Welcome to The Measurement Group blog! I’m Dr. Lisa Melchior, and I’d like to introduce you to the work we do and our approach to program evaluation.

I’ve worked in the field of program evaluation and applied social research for more than 25 years. I’m a licensed research psychologist specializing in the evaluation of health, mental health and social services. I enjoy using my professional training and expertise to help improve services, outcomes and quality of life for people who often fall through the cracks of our health and social service systems. I’ve published articles and presented to audiences about issues related to the evaluation of community-based services such as substance abuse prevention and treatment, mental health services, integrated and culturally specific models of care, wraparound services, and child abuse prevention. My work has focused on services for at-risk and vulnerable populations, including women, children and families, youth, older adults, recent immigrants, and people with disabilities — including those that stem from behavioral health conditions. In addition to my primary focus on program evaluation, I have expertise in screening and assessment tools and techniques used in various health, mental health, and social service settings.

At The Measurement Group, my colleagues and I provide evidence for stakeholders that their programs produce measurable, meaningful results. We work with our clients to design and implement useful, realistic and user-friendly evaluation studies that simultaneously maximize reliability, validity and utility while minimizing burden. Since 1988, we have evaluated more than 400 health and social service programs in 38 states and 39 major metropolitan areas. We work with programs that range from small community-based start-ups to large multi-site federally funded initiatives.

For more information, please visit us at www.TheMeasurementGroup.com, like us on Facebook, and find us on Google+. Follow me on Twitter for news about healthcare and social services research and evaluation and connect with me on LinkedIn.