A Longitudinal Analysis of Trajectories and Predictors of Fidelity Using the SafeCare Parenting Model.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) fidelity, understood as the extent to which a program is implemented as the developers intended, is a key implementation variable which likely relates to consumer outcomes. However, studies that track fidelity longitudinally and at large scale are uncommon, and finding reliable predictors of fidelity has proven to be a complex challenge. Further, attitudes toward EBP are a potentially important predictor of fidelity, but results across the literature have been mixed. The purpose of the present study is to use data from the ongoing implementation and dissemination of the SafeCare model to better understand (1) the characteristics of SafeCare implementation fidelity trajectories, and (2) whether individual level factors predict differences in fidelity and fidelity trajectories, especially provider attitudes toward EBP. The analyses reported here include 14,778 observed fidelity sessions by 868 providers in 172 agencies. We use multilevel modeling to examine fidelity, fidelity trajectories over time, and several potential individual-level predictors of fidelity, including demographics, work history, and attitudes toward EBP. We found: (1) that SafeCare fidelity begins high at baseline (93.85% on average); (2) that SafeCare fidelity displays a statistically significant trend of positive linear growth, even among those with less positive attitudes; and (3) that positive attitudes are associated with slightly higher fidelity on average and at baseline, while negative attitudes are associated with slightly lower fidelity on average and at baseline. To our knowledge, this is the largest longitudinal analysis of EBP fidelity in a child welfare program to date, and our findings support the notion that intensive coaching supports which are titrated over time can be sufficient to ensure sustained high fidelity, at least in some cases. Further, these findings indicate that robust training and coaching processes can ensure high fidelity and fidelity growth even among providers with less positive attitudes toward EBP.

Place Is Power: Investing in Communities as a Systemic Leverage Point to Reduce Breast Cancer Disparities by Race.

Racial disparities in breast cancer present a vexing and complex challenge for public health. A diverse array of factors contributes to disparities in breast cancer incidence and outcomes, and, thus far, efforts to improve racial equity have yielded mixed results. Systems theory offers a model that is well-suited to addressing complex issues. In particular, the concept of a systemic leverage point offers a clue that may assist researchers, policymakers, and interventionists in formulating innovative and comprehensive approaches to eliminating racial disparities in breast cancer. Naming systemic racism as a fundamental cause of disparities, we use systems theory to identify residential segregation as a key leverage point and a driver of racial inequities across the social, economic, and environmental determinants of health. We call on researchers, policymakers, and interventionists to use a systems-informed, community-based participatory approach, aimed at harnessing the power of place, to engage directly with community stakeholders in coordinating efforts to prevent breast cancer, and work toward eliminating disparities in communities of color.