Family Services Reviews as follows:

• Safety from abuse and harm;
• Well-being marked by improvements in behavior, functioning and academic improvement;
• Permanency/Stability marked by successful discharges and successful living environments at discharge using the Restrictiveness of Living Environment Scale.

All clinical outcomes and satisfaction survey data are collected using standardized measurement instruments that have been tested and validated for their reliability. Wherever possible, a comparative statistical analysis is conducted to compare the findings with state and national benchmarks to provide a contextual framework of findings. All PR programs implement a Quality Improvement action plan based on the evaluation findings.

The following lists a few of the major reports at Pressley Ridge:

• Follow-up Report
• The Outcomes Report
• Program Health Monitoring Tool
• Quality Record Review Report
• Census Snapshot Report

Satisfaction Survey Reports:

• Customer Satisfaction Survey
• Employee Satisfaction Survey
• Treatment Foster Parent Satisfaction Survey
• External Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey