IMPACT AREAS
Behavioral Health
Clarus Research works with government-funded entities to assess and improve the effectiveness of behavioral health interventions for vulnerable populations.
Our projects in this area run the gamut:
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Conducting evaluability assessments of statewide prevention and early intervention programs.
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Developing and implementing large-scale surveys and participatory studies of statewide public behavioral health services.
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Assessing the viability of smaller-scale efforts to deliver trauma-informed, evidence-based behavioral health interventions to tribal communities in rural settings.
Child, Family, & Community Support
The Clarus team has a long history of working with organizations across the country at the federal, state, local, and tribal levels to improve the systems of care that support vulnerable children, families, and communities.
Our portfolio includes:
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Evaluation of child abuse and foster care services.
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Needs assessment, strategic planning, and evaluation for place-based community collaboration and collective impact initiatives to build strong families and communities.
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Evaluation of maternal-child health programs.
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Capacity building services to strengthen the ability of public child welfare agencies to undertake change and improvement efforts using an implementation science framework.
Education
Clarus Research has worked with universities and non-profit organizations to evaluate a range of secondary and post-secondary education efforts. By analyzing existing education outcome data and collecting primary data via surveys, interviews, and focus groups, we help clients understand what approaches are working – and for whom – to strengthen knowledge and skills and ultimately prepare students for success.
Our past projects in this area include:
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Out-of-school time programs for high-needs students.
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Youth development programs for at-risk inner-city students.
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Programs to address the needs of students experiencing homelessness.
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Graduate-level internship and degree programs.
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Professional training programs.
Environmental Conservation
The Clarus team brings our social science know-how and our expert consultants in environmental conservation together to help clients understand the effectiveness of policies and programs aimed at changing human behaviors and lessening their impact on the natural world.
Utilizing mixed-methods strategies, including surveys, in-depth interviews, and return-on-investment analyses, we have evaluated:
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Conservation-related programs as diverse as international efforts to protect endangered pacific seabirds.
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Endeavors to revitalize the Chesapeake Bay via the dissemination and adoption of best management practices.
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Strategies to build the capacity of small conservation organizations to ensure their efforts achieve the greatest possible impact.
Housing & Homelessness
The Clarus team supports organizations in their efforts to help individuals experiencing housing instability and homelessness and to find new and effective solutions to reduce and prevent homelessness. We work closely with organizations to systematically assess inequities and the needs of different at-risk target populations and the barriers that prevent them from experiencing stable housing.
We support our clients to use these data to:
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Inform planning for grant programs and make policy decisions to address these needs
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Improve grantees’ effectiveness.
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Evaluate the implementation of innovative program efforts in these areas.
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Share important findings with policymakers and practitioners in the field.
Justice & Policing
We provide services to help organizations develop and evaluate the impact of programs in the criminal justice, juvenile justice, and policing spheres, as well as better understand the needs and characteristics of those served through these programs.
Our portfolio in these areas includes:
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Restructuring and validating a delinquency screening tool designed to classify probationary youth by recidivism risk level.
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Evaluating the effectiveness of police officer training to reduce conflict in police interactions with vulnerable populations.
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A randomized controlled trial studying the processes and impact of police training in youth development on problem-oriented policing strategies and youth crime rates.
Interpersonal Violence
The Clarus team is deeply experienced working with non-profit organizations, government entities, universities, and foundations on efforts to address interpersonal violence in relationships, families, and communities.
We designed and conducted evaluation projects focused on:
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Addressing multidisciplinary community responses to domestic violence and children’s exposure to violence.
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The intersection of domestic violence and child maltreatment.
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Gender violence prevention, including teen dating violence prevention programs.
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In addition, we have provided technical assistance and capacity building services to organizations providing support and services to victims of human trafficking.
Legal Services
We built a portfolio of evaluation and strategic planning projects in the legal services arena. We evaluated various national grant and fellowship programs to address gaps in the delivery of high-quality legal assistance to vulnerable populations. Support from the Clarus team helps legal services organizations enhance and improve innovative program models, measure grantee performance, and make program funding decisions.
Our projects, including mixed-methods evaluations, have focused on:
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The development of innovative and replicable strategies that address persistent challenges in pro bono delivery systems.
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The development of a model to enhance legal support to survivors of natural disasters in the U.S.
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A fellowship program to build legal skills and engender commitment to public service among law students providing legal services in rural communities.
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The development of a five-year strategic plan to guide a statewide legal services organization dedicated to achieving legal gains for Native Americans and Tribes.
