If I'm being completely honest, 2025 was a hard year for the Research and Evaluation team. We tragically lost a colleague and had to collectively grieve her loss while keeping grounded in our purpose: to tell the stories of our clients' impact through our evaluations. I am so proud of how the whole team came together to support each other. And, I believe our work became even more important—a North Star—to carry her memory forward to support equity, evidence and action for our most vulnerable community members and the programs that serve them.
In memory of Jadrienne Horton, CHRT program manager, respected colleague and friend.
Mom Circles within Early Childhood Education is a peer-support program that improves maternal behavioral health and fosters self-care and wellness by providing a safe space for mothers to share experiences, build relationships, and offer mutual support. Mom Circles aims to enhance outcomes for families and children.
In 2025, CHRT partnered with Children of the Rising Sun to evaluate the Mom Circles program and strengthen its evaluation infrastructure. CHRT designed and implemented data collection tools, including pre- and post-program surveys, session feedback surveys, and participant interviews, to assess outcomes and experiences of moms within the program. CHRT also supported capacity-building efforts to sustain and expand the program.
Evaluation findings demonstrate improvements in maternal mental health, wellness, and social connection, while providing actionable insights to refine program design. The evaluation is helping strengthen the model, support sustainability, and inform expansion to additional communities.
Services: Learning network facilitation, backbone support, evaluation
mothers served across two cohorts
reduction in maternal depression at 18 months (cohort 1)
increase in wellness and self-care at 18 months (cohort 1)
Michigan’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Demonstration is a statewide initiative that aims to improve access to and quality of behavioral health services through standardized care models and sustainable payment structures. With 36 CCBHC sites across the state, Michigan’s implementation is one of the largest in the country and represents a significant shift toward integrated, whole-person care.
CHRT completed and delivered a comprehensive evaluation report to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) examining the first three years of the CCBHC Demonstration. The report included findings from analysis of Medicaid claims data, CCBHC interviews, and patient experience survey results. Following the report, CHRT continues to work with MDHHS to examine community impact, individual experiences, and more detailed analyses.
Evaluation findings are helping MDHHS and partners make evidence-based decisions about strengthening and expanding the CCBHC model in Michigan, informing future program design and statewide behavioral health policy.
Services: Program evaluation, health care utilization analysis, mixed research methods
of 80,000 eligible patients received one of the 9 core services
decrease in emergency department use among CCBHC patients
increase in primary care use among CCBHC patients
Washtenaw Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion and Deflection (LEADD) is a pre-arrest diversion program that connects individuals with behavioral health needs and chronic poverty to community-based services instead of the criminal legal system. The initiative is a collaboration among law enforcement, behavioral health providers, and legal system partners. It aims to improve individual outcomes while reducing reliance on arrest and incarceration.
CHRT conducted a three-year evaluation of the Washtenaw Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion and Deflection (LEADD) pilot. In 2025, CHRT delivered a comprehensive evaluation report and a public-facing brief summarizing key findings and lessons learned for local partners. The evaluation used mixed methods, including analysis of criminal legal data and stakeholder surveys and interviews.
Evaluation findings are helping local partners understand how diversion programs can reduce criminal legal involvement while connecting individuals to housing, behavioral health care, and other supports.
Services: Program evaluation, mixed methods research, data collection
referrals to LEADD representing 66 individuals from fall of 2021 to the end of 2024
of participants made progress toward at least one self-selected life goal
had fewer or no arrests in their second year after enrollment
