title: What does it take? How federal initiatives can support the implementation of evidence-based programs to improve outcomes for adolescents.
abstract: Over the last 20 years, there has been a growing emphasis on developing and identifying evidence-based programs and practices for children and families and within the last decade an increasing number of federally funded initiatives have been dedicated to replicating and scaling evidence-based programs with the hope of achieving socially meaningful impact. However, only recently have efforts to promote high-fidelity implementation been given the attention needed to ensure evidence-based practices are used as intended and generate the outcomes they were designed to produce. In this article, we propose that the wide-scale implementation of evidence-based practices requires: (1) careful assessment and selection of the "what"; (2) a stage-based approach that provides adequate time and resources for planning and installation activities; (3) the co-creation of a visible infrastructure by a triad of key stakeholders including funders and policymakers, program developers, and implementing sites; and (4) the use of data to guide decision-making and foster curiosity into continuous improvement among grantees. Each of these strategies is explored in greater detail through the lens of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program, a $100 million initiative overseen by the Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
authors.affiliation: National Implementation Research Network, FPG Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Electronic address: Allison.Metz@unc.edu.
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Metz
authors.affiliation: Family and Evidence Center, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Social Work, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Australia.
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Albers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D005260:Female; D005380:Financing, Government; D006284:Health Plan Implementation / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D014481:United States
keywords: Data-guided decision-making; Evidence-based practice; Implementation science; Implementation stages; Infrastructure