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JSU Social Work Program |
 JACKSONVILLE -- March 20, 2002 -- Jacksonville State University's social work faculty and students are helping the federal government measure how well tax money is being spent on aging services. Dr. Mark Fagan, JSU professor of social work and head of the department of sociology and social work, said the University is now participating in a 12-state pilot study to development questionnaires that will measure effectiveness and efficiency of senior citizen programs supported by federal money. He said the "outcomes measurement instruments" are being developed through the federal Administration on Aging’s (AoA) Performance Outcome Measures Project (POMP) for Older Americans Act (OAA) program activities. Dr. Fagan said the faculty and students of JSU’s social work program will enter data from interviews into a computer software program for data analysis provided by the Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS). He said faculty and students will conduct interviews with recipients of services from the East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission’s Area Agency on Aging’s nutrition program. The group will interview 300 people in connection with the home-delivered meals program and 350 persons regarding the congregate meals; 135 people regarding the homemaker program; and 200 people concerning the transportation program. The East Alabama Commission is the only regional planning commission in Alabama participating in this national pilot study. Jacksonville State University is the only university in Alabama working on this project. In addition to Dr. Fagan, faculty researchers from JSU include Dr. Maureen Newton, Ms. Donna Smith, and Ms. Kim Womack. In addition, Fagan said several students in the Bachelor of Social Work program will be doing the actual interviews with those who receive the program assistance. The interviews will last approximately 30 minutes each. The faculty and students will visit each of the 43 congregate nutrition sites for the elderly in ten East Alabama counties. The results of this study will be used to finalize the development of the outcomes measurement instruments to be used by all of the Area Agencies on Aging around the nation. Fagan said, “We at JSU are excited to be involved in this pilot research to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of services to the elderly.” |
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