Copia Consulting LLC provides comprehensive services in research and evaluation, non-profit organizational development, community engagement, and systems change. Now celebrating nineteen years of successful projects and satisfied clients, our portfolio includes extensive work in the arenas of adult and child mental health, criminal justice, child welfare, and education reform. Our services encompass the full spectrum of research, evaluation and policy work.
At Copia, our greatest focus is the impact we make on the ground, with the stakeholders and the children and families they serve, where we believe it matters most.
Copia Cares is the intersection of all of our areas of experience.
Copia Cares About What?
Community needs may extend from hunger to foster care to substance abuse treatment, mental health services, education, houselessness, advocacy… unfortunately there are many more. But we know from experience that the highest levels of success come when multiple entities representing a broad continuum of services come together, pool resources and unite for the common good.
As Copia approaches its 20th anniversary, we have stepped back and considered how we might fill the coming years with work that we truly believe makes a difference. Two of our highest priorities are working with key businesses and organizations to eliminate food insecurity and houselessness in the City of Austin and beyond.
Who is Copia?
Copia Consulting is a small, woman-owned business based in Austin, Texas. It was established in 2002 by Rachel Howell and Angie Luck. Over the last 19 years our work has spanned across multiple fields – research and evaluation, assisting non-profit organizations with board development and strategic planning, and organizing and facilitating community-wide change initiatives in the areas of criminal justice reform, mental health services and child welfare.
Both Rachel and Angie have lived in Austin for 30+ years and know the community well. We have worked with federal, state, county and city governments as well as non-profit organizations and foundations on numerous projects, but over the years have come to realize that the work that feeds our souls is managing projects in which we can facilitate positive impacts for people in need. Copia specializes in moving from vision to action.
Our Services
Research & Evaluation
Our expertise includes both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis, with an emphasis on qualitative research. We are adept at designing meaningful research questions and interacting with subjects in focus groups, case studies, interviews and observations. It is our goal not only to identify significant findings, but to work with the client to ensure that the information is utilized to leverage positive change.
Special Education & Parent Engagement
Copia has extensive experience working with school districts to ensure that parent voices are heard and that parents and schools are working together to ensure the highest quality of services for their children with special needs. We often conduct Parent Symposiums for up to 200 parents of children with special needs, allowing them to talk openly with each other about successes, challenges, and the necessary steps toward improvement. We then provide a detailed report with recommendations to the district and can also provide training sessions for Special Education staff to help them understand parent needs and concerns.
Community Engagement
Each sector of the community has a different stake in the outcome and different motivators to participate. Knowing what those interests and motivating factors are is critical to success, both in terms of engaging the participants initially and sustaining their involvement over time.
Project Management
We have managed hundreds of personnel and millions of dollars, resulting in projects that deliver on-time and on-budget. We are adept at identifying critical elements of the project, creating detailed work plans with timelines, and adapting to changes or new information.