About the Project

The Hillsborough County Discharge Planning Program (HCDPP) is a project that involves creating and evaluating discharge planning services within the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Detention facilities. The services will be for individuals with moderate to severe mental illness. The FMHI evaluation of the HCDPP program will focus on both process measures and program outcomes and will include collection of both qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. The FMHI researchers will actively participate in federally sponsored evaluation efforts, and will collect performance measures in accordance with the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA).

The process evaluation will assist the HCDPP to assess the effectiveness of program implementation during the critical first 20 months of operation, and to provide recommendations for improving key program functions and activities such as referral, screening and assessment, and case management services. The outcome evaluation will assist in determining the program’s effectiveness in influencing criminal recidivism, program completion, number and type of service referrals, retention in mental health and related treatment, and operational outcomes related to community partnerships and programs. Data obtained from the HCDPP evaluation will be used to modify program components, procedures, and approaches, and to justify continuation or expansion of the program. Consumer representatives will participate in the evaluation design and in the dissemination of evaluation results. 

Funding Agency	US Department of Justice
Award Amount	$31,500
Dates	09/01/2006 - 08/31/2009