Evaluation & Technical Assistance
Our technical assistance and evaluation team is lead by Dr. Emily McKenzie. This team supports systems-level change by strengthening the capacity of organizations, agencies, and communities to implement and sustain evidence-based practices. This team provides strategic consultation, operational evaluation, and applied technical assistance across prevention, treatment, and recovery systems, with a particular emphasis on rural and underserved regions.
A major component of this work is supported by the SAMHSA-funded Rural Opioid Technical Assistance–Regional (ROTA-R) initiative. Through this regional effort, we collaborate with OSU extension and academic partners across Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and New Mexico to deliver tailored technical assistance that reflects the unique needs, infrastructure, and cultural contexts of rural communities. This includes support for workforce development, data-informed decision-making, and implementation of evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies.
In addition, this team provides ongoing evaluation and technical assistance to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Prevention Division, supporting statewide prevention initiatives. Our role includes operational evaluation, performance monitoring, and continuous quality improvement to ensure programs are implemented with fidelity and adapted appropriately for diverse populations and settings.
Across all of this work, evaluation is a core function. Results of evaluation inform our technical assistance, and knowledge of programs ascertained by supporting technical assistance enhance our ability to measure and evaluate programs. By integrating evaluation into technical assistance, we generate actionable insights that help partners understand what works, where gaps remain, and how systems can evolve to better serve communities. This approach ensures that evidence informs practice — and that practice, in turn, informs the evidence base.