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.
Disseminating Evidence-Based Practice for Children and Adolescents: A Systems Approach to Enhancing Care (PDF - 3,092 KB)
American Psychological Association Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice for Children and Adolescents (2008)
Addresses the challenges for mental health practitioners in developing, strengthening, and disseminating evidence-based practice (EBP) for children, adolescents, and their families. The report includes a brief history and the key assumptions of EBP; developmental considerations for children and adolescents; critical issues affecting the dissemination and implementation of EBP; an approach to practice that consists of observation, inquiry, and evaluation; and recommendations for research, education, practice, and policy.
Evidence-Based Practice Implementation Strategies: Results of a Qualitative Study
Rapp, Etzel-Wise, Marty, Coffman, Carlson, Asher, et al.
Community Mental Health Journal, 44(3), 2008
Reviews eight strategies that contributed to the successful implementation of the evidence-based practices of supported employment and integrated dual diagnosis treatment at six different sites.
Evidence-Based Practices and Systems of Care: Implementation Matters (PDF - 168 KB)
Israel, Hodges, Ferreira, & Mazza (2007)
System Implementation Issue Brief #4: Lessons From Successful Systems
Discusses findings regarding the role of evidence-based practices in systems of care.
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.
Implementation of Evidence-Based Practice and Organizational Performance
Hovmand & Gillespie
Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research, 37(1), 2010
Presents a conceptual framework for considering how implementation impacts organizational performance. Implications for administrators, policy makers, and services researchers are discussed.
Implementing Evidence-Based Practices: Six "Drivers" of Success (PDF - 178 KB)
Metz, Blase, & Bowie
Child Trends Research-to-Results Brief, 2007
Defines implementation, highlights why effective implementation of evidence-based practices is critical to achieving outcomes, and outlines six components that support successful program implementation.
Implementation Resource Guide for Social Service Programs: An Introduction to Evidence-Based Programming (PDF - 240 KB)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance & James Bell Associates (2010)
Focuses on factors that lead to the success or failure of evidence-based practices or programs and how existing research literature and current research efforts can improve the efficacy of implemented programs.
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.
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.
Strategies for Improving Fidelity in the National Evidence-Based Practices Project
Bond, Drake, McHugo, Rapp, & Whitley
Research on Social Work Practice, 19(5), 2009
Reviews a model developed and tested by the National Evidence-Based Practices Project for facilitating the implementation of five evidence-based practices in psychosocial settings.