Research Expertise and Capabilities

The Center for Applied Research and Evaluation Studies (CARES) was founded in 1998 in response to an increasing demand for applied research and evaluation studies among local and state government agencies.

Our dedicated team of professionals has extensive experience working with community, local, and state government stakeholders. We are sensitive to the need to develop realistic, sound approaches to collecting and analyzing data that clients find useful for program planning. Our staff has experience working with diverse populations in the areas of HIV/AIDS prevention and care, substance abuse, mental health, family planning, human sexuality, and sexual health. We can provide needs assessments, program evaluations, resource inventories and quality improvement plans.

Needs Assessments
Our staff has experience conducting needs assessments on programmatic, community, and statewide levels. We use an array of methodologies to meet your needs, including focus groups, key informant interviews, face-to-face interviews, and written surveys. We are also able to use existing data in our needs assessments.
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Evaluations
Our staff is well-versed in evaluation of both educational and service delivery programs.We can design evaluation studies that enable you to assess how well you are achieving your program objectives and can assist you in agency planning and development.
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Resource Inventories
Our staff is practiced in conducting resource inventories on a local, regional, and statewide level. We can identify existing agency programs and services, including their ability to provide services to specific populations.Used in combination with needs assessment data, this information can provide important gap analyses for use in program planning and resource allocation.
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Quality Improvement Plans
Our staff is highly skilled at helping clients meet their quality improvement plan needs.We can develop a quality improvement plan that includes the development of data collection tools or the identification of existing agency or program data sources that can provide useful feedback. We can also work with you to develop quality standards and measures for your agency or program.
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