Factors Associated with Community-Partnered School Behavioral Health Clinicians' Adoption and Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices.

Community-partnered school behavioral health (CP-SBH) is a model whereby schools partner with local community agencies to deliver services. This mixed-methods study examined 80 CP-SBH clinicians' adoption and implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) approaches following mandated training. Forty-four clinicians were randomly assigned to one of two training conditions for a modular common elements approach to EBPs; 36 clinicians were preselected for training in a non-modular EBP. EBP knowledge improved for all training conditions at 8-month follow-up and practice element familiarity improved for modular approach training conditions, but the modular condition including ongoing consultation did not yield better results. Qualitative interviews (N = 17) highlighted multi-level influences of the CP-SBH service system and individual clinician characteristics on adoption and implementation.

Youth, Caregiver, and Staff Perspectives on an Initiative to Promote Success of Emerging Adults with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities.

Transitioning to adulthood is more challenging for youth with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) as compared to youth with other disability types and typically-developing peers. Outcomes for emerging adults with EBD as a group are particularly concerning in the domains of unemployment, educational dropout rates, and interactions with the judicial system including incarceration, early parenting, homelessness, substance abuse, mental health problems, and suicide. The current study presents qualitative program evaluation data for one of seven grantee states awarded 5-year cooperative agreements by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to build developmentally-appropriate and effective youth-guided local systems of care for transition age youth, ages 16-25 years, to promote positive transition outcomes. Findings, obtained from focus groups of 25 participating transition age youth, caregivers, staff, and supervisors, include strategies for maintaining and expanding on the strengths of program, as well as for improving specific program areas. Also, consistent with the goals of the program, this process provided an opportunity for the youth and caregivers to voice their opinions and perspectives regarding their services. Implications for research and practice on effectively serving the unique needs of young adults experiencing EBD and their families in areas such as navigating special education, providing emotional and behavioral supports, and leveraging interagency collaboration are discussed.