Mental health services research lacks theoretically rich and testable models of dissemination and implementation (DI) of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for public sector services and, in particular, youth mental health services. The proposed research is designed to develop such a model and a related measure. The proposed work is a response to recommended priorities for research developed as product of the meeting """"""""What Do We Know about Implementing Evidence-Based Practices and Where Can We Go From Here?"""""""" (NIMH, February 2002). Specifically, two priorities are addressed: 1) Identifying conditions of receptivity to EBPs, and 2) the relation of organizational characteristics to adoption of EBPs. The proposed research is also a logical and necessary step in the development of the applicant's research program on Organizational Factors in Youth Mental Health Services (K01 MH01695). The R03 mechanism was selected in order to provide additional data and instrumentation for an R01 application focusing on how organizational factors can be leveraged to facilitate the successful DI of EBPs in youth mental health services. The overall purpose of the proposed study is to develop an empirically based theoretical and testable model of DI of EBP in youth mental health services that will elucidate leverage points that can be used to improve our ability to implement EBPs in real-world public mental health settings. System/organizational interventions can then be developed based the model. The practical goal of this proposal is to identify barriers and facilitators of adoption of EBPs for organizations serving youth with mental health disorders and related problems and develop a preliminary measure of readiness for EBPs. ? An inductive qualitative approach will be used in the proposed work. The proposed work will use concept mapping (CM), a mixed qualitative-quantitative method that will include stakeholders at multiple levels of the mental health services context in order to develop a comprehensive and detailed representation of barriers and facilitators to DI of EBPs in youth mental health services. ? The specific aims for this project are to: 1.Use Concept Mapping to identify barriers and facilitators of EBPs in youth mental health organizations; 2. Identify how barriers and facilitators of EBPs vary by organizational level and stakeholder perspective; 3. Compare identified barriers and facilitators with existing organizational measures; 4. Develop a theoretical model of readiness for EBPs that can be tested in subsequent studies; 5. Develop a preliminary measure of organizational readiness for EBP for use in subsequent studies. ? ?
| Green, Amy E; Fettes, Danielle L; Aarons, Gregory A (2012) A concept mapping approach to guide and understand dissemination and implementation. J Behav Health Serv Res 39:362-73 |
| Aarons, Gregory A; Wells, Rebecca S; Zagursky, Karen et al. (2009) Implementing evidence-based practice in community mental health agencies: a multiple stakeholder analysis. Am J Public Health 99:2087-95 |
| Myers, Mark G; MacPherson, Laura; Jones, Lashanda R et al. (2007) Measuring adolescent smoking cessation strategies: instrument development and initial validation. Nicotine Tob Res 9:1131-8 |
| Aarons, Gregory A (2006) Transformational and transactional leadership: association with attitudes toward evidence-based practice. Psychiatr Serv 57:1162-9 |
