title: Measuring sustainment of prevention programs and initiatives: a study protocol.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sustaining prevention efforts directed at substance use and mental health problems is one of the greatest, yet least understood, challenges in the field of implementation science. A large knowledge gap exists regarding the meaning of the term "sustainment" and what factors predict or even measure sustainability of effective prevention programs and support systems.
  
  
  METHODS
  The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) supports a diverse portfolio of prevention and treatment grant programs that aim to improve population and individual level behavioral health. This study focuses on four SAMHSA prevention grant programs, two of which target substance abuse prevention at the state or single community level, one targets suicide prevention, and one targets prevention of aggressive/disruptive behavior in elementary schools. An examination of all four grant programs simultaneously provides an opportunity to determine what is meant by the term sustainment and identify and support both the unique requirements for improving sustainability for each program as well as for developing a generalizable framework comprised of core components of sustainment across diverse prevention approaches. Based on an analysis of qualitative and quantitative data of 10 grantees supported by these four programs, we will develop a flexible measurement system, with both general and specific components, that can bring precision to monitoring sustainment of infrastructure, activities, and outcomes for each prevention approach. We will then transform this system for use in evaluating and improving the likelihood of achieving prevention effort sustainment. To achieve these goals, we will (1) identify core components of sustainment of prevention programs and their support infrastructures; (2) design a measurement system for monitoring and providing feedback regarding sustainment within the four SAMHSA's prevention-related grant programs; and (3) pilot test the predictability of this multilevel measurement system across these programs and the feasibility and acceptability of a measurement system to evaluate and improve the likelihood of sustainment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This project is intended to improve sustainment of the supporting prevention infrastructure, activities, and outcomes that are funded by federal, state, community, and foundation sources.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. palinkas@usc.edu.
authors.forename: Lawrence A
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0974-7330
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Palinkas
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, California State University, Northridge, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Suzanne E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Spear
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Sapna J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Mendon
authors.affiliation: Center for Prevention Implementation Methodology (Ce-PIM) for Drug Abuse and Sexual Risk Behaviors, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Villamar
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Chi-Ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: Oregon Social Learning Center, Eugene, OR, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Landsverk
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Shepperd G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kellam
authors.affiliation: Center for Prevention Implementation Methodology (Ce-PIM) for Drug Abuse and Sexual Risk Behaviors, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: C Hendricks
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D006284:Health Plan Implementation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D000066608:Underage Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014481:United States; D014482:United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
keywords: Implementation; Instruments; Measures; Prevention; Substance use; Suicide; Sustainment