Director, GAIN Coordinating Center and Software Development
Graduated University of Arizona, 1993 (Management Information Systems)
Specialty areas: Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN), program evaluation; project management; behavioral health research; the intersection of research, program evaluation and practical utility of screening and assessment; successful implementation of screening and assessment
Barbara Estrada is responsible for directing the activities of the GAIN Coordinating Center at Lighthouse Institute which provides licensing, training, products, services, and technical support to current and prospective users of the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN). Ms. Estrada directs the work of various GAIN-related research and development projects that adapt GAIN instruments and builds decision-support systems for an assortment of agencies, Native communities, and the public.
Selected Publications:
Hiller, M. L., Belenko, S., Dennis, M., Estrada, B., Cain, C., Mackin, J. R., Kagan, R., & Pappacena, L. (2021). The impact of Juvenile Drug Treatment Courts (JDTC) implementing Federal Evidence-Based Guidelines on recidivism and substance use: multisite Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) and Regression Discontinuity (RDD) Designs. Health & Justice, 9(1), 38. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-021-00158-2
Baumer P. C., Dennis M. L., Estrada B. (2018). Needs, Services Received, and Outcomes of Adolescents and Young Adults in Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment. In: Leukefeld C., Gullotta T. (eds.) Adolescent Substance Abuse. Issues in Children's and Families' Lives. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90611-9_4
Dennis, M. L., Estrada, B., & Funk, R. (2017). Using the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs Short Screener (GAIN-SS) Substance Disorder Screener (SDScr) in Screening Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) in general and for adolescents, young adults, adults and older adults: Chestnut Health Systems. Retrieved from https://chestnut.box.com/v/workingpapers.
Dennis, M. L., Estrada, B. D., Orndorff, M. G., Funk, R. R., & Robinson, R. K. (2016, February). Recidivism Reduction Initiative (RRI) 2016 Progress Report. Annual report to Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Office of Justice Services (OJS), Recidivism Reduction Initiative (RRI) Leadership, Washington, DC.
Orndorff, M., Estrada, B., & Titus, J. (2013, December). Using Evidence-Based Practices in Rural Communities. Counselor, 20–26.
Stewart-Sabin, C., Benally, H., Estrada, B., Hanes Stevens, L., & Stone, J. B. (2012). Using evidence-based practices with American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Counselor, 13(6), 20–26.
Haring, R. C., Titus, J. C., Hanes-Stevens, L., & Estrada, B. D. (2012). Increasing the knowledge base: Utilizing the GAIN in culturally sensitive landscapes. Fourth World Journal, 11(2), 79–94.
Selected Grants and Contracts:
Project Director: Screen4Success, SAMHSA contracted via Synergy Enterprises Inc. (HHSS277201700001C; 2022–present)
Project Director: Pathways to Wellness Recidivism Reduction Initiative and Virtual Recovery Environment, BIA/OJS (140A1619C0044; 2014–Present)
Project Manager: Cross-site Evaluation of OJJDP Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Guidelines, OJJDP/NIJ contract via AIR (2017–2022)
Centers
Pathways Partnership Platform (P3)
The Pathways Partnership Platform (P3) is an interagency cooperation and tribal partnerships for effective and innovative youth risk mitigation.
Pathways to Wellness Recidivism Reduction Initiative – Virtual Recovery Environment (PWRRI VRE)
Community Care Coordinators will screen, refer to services, and coordinate treatment services for participants in two detention centers.
Scaling up eConnect in Juvenile Probation Settings: A Hybrid Implementation-Effectiveness Trial of a Digital Suicide Risk/Behavior Identification and Linkage-to-Treatment System (e-Connect-IN)
The purpose of the project is to develop and test a software application that seeks to improve delivery of mental health services and reduce suicide risk in adolescents transitioning out of the juvenile justice system.
Screen 4 Success
LI will develop a web-based cloud application to provide a self-screening and referral management service to people referred by the “Talk. They Hear You.” (TTHY) mobile application and national media campaign.
Pathway to Wellness Recidivism Reduction Initiative (PWRRI)
In 2014, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Office of Justice Services (OJS) created the Diversion to Re-entry Division (DRD) within the Tribal Justice Support (TJS) Directorate to address the need for reducing criminal recidivism in tribal communities through identification of need and risk, referral, treatment, re-entry and tracking offenders along a cascade of justice services.