As our evaluation of the certificate program developed by Rutgers University’s Center for Research on Ending Violence in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) moves forward, our team continues to focus on qualitative data analysis as a key component of this work. This certificate program was created to offer enhanced training and evidence-based strategies for child welfare professionals working with families affected by interpersonal violence and improve safety outcomes for children and families.
Over the past several months, we conducted in-depth interviews with child welfare professionals who participated in the certificate program. These interviews offered valuable insight into participants’ experiences with the training, how it informed their professional practice, and how the program aligns with the realities of child welfare work. Participants also shared reflections on the strengths of the program and areas where additional support or refinement may be beneficial.
Our research team is currently engaged in a systematic analysis of the interview transcripts. This process involves identifying patterns and preliminary themes across participants’ narratives to better understand how the certificate program is implemented in practice and how it supports responses to family violence. Early findings suggest several promising areas of impact, as well as themes that would benefit from further exploration.
As part of this next phase, we are continuing to refine and deepen our analysis by seeking additional qualitative data. In the coming weeks, we will send a follow-up recruitment email inviting certificate program participants to take part in additional interviews. These conversations will allow us to gather more detailed perspectives on emerging themes and ensure that the findings reflect a broad range of professional experiences and viewpoints.
Expanding the qualitative data in this way will strengthen the evaluation by providing greater depth and context around how participants apply the knowledge and skills gained through the certificate program.
We remain deeply appreciative of the time and expertise shared by participants thus far and are grateful to those who may choose to engage in upcoming interviews. We will continue to share updates as the qualitative analysis progresses and as additional findings emerge from this phase of the evaluation.