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Ready, Willing, and Able: Developing a Support System to Promote Implementation of School-Based Prevention Programs

  • Original Paper
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American Journal of Community Psychology

Abstract

While the number and scope of evidence-based health, education, and mental health services continues to grow, the movement of these practices into schools and other practice settings remains a complex and haphazard process. The purpose of this paper is to describe and present initial support for a prevention support system designed to promote high-quality implementation of whole school prevention initiatives in elementary and middle schools. The function and strategies of a school-based prevention support system are discussed, including key structures and activities undertaken to identify, select, and provide technical assistance to school personnel. Data collected over a 5 year period are presented, including evidence of successful implementation support for 5 different evidence-based programs implemented with fidelity at 12 schools and preliminary evidence of goal attainment. Findings suggest the ongoing collection of information related to organizational readiness assists in the adoption and implementation of effective practices and initiatives and provide valuable insight into the development of results-oriented approaches to prevention service delivery. Problems, progress, and lessons learned through this process are discussed to frame future research and action steps for this school-based prevention support system.

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Notes

  1. Data from the Kentucky School Report Cards are not directly comparable.

  2. One of the other prevention programs provided a fidelity tool that assessed individual class lessons but did not assess other components of the programs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology and Center for School-Based Mental Health Programs, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA

    Paul D. Flaspohler & Cricket Meehan

  2. Department of Educational, School and Counseling Psychology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

    Melissa A. Maras

  3. The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Kathryn E. Keller

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  1. Paul D. Flaspohler
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  2. Cricket Meehan
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  3. Melissa A. Maras
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  4. Kathryn E. Keller
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Correspondence to Paul D. Flaspohler.

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Flaspohler, P.D., Meehan, C., Maras, M.A. et al. Ready, Willing, and Able: Developing a Support System to Promote Implementation of School-Based Prevention Programs. Am J Community Psychol 50, 428–444 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-012-9520-z

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