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De-adoption of an Evidence-Based Trauma Intervention in Schools: A Retrospective Report from an Urban School District

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Abstract

The de-adoption of evidence-based practices (EBPs) is a largely understudied topic. The present study examined factors related to the de-adoption of an EBP for students exposed to traumatic events in a large urban school district. Qualitative interviews conducted with school clinicians and district administrators 2 years after the district embarked on a large-scale rollout of the EBP distinguished between factors that impacted partial de-adoption after 1 year (phase 1) and complete de-adoption by the district after 2 years (phase 2). Phase 1 factors included organizational consistency, workforce stability, prior success, positive student outcomes, school- and district-level supports, innovation-setting fit, and innovation-related issues. Phase 2 factors included district-level leadership changes, financial and workforce instability, and shifting priorities. Study results suggest that sustainment-enhancing strategies should be included in the early stages of program implementation to most effectively adapt to school- and system-level changes.

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Acknowledgments

This research project was supported by funding from the National Institute for Mental Health (5K01MH83694). We would like to thank the school district leadership and staff for their support and participation in this project, and Priscilla Petrosky, M.Ed., for her contribution to this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, 1165 Morris Park Ave, Rousso Building, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA

    Erum Nadeem

  2. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Erum Nadeem

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA

    Vanesa A. Ringle

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  1. Erum Nadeem
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Correspondence to Erum Nadeem.

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Nadeem, E., Ringle, V.A. De-adoption of an Evidence-Based Trauma Intervention in Schools: A Retrospective Report from an Urban School District. School Mental Health 8, 132–143 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-016-9179-y

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