title: Cross-Validation of the Implementation Leadership Scale (ILS) in Child Welfare Service Organizations.
abstract: The Implementation Leadership Scale (ILS) is a brief, pragmatic, and efficient measure that can be used for research or organizational development to assess leader behaviors and actions that actively support effective implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs). The ILS was originally validated with mental health clinicians. This study validates the ILS factor structure with providers in community-based organizations (CBOs) providing child welfare services. Participants were 214 service providers working in 12 CBOs that provide child welfare services. All participants completed the ILS, reporting on their immediate supervisor. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to examine the factor structure of the ILS. Internal consistency reliability and measurement invariance were also examined. Confirmatory factor analyses showed acceptable fit to the hypothesized first- and second-order factor structure. Internal consistency reliability was strong and there was partial measurement invariance for the first-order factor structure when comparing child welfare and mental health samples. The results support the use of the ILS to assess leadership for implementation of EBPs in child welfare organizations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA Child and Adolescent Services Research Center, San Diego, CA, USA Center for Organizational Research on Implementation and Leadership (CORIL), San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Natalie K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Finn
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA Child and Adolescent Services Research Center, San Diego, CA, USA Center for Organizational Research on Implementation and Leadership (CORIL), San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Elisa M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: Center for Organizational Research on Implementation and Leadership (CORIL), San Diego, CA, USA Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Mark G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ehrhart
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Services Research Center, San Diego, CA, USA Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Scott C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Roesch
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA Child and Adolescent Services Research Center, San Diego, CA, USA Center for Organizational Research on Implementation and Leadership (CORIL), San Diego, CA, USA gaarons@ucsd.edu.
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Aarons
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D000068216:Child Protective Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002669:Child Welfare; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014481:United States
keywords: child welfare; evidence-based practice; implementation leadership; measurement