title: Easier said than done: intervention sustainability in an urban after-school program.
abstract: Although sustainability is frequently described as a project goal in community-based programs, concentrated efforts to sustain interventions beyond the conclusion of research funding have only recently emerged as a focus of implementation research. The current paper describes a study of behavioral consultation to after-school program staff in low-SES, urban communities. Following consultation, staff use of four recommended tools and strategies was examined, emphasizing facilitators and barriers to sustainability. Results indicated high perceived utility and intention to use intervention components, but low sustainability at two follow-up time points within 1 year after the initial consultation concluded. Findings suggest that ongoing implementation support in community settings may be necessary to ensure the sustainability of interventions and meet the mental health needs of participating high-risk youth.
authors.affiliation: Child Health Institute, The University of Washington, 6200 NE 74th St., Suite 100, Seattle, WA 98115, USA. lyona@uw.edu
authors.forename: Aaron R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Lyon
authors.forename: Stacy L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Frazier
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: Marc S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weisbach
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001519:Behavior; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012574:Schools / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population