ERIC ED540218: Getting Started with Evidence-Based and Promising Practices. Supported Education: A Promising Practice. Evidence-Based Practices KIT (Knowledge Informing Transformation)

2011·0.71 MB·English

by  ERIC

Getting Started
Supported
with Evidence-Based
Education
and Promising Practices
A Promising Practice
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
www.samhsa.gov

Getting Started
Supported
with Evidence-Based
Education
and Promising Practices
A Promising Practice
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Center for Mental Health Services
Acknowledgments
This document was prepared for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) by Karen V. Unger, Ph.D., Rehabilitation Through Education, Portland, Oregon, under
contract number P233200500802P and Westat under contract number 270-03-6005 with
SAMHSA, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Marian Scheinholtz served as
the SAMHSA Government Project Officer.
Disclaimer
The views, opinions, and content of this publication are those of the authors and contributors and
do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of the Center for Mental Health Services
(CMHS), SAMHSA, or HHS.
Public Domain Notice
All material appearing in this document is in the public domain and may be reproduced or
copied without permission from SAMHSA. Citation of the source is appreciated. However,
this publication may not be reproduced or distributed for a fee without the specific, written
authorization from the Office of Communications, SAMHSA, HHS.
Electronic Access and Copies of Publication
This publication may be downloaded or ordered at http://store.samhsa.gov. Or, please
call SAMHSA at 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727) (English and Español).
Recommended Citation
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Supported Education: Getting
Started with Evidence-Based and Promising Practices. HHS Pub. No. SMA-11-4654, Rockville, MD:
Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011.
Originating Office

Center for Mental Health Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
1 Choke Cherry Road
Rockville, MD 20857

HHS Publication No. SMA-11-4654
Printed 2011
Getting Started with Evidence-Based
and Promising Practices
Getting Started with Evidence-Based and Promising Practices
Supported
gives you an overview of the activities that are generally involved
in implementing evidence-based and promising practices and Education
tells you how to make them culturally competent. This booklet
is particularly relevant to the following:
n Mental health authorities; and A Promising Practice
n Agency staff who develop and manage these programs.
For references, see the booklet The Evidence.
This KIT is part of a series created by the Center for Mental Health Ser-
vices, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.
This booklet is part of the Supported Education KIT that includes a
CD-ROM and seven booklets:
How to Use the KITs
Getting Started with Evidence-Based
and Promising Practices
Building Your Program
Training Frontline Staff
Evaluating Your Program
The Evidence
Using Multimedia to Introduce Your Promising Practice
What’s in Getting Started with Evidence-
Based and Promising Practices
Consensus Building: Build Support for Change .......... 3
Supported
Integrate the Practice into Policies and Procedures ........ 6
Assess Training Needs ............................ 7 Education
Monitor and Evaluate Regularly ..................... 9
Maximize Effectiveness by Making Services
Culturally Competent ............................ 11
A Promising Practice

Getting Started with Evidence-Based
and Promising Practices
fact. Instead, practitioner training must
Consensus Building:
be complemented by a broad range of
Build Support for Change
implementation activities, including
the following:
Within a system, change affects n Building support for the practice;
stakeholders differently. Consequently,
n Integrating practice principles into
when making changes in the mental
agency policies and procedures;
health system, mental health agencies
n Training staff agency-wide; and
should expect varied reactions from
staff, community members, consumers, n Allowing for ongoing monitoring and
and families. Since misunderstandings evaluation of the program.
can stymie your efforts to implement
evidence-based and promising practices, This overview introduces the general
it is important to build consensus in range of activities involved in successfully
the community. implementing evidence-based or
promising practices. For guidelines and
Practitioner training alone is not suggestions for practice-specific activities,
effective. The experience of mental see the remaining sections of each KIT.
health authorities and agencies that have
successfully implemented evidence-
based practices (EBPs) reinforces that
Getting Started with EBPs and Promising Practices 3
agency’s practice philosophy. Mental health
How to build support
authorities and agency administrators must
convey to key stakeholders a clear vision
Consensus-building activities are designed to build
and a commitment to implementing the
support. Here are some ways to develop them:
practice. By forming an advisory committee
of potential champions from each
Step 1 Identify key stakeholders or people
stakeholder group, you will be able to
who will be affected by the practice.
broadly disseminate information in the
Stakeholders may include agency
community. After training committee
personnel at all levels, mental health
members in the basic practice principles,
authority staff, and consumer and
ask them to hold informational meetings
family representatives. Depending on
or to regularly disseminate information to
the practice, you may also wish to build
their stakeholder groups.
relationships with other community
organizations, such as the Department
Step 3 Ask for advice. Developing the advisory
of Education, state and local educational
committee and educating its members
agencies, the Department of Vocational
early in the planning process will allow you
Rehabilitation, homeless shelters,
to ask committee members for their advice
food banks, police, hospitals, peer-
during all phases of the implementation
support programs, and consumer and
process. Community members may help
family groups.
assess how ready the community and the
agency are to implement the practice
Step 2 Invite one potential champion from each
and its activities. Once the practice is
stakeholder group to participate in an
in place, committee members can keep
advisory committee. According to agencies
staff informed of relevant community
that have successfully implemented
trends that may have an impact on
EBPs, identifying ongoing champions and
providing services.
forming an advisory committee are critical
activities. While at first you may feel that
Advisory committees are crucial for
creating an advisory committee slows the
sustaining the practice over time. When
process, any amount of time used to build
staff turn over, or other well-trained staff
stakeholder support is worth the effort.
leave and must be replaced, or when
funding streams or program requirements
Evidence-based and promising practices
change, community and political
have little hope for success if the
alliances are essential. A well-established
community doesn’t recognize that they are
committee can champion the initiative
needed, affordable, worth the effort, and
through changes.
congruent with community values and the
4 Getting Started with EBPs and Promising Practices