Using Empowerment Evaluation to Evaluate a Consumer -Operated Drop -in Center: A Narrative of a Case Study

Empowerment evaluation involves a program's stakeholders in designing and implementing an evaluation of their own program, thus contributing to the program's improvement and self-determination (Fetterman, 1994, 1996). Consumer-operated drop-in centers are run for and by mental health consumers, in order to promote collaboration and self-sufficiency. Empowerment evaluation therefore appeared to be an appropriate evaluation practice for the consumer-operated drop-in center in this study, since their missions and philosophies were similar. However, encouraging participation among the staff and patrons in the evaluation was challenging, because of their lack of familiarity with evaluation, transient attendance, and competing priorities. The evaluation process was thus adapted in order to meet the needs of the stakeholders, with the evaluator taking on most of the responsibility for designing and conducting the evaluation, but incorporating substantial input from the stakeholders at every stage of the evaluation. Careful attention to the roles that the evaluator played in relation to the stakeholders was also important. In order to promote empowerment, as well as develop as useful, feasible, respectful, and accurate an evaluation as is possible, the evaluator should be flexible in his or her roles, the methods used, and delegation of responsibilities. Adaptations must consider the values and structure of the program, as well as balance the stakeholders' need for resources with their rights for autonomy.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Sullins, Carolyn Diane

Contributors dc:contributor

• DeStefano, Lizanne

• Health Sciences, Mental Health

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3017223

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/79608