Evaluation for veteran support services

Veterans are surveyed constantly and listened to rarely. Programs that serve them need evaluation that earns candor, from someone who understands the culture. One of our principals, Scott West, served in the Marine Corps and has worked with veterans for two decades. The other, John K. Trainor, PhD, worked at the Department of Veterans Affairs as an evaluator. We are a veteran-owned practice, and our experience in veteran support services is extensive.

We have worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Movember, among many others.

Talk to us about it

What this work requires of an evaluator

Credibility with veterans. People say more to an interviewer who understands service, and they say it sooner. One of us is a Marine.
Questions that respect the difference between eras, branches and kinds of service, and between veterans, service members and families.
Measures beyond satisfaction: access, engagement, employment, housing, connection, and the mental health outcomes that funders ask about, including post-traumatic stress and depression.
Care with sensitive subjects, with a route to help built into every survey and interview.

What we do in this field

We are a mixed-methods practice. The numbers show what changed and by how much. Interviews, focus groups and observations show why. We design both into the evaluation from the start, read each against the other, and report them as one story.

Logic models and evaluation plans for federal, state and foundation applications
Needs assessments of veterans and families in a region or a service population
Studies of veterans using standardized instruments and custom-built tools
Surveys, focus groups and interviews with veterans, families, peer supporters and staff
Process, outcome and impact evaluation of peer support, transition, employment, housing and mental health programs
Quantitative analysis of program and administrative data
Data management that protects the people behind the data
Expert data visualization, and final reporting in multiple formats: full report, executive summary, slide deck, one-page brief or dashboard

Funding and next steps

Applying for funding? We write the evaluation plan with you at no charge. Need one defined piece of work? See services.

Serving veterans and need to show what works?

Tell us about the program and the veterans it serves. You will hear back within one business day.

Every inquiry is confidential. We never sell or share your information. Privacy policy.