Developing an Evidence-Based Technical Assistance Model: a Process Evaluation of the National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health

Jonathan R Olson,Marlene Matarese,Eric J Bruns,Jennifer Schurer Coldiron,Michelle D Zabel,Ryan M Parigoris

doi:10.1007/s11414-020-09686-5

Abstract

The National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health (NTTAC) supports the development and implementation of systems of care (SOC) for youth with serious emotional disorders (SED) and their families. This article presents results from a process evaluation of NTTAC, conducted to support the Center’s quality improvement and contribute to the knowledge base around provision of technical assistance (TA). The evaluation used a mixed methods approach with data collection focused on a defined subset of NTTAC TA recipients—recipients of federal Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children SOC grants. Data sources included coded administrative records from SOC grant sites, administrative data from NTTAC, standardized measures of SOC development, and stakeholder survey data. Results indicate that TA dosage matched needs and goals of TA recipients (SOC sites), overall levels of satisfaction with TA were high, and TA content was generally aligned with need. TA recipients reported significant progress on indicators of SOC development over time. Together, these findings suggest that it is possible to develop TA methods that reflect the level and type of TA recipients’ goals and needs, and, in turn, positively impact SOC development and behavioral health service delivery.

Highlights

The National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health (NTTAC) supports the development and implementation of systems of care (SOC) for youth with serious emotional disorders (SED) and their families
Results indicate that CMHI SOC grantee sites supported by NTTAC reported a wide variety of goals related to building strategies and systems in the inner and outer settings that increase capacity to better meet the behavioral health needs of children and youth within states, jurisdictions, territories, and tribes
NTTAC has had a broad reach, there were variations in technical assistance (TA) provided across levels of jurisdiction that may point to needed improvements in partnership and TA provision

Summary

Introduction

The National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health (NTTAC) supports the development and implementation of systems of care (SOC) for youth with serious emotional disorders (SED) and their families. TA recipients reported significant progress on indicators of SOC development over time Together, these findings suggest that it is possible to develop TA methods that reflect the level and type of TA recipients’ goals and needs, and, in turn, positively impact SOC development and behavioral health service delivery. The field of children’s mental health has long recognized shortcomings in child-serving systems’ capacity to meet the needs of youth with serious emotional and behavioral disorders.[1, 2] Among the many challenges associated with serving this population, a primary factor is inadequate coordination among the multiple systems, services, and supports necessary to help these youth and their families. There has been consistent interest in ensuring that TA systems themselves are based on comparative effectiveness research.[6, 9, 11] empirical research on the effects of TA on general youth-focused programming is emergent at best, with significant gaps in research on the provision of TA to support the implementation of SOC strategies

Objectives

Results

Conclusion