Research Evaluation Services

Kevin Baldwin, PhD

Dr. Baldwin is a clinical psychologist with a dual emphasis on research and forensics. He has directed scores of federally-funded research projects, authored over a dozen articles in peer-reviewed journals, and has both designed and evaluated substance abuse treatment programs. Dr. Baldwin authored the U.S. DOJ SMART Office’s publication entitled “Sex Offender Risk Assessment” (available for download at: Archived | Chapter 6: Sex Offender Risk Assessment | Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking). Dr. Baldwin is also Director of Forensic Services at the Highland Institute, an Atlanta outpatient clinic specializing in the assessment and treatment of persons with sexual behavior problems. He performs forensic evaluations for state and federal courts and probation/parole authorities, serves as an expert witness in both juvenile and adult courts, and has worked in both inpatient and community-based mental health settings. Dr. Baldwin is a frequent presenter at regional and national conferences and has provided training and technical assistance to treatment and court staff in a variety of settings across the United States. He serves as faculty for All Rise's Treatment Court Institute and the National Judicial College. Dr. Baldwin earned his Ph.D. at Georgia State University, after completing an adult forensic internship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

You can find a current curriculum vitae here. 

Please feel free to email me with any questions or to set up a meeting to discuss working together.

What We Do

Program Evaluation

Dr. Baldwin has over 30 years of experience conducting program evaluation and serving as the research partner to agencies who have received funding to implement a wide variety of programs and interventions. These have included programs focused on addressing physical and behavioral health issues such as Sickle Cell Disease, cancer and blood disorders, substance use disorders, serious and persistent mental illness, and a host of others. Dr. Baldwin applies state-of-the-art evaluation and research techniques and designs and utilizes sophisticated statistical and analytic methods to use your data to effectively address stated goals and objectives.

Dr. Baldwin has generally become involved with projects at the proposal stage, working with you and your team to craft and submit a solid application for funding. He has for many years served as a reviewer on federal grant panels and has learned a great deal about what funders are looking for and expect in terms of research design, data collection, and reporting of findings. He also has extensive experience with federal grant reporting requirements and systems used by the US Department of Justice and the US Department of Health and Human Services.

One particular focus of Dr. Baldwin's evaluation research has been on treatment courts. These courts, also often referred to as problem-solving courts, specialty courts, accountability courts, and drug courts, arose out of the conviction that standard judicial case processing of persons with serious behavioral health disorders was not particularly effective. These courts employ a collaborative, team-based approach to identifying and addressing the criminogenic needs such as mental health and substance use disorders that drive much of criminal behavior. Dr. Baldwin has evaluated scores of these courts throughout the United States, including drug courts, mental health courts, veterans' treatment courts, family dependency treatment courts, child support courts, an early intervention for youthful violent offender court, and a human trafficking court. Since 2008 Dr. Baldwin has been continuously supported by at least one federal grant to evaluate one or more of these courts.    

Often utilizing an action-oriented, participatory evaluation model, Dr. Baldwin partners with you and your team to continuously track progress towards stated objectives, working as part of the overall team to ensure that the project remains on track and that any deviations or barriers are addressed quickly before they become larger issues. This model also relies upon the involvement of stakeholders in the evaluation process and the attainment of actionable knowledge that can then be used to ensure maximum benefir to the stakeholders and larger community.   

Training and Technical Assistance

Dr. Baldwin has provided training and technical assistance to courts and court personnel across the United States, both independently and as faculty for All Rise (founded as the National Association of Drug Court Professionals) and the National Judicial College. His research and clinical experience as a forensic psychologist combine to provide a current and comprehensive understanding of the issues encountered when working with justice-involved clients. Dr. Baldwin is also certified to provide the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Trauma Informed Care for Court and Criminal Justice Professionals curriculum, and has provided the training to numerous courts and law enforcement agencies across the country.     

Risk Assessment and Amelioration

The accurate assessment of risk is of crucial importance at practically every step along the continuum of criminal justice case processing, from first contact with law enforcement to return to the community following a period of incarceration. Using the results of risk assessment to provide appropriate interventions and settings is key to the successful reduction of risk for future offending. Dr. Baldwin has developed, tested, and assisted in the implementation of risk assessments in a wide range of community and carceral settings from pretrial hearings to decisions made by releasing authorities (e.g., parole boards) and practically everything in between. As for interventions to reduce risk, Dr. Baldwin has assisted courts and correctional agencies in the implementation of the well-supported Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) Model developed by Andrews and Bonta (Risk-need-responsivity model for offender assessment and rehabilitation 2007-06) which since it's development in the early 1990s has become the preeminent model of offender assessment and rehabilitation worldwide.

Clients and Funding Sources

First with Emory University, then with Wellsys Corporation and most recently with Applied Research Services, Dr. Baldwin has provided research, evaluation, and training and technical assistance for the following:

Advantage Behavioral Health Systems

Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts

All Rise (founded as the National Association of Drug Court Professionals)

Atlanta/Fulton County Policing Alternatives & Diversion

Atlanta (GA) Public Schools

Atlanta Police Department

Center for Court Innovation

Center for Effective Public Policy

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

City of Refuge

Cobb County (GA) District Attorney's Office

DeKalb County (GA) Schools

Emory University

Fulton County (GA) Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

Fulton County (GA) District Attorney's Office

Fulton County (GA) Accountability Courts

Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles

Georgia Council of Accountability Court Judges

Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

Georgia Department of Community Supervision

Georgia Department of Corrections

Georgia Department of Public Health

Georgia State University

Justice Information Resource Network

Kennesaw State University

Louisville Metro Police Department (KY)

Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce

National Center for State Courts

National Judicial College

Start Corporation (LA)

Tapestri, Inc.

United States Department of Justice

United States Department of Education

Contact Information

email: kevin@researchevalservices.com

phone: 770-286-8312

web: www.researchevalservices.com