Collaboration in Evaluation: How One Conversation Sparked a Front-Page Story

In January, Amanda Foster, a prevention specialist at Partnership of the Ozarks and Howell County Suicide Prevention Network (HCSPN) organizer, led a Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) workshop with fellow HCSPN members. The forum brought together community members and mental wellness advocates from a variety of organizations to share stories of the SPN’s impact and explore how to best support individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, leading to a front-page feature in the Missouri's West Plains Daily Quill. 

Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) is an emerging evaluation technique. It is a way to show how a program or project creates change, sometimes beyond its original goals. REM brings together people involved in the work to talk about what kind of impact they’ve seen over time. Through group conversations and reflection, participants in the HCSPN ripple effects mapping session helped map out how one result can lead to another, like ripples spreading out in water. REM helps tell the full story of a project’s impact on a community. 

Foster admitted she was initially nervous but moved by the session’s success. 

“The feedback was really great. The participation and the stories that were shared—I didn’t expect it to be as smooth and impactful,” she said. 

Though Foster was not expecting an article to be written, Kimberly Langston, a writer for Missouri's West Plains Daily Quill, was inspired by the session and felt compelled to write a story about it. 

“I went to talk to Kimberly, and we were talking about the session and the stories shared, and she said to me, ‘You know, I really want to write a story. I think we need to have this information out there.’” 

Foster, however, felt some initial hesitation about being in the spotlight. 

“A lot of my SPN members have a passion for this work, they all do so much for our community, and I don’t want to put myself at the front of that because they do so much, they care about suicide prevention, about making a difference with our youth, families, and veterans, so I don’t want to diminish that in any way.” 

Ultimately, she agreed to publication, emphasizing how she felt the story wasn’t about her; it was about the community’s efforts. 

“It made me feel accomplished, not for myself but for our community, for the members, for all of the things that they have done and the impacts they’ve made,” Foster said. 

For Foster, the forum’s success came down to one thing. 

“Having the right people at the table, in the room, participating, and having those collaborative partnerships that go beyond the work is the biggest thing that made this go so well,” she said. “This is more than just my role with CPO, it’s more than just a job to me, it’s my community.”