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Dorothy Lucks (SDF Global)

This presentation will be a reflection upon the design and implementation of a process evaluation of an innovative youth mental health program.  It will discuss both the evaluation user and practitioner perspectives, with input from the clients.  The clients are a not-for-profit, community organisation providing health and wellbeing services in regional Western Australia. The evaluators are a team experienced in designing and conducting evaluations in Australia and internationally.

The program was a youth mental health program, with an innovative design combining awareness raising and prevention activities with individual support for mental health. A pilot program was delivered in 2015 to high school students across the Peel Region.  The process evaluation was conducted throughout the one year pilot program.

The aims of the presentation are to deliver a mini-evaluation of the process evaluation design and implementation from both the evaluation user and practitioner perspectives.  This will be informed by participation of the clients in the presentation.  Key areas explored will be (a) lessons learned from both sides around the process evaluation design and implementation, including implications for best practice and future evaluation practices; (b) advantages and disadvantages of a process evaluation compared with post project evaluation; and (c) outcomes of the evaluation in relation to use by the clients (e.g. to inform improvements of the program design and delivery, and to attract funding for subsequent programs).