Authors:
Boshen Jiao, Josh J. Carlson, Louis P. Garrison Jr., and Anirban Basu
University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.
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Published: December 2023
Keywords: Policy Implementation
✪ Phased Implementation of COVID-19 Vaccination: Rapid Assessment of Policy Adoption, Reach and Effectiveness to Protect the Most Vulnerable in the US
Authors:
Yun Li, Moming Li, Megan Rice, Yanfang Su, and Chaowei Yang
University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.
✪ Open Access
Published: July 2021
Read the full text in the open access International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Abstract:
The US and the rest of the world have suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic for over a year. The high transmissibility and severity of this virus have provoked governments to adopt a variety of mitigation strategies. Some of these previous measures, such as social distancing and mask mandates, were effective in reducing the case growth rate yet became economically and administratively difficult to enforce as the pandemic continued. In late December 2020, COVID-19 vaccines were first approved in the US and states began a phased implementation of COVID-19 vaccination. However, there is limited quantitative evidence regarding the effectiveness of the phased COVID-19 vaccination. This study aims to provide a rapid assessment of the adoption, reach, and effectiveness of the phased implementation of COVID-19 vaccination. We utilize an event-study analysis to evaluate the effect of vaccination on the state-level daily COVID-19 case growth rate. Through this analysis, we assert that vaccination was effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19 shortly after the first shots were given. Specifically, the case growth rate declined by 0.124, 0.347, 0.345, 0.464, 0.490, and 0.756 percentage points corresponding to the 1–5, 6–10, 11–15, 16–20, 21–25, and 26 or more day periods after the initial shots. The findings could be insightful for policymakers as they work to optimize vaccine distribution in later phases, and also for the public as the COVID-19 related health risk is a contentious issue.
**This abstract is posted with permission under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License**
✪ Identifying pathways for large-scale implementation of a school-based mental health programme in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: A theory-driven approach
Authors:
Olakunle Alonge, Anna Chiumento, Hesham M Hamoda, Eman Gaber, Zill-e- Huma, Maryam Abbasinejad, Walaa Hosny, Alia Shakiba, Ayesha Minhas, Khalid Saeed, Lawrence Wissow, Atif Rahman
University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.
✪ Open Access
Published: November 2020
Read the full text in the open access journal Health Policy and Planning
Abstract:
Globally there is a substantial burden of mental health problems among children and adolescents. Task-shifting/task-sharing mental health services to non-specialists, e.g. teachers in school settings, provide a unique opportunity for the implementation of mental health interventions at scale in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). There is scant information to guide the large-scale implementation of school-based mental health programme in LMICs.This article describes pathways for large-scale implementation of a School Mental Health Program (SMHP) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR).
A collaborative learning group (CLG) comprising stakeholders involved in implementing the SMHP including policymakers, programme managers and researchers from EMR countries was established. Participants in the CLG applied the theory of change (ToC) methodology to identify sets of preconditions, assumptions and hypothesized pathways for improving the mental health outcomes of school-aged children in public schools through implementation of the SMHP. The proposed pathways were then validated through multiple regional and national ToC workshops held between January 2017 and September 2019, as the SMHP was being rolled out in three EMR countries: Egypt, Pakistan and Iran. Preconditions, strategies and programmatic/contextual adaptations that apply across these three countries were drawn from qualitative narrative summaries of programme implementation processes and facilitated discussions during biannual CLG meetings.
The ToC for large-scale implementation of the SMHP in the EMR suggests that identifying national champions, formulating dedicated cross-sectoral (including the health and education sector) implementation teams, sustained policy advocacy and stakeholders engagement across multiple levels, and effective co-ordination among education and health systems especially at the local level are among the critical factors for large-scale programme implementation. The pathways described in this paper are useful for facilitating effective implementation of the SMHP at scale and provide a theory-based framework for evaluating the SMHP and similar programmes in the EMR and other LMICs.
**This abstract is posted with permission under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License**
Race and Equity in Statewide Implementation Programs: An Application of the Policy Ecology of Implementation Framework
Author:
Martha J. Aby
University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.
Subscription Required for Full Text Access
Published: March 2020
Read the full text in the subscription access journal Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research
✪ Pilot to policy: statewide dissemination and implementation of evidence-based treatment for traumatized youth
Authors:
Lisa Amaya-Jackson, Dana Hagele, John Sideris, Donna Potter, Ernestine C. Briggs, Leila Keen, Robert A. Murphy, Shannon Dorsey, Vanessa Patchett, George S. Ake and Rebecca Socolar
University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.
✪ Open Access
Published: July 2018
Read the full text in the journal BMC Health Services Research
Abstract:
Background
A model for statewide dissemination of evidence-based treatment (EBT) for traumatized youth was piloted and taken to scale across North Carolina (NC). This article describes the implementation platform developed, piloted, and evaluated by the NC Child Treatment Program to train agency providers in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy using the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress Learning Collaborative (LC) Model on Adoption & Implementation of EBTs. This type of LC incorporates adult learning principles to enhance clinical skills development as part of training and many key implementation science strategies while working with agencies and clinicians to implement and sustain the new practice.
Methods
Clinicians (n = 124) from northeastern NC were enrolled in one of two TF-CBT LCs that lasted 12 months each. During the LC clinicians were expected to take at least two clients through TF-CBT treatment with fidelity and outcomes monitoring by trainers who offered consultation by phone and during trainings. Participating clinicians initiated treatment with 281 clients. The relationship of clinician and client characteristics to treatment fidelity and outcomes was examined using hierarchical linear regression.
Results
One hundred eleven clinicians completed general training on trauma assessment batteries and TF-CBT. Sixty-five clinicians met all mastery and fidelity requirements to meet roster criteria. One hundred fifty-six (55%) clients had fidelity-monitored assessment and TF-CBT. Child externalizing, internalizing, and post-traumatic stress symptoms, as well as parent distress levels, decreased significantly with treatment fidelity moderating child PTSD outcomes. Since this pilot, 11 additional cohorts of TF-CBT providers have been trained to these roster criteria.
Conclusion
Scaling up or outcomes-oriented implementation appears best accomplished when training incorporates: 1) practice-based learning, 2) fidelity coaching, 3) clinical assessment and outcomes-oriented treatment, 4) organizational skill-building to address barriers for agencies, and 5) linking clients to trained clinicians via an online provider roster. Demonstrating clinician performance and client outcomes in this pilot and subsequent cohorts led to legislative support for dissemination of a service array of EBTs by the NC Child Treatment Program.
**This abstract is posted with permission under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License**
Community Engagement Strategies for Implementation of a Policy Supporting Evidence-Based Practices: A Case Study of Washington State
Authors:
Gabrielle D’Angelo, Michael D. Pullmann, & Aaron R. Lyon
University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.
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Published: June 2015