ABT associates and its partner altarum are pleased to apply for the cossup 2B: data/information sharing and research/evaluation support award

ABT and altarum have decades of rich experience providing training and technical assistance (TTA) to build data and evaluation capabilities so that entities can better collect and report behavioral health and criminal justice data. The purpose of cossup 2B is to provide universal, targeted, and tailored TTA to cossup grantees to assist them with developing, implementing, or refining their data collection activities, evaluation approaches, performance measure reporting, and information sharing with other cossup grantees and the criminal justice field. Using adult learning principles and different delivery modalities that promote access, project activities include 1) a comprehensive needs assessment of grantees research readiness that will inform the planning and design of TTA workplans, services and product content; 2) the thoughtful assignment of TTA coaching teams to grantee to ensure the provision of suitable site-specific services that meet their particular needs; 3) the delivery of high quality TTA to grantees that is designed to mitigate their data and evaluation challenges; 4) the identification of advisory panel and subject matter experts (SMES) that can provide diverse perspectives and input from people with lived experiences; 5) the implementation of a continuous quality improvement approach that can collect and provide feedback from TTA recipients that inform if TTA has helped them advance their workplan; and 6) ongoing coordination and collaboration with other cossup TTA providers, BJA, and external SMES to identify and provide the appropriate support to grantees. In order to help grantees incorporate an equity lens into their data and evaluations and provide culturally responsive guidance, a dedicated equity advisor is part of the ABT team. Expected outcomes include improved outcome data from cossup grantees, contributions to the evidence-base of what works in integrated behavioral health and criminal justice programming to reduce adverse outcomes from harmful substance use, and greater dissemination of best practices and innovations to the field and BJA. Cossup grantees, BJA, and stakeholders in the behavioral health and criminal justice fields are the intended beneficiaries of the project. Subrecipient activities include leading TTA coordination, providing TTA services, and having input on product content. Abts experience working with the department of justice provides them the ability to develop uniform protocols for evaluating and reporting on programming and program trends, and to understand how to respond to the administration or justice department priorities.