Use Of Evidence-based Programs Research Articles

Strengthening the Science and Practice of Implementation Support: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Training and Technical Assistance Centers.

Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent each year by U.S. federal agencies for training and technical assistance (TTA) to be delivered by training and technical assistance centers (TTACs) to "delivery system organizations" (e.g., federally qualified health centers, state departments of health, substance abuse treatment centers, schools, and healthcare organizations). TTACs are often requested to help delivery system organizations implement evidence-based interventions. Yet, counterintuitively, TTACs are rarely required to use evidence-based approaches when supporting delivery systems (in the use of evidence-based programs). In fact, evaluations of TTAC activities tend to be minimal; evaluation of technical assistance (if conducted at all) often emphasizes outputs (number of encounters), satisfaction, and self-reports of knowledge gained-more substantive outcomes are not evaluated. The gap between (a) the volume of TTA services being funded and provided and (b) the evaluation of those services is immense and has the potential to be costly. The basic question to be answered is: how effective are TTA services? This article introduces the special issue on Strengthening the Science and Practice of Implementation Support: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Training and Technical Assistance Centers. The special issue promotes 1) knowledge of the state of the art of evaluation of TTACs and 2) advances in what to evaluate in TTA. A major goal of the issue is to improve the science and practice of implementation support, particularly in the areas of TTA.

Does place matter in the implementation of an evidence-based program policy in an Australian place-based initiative for children?

Policy-mandated requirements for use of evidence-based programs (EBP) in place-based initiatives are becoming more common. Little attention has been paid to the geographic aspects of uneven market development and urbanicity in implementing EBPs in large place-based initiatives. The aim of this study was to explore geographic variation in knowledge, attitudes, and experiences of service providers who implemented an EBP policy in Australia's largest place-based initiative for children, Communities for Children. A cross-sectional online survey of Communities for Children service providers was conducted in 2018-2019, yielding 197 participants from all of Australia's eight states and territories. Relationships between two measures of 'place' (thick and thin market states; urbanicity: urban, regional and remote) and study-designed measures of knowledge, attitudes, and implementation experiences were analyzed using adjusted logistic and multinomial regressions. Participants from thin market states (outside the Eastern Seaboard) were more resistant to the policy and experienced greater implementation challenges than those from thick market states (Eastern Seaboard). Regional participants reported greater knowledge about EBPs but experienced greater dissatisfaction and implementation challenges with the policy than both urban and remote participants. Our study found that place does matter when implementing EBPs in a place-based initiative.

Knowledge and Use of Evidence-Based Programs for Older Adults in the Community: A Survey of Physical Therapy Professionals.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality highlights the need for sustainable linkages between clinical and community settings to enhance prevention and improve care of people with chronic conditions. The first step in promoting linkages is understanding the knowledge and use of evidence-based programs by physical therapy (PT) professionals. Therefore, the objective of this study was to describe the knowledge of and referral to evidence-based programs in the community by a convenience sample of PT professionals and to examine the characteristics of those who refer to evidence-based programs. A cross-sectional web-based survey containing 36 questions regarding respondents' demographics and evidence-based program knowledge and referral practices was disseminated to a convenience sample of PT professionals via email, news-blasts, social media, and word of mouth. A total of 459 PT professionals completed the survey. Approximately half reported practicing for more than 20 years and 75% are members of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). The majority (74%) are aware of evidence-based programs; however, fewer (56%) refer to these programs. Compared with individuals who do not refer to evidence-based programs, individuals who refer are more likely to be involved in PT organizations and be an APTA Geriatrics member. Of the individuals who do not refer to evidence-based programs, 21.5% reported not knowing they existed and 33% reported not knowing where the programs are located. Most survey respondents reported knowing about evidence-based programs and more than half reported being aware of the evidence-based programs available in their communities. These results indicate many PT professionals already have a knowledge of evidence-based programs to support clinic-community linkages. As survey respondents were a sample of convenience and likely do not represent all PT professionals in the United States, the results should be interpreted with caution. Additional research on a more representative sample is needed to fully understand the current utilization of evidence-based programs, which will enable us to design efforts to improve the clinic to community transition. Improving linkages between PT professionals and community resources has the potential to benefit both patients and clinicians and lessen the burden on the health care system.

Implementation Science: Increasing the Public Health Impact of Audiology Research.

Implementation science aims to facilitate the use of evidence-based programs, practices, and policies in routine care settings. In audiology, as in other health disciplines, there is a persistent research-to-practice gap. Improving the adoption, reach, implementation, and sustainment of effective interventions in audiology would increase their public health impact, ensuring that all individuals needing hearing health care services could benefit from innovations and evidence-based best practices. This tutorial provides an introductory overview of implementation science relevant to the field of audiology, including Internet-based practices and interventions. Major concepts and themes of implementation science are presented, including implementation outcomes, implementation science frameworks, implementation strategies, current topics in implementation science, and study design considerations. Recent publications in audiology are highlighted to illustrate implementation science concepts and themes. The relevance of each topic to the use of evidence-based programs, practices, and policies in audiology is highlighted with reference to recent research in the field. Challenges in the widespread delivery of evidence-based audiological practices and interventions limit their public health impact. The application of implementation science principles and methods in audiology research, as demonstrated in other areas of health research, can increase our focus on ensuring that effective practices are widely available, accessible, equitable, and sustainable to improve the lives of those who need them.

References to Evidence-based Program Registry (EBPR) websites for behavioral health in U.S. state government statutes and regulations.

U.S. state governments have the responsibility to regulate and license behavioral healthcare interventions, such as for addiction and mental illness, with increasing emphasis on implementing evidence-based programs (EBPs). A serious obstacle to this is lack of clarity or agreement about what constitutes "evidence-based." The study's purpose was to determine the extent to which and in what contexts web-based Evidence-based Program Registries (EBPRs) are referenced in state government statutes and regulations ("mandates") concerning behavioral healthcare. Examples are: What Works Clearinghouse; National Register of Evidence-based Programs and Practices; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The study employed the Westlaw Legal Research Database to search for 30 known EBPR websites relevant to behavioral healthcare within the statutes and regulations of all 50 states. There was low prevalence of EBPR references in state statutes and regulations pertaining to behavioral healthcare; 20 states had a total of 33 mandates that referenced an EBPR. These mandates usually do not rely on an EBPR as the sole acceptable source for classifying a program or practice as "evidence-based." Instead, EBPRs were named in conjunction with internal state or external sources of information about putative program effectiveness, which may be less valid than EBPRs, to determine what is "evidence-based." Greater awareness of scientifically - based EBPRs and greater understanding of their advantages need to be fostered among state legislators and regulators charged with making policy to increase or improve the use of evidence-based programs and practices in behavioral healthcare in the U.S.

Is implementation research out of step with implementation practice? Pathways to effective implementation support over the last decade.

Over the past few years, professionals in the field of implementation science have identified a growing gap between implementation research and implementation practice. While this issue has been highlighted informally, the field is lacking a shared understanding and clear way forward to reconcile this gap. In this paper, the authors describe how professionals providing implementation support have shifted their implementation practice over time through systematic observations of what works (and what does not work) for supporting and sustaining evidence use in service systems to improve population outcomes. The authors share the impressive leaps forward made in the field of implementation practice - from didactic training to responsive and tailored implementation strategies to co-created and relationship-based implementation solutions. The paper concludes with a call to action to the field for the creation of a virtuous learning cycle between professionals conducting implementation research and professionals providing implementation support to change practice as a way to produce a more robust and relevant science of implementation.

School-Based Mental Health Promotion and Early Intervention Programs in New South Wales, Australia: Mapping Practice to Policy and Evidence

Limited empirical evidence is available regarding the uptake and effectiveness of school-based mental health and wellbeing programs implemented in Australian schools. This study aimed to characterise the delivery of programs in primary (elementary) schools across New South Wales, Australia, and to assess this information against published ratings of program effectiveness. Delivery of programs in four health-promoting domains—creating a positive school community; teaching social and emotional skills; engaging the parent community; and supporting students experiencing mental health difficulties—were reported by 597 school principals/leaders via online survey. Although three quarters of principals reported implementing at least one program, many of these programs were supported by little or no evidence of effectiveness. There was also variability in the use of evidence-based programs across the four domains. Findings indicate a need to provide educators with improved support to identify, implement, and evaluate effective evidenced-based programs that promote student mental health.

Suicide Rates and Differences in Rates Between Non-Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic White Populations in the 30 Largest US Cities, 2008-2017.

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, and rates vary by race and ethnicity. An analysis of suicide across large US cities is absent from the literature. The objective of this study was to examine suicide rates among the total population, non-Hispanic Black population, and non-Hispanic White population in the United States and in the 30 largest US cities. We used data from the National Vital Statistics System to calculate non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and total age-adjusted suicide rates for the 30 largest US cities and for the entire nation during 2 periods: 2008-2012 and 2013-2017. We also examined absolute and relative differences in suicide rates among non-Hispanic White populations and non-Hispanic Black populations in each city. The overall age-adjusted suicide rate per 100 000 population in the United States increased significantly from 12.3 in 2008-2012 to 13.5 in 2013-2017. Total suicide rates were stable in most cities; rates increased significantly in only 1 city (Louisville), and rates decreased significantly in 2 cities (Boston and Memphis). The non-Hispanic White suicide rate was significantly higher-1.3 to 4.3 times higher-than the non-Hispanic Black suicide rate in 24 of 26 study cities during 2013-2017. From 2008-2012 to 2013-2017, non-Hispanic White suicide rates decreased significantly in 3 cities and increased significantly in 3 cities; non-Hispanic Black suicide rates increased significantly in 5 cities and decreased in none. Absolute differences in suicide rates among non-Hispanic White populations and non-Hispanic Black populations increased significantly in 1 city (Louisville) and decreased significantly in 2 cities (Memphis and Boston). Our study may inform the use of evidence-based programs and practices to address population-level risk factors for suicide.

Leveraging Motivational Interviewing to Coach Teachers in the Implementation of Preventive Evidence-Based Practices: A Sequential Analysis of the Motivational Interviewing Process.

Though emerging research supports the effectiveness of school-based coaching models utilizing motivational interviewing (MI), an examination of the specific drivers behind these effects is notably lacking in the prevention field. This study leveraged sequential analysis to examine how teachers' verbalization of change talk (i.e., language in support of change) and sustain talk (i.e., language in support of maintaining the status quo) was influenced by coaches' use of MI-consistent (i.e., collaborative language supportive of change) and MI-inconsistent (e.g., confrontational, directive) language, respectively. We also examined whether teacher and coach factors were related to coach-teacher language dynamics. Data were collected from 87 teachers in 16 elementary and middle schools randomized in a trial to the Double Check preventive intervention (see Bradshaw et al., 2018). Audio-recorded coaching feedback sessions were coded using an adapted version of the Motivational Interviewing Sequential Code for Observing Process Exchanges (MI-SCOPE). Sequential analyses indicated that MI-consistent and change talk were significantly more likely than chance to occur consecutively. Teachers' sustain talk was also more likely to occur sequentially with coach use of MI-consistent language and teacher change talk; the latter suggests teacher ambivalence. Coaches rarely used MI-inconsistent language, and its occurrence was only associated with more MI-inconsistent language. Regression analyses indicated that teacher age, efficacy, burnout, classroom organization, and some design features (i.e., cohort, coach, coach-teacher racial match) were associated with different coach-teacher language dynamics. This novel school-based study illustrates how coaching MI evoked teacher change talk related to use of evidence-based programs.

Key considerations for designing capacity-building interventions to support evidence-based programming in underserved communities: a qualitative exploration.

Increasing the use of evidence-based programs (EBPs) in community settings is critical for improving health and reducing disparities. Community-based organizations (CBOs) and faith-based organizations (FBOs) have tremendous reach and trust within underserved communities, but their impact is constrained by limited staff capacity to use EBPs. This exploratory study sought to identify design and delivery considerations that could increase the impact of capacity-building interventions for CBOs and FBOs working with underserved communities. Data come from a community-based participatory research project addressing cancer disparities in Black, Latino, and Brazilian communities from Greater Boston and Greater Lawrence, Massachusetts. We conducted four focus group discussions with program coordinators in CBOs and FBOs (n = 27) and key informant interviews with CBO and FBO leaders (n = 15). Three researchers analyzed the data using a multi-stage coding process that included both prefigured and emergent codes. Key design considerations included embedding customized capacity-building interventions into community networks with local experts, supporting ongoing engagement with the intervention via a range of resources and communication channels, and addressing resource constraints. Regarding the contextual factors that should influence capacity-building intervention content, participants highlighted resource constraints, environments in which EBP use is not the norm, and challenges linking available programs with the multi-level barriers to good health faced by community members. Overall, the study highlights the need for integrated, long-term capacity-building efforts developed in partnership with, and ultimately sustained by, local organizations.

Associations of exposure to intimate partner violence and parent-to-child aggression with child competence and psychopathology symptoms in two generations

BackgroundAssociations of exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and parent-to-child aggression (PCA) with child adjustment have not been examined adequately for community samples. ObjectiveTo examine main, cumulative, and interactive associations of IPV and PCA (separately for physical and psychological aggression) with four aspects of child adjustment (i.e., externalizing and internalizing behavior; social and scholastic competence). Associations were examined between (a) G1 parent behavior and the adjustment of G2 boys (N = 203) at ages 13–14 years and (b) G2 parent behavior and the adjustment of G3 children (N = 294) at ages 4–5 and 11–12 years. Participants and settingFamilies in a prospective, multigenerational dataset. MethodsMeasures included reports by caregivers, children, and teachers. Cross-sectional regression models (controlling for parent socioeconomic status and G3 child gender) examined: (a) main effects of IPV or PCA, (b) the simultaneous (i.e., cumulative) effects of both IPV and PCA, and (c) interactive effects of IPV and PCA (sample size permitting) on each of the child adjustment outcomes. ResultsWhen considered simultaneously, PCA (but not IPV) was associated with each aspect of child adjustment. The interaction between PCA and IPV indicated lower G2 adolescent scholastic competence and greater G3 preschool externalizing behavior for children exposed to lower levels of IPV and higher levels of PCA. ConclusionPsychological and physical PCA were associated with child adjustment problems even when accounting for IPV. Findings support the use of evidence-based programs to prevent PCA and PCA-associated child adjustment problems.

Designing Capacity-Building Supports to Promote Evidence-Based Programs in Community-Based Organizations Working with Underserved Populations

Designing Capacity-Building Supports to Promote Evidence-Based Programs in Community-Based Organizations Working with Underserved Populations Shoba Ramanadhan, ScD, MPH, David Aronstein, MSW, Vilma Martinez-Dominguez, Ziming Xuan, ScD, SM, MA, and K. Viswanath, PhD What Is the Purpose of this Study? • To use a community-based participatory research approach to design, deliver, and evaluate an intervention to build capacity in community-based organizations for the use of evidence-based programs. • To examine how engagement with the intervention (after the initial workshop) impacts the use of evidence-based programs in practice settings. What Is the Problem? • Community-based organizations often do not have the needed staff capacity to use evidence-based programs. (Evidence-based programs are health interventions that have been formally tested and found to be effective in improving health outcomes.) • Although the literature suggests that staff members need a range of supports (such as technical assistance or manuals) to be able to find, adapt, and implement evidence-based programs, it is not clear how best to design and deliver these supports. What Are the Findings? • A community-based participatory research partnership centered in Boston, Lawrence, and Worcester, Massachusetts, supported the design, delivery, and evaluation of a capacity-building intervention for practitioners in community-based organizations working with underserved communities. • There was limited practitioner engagement with ongoing capacity-building supports offered after the workshop, which included a web portal and other resources, networking events, minigrants, and technical assistance. • The use of additional capacity-building supports (particularly the web portal and minigrants) drove the use of an evidence-based program planning approach one year after the training. Who Should Care Most? • Researchers and funders should be aware that capacity-building interventions to support evidence-based programming are likely to have more impact if they include additional engagement opportunities beyond a workshop or static training. At the same time, practice constraints may make it difficult for staff of low-resource organizations to take full advantage of training opportunities. • Leaders of community-based organizations should be aware that additional investment of staff time for ongoing training opportunities may yield greater impact for staff members. [End Page 141] • Additional participatory research will be important to refine capacity-building interventions to fit both the needs and constraints of staff of community-based organizations as they find, adapt, and implement evidence-based programs. [End Page 142] Shoba Ramanadhan Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health David Aronstein Health Resources in Action Vilma Martinez-Dominguez City of Lawrence, Community Development Ziming Xuan Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health K. Viswanath Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Center for Community-Based Research, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Copyright © 2020 Johns Hopkins University Press

Designing Capacity-Building Supports to Promote Evidence-Based Programs in Community-Based Organizations Working with Underserved Populations.

It is critical to build capacity to use evidence-based health promotion programs in community-based organizations (CBOs), particularly those working with underserved populations. Packages of ongoing capacity-building supports seem to be critical, but it is not clear how best to design and deploy them. PLANET MassCONECT was a participatory research project to increase capacity for the use of evidence-based programs (EBPs) among CBO staff members in three Massachusetts communities experiencing health disparities. We assessed the impact of trainee engagement with capacity-building supports on the use of a systematic approach to program planning. Trainees were enrolled from 2010 to 2012 and engaged until 2014. The intervention started with a workshop and included ongoing capacity-building supports (a customized web portal and resources, networking events, minigrants, and technical assistance). Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between trainee engagement with capacity-building supports offered after the workshop and key outcomes at year 1. Of the capacity-building supports offered after the workshop, the web portal was the most popular. Higher use of systematic program planning approaches in the first year was predicted by web portal use (odds ratio [OR], 3.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-8.67; p = 0.04), and participation in the minigrant process (OR, 5.40; 95% CI, 1.09-28.69; p = 0.04). Separately, high intention to use systematic approaches for program planning was predicted by web portal use (OR, 3.47; 95% CI, 1.27-9.52; p = 0.02). Ongoing capacity-building supports may promote EBP planning in CBOs, but institutional constraints may limit practitioners' ability to engage with such supports.

Factors Facilitating or Hindering Use of Evidence-Based Diabetes Interventions Among Local Health Departments

Objective:The objective of this study was to assess facilitators, barriers, and capacities to use of evidence-based programs and policies (EBPPs) in local health departments (LHDs).Design:A qualitative study design was used to elicit a contextual understanding of factors. One-hour interviews were conducted among directors and diabetes/chronic disease practitioners from LHDs. A consensus coding approach was used to identify themes.Setting and Participants:Twenty-four participants from 14 Missouri LHDs completed interviews.Results:Themes were identified as facilitators, barriers, or capacities that enhance EBPP use. Facilitators included awareness of EBPPs, leadership and supervisor support of EBPP use, and facilitators to increase capacity to implement EBPPs. Skills development, targeted messaging, and understanding of evidence-based decision-making (EBDM) terminology were needed. Barriers to EBPPs use were described at the individual, organizational, and interorganizational levels and included community buy-in, limited resources, relevance to partners, and time scarcity. Capacities included the ways LHDs learn about EBPPs, methods that influence the use of EBPPs, and resources needed to sustain EBPPs. Top ways to learn about EBPPs were in-person interactions. Staff meetings, meetings with decision makers, and relevant evidence influenced decision making. Resources needed were funding, organizational capacity, and partnerships. Directors' and practitioners' views differed on type of agency culture that promoted EBPP use, preferences for learning about EBPPs, ways to influence decisions, needs, and barriers to EBPPs.Conclusions:These findings can inform future strategies to support uptake of EBPPs in diabetes and chronic disease control in LHDs. LHDs have a good understanding of EBPPs, but subtle differences in perception of EBPPs and needs exist between directors and practitioners. Investment in capacity building and fostering an organizational culture supportive of EBDM were key implications for practice. By investing in employee skill development, LHDs may increase agency capacity. Researchers should use preferred channels and targeted messaging to disseminate findings.

Protocolo de buenas prácticas en parentalidad positiva. Su elaboración y estudio piloto

La Guía de Buenas Prácticas en Parentalidad Positiva está dirigida a los servicios y a los y las profesionales que desarrollan su tarea en las áreas de Servicio Social, Educación, Salud, Justicia, o en alguna otra área donde se trabaje desarrollando labores de asesoramiento, orientación, intervención o apoyo a las familias. Contiene como instrumento principal un Protocolo de Buenas Prácticas que recoge aquellos aspectos que caracterizan el quehacer profesional y el servicio de apoyo a las familias que son relevantes desde el enfoque de la parentalidad positiva y que pueden ser objeto de mejora. Las posibilidades de mejora de la práctica profesional y del servicio se exploran en tres ámbitos de contenido claramente interconectados: A) Características de los servicios de apoyo a las familias y cultura organizacional; B) Proceso del trabajo profesional con las familias, y C) Uso de programas basados en evidencias dirigidos a las familias. Se señala el proceso de elaboración y aplicación del protocolo de buenas prácticas y los resultados obtenidos en el estudio piloto. El uso del protocolo ha permitido identificar muchas buenas prácticas relacionadas con los tres ámbitos, resultando útil su aplicación en dispositivos y servicios muy diferentes. Además, su uso ha resaltado la importancia de centrarse en la familia, destacando sus fortalezas en lugar de sus deficiencias. Por último, la evaluación positiva del protocolo online presenta una gran unanimidad entre los profesionales a la hora de juzgar su pertinencia y utilidad en la valoración de la calidad de los servicios de atención a la infancia, adolescencia y familia.

Public Health Benefits 16 Years After a Statewide Policy Change: Communities That Care in Pennsylvania

Communities That Care (CTC), an evidence-based prevention system, has been installed outside of a research context in over 500 communities worldwide. Yet, its effectiveness in a non-research context is unknown. Using a repeated cross-sectional design with propensity score weighting at the school district-level, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of widespread diffusion of CTC across Pennsylvania on adolescent substance use, delinquency, and depression. Anonymous youth survey data were collected from 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students every other year from 2001 to 2011. Three-hundred eighty-eight school districts participated in one to six waves of data collection during that time, resulting in a total of 470,798 student-reported observations. The intervention school districts received programming provided by CTC coalitions. Outcome measures were lifetime and past 30-day alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drug use. Lifetime and past year participation in delinquency and current depressive symptoms were also analyzed. Analyses revealed that CTC school districts had significantly lower levels of adolescent substance use, delinquency, and depression. This effect was small to moderate, depending on the particular outcome studied. Overall effects became stronger after accounting for use of evidence-based programs; there are likely differences in implementation quality and other factors that contribute to the observed overall small effect size. Future research needs to unpack these factors.

A brief intervention to increase uptake and adherence of an online program for depression and anxiety: Protocol for the Enhancing Engagement with Psychosocial Interventions (EEPI) Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundThere is substantial evidence that psychosocial programs delivered online can be effective in treating and preventing mental health problems. However, use of evidence-based programs in the community is currently suboptimal, and there is a lack of evidence around how to increase engagement with existing evidence-based programs. Novel approaches to increasing the acceptability of online programs such as the use of brief engagement-facilitation interventions (EFI) require evaluation. AimsThe aims of this study are to 1) examine the effectiveness of a brief online engagement-facilitation intervention (EFI) presented prior to an online self-help mental health program (myCompass) in improving uptake of and adherence to that program, and 2) assess if greater uptake and/or adherence are associated with improved efficacy (greater reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety) relative to a control condition). MethodsA three-arm randomized controlled trial will be conducted (target sample: N = 693 participants recruited via social media). An active online cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) intervention will be delivered either with (arm 1) or without (arm 2) the EFI. An attention control group (arm 3) will enable testing of the relative efficacy of the iCBT intervention. Primary outcomes are uptake of the intervention (initiation) and adherence (module completion). ResultsFindings will inform the more efficient dissemination of a range of psychosocial programs into the community, with potential for significant efficiency gains in treating common mental health problems. ConclusionsGreater engagement with online psychosocial programs may lead to significant reductions in the burden of common mental health problems in the community. Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12618001565235.

From State Policy to School Practices: Accessibility and Implementation of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Education

Currently, 22 states legally require or urge schools to include teen dating violence (TDV) awareness education; yet, little research has examined how school districts are interpreting and implementing these policies. In a state that mandates such education for parents and children, and within a large urban city serving primary Hispanic youth, the present article assessed the types of TDV awareness education being provided in public schools, including the accessibility of this information. Specifically, we contacted independent school districts (ISDs; N= 10, serving over 15,000 youth) directly to assess whether and which TDV education programs were being implemented. We also assessed whether awareness education was being disseminated via school websites in the form of a policy on TDV, as well as whether additional information pertaining to TDV (e.g., resources, programs) was available. Results are discussed, highlighting the need for use of evidence-based programming, awareness accessibility, and culturally appropriate materials for Hispanic parents and youth.

A Commentary on Personal Thoughts on Early Childhood Special Education Research

Strain provides his perspective on four issues facing science and practice in early childhood and special education. He points to the need for (a) long-term functional research, (b) greater emphasis on the use of evidence-based programs in practice, (c) moving special education research back to the Office of Special Education Programs, and (d) research that focuses on individuals and “honor[s] the idiosyncratic needs of an ever more diverse population of families and learners.” Comments are provided regarding each of these perspectives.

Erratum to: Building practitioner networks to support dissemination and implementation of evidence-based programs in community settings.

Insufficient capacity to use evidence-based programs (EBPs) limits the impact of community-based organizations (CBOs) to improve population health and address health disparities. PLANET MassCONECT was a community-based participatory research (CBPR) project conducted in three Massachusetts communities. Researchers and practitioners co-created an intervention to build capacity among CBO staff members to systematically find, adapt, and evaluate EBPs. The project supported development of trainee social networks and this cross-sectional study examines the association between network engagement and EBP usage, an important goal of the capacity-building program. Trainee cohorts were enrolled from June 2010 to April 2012 and we collected community-specific network data in late 2013. The relationship of interest was communication among network members regarding the systematic approach to program planning presented in the intervention. For Communities A, B, and C, 39/59, 36/61, and 50/59 trainees responded to our survey, respectively. We conducted the full network analysis in Community C. The average degree, or number of connections with other trainees, is a useful marker of engagement; respondents averaged 6.6 reported connections. Degree was associated with recent use of EBPs, in a linear regression, adjusting for important covariates. The results call for further attention to practitioner networks that support the use of research evidence in community settings. Consideration of key contextual factors, including resource levels, turnover rates, and community complexity will be vital for success.