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SERVICES Information Utilization Capacity Building The EJO Center recruits, through marketing and outreach activities, child welfare, juvenile justice, and children’s mental health organizations who desire to build or expand their capacity to utilize clinical information to improve practice and outcomes. The basic service consists of: Brief organizational assessment to understand the context of services provided by the agency. Development of a logic model/program specification which details each of the program services to be evaluated. The logic model specifies the target population; program components and activities; and identification of short, intermediate and long-term outcomes. Based upon the logic model/program specification process, development of a program evaluation plan which focuses upon process and outcome reports that define program effectiveness and support utilization reviews and quality improvement initiatives. Individual service contracts will be developed that specify the services and mutual expectations of both parties. A key part of the design is a sustainability and system development plan that insures the future existence and continued development of the organization's information utilization capacity. This may include a longer term relationship with the EJO Center to insure such sustainability. All ownership of data, data records and studies remain with the contract organization and are not shared with others in any form without explicit written consent from the contract organization. Promotion of Empirical Based Interventions The EJO Center promotes the development of empirically based interventions in children’s services by conducting special studies of member organizations who request or agree to participate in such studies. These studies are conducted by Center Advisory Board Members; other identified national contractual experts; or through contractual relationships with university affiliates. By request of private or public consumer organizations, or by recommendation of Advisory Board Members, special studies are being designed that test promising or reported empirically based interventions from across the country. Such studies are determined through development of an annual EJO Center research agenda and will be conducted by Advisory Board Members, national contractual experts, or through contractual relationships with university affiliates. Promotion of Information Utilization for Advocacy of Children’s Issues The EJO Center advocates for children in the child welfare, juvenile justice and mental health systems through utilization of information generated through Center consultative activities and available state and national data bases. This information is disseminated through scholarly publications; self-generated consumer newsletters to judges, state officials, professional organizations and the local media in order to better inform professionals and the public in general of the issues impacting vulnerable children and their families. Other Dissemination Activities The EJO Center further promotes the utilization of information to improve children’s services through journal publications; professional newsletters and bulletins; and workshops and conferences. These dissemination activities are coordinated by Center staff; Center Advisory Board Members; paid contractual national experts; and university affiliates. Staff members from consumer organizations and their staff are encouraged to actively participate in these dissemination activities through research teams; co-authorship opportunities; and presentations at workshops and conferences. The EJO Center sponsors regular information utilization and advocacy workshops and convenes an Annual Information Utilization Conference which promotes the use of information and Center capacity building services. Participants in the workshops and Annual Conference include Center staff; Center Advisory Board Members; national experts; and practitioners through a “Call for Papers” process. SCOPE The EJO Center initially began operations in Michigan. In subsequent years, through partnerships with associations of children organizations, Advisory Board Members, and university affiliates, EJO Center activities will be expanded to Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Illinois. In Association with Boysville of Michigan