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Conceptualizing Implementation Practice Capacity in Community-Based Organizations Delivering Evidence-Based Behavioral Health Services

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Abstract

Due to the significant prevalence of mental and substance use disorders in the United States, the push for the development and implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in behavioral health has risen exponentially in the last 30 years. Community-based organizations (CBOs) (i.e., self-governing and/or not-for-profit) have been recognized as important providers of behavioral health services. However, there are gaps in the literature surrounding CBO implementation capacity—ability to adopt, implement, and sustain an EBP- and capacity training initiatives (e.g., training in data-based decision-making) that specifically target CBOs and implementation practice. The purpose of this exploratory study was to assess how individuals working within Florida CBOs conceptualize implementation practice capacity and what is needed to reach adequate capacity to utilize an EBP. This qualitative study consisted of semi-structured interviews with eight administrators and nine practitioners currently employed by CBOs who deliver evidence-based behavioral health services (N = 17). Results showed certain implementation practice characteristics such as leadership, culture/climate, collaboration/communication, data-based decision-making and evaluation, and funding were all important areas of implementation practice capacity. Implications for future research focused on conceptualizing and building implementation practice capacity within the context of community behavioral health settings will be discussed.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to participant confidentiality considerations. Aggregate data are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the UF Substance Abuse Training Center in Public Health from the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) of the National Institutes of Health under award number T32DA035167 (PI: Dr. Linda Cottler). This research was also supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse under award numbers 1K01DA052679 (PI: Dr. Micah Johnson), R25DA050735 (PI: Dr. Micah Johnson), and R25DA035163 (PI: Dr. Carmen Masson). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health or the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.

Funding

No funding was received for conducting this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Enya B. Vroom

  2. Department of Child and Family Studies, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Oliver T. Massey, Bruce Lubotsky Levin & Amy L. Green

  3. College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Dinorah Martinez Tyson & Bruce Lubotsky Levin

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  1. Enya B. Vroom
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  2. Oliver T. Massey
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  3. Dinorah Martinez Tyson
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  4. Bruce Lubotsky Levin
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  5. Amy L. Green
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Contributions

EBV (corresponding author) was involved in the study design and implementation, data collection and analysis, and drafting and revising the manuscript. OTM was involved in the study design and data analysis, as well as drafting and revising the manuscript. DMT was involved in the study design and data analysis, as well as drafting and revising of the manuscript. BLL was involved in the study design and drafting and revising of the manuscript. ALG was involved in the study design and drafting and revising of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Enya B. Vroom.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional review boards and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. For this type of study, formal consent was not required. Approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board at the University of South Florida.

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Verbal consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Vroom, E.B., Massey, O.T., Martinez Tyson, D. et al. Conceptualizing Implementation Practice Capacity in Community-Based Organizations Delivering Evidence-Based Behavioral Health Services. Glob Implement Res Appl 1, 246–257 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43477-021-00024-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43477-021-00024-1

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