The Australian Evaluation Society (AES) Award for Enhancing the Social Good was presented to members of CHSD at the AES International Conference in Adelaide on 31 August, for their evaluation of the Pathways to Community Living Initiative.
The evaluation of the Pathways to Community Living Initiative was recognised as making a strong contribution to the social good by building up knowledge and support for the deinstitutionalisation process for those with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI).
The evaluation informed and supported the development of new service models for appropriate care in the community.
As noted by the AES:
“The overall quality of the evaluation was excellent. The team adopted a useful formative approach with a strong commitment to add value and contribute to the on-going refinement of the program. The evaluation team's focus on the significant role of clinicians and the need to build support and reflective practice within rehabilitation psychiatry are impressive. Similarly, theoretical and methodological attention to the drivers of transformation in a complex health system were important to identify and maintain focus on areas critical to change. Attention to including consumer and carer perspectives were pivotal in building a valid, credible, and useful evaluation.”
The AES Awards for Excellence in Evaluation aim to recognise and share excellence in evaluation theory, practice and use by: motivating people to come into and stay in the field of evaluation; promoting the use of evaluation for positive impact and social good, for example supporting positive outcomes for Indigenous communities; and promoting advances in the field of evaluation. The annual Awards recognise leading evaluators, leading evaluations, evaluation best practice and emerging evaluators.