This technical report/final progress report assesses the outcomes of the Evaluation of Technology-based Advocacy Services (ETA) program.
This report provides a formative evaluation of a digital hotline in Austin, Texas, as part of the Evaluation of Technology-assisted Advocacy (ETA) program. Based upon study findings, researchers conclude that digital hotline is a highly effective and relatively low-cost intervention that can improve health and safety and reduce violence and financial instability. The role of hotlines as an access point to additional services means that service benefits can be expanded via additional resource access. In this mixed methods longitudinal study in two Texas programs, digital hotlines were found to be effective at addressing survivor needs and implemented with high levels of fidelity to a trauma informed and survivor-centered service model. Analysis of nearly 400 digital hotline transcripts, surveys with service participants, as well as interviews and focus groups with digital hotline service participants and agency staffers resulted in several tangible products, including: a) an evaluability assessment with guidance for a rigorous outcome evaluation that guided this study, b) a logic model articulating the skills used by staff, program theory of change and staff and survivor-identified outcomes, and c) initial fidelity assessments and tools for fidelity monitoring. Additionally, the research enabled collection of real-time data on the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. To conduct this study, the researchers partnered with two large Texas community-based organizations serving survivors of IPV (intimate partner violence), SA (sexual assault), and HT (human trafficking) to conduct a process and outcome evaluation focused on digital hotline services. The programs, two of the largest in Texas, were SAFE Alliance in Austin, and the Houston Area Women’s Center (HAWC), in Houston. See collaborating organization section below for more on HAWC and SAFE Alliance.