Big Day in the Work World

You know when you have an EPIC thing happen at work, and you want to tell EVERYONE about it, but then you remember that just possibly EVERYONE doesn't find your work details quite as exiting as you do?  Yeah?  Well... don't say I didn't warn you.

So one major part of my job is evaluating the home visitation program for our state, and part of that evaluation involved getting our state developed program recognized nationally as evidence based.  I will try not to get too wordy here, but being evidence based in the research world is HUGE.  It is critical because it basically says "this doesn't just sound like it will work, it actually DOES work".   Because the thing is, lots of things that sound like great ideas just don't work (like the DARE program... great idea, tons of money poured into it, absolutely no impact on drug use).  I talk with my students about this all the time.  You can't just think it sounds good, without positive results you are simply spinning your wheels and wasting everyone's time and money.  So, being evidence based is where it's at, but proving something works is harder than you might think.

That, in a weird way, sums up my entire job.  "Being evidence based is where it's at, but proving something works is harder than you might think." Lots of people working in research are basically making a career out of that statement.

Anyway, our team has been working for four years to get our program recognized as evidence based, and today it happened.

TODAY IT HAPPENED.

This will save our state a ton of money, but more importantly, (to us as evaluators...maybe not to the state) it validates a ton of hard work from a ton of great people. It provides the seal of approval to a program we were all passionately behind.  A program we believe can change lives for the better.  Today we heard that the powers that be agree.  And THAT is a great feeling.