Wayside House is implementing the “Incarnation Family Connections” (IFC), a comprehensive substance abuse program where chemically dependent mothers receive treatment while maintaining custody of their children. The goals of IFC are to improve children’s safety, permanency, and well-being by treating the entire family using a comprehensive, systems approach. Mothers receive a wide range of services, including parenting support, while children receive early interventions (e.g., speech, psychological). The evaluation will utilize a mixed method quasi-experimental approach with a comparison group added mid-Year 1. Families, staff, and community partners will complete focus groups and individual interviews and families will complete additional assessments for family functioning and children’s development. The presentation will summarize findings from the first six months of the program, the evolution of the evaluation design, considerations made in selecting the final design, and lessons learned, especially in the context of evaluating this demonstration program while collaborating with multiple external agencies.#SocialWork #2010Conference #HumanServicesEvaluation