Wednesday, March 2, 2011, Noon to 1 p.m.

Evaluating Program Effectiveness
State Capitol Complex, Sequoyah Building, OKDHS Commission Room
2400 N. Lincoln, Oklahoma City, OK 73105

James Bell Associates
Grace Atukpawu, Ph.D. and Chi Vu, M.A.

About the Speakers:
Grace Atukpawu, Ph.D., has nine years of experience in applied social science research in the fields of education, psychology, and child welfare. She received her B.A. in Psychology and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at Stanford University and her MSW with a specialization in Individual, Family and Group Practice at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is currently a Research Associate at James Bell Associates and provides research services and evaluation technical assistance and training to discretionary grant programs funded by the Administration for Children and Families.

Prior to joining James Bell Associates, Atukpawu conducted a multi-year research study on the psychosocial development of youth in foster care transitioning from the child welfare system to adulthood, and the role of Independent Living Programs in supporting positive outcomes. Atukpawu has provided counseling services to children and adults with mental health needs, worked with children who have been abused and neglected, and served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for youth residing in group homes.

Chi Vu, M.A., is a community psychologist with six years of experience in applied social science research design, program evaluation, grant writing, and capacity building technical assistance. She obtained her bachelor of arts in psychology at the University of Oklahoma,and is currently a doctoral student at Wichita State University, Kan.

Prior to joining James Bell Associates, Vu was a research associate and graduate student at the Wichita State University Center for Community Support and Research where she led a mixed methodology assessment of 20 consumer-run mental health organizations in rural Kansas for a jointly funded National Institute of Mental Health and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration project on identifying the social, psychological and physical impact of participation in consumer-run mental health organizations.

She also conducted an evaluation for the assessment of physical health concerns of older adults with psychiatric disabilities, which identified effective and quality services that exist for older adults with psychiatric disabilities. Vu currently provides evaluation technical assistance to discretionary grant programs funded by the Administration for Children and Families.