Increasingly, practitioners and researchers are tackling what may be the most difficult aspect of evidence-based practice–implementation. Having identified an evidence-based program to replicate, practitioners must determine how to implement the program effectively and in a way that is compatible with available resources, current workforce capacity, and organizational and community cultures. The following tips and resources suggest strategies for addressing the many challenges of implementation and carrying out a successful replication.
Examining Strategies to Improve the Use of Research Evidence in Child Welfare
American Youth Policy Forum (2015)
Summarizes a forum convened to explore the ways in which child welfare agencies have integrated research-based programs into daily agency culture and service delivery.
Guide for Child Welfare Administrators on Evidence-Based Practice (PDF - 4,157 KB)
Wilson & Walsh (2012)
American Public Human Services Association & National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators
Provides information on the conditions, challenges, and opportunities of evidence-based practice in child welfare. The guide offers definitions of evidence-based practice and discusses how administrators can use the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC) to identify evidence-based practice.
Key Implementation Considerations for Executing Evidence-based Programs: Project Overview
Child Trends, Inc.( 2013)
Explains themes related to the challenges of selecting and replicating evidence-based programs as discussed during a forum, Emphasizing Evidence-Based Programs for Children and Youth hosted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Lessons Learned Through the Application of Implementation Science Concepts to Children's Bureau Discretionary Grant Programs (PDF - 1,034 KB)
James Bell Associates (2013)
Explores the organizational characteristics, activities, and processes that facilitate the successful implementation and sustainability of innovative Children's Bureau discretionary grant projects.
Making “What Works” Work for You: Evidence-Based Components and Adaptation [Webinar]
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (2013)
Provides practical guidance on tailoring evidence-based practices in a local context to target populations.
Mixed Methods for Implementation Research: Application to Evidence-Based Practice Implementation and Staff Turnover in Community-Based Organizations Providing Child Welfare Services
Aarons, Fettes, Sommerfeld, & Palinkas
Child Maltreatment, 17(1), 2012
View Abstract
Provides an applied example of an examination of factors impacting staff retention during an evidence-based intervention implementation in a statewide child welfare system.
Scaling-Up Evidence-Based Practices in Child Welfare Services Systems
Aarons & Chaffin (2013)
American Psychological Association
Discusses features of the child welfare services systems that enable evidence-based practice implementation. This resource also discusses the intersection of child welfare services systems and community-based organizations in identifying and treating mental health needs.
Scaling Up Two Evidence-based Practices for Children’s Mental Health
Saldana & Chamberlain (2013)
American Psychological Association
Explains the implementation process for two evidence-based practices related to mental health treatment for children in out-of-home care.
Webinar: Implementation Science [Video]
Advancing Evidence-Based Practice (2014)
Discusses how the number of service providers and the ways in which these providers interact affect the implementation process of evidence-based practice in the human services field.