Publications
Over the years, SPEC Associates has produced a number of documents – instruments, toolkits, reports – that are publicly available.
Aging
For more than 20 years, the Sengstock-Hwalek Comprehensive Index of Elder Abuse has been a comprehensive clinical guide to detecting six different types of adult abuse: physical abuse, physical neglect, psychological abuse, psychological neglect, material abuse, and violation of personal rights.
Over the years, many researchers have been studying the H-S Elder Abuse Screening Test, a 15-item questionnaire that can help detect the probability of elder abuse early on.
The Home and Community Based Client Satisfaction Survey provides helpful information for managers interested in monitoring the quality of care management and in home services to frail elderly and adults with disabilities. The 2008 Client Satisfaction Survey Report presents the results from the survey SPEC Associates conducted for Area Agency on Aging 1-B.
Older workers provide a potential pool of employees to help meet the gap in the need for long term care workers. Older Workers in Direct Care: A labor force expansion study and Executive Summary: Older Workers in Direct Care: A labor force expansion study present the results from a national survey study that SPEC Associates conducted with Operation ABLE of Michigan and six other Operation ABLEs examining nursing home, home health care and older workers’ perspectives on this issue.
The right community support at the right time can have a significant impact on the health care satisfaction and costs for frail elderly. Community Supports: Bottom Line Advantage presents the results of a joint study that SPEC Associates conducted with AAA 1-B and the Health Alliance Plan showing the impact of telephonic care management and in-home supports on increasing health care knowledge, improving satisfaction with the HMO, and reducing emergency room use and hospital admissions.
Youth
Issues to Be Considered in Evaluating Programs for Children and Youth presents the possibilities and pitfalls that evaluators should consider when undertaking evaluations involving children.
SPEC Associates has worked with Girl Scouts of the USA on a number of studies that resulted in publications available to interested parties. Here are the Web links to our work with this national youth development organization:
Girls, Families, and Communities Grow Through Girl Scouting reports on the first ever national outcome study that Girl Scouts of the USA conducted to assess the value of Girl Scouting for girls. The study included surveys with nearly 8,000 Girl Scout members, parents, adult volunteer leaders, non-Girl Scout girls and teachers.
GirlSports Basics National Evaluation presents the results from a quasi-experimental evaluation that focused on the use of behavioral assessments which demonstrated the effectiveness of the GirlSports Basics program activities in teaching beginning sports skills and promoting positive attitudes toward physical activity among girls ages 5-8.
The Junior Girl Scout Group Experience: Outcomes Measurement Guide contains step-by-step instructions on how to develop an outcome study and measures that can be used to study the outcomes of Girl Scouting for Girl Scout juniors. The Tool Kit data analysis supplement contains the Microsoft® Excel-based programming for analyzing outcomes using the designated measures, and features a methodology for collecting and aggregating qualitative data about girls’ experiences in Girl Scouting.
The Tool Kit for Measuring Outcomes of Girl Scout Resident Camp provides instruments and software for measuring and reporting on the outcomes from girls’ resident camp experience.