About 15 years ago, before evidence-based practice became a…

About 15 years ago, before evidence-based practice became a standard to which to aspire, a professor found an article describing a treatment program for substance-abusing African-American women that incorporated their children and aimed to preserve their families. The program was built around principles of African-centered theory. The professor thought the program appeared well designed and heartily urged students to study the article and possibly find ways to imitate the program ideas, if not the program itself. A few years later, the professor, having continued her education, especially in the area of research, searched for a follow-up on the program, perhaps reporting outcomes and evidence of effectiveness. No research evidence on the program appears in the scholarly journals. In fact, no evidence that the program continues to exist at this time has been found. The fact that what appeared to be a promising practice approach did not endure or have the opportunity to benefit from evaluation is unfortunate. To prepare for this Discussion, read the Poitier et al. study and then revisit what you have learned about your assigned step of the research process. Consider what would be the most important information to share with your colleagues about that step. Together the class will create a research plan for evaluating the rite of passage program described in the assigned article. an explanation of your assigned step of the research process and how you would complete that step.

Answer:

The assigned step of the research process is the data collection and analysis. In the context of evaluating the rite of passage program described in the assigned article, data collection and analysis would be crucial in determining the effectiveness and impact of the program on substance-abusing African-American women and their families.

Data collection in this case would involve gathering information from participants in the program, including both the women and their children. This could be done through surveys, interviews, or observations. The data collected should focus on key variables such as substance abuse outcomes, family functioning, and overall well-being. It would be important to use validated instruments or measures to ensure the reliability and validity of the data collected.

Once the data is collected, the next step would be data analysis. This would involve organizing and summarizing the data in a meaningful way to identify patterns, trends, and relationships. Depending on the research question and the nature of the data collected, various statistical techniques could be employed for analysis. Descriptive statistics such as means, frequencies, and percentages may be used to summarize the data, while inferential statistics such as t-tests or regression analyses could be used to examine relationships between variables or to compare outcomes between different groups.

In addition to quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis may also be conducted to explore participants’ experiences and perceptions of the program. This could involve analyzing interviews or open-ended survey responses to identify common themes and provide a deeper understanding of the program’s impact.

It is important to note that data collection and analysis is an iterative process, meaning that it may involve multiple rounds of data collection and refinement of research questions. This is particularly relevant in evaluating a program like the rite of passage program, as it may require long-term follow-up data to assess the sustainability of its effects.

In concluding, data collection and analysis are essential steps in evaluating the rite of passage program for substance-abusing African-American women. These steps involve gathering data from program participants and analyzing it using appropriate statistical and qualitative techniques. The results of this analysis would provide crucial information on the effectiveness and impact of the program, informing future practice and contributing to the evidence base for substance abuse treatment programs for this population.