Evaluation Overview

Evaluation Overview

NTI piloted the trainings in 9 sites in 2017-2018:

The NTI Trainings were originally piloted in 2017-2018 with over 6,000 child welfare professionals and 2,500 mental health professionals in 9 sites: California, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Washington, and the Cherokee Nation. Researchers with the University of Maryland School of Social Work evaluated the user experience, including satisfaction, relevance, ease of use, and infusion of adoption mental health competency in practice. The evaluation found that participants of NTI experienced significant knowledge gains and reported specific ways they improved their practice as a result of NTI. See the reports below for a summary of these findings.

NTI has received funding from the Children’s Bureau for another 5 year period (2022-2027). Researchers with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Center for Children, Families and the Law will be conducting additional evaluations of the user experience with NTI Trainings, as well as evaluation of implementation activities in child welfare and mental health agencies nationally.

Publications & Reports: NTI Training Effectiveness

The Overview Report summarizes NTI’s impact on the 2,403 mental health professionals and 5,163 child welfare professionals who piloted NTI and participated in the evaluation during 2017 and 2018. The pilot sites included: California, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, and the Cherokee Nation.
In April 2019, the Rudd Adoption Research Program published a research paper, “Building an Adoption Competent Workforce: A Review of the National Adoption Competency” written by the Director of NTI, Dawn Wilson, the CEO of C.A.S.E., Debbie Riley, and The University of MD School of Social Work researcher, Bethany Lee.
The NTI Training for Mental Health Professionals was piloted April 2018 through September 2018 with more than 2,900 participants across nine pilot sites. 69% of the participants completed the 25-hour training. This MH Summary Report gives the evaluation findings from the 2,403 Mental Health Professionals who consented to the evaluation.
The NTI Training for Child Welfare Professionals was piloted January 2017 through January 2018 with 6,074 child welfare workers and supervisors across 9 sites (8 states and 1 tribe) participating and 72.5% completing the 20-hour training. This CW Summary Report summarizes the evaluation findings from the 5,163 child welfare pilot participants who consented to the evaluation.
The Child Welfare Infographic is a six point summary of findings following the pilot of the NTI Training for Child Welfare Professionals from January 2017 through January 2018. Data was collected by the University of Maryland, School of Social Work, Institute for Innovation and Implementation.