Healthy Families America Research Practice Network: a unique partnership to integrate prevention science and practice.
The goal of the Healthy Families America Research to Practice Network (RPN) was to foster communication among academic researchers, community-based evaluators, and practitioners to integrate science-based prevention practices into practice settings. The RPN goals were guided by and are a response to the limitations of past and current research paradigms in the social sciences. Accomplishments included creation of a 40-member researcher-practitioner council, development of a national Program Information Management System, and completion of a 4-year national Implementation Study, employing data from over 100 sites in nine states. The discussion examines what was learned about this rare experiment in creating practitioner-scientist partnerships and the impact of the RPN on child abuse and neglect prevention. A five-year plan to sustain and strengthen a practice-research collaborative is recommended.
Galano
Joseph
J
Department of Psychology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795, USA. jxgala@wm.edu
Schellenbach
Cynthia J
CJ
D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003153:Community Health Services; D003154:Community Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D019992:Databases as Topic; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006291:Health Policy; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D016730:Program Development; D014481:United States