Institute for Home Visiting Workforce Development and the Jackie Walorski Center for Evidence-Based Case Management
Home visiting’s effectiveness depends on the strength of its workforce. This project looks at issues such as workforce recruitment, well-being, and retention to improve home visiting services and achieve better outcomes for families.
JBA is leading knowledge development efforts to understand existing systems of workforce support and to identify gaps and opportunities for growth. Activities use implementation science and intentional field engagement—including partnerships with states, home visitors, and workforce members—to develop actionable and practical tools (roadmaps, toolkits, data dashboards) that address pressing workforce needs and enable system-level implementation of workforce support strategies. The approach emphasizes translating research into practice through human-centered stories and action-oriented products grounded in the lived experiences of the home visiting workforce.
JBA also partners with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health for work focused on evidence-based case management; priorities include documenting core components of effective strategies, engaging local programs and community partners to assess current practices, and designing studies to test and evaluate their effectiveness.
Staff
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Mariel Sparr, Ph.D., M.A.
Vice President
Mariel Sparr has more than 15 years of experience in applied research and evaluation in the areas of implementation quality, early childhood education...
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Emily Heberlein, Ph.D., M.S.
Senior Research Associate
Emily Heberlein has nearly 20 years of experience in mixed-methods research, evaluation, and quality improvement. Her work spans initiatives including...
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Alexandra Joraanstad, M.S.P.H.
Senior Research Associate
Alexandra Joraanstad has nearly 15 years of experience conducting social science research and evaluation. Her work has primarily focused on home...
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Eleanor Fisk, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Eleanor Fisk has nearly 10 years of experience in early childhood research, policy, and practice. Her areas of expertise include early childhood development, early...
- Tonya Bibbs, Ph.D. Senior Research Associate
- Colleen Morrison, Ph.D. Senior Research Associate
- Patrice Cachat, M.S.W. Research Associate
- Deisy Rodriguez Ledezma, M.A. Research Assistant
- Jessica Bruning, M.S. Research Associate
- Amanda Eastern, Ph.D., M.S. Research Associate
- Mikaila Singleton, M.P.H. Research Associate
- Tyesha Gibbs Amerson, M.P.H. Research and Continuous Quality Improvement Associate
Partners
EDC, Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals, Start Early, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Urban Institute, Chapin Hall