1. DEVELOPING EVIDENCE OF THE EFFECTIVENESS AND IMPACT OF SENIOR CENTERS
Annual Conference of the Connecticut Association of Senior Center Personnel (CASCP)
Friday, June, 2018
Manoj Pardasani, PhD, LCSW
Fordham University

2. Rationale for Evidence
Social services are treated as businesses
Funding for human services is limited
Need for human services in aging is expanding – MORE COMPETITION
Focus is on outcomes and not outputs
Data-driven decisions

3. Rationale for Evidence
Senior Centers are hard to conceptualize – great variability
Programs and services vary
Clients are voluntary
Lack of systematic data collection
Lack of training and/or interest in research methods

4. Rationale for Evidence
Crucial for
ADVOCACY
FUNDRAISING
MARKETING
OUTREACH

5. Outcomes vs. Outputs
The slow movement in human services towards outcomes…
What are outcomes and outputs?
How do you operationalize them?

6. Types of Research Design
Quantitative
Qualitative
Mixed Methods
Longitudinal versus Cross-sectional

7. Incorporating Research into Practice
Creating a consistent structure and plan
Creating data collection instruments
Treating each program or workshop as an opportunity to capture data
Socializing members to participate in data collection
Training staff and/or volunteers

8. Incorporating Research into Practice
Now lets get started…
What are some general outcomes of senior center participation?
How would we measure or track them?
What are some innovative programs or services that you offer?