Harmonizing databases? Developing a quasi-experimental design to evaluate a public mental health re-entry program
Name:
Publisher version
UMass Chan Affiliations
Department of PsychiatryDocument Type
Journal ArticlePublication Date
2012-11-01Keywords
Databases, FactualState Government
Massachusetts
Mental Health Services
Health Services Research
Mental and Social Health
Psychiatric and Mental Health
Psychiatry
Psychiatry and Psychology
Public Health
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Show full item recordAbstract
Our study is the first-ever initiative to merge administrative databases in Massachusetts to evaluate an important public mental health program. It examines post-incarceration outcomes of adults with serious mental illness (SMI) enrolled in the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH) Forensic Transition Team (FTT) program. The program began in 1998 with the goal of transitioning offenders with SMI released from state and local correctional facilities utilizing a core set of transition activities. In this study we evaluate the program's effectiveness using merged administrative data from various state agencies for the years 2007-2011, comparing FTT clients to released prisoners who, despite having serious mental health disorders, did not meet the criterion for DMH services. By systematically describing our original study design and the barriers we encountered, this report will inform future efforts to evaluate public programs using merged administrative databases and electronic health records.Source
Eval Program Plann. 2012 Nov;35(4):461-72. Epub 2012 Mar 3. Link to article on publisher's site
DOI
10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2012.02.001Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/45400Related Resources
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