Integrating evidence-based practice in the child mental health agency: a template for clinical and organizational change.
This article describes a linked set of activities designed to address the present "science-to-service" gap in evidence-based practice from the perspective of the nonprofit child mental health agency: (a) implementing "systems-of-care" principles; (b) logic modeling; (c) strategic partnerships with external researchers; (d) selective, in-depth program evaluation; (e) critical comparison with a limited number of evidence-based practice models of national significance; and (f) internal and external dissemination activities oriented to evidence-based practice. Implications are drawn both for continuous quality improvement of existing clinical services and for the potential for agencies to contribute high quality, science-based information to child mental health services, singly and through the future development of a national network of experimenting child mental health agencies.
Whittaker
James K
JK
School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, 98105, USA. jimw@u.washington.edu
Greene
Kari
K
Schubert
Derenda
D
Blum
Rich
R
Cheng
Keith
K
Blum
Kerry
K
Reed
Norman
N
Scott
Kim
K
Roy
Robert
R
Savas
Sue Ann
SA
D002648:Child; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors