| Session Title: Conceptual, Practical, and Evaluation Issues in Implementing Programs With Quality |
| Multipaper Session 568 to be held in Wekiwa 5 on Friday, Nov 13, 1:40 PM to 3:10 PM |
| Sponsored by the Collaborative, Participatory & Empowerment Evaluation TIG |
| Chair(s): |
| Pamela Imm, Lexington Richland Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council, pamimm@windstream.net |
| Discussant(s): |
| Abraham Wandersman, University of South Carolina, wanderah@gwm.sc.edu |
| Abstract: Promising programs generated in research settings have intended impact if they are implemented with quality and devote appropriate attention to contextual features related to the setting in which a program is being placed. Quality and context-sensitive implementation, then, is an important bridge between science and practice. This presentation will discuss both theoretical models of implementation and practical, applied examples of field-based work. Three applied examples of ongoing implementation will be provided, each by a different panelist. These will include description of an underage drinking prevention initiative driven by the Getting to Outcomes(tm) model, a school-based transitions program, and a statewide utilization of a screening tool for child and adolescent treatment services. Theoretical and practical elements of the presentation will be tied together by the discussion of an Implementation Checklist, a theory-driven checklist of practical implementation steps developed for use by practitioners and researchers alike. Evaluation issues will be addressed. |
| A Checklist for Practical Implementation Steps and Key Considerations for Evaluating and Supporting Implementation Within Organizations |
| Duncan Meyers, University of South Carolina, meyersd@mailbox.sc.edu |
| Abraham Wandersman, University of South Carolina, wanderah@gwm.sc.edu |
| Jason Katz, University of South Carolina, katzj@mailbox.sc.edu |
| Victoria Chien, University of South Carolina, victoria.chien@gmail.com |
| Current evidence links implementation to positive outcomes, underscoring its importance (Durlak & DuPre, 2008). Implementation has also received heightened attention as a possible mechanism to lessen the well-publicized gap between research and practice. A systematic literature review sought to answer the question: what specific strategies do diverse implementation frameworks suggest practitioners utilize when integrating new practices, processes, and/or technologies into communities and/or organizations? Strategies suggested in the frameworks were categorized into one or more of five broad categories of practical implementation steps(steps for Assessment, Inclusion, Capacity Building, Implementation Preparation, and Implementation Support) and will be presented as a checklist. This theory-driven checklist provides practical strategies to improve implementation; to help program designers, evaluators, researchers, and funders proactively plan systematic quality implementation; and to suggest future directions for research. This presentation will discuss a) the methods and results of the literature review and b) implications for research and evaluation practice. |
| Implementing the GTO(tm) Model to Reduce Underage Drinking in a Statewide Initiative |
| Pamela Imm, Lexington Richland Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council, pamimm@windstream.net |
| Annie Wright, University of South Carolina, patriciaannwright@yahoo.com |
| Researchers in South Carolina, in collaboration with the RAND Corporation, have received a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to evaluate the implementation of the Getting To Outcomes(tm) (GTO) system to reduce underage alcohol use. Three intervention counties are receiving the GTO system (e.g.,tools, training, technical assistance) and are being compared to three comparison counties on a variety of outcome variables. The implementation of the GTO system includes training and ongoing technical assistance in all 10 steps of the GTO system and includes ongoing tracking of the technical assistance being provided. The implementation issues to be discussed will focus on challenges to having the sites conduct environmental strategies (e.g., compliance checks), monitoring and making improvements in their activities, and tracking media opportunities to foster community awareness, concern, and action. Suggestions for how high quality implementation of activities can contribute to sustainability will also be discussed. |
| Lessons Learned in the Implementation of a School-based High School Transitions Program |
| Annie Wright, University of South Carolina, patriciaannwright@yahoo.com |
| The transition from middle into high school can be a time of vulnerability, where students' academic and social well-being can decline sharply. It can, however, also be a time of important change and growth for an adolescent. Recognizing the potential pitfalls and benefits of this transition period, many high schools have begun implementing transitions programs during the ninth grade year. This presentation will describe the first two years of implementation of a comprehensive high school transition and drop-out prevention program and will include a description of planning for higher quality implementation in the upcoming school year. Lessons learned include identifying program champions, generating faculty and administrative collaboration on the implementation and evaluation of the program over time, and developing strategic and creative measures of implementation fidelity and effectiveness. Experiences from this school setting will be integrated with the overall theoretical presentation of emerging implementation promising and best practices. |
| Implementation Challenges in Utilizing a Statewide Screening Tool in Child and Adolescent Treatment Services |
| Jason Katz, University of South Carolina, katzj@mailbox.sc.edu |
| Pamela Imm, Lexington Richland Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council, pamimm@windstream.net |
| Ritchie Tidwell, Tidwell & Associates Inc, tidwell@grantmaster.org |
| Kennard DuBose, South Carolina Department of Mental Health, ked25@scdmh.org |
| Susie Williams-Manning, South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services, swilliamsmanning@daodas.state.sc.us |
| As part of a SAMHSA-funded Child and Adolescent State Infrastructure grant, mental health, alcohol and drug, juvenile justice, and child welfare agencies in four South Carolina pilot communities have been involved in the implementation of a universal screening tool. These efforts, which were initiated in June 2008, are part of a larger strategy across the state of integrating services and enhancing access to care for adolescents in need. While there have been benefits to the initiative including identification of problems in adolescents that might otherwise have gone undetected, there have been several implementation challenges. These challenges include having fewer than expected clients walking through the door in small rural communities, clients refusing to share their health information with other agencies, and problems with computer access. These and other challenges to implementation will be discussed within the context of a framework for promising and best practices in implementation. |