Chapin Hall

Connecting children, youth, and families to the services they need is critical, but it can be a challenge for child welfare agencies and community providers. Chapin Hall’s new Evidence-Based Practice Desk Guide allows case workers and providers to make informed decisions and ensure a good fit between clients and the services they receive.  This easy-to-use tool covers 17 programs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse has rated as well-supported. These programs were created to help families thrive and prevent unnecessary foster care placements. Programs cover mental health treatment, substance abuse prevention and treatment, and in-home parent skill building models. 

The guide, developed in collaboration with partners in South Carolina, Rhode Island, and Los Angeles, gives key details on each program’s goals, target population, recommended intensity and duration, delivery settings, effectiveness for families of color, and available languages. This resource is as flexible as it is informative. Users can customize the guide by adding jurisdiction-specific information—such as referral processes and local providers—to help them decide which practice would best serve a family. 

The guide focuses on programs proven to support family well-being and stability. Importantly, the guide includes two culturally specific programs created by and for communities of color, Familias Unidas and Strong African American Families. Policy Analyst Sean Hyland and Policy Fellow Jennifer O’Brien created this guide and wanted to include interventions tailored to the strengths and needs of diverse families. 

Chapin Hall has a long history of rigorously evaluating child welfare interventions. Creating this user-friendly guide is one of the latest ways we are helping agencies and providers offer the best possible programs to families.  

Want to know more about this project? Contact Sean Hyland.  

View the guide

Watch a video about this project: