Description
Research and evaluation in the public and nonprofit sectors is accomplished with very limited resources. These limited resources include time, funds, knowledge, and more. These types of limitations often mean that one cannot create his or her own primary data, but instead, must use secondary data in research and evaluation projects. Secondary data are data that have been collected by another researcher at a different point in time.
For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources. Consider the types of secondary data you might need to support your Final Project. This data may consist of published data sets (such as census data), statistics produced by governmental agencies, and so on. Identify at least two different sources of data to use for your post.
Post by Day 3 a description of the types of secondary data that would be useful in evaluating the program, problem, or policy you selected for your Final Project. Explain how it would impact the evaluation of the program, problem, or policy you identified.
Readings
- Johnson, G. (2014). Research methods for public administrators (3rd ed.). Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe.
- Chapter 7, “Data Collection I: Available Data and Observation” (pp. 97–111)
Review a selection of the datasets available at the following sites:
- Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved June 7, 2014, from www.bls.gov
- United Nations. (n.d.). Official documents and bibliographic databases. Retrieved June 7, 2014, from http://www.un.org/en/databases/
Optional Resources
Media
- Laureate Education (Producer). (2013c). Virtual community. [Multimedia file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Running head: DISCUSSION QUERIES
Mental Health America (MHA)
Courtnie Walker
Walden University
December 16, 2018
1
DISCUSSION QUERIES
2
Discussion Queries
Organization
The Mental Health America (MHA) is the organization of my choice for this project.
MHA is an example of a contemporary nonprofit organization that was founded in 1909 by
Clifford Whittingham Beers. The organization was based in Virginia in the United States as its
headquarters and based on the philosophical principle of the “Before Stage 4” (B4Stage4). The
Mental Health America focuses on the needs of the patients with mental illness with the aim of
improving and recovering the mental illnesses of the overall mental health status of all the
Americans. MHA currently has over 200 affiliates within 41 states in the United States (Mental
Health America, 2018).
The prime goals of the organization are to facilitate mental wellness and recovery from
mental illness in the community through the provision of mental health advocacy, education, and
services in the society. To realize the organizational goals the Mental Health America facilitates
both policies and programs that are mental health oriented. Some of the policies advocated by
MHA include both federal and state policies. On the other hand, the “Life on Campus,” the
“Back to School” and the “Clifford Beers Society” are some of the programs run by MHA. Thus,
the selection of Mental Health America as an organization for the project can be held to be
relevant to the project since the company is associated with policies and programs which is one
of the project’s requirements for the organization to be selected. Lastly, the availability of the
information concerning Mental Health America also makes this organization applicable to the
project.
Program
DISCUSSION QUERIES
3
The Mental Health America offers a recovery program which is mental health oriented
since it is aimed at helping the mentally challenged individuals in the community to recover
quickly hence enhancing their capability to secure employment positions that can help them to
create a sustainable and independent life. This recovery program can be held to be essential not
only to the mentally challenged people but also to the society and nation, since the expected
outcomes of the recovery program induce both improvements in the living standards and
economic productivity of the community and country by increasing the number of human
resources.
The facilitation of an evaluation design for the recovery program can be held to be
beneficial to the Mental Health America. The statistical data available concerning the outcomes
of the recovery program of Mental Health America only facilitates the identification of the
number of people who have secured employment after undergoing through the recovery
program. Thus, the facilitation of an evaluation of the recovery program would be substantial
since it would help in determining the number of people who secure employment and their selfesteem and confidence levels after undergoing the recovery program. Hence, this information
relating to the recovery program derived from the evaluation can be held to be beneficial to the
organization’s stakeholders and shareholders such as staffs and board of directors respectively
since it depicts the effectiveness and viability of the recovery program offered by the Mental
Health America organization.
Research Question. The lack of unfamiliar words, lack of the use of emotionally loaded
words, accommodating all possible answers and evoking truth are some of the qualities of a good
question (StatPac, 2009).
DISCUSSION QUERIES
4
How effective is the recovery program of the Mental Health America in promoting selfesteem and confidence levels among the mental health patients who had undergone the recovery
program?
Thus, since the research question is depicted using familiar words, lack of the use of
emotionally loaded words, it accommodates all possible answers and it evokes the truth it can be
held as a good research question for the recovery program project.
Evaluation Design. The use of experimental design can be held as an optimal type of
evaluation design for the recovery program of the Mental Health America. The experimental
design acts as a central point of assessing other types of evaluation design (Rural Health
Information Hub, n.d.). This argument rests on the technique for evaluating the cause and effect
of a program or intervention that is associated with the experimental design. Hence, the assessing
the cause and effect technique of a program or intervention can be held to be significant in
studying the recovery program of the Mental Health America since it would ascertain the cause
and effect of the recovery program to the mental health patients. According to Johnson (2014),
the strongest evaluation design for cause and effect is the experimental design. As a result, the
establishment of the cause and effect of the recovery program using experimental design would
help in determining the levels of self-esteem and confidence of the mentally challenged people
who have undergone through the recovery program and secured employment.
Besides, the experimental design is associated with high internal validity hence making it
the best evaluation design for the recovery program of the Mental Health America. Bryman,
(2016) assert that the experimental design is distinguished from other types of evaluation designs
by its attribute of high internal validity. Therefore, the use of the experimental design for the
recovery program would be relevant since the high internal validity linked with this evaluation
DISCUSSION QUERIES
5
design would highly promote the validity and reliability of the project. This declaration is
centered on the fact that the experimental design would enhance more material evidence of the
efficiency of the recovery program in enhancing the self-esteem and confidence levels among the
mental health patients who have undergone through the recovery program and secured
employment.
DISCUSSION QUERIES
6
References
Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods. Oxford university press.
Johnson, G. (2014). Research methods for public administrators (3rd ed.). Armonk, NY: M. E.
Sharpe.
Mental Health America. (2018, March 30). About Us. Retrieved from
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/about-us
Rural Health Information Hub. (n.d.). Designing an Evaluation. Retrieved from
https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/toolkits/rural-toolkit/4/evaluation-design
StatPac. (2009). Qualities of a good question. Retrieved
from https://www.statpac.com/surveys/question-qualities.htm
Purchase answer to see full
attachment
Mental Health America (MHA)
Courtnie Walker
Walden University
December 16, 2018
1
DISCUSSION QUERIES
2
Discussion Queries
Organization
The Mental Health America (MHA) is the organization of my choice for this project.
MHA is an example of a contemporary nonprofit organization that was founded in 1909 by
Clifford Whittingham Beers. The organization was based in Virginia in the United States as its
headquarters and based on the philosophical principle of the “Before Stage 4” (B4Stage4). The
Mental Health America focuses on the needs of the patients with mental illness with the aim of
improving and recovering the mental illnesses of the overall mental health status of all the
Americans. MHA currently has over 200 affiliates within 41 states in the United States (Mental
Health America, 2018).
The prime goals of the organization are to facilitate mental wellness and recovery from
mental illness in the community through the provision of mental health advocacy, education, and
services in the society. To realize the organizational goals the Mental Health America facilitates
both policies and programs that are mental health oriented. Some of the policies advocated by
MHA include both federal and state policies. On the other hand, the “Life on Campus,” the
“Back to School” and the “Clifford Beers Society” are some of the programs run by MHA. Thus,
the selection of Mental Health America as an organization for the project can be held to be
relevant to the project since the company is associated with policies and programs which is one
of the project’s requirements for the organization to be selected. Lastly, the availability of the
information concerning Mental Health America also makes this organization applicable to the
project.
Program
DISCUSSION QUERIES
3
The Mental Health America offers a recovery program which is mental health oriented
since it is aimed at helping the mentally challenged individuals in the community to recover
quickly hence enhancing their capability to secure employment positions that can help them to
create a sustainable and independent life. This recovery program can be held to be essential not
only to the mentally challenged people but also to the society and nation, since the expected
outcomes of the recovery program induce both improvements in the living standards and
economic productivity of the community and country by increasing the number of human
resources.
The facilitation of an evaluation design for the recovery program can be held to be
beneficial to the Mental Health America. The statistical data available concerning the outcomes
of the recovery program of Mental Health America only facilitates the identification of the
number of people who have secured employment after undergoing through the recovery
program. Thus, the facilitation of an evaluation of the recovery program would be substantial
since it would help in determining the number of people who secure employment and their selfesteem and confidence levels after undergoing the recovery program. Hence, this information
relating to the recovery program derived from the evaluation can be held to be beneficial to the
organization’s stakeholders and shareholders such as staffs and board of directors respectively
since it depicts the effectiveness and viability of the recovery program offered by the Mental
Health America organization.
Research Question. The lack of unfamiliar words, lack of the use of emotionally loaded
words, accommodating all possible answers and evoking truth are some of the qualities of a good
question (StatPac, 2009).
DISCUSSION QUERIES
4
How effective is the recovery program of the Mental Health America in promoting selfesteem and confidence levels among the mental health patients who had undergone the recovery
program?
Thus, since the research question is depicted using familiar words, lack of the use of
emotionally loaded words, it accommodates all possible answers and it evokes the truth it can be
held as a good research question for the recovery program project.
Evaluation Design. The use of experimental design can be held as an optimal type of
evaluation design for the recovery program of the Mental Health America. The experimental
design acts as a central point of assessing other types of evaluation design (Rural Health
Information Hub, n.d.). This argument rests on the technique for evaluating the cause and effect
of a program or intervention that is associated with the experimental design. Hence, the assessing
the cause and effect technique of a program or intervention can be held to be significant in
studying the recovery program of the Mental Health America since it would ascertain the cause
and effect of the recovery program to the mental health patients. According to Johnson (2014),
the strongest evaluation design for cause and effect is the experimental design. As a result, the
establishment of the cause and effect of the recovery program using experimental design would
help in determining the levels of self-esteem and confidence of the mentally challenged people
who have undergone through the recovery program and secured employment.
Besides, the experimental design is associated with high internal validity hence making it
the best evaluation design for the recovery program of the Mental Health America. Bryman,
(2016) assert that the experimental design is distinguished from other types of evaluation designs
by its attribute of high internal validity. Therefore, the use of the experimental design for the
recovery program would be relevant since the high internal validity linked with this evaluation
DISCUSSION QUERIES
5
design would highly promote the validity and reliability of the project. This declaration is
centered on the fact that the experimental design would enhance more material evidence of the
efficiency of the recovery program in enhancing the self-esteem and confidence levels among the
mental health patients who have undergone through the recovery program and secured
employment.
DISCUSSION QUERIES
6
References
Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods. Oxford university press.
Johnson, G. (2014). Research methods for public administrators (3rd ed.). Armonk, NY: M. E.
Sharpe.
Mental Health America. (2018, March 30). About Us. Retrieved from
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/about-us
Rural Health Information Hub. (n.d.). Designing an Evaluation. Retrieved from
https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/toolkits/rural-toolkit/4/evaluation-design
StatPac. (2009). Qualities of a good question. Retrieved
from https://www.statpac.com/surveys/question-qualities.htm
Purchase answer to see full
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