Welcome to Our Products Page
At MERC, we collaborate with a diverse range of clients on innovative projects, many of which result in proprietary materials. To respect confidentiality and intellectual property, only publicly accessible products are showcased here.
These examples highlight the breadth of our capabilities, but they represent just a fraction of our work. If you’re interested in learning more about how we can support your project with tailored evaluation and data solutions, we’d love to hear from you!
2024
2024 Nebraska Assessment of College Health Behaviors (NACHB) Omaha Collegiate Consortium Report
The Nebraska Assessment of College Health Behaviors (NACHB) provides comprehensive data on college student behaviors, attitudes, and experiences related to alcohol, drugs, mental health, and personal violence. Conducted across seven member institutions of the Omaha Collegiate Consortium (OCC), the survey serves as a critical tool for understanding trends and informing prevention programming and campus policies. This year's administration marks the third iteration of the survey, with responses from 1,899 students aged 18-24.
2024 Nebraska Assessment of College Health Behaviors (NACHB) Report
The 2024 administration of the Nebraska Assessment of College Health Behaviors (NACHB) provides critical insights into the health-related attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions of students enrolled at 23 member institutions of the Nebraska Collegiate Prevention Alliance (NECPA). The survey examines alcohol and drug use, mental health, personal violence, and students’ attitudes towards campus policies and prevention efforts.
Nebraska State Health Improvement Plan Frequently Asked Questions: Assessing Community Needs and Developing Health Improvement Plans
This document serves as a comprehensive guide for Nebraska tribal and local health departments (T/LHDs) conducting Community Health Needs Assessments (CHA) and Community Health Improvement Plans (CHIP). It offers practical advice, resources, and tools to support organizations in tailoring their assessments and strategic plans to community-specific needs and capacities. The guidance incorporates insights from various health departments, tribal entities, and public health experts, addressing topics such as data collection, stakeholder engagement, priority setting, and sustainability. It includes links to additional resources and a supplemental Resource Inventory for more in-depth support, ensuring flexibility and adaptability for organizations conducting similar community assessments and planning efforts
Resource Inventory Assessing Community Needs and Developing Health Improvement Plans
This document provides guidance and resources for conducting community health assessments (CHAs) and making data-driven decisions for strategic or community health improvement plans (CHIPs). It serves as a supplement to existing tools like the MAPP 2.0 framework and the Community Toolbox, with a specific focus on Nebraska-related resources and best practices for data collection and analysis. Key sections include partnerships, data sources, data collection, analysis, and priority setting. The guide emphasizes building capacity among Nebraska tribal and local health departments, fostering equitable participation, and leveraging tools like surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Practical tips, data quality standards, and links to relevant resources are included to ensure effective and inclusive CHA/CHIP processes.
2023
2023 Year One College Behavior Profile (Y1CBP) Report
The Year One College Behavior Profile (Y1CBP) for 2023 provides a comprehensive analysis of alcohol and marijuana use among first-year students entering Omaha Collegiate Consortium (OCC) schools. The survey, completed by 1,756 students, offers valuable insights into behavioral trends, perceptions, and the impact of social norms on substance use.
Nebraska State Health Improvement Plan SHIP In Action Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ provides detailed guidance and resources for organizations, particularly the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS), on developing and implementing the State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP). The SHIP is a comprehensive framework addressing statewide public health priorities identified through the State Health Assessment (SHA). It outlines steps for stakeholder engagement, goal setting, priority selection, strategy development, implementation, and progress monitoring.
The tool emphasizes collaboration with diverse partners, alignment with local health initiatives, and sustainability planning to ensure long-term impact. It also offers strategies for effective communication, partner engagement, and adapting to challenges like turnover. Key resources and tools, including templates, communication plans, and data dashboards, are provided to support the SHIP's iterative and inclusive process. Designed for adaptability, this guidance aims to align state and local efforts to improve public health outcomes, promote health equity, and foster resilience. For additional support, it directs users to relevant tools and links.
Nebraska State Health Assessment Redesigning for Tomorrow Health Status Prioritization Guide
The Nebraska Division of Public Health (DPH) redesigned its State Health Assessment (SHA) and State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) processes in 2022, emphasizing statewide priorities to strengthen public health systems and improve health outcomes. Two system-level priorities—infrastructure and equity—were identified, with eight Public Health Advancement Workgroups formed to address these areas. The redesigned 2023-2027 SHIP aims to align state health status priorities with Tribal and Local Health Department (T/LHD) Community Health Improvement Plans (CHIPs). A comprehensive evaluation, including literature reviews, surveys, focus groups, and stakeholder feedback, informed the redesign. The updated SHIP focuses on collaboration, transparency, and alignment to enhance public health capacity, support local priorities, and strategically address health disparities and resource needs.
2022
Analysis of the 2017-2022 Year 1 College Behavior Profile (Y1CBP) Data for Omaha Collegiate Consortium (OCC)
This report analyzes data from the Year 1 College Behavior Profile (Y1CBP), a web-based alcohol and marijuana prevention survey administered to first-year students at the Omaha Collegiate Consortium (OCC) between 2017 and 2022. The Y1CBP serves as an educational tool, providing personalized feedback on alcohol and marijuana use, harms, and campus norms to guide prevention efforts. It also highlights students' perceptions and behaviors prior to arriving on campus, helping identify trends for targeted intervention. The report emphasizes the value of Y1CBP data in addressing misperceptions through social norms marketing and informs campus-wide prevention strategies to foster healthier behaviors among incoming students.
Trends in Alcohol and Marijuana Use Among Nebraska First-Year Students: Insights from the Y1CBP (2020-2022)
The Year 1 College Behavior Profile (Y1CBP) offers a critical look at alcohol and marijuana use trends among first-year students across Nebraska. This report, analyzing data from 2020-2022, sheds light on student behaviors, perceptions, and opportunities for targeted prevention efforts. The Y1CBP is a web-based prevention tool providing personalized feedback to students based on their self-reported alcohol and marijuana use, harms, and campus norms. While not a substitute for campus-wide surveys, the Y1CBP helps identify key misperceptions and supports the development of impactful prevention programming.
Nebraska Assessment of College Health Behaviors Alcohol Use Factsheet
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Nebraska Assessment of College Health Behaviors Use of Other Drugs Factsheet
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Nebraska Assessment of College Health Behaviors High Risk Behaviors Factsheet
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Nebraska Assessment of College Health Behaviors Sexual Behavior Factsheet
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Nebraska Assessment of College Health Behaviors Mental Health Factsheet
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Nebraska Assessment of College Health Behaviors Underage Population Factsheet
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Nebraska Assessment of College Health Behaviors Marijuana/Cannabis Use Factsheet
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2020
The Nebraska Assessment of College Health Behaviors (NACHB) is a comprehensive survey across 13 member institutions to explore alcohol and drug use behaviors, sexual health, and related attitudes among college students. This initiative aimed to provide actionable insights for enhancing campus safety, promoting well-being, and supporting effective prevention programs. Data collection and analysis followed rigorous protocols, ensuring confidentiality and statistical reliability. Findings from this survey inform campus policies, intervention strategies, and educational campaigns to foster healthier and safer college environments.
2019
The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska Final Evaluation Report
This report highlights the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska's adaptation of the Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) model, Wažokį Wošgą Gicą Wo’ųpį, to support culturally relevant child welfare practices. The intervention aimed to promote sustainable permanence for tribal children and youth in foster care who could not reunify with their biological parents. By involving extended family and community members, the model strengthened family connectedness, increased protective factors, and provided clearer pathways to permanency through customary adoption and guardianship. The evaluation, while limited by a small sample size, revealed positive impacts, including enhanced family understanding of permanency options, greater participant satisfaction, and improved trust in community and professional partnerships. This culturally grounded approach not only addressed historical challenges within the child welfare system but also led to significant outcomes, such as clarifying Tribal Code to align with tribal values and practices. These findings underscore the importance of tailoring interventions to the cultural contexts of tribal communities, guided by the principles of "By the Tribe, for the Tribe."
2018
2018 Nebraska School Garden Assessment
The 2018 Nebraska School Garden Assessment surveyed 361 school personnel to understand the prevalence, characteristics, and use of school gardens across urban and rural locations, public and private schools, and schools with varying income levels. Sixty-one percent of respondents reported having a school garden, with public and rural schools more likely to have gardens than private and urban schools. Financial and staffing constraints were the most commonly cited barriers to starting or maintaining a garden, particularly in schools with higher percentages of low-income students. Nearly all schools with gardens (97%) used them for student learning, with science being the most frequently taught core subject and agricultural studies leading non-core topics. Respondents identified administrative encouragement, teacher training, and funding as critical resources for supporting garden-based education, highlighting the need for equitable access and support for these impactful educational tools.
2018 Nebraska School Garden Needs Assessment Factsheet
The 2018 Nebraska School Garden Needs Assessment surveyed 361 school personnel to explore the prevalence and use of gardens and growing spaces in educational settings, along with the challenges and benefits associated with these initiatives. Representing approximately 165,800 students statewide, most respondents were administrators (73%) or teachers (16%), with 81% from rural schools. While 52% of schools had active gardens at the time of the survey, nearly 40% had never had a garden, often citing summer neglect and financial constraints as key barriers. School gardens were overwhelmingly used as instructional tools, with 99% incorporating them into science education and many using them for interdisciplinary learning across agriculture, nutrition, and environmental studies. The survey highlighted significant interest in expanding garden-based programs, particularly through increased funding, teacher training, and access to tailored curriculum resources.
2017
Farm to School Surveys: Early Care Education
The Farm to Early Care Education in Nebraska Survey, conducted in October 2017, gathered responses from 309 early care educators across the state to assess participation in farm-to-school (F2S) activities and related practices. The survey explored local food sourcing, garden use, and educational initiatives in early care settings, focusing on differences between family-based providers and childcare centers, urban versus rural locations, and other key site characteristics. While 38% of respondents reported having gardens and engaging in F2S activities, nearly one-third participated in F2S without gardens, highlighting the diverse approaches to integrating local food and agriculture into early care programs. Despite barriers such as cost and seasonality, a majority expressed interest in resources like curriculum and grants to expand their F2S efforts, signaling a strong foundation for growth in farm-to-early education practices statewide.
2017 Nebraska Early Care and Education Survey Factsheet
The 2017 Nebraska Early Care and Education Survey examined farm-to-preschool practices, connecting early childcare settings to local food producers and promoting experiential learning through hands-on activities such as gardening and local food education. Among surveyed sites, 94% served locally sourced food products, 51% tended edible gardens, and 20% conducted farm-to-school education activities. Larger sites and those with more part-time attendees were more likely to engage in educational activities. Despite barriers, interest in integrating farm-to-preschool elements was strong, with 67% of respondents desiring curriculum resources and 67% seeking grant opportunities to support program development. Popular motivations included improving children’s health (89%) and lowering meal costs (83%).
