With the support of the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare, the Consortium developed and presented two webinars that addressed Family First Prevention Services Act funding requirements. The webinars present two Consortium developed tools that support effective selection and sustainable implementation of evidence-supported programs or services. Both webinars and each tool are linked below.

Webinar 1

Addressing FFPSA Requirements:

Consortium Tools for Selection and Sustainable

Implementation of Evidence-Supported Programs 

Rosalyn Bertram, PhD  University of Missouri-Kansas City

Jacquie Brown, MES, RSW  Families Foundation, NL

Dan Edwards, PhD  Evidence-Based Associates

George (Tripp) Ake, PhD  Duke University

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Access this webinar by clicking the title above

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This webinar presented a series of questions to first clarify target population, and then consider resources, policies and procedures to support selection and implementation of an evidence-supported program to improve outcomes for that population.

Designed to support addressing funding requirements of the Family First Prevention Services Act, this Tips Tool (below) can be used by any organization to support informed program selection.

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TIPS TOOL

Selecting an Evidence-Based Practice

(Also addresses funding requirements of the Family First Prevention Services Act)

Selecting a program or practice is best done by a team of community stakeholders who will fund, deliver, and participate in the program or service.

Finding the Fit

Careful identification of client population

These questions help you determine which programs or services best fit your organization:

1. First identify which families you want to serve (FFPSA candidacy group).
   1. What are key characteristics of the families you want to serve? (primary risk factors and behaviors of concern, age of children, etc.)
   2. What are the desired outcomes for families, their communities and other stakeholders?
   3. What risk and protective factors may affect achieving desired outcomes?
   4. To avoid duplication and maximize efficiency, what current programs or services in your community or system address needs of these families?

2. You’ll need data to inform your decision-making.
   1. What data do you have about this identified candidacy group?
   2. What data do you have about current outcomes for this group?
   3. What data do you have about risk and protective factors for this group?
   4. What data do you have about the community’s or system’s current services for this group?
   5. What do these data tell you about program or service gaps or needed improvements?

3. Establish priority needs and service areas.
   1. What are your organization’s or community’s priority needs and concerns?
   2. What are your organization’s or community’s priority service gaps or improvements to address?

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Finding the Fit

Systematic program and service selection

1. Which programs and services in your State’s FFPSA plan address risk factors in this client population,  and which do you have best capacity to deliver?

For each possible program or service consider:

1. What’s the evidence for impact? What’s the timeframe for outcomes?
2. Is it culturally appropriate? Can it be delivered in other languages?
3. How many staff are needed? With what qualifications and experience?
4. What training and consultation is required? At what cost? For how long?
5. What supervision/coaching processes are used? How frequently do staff participate in supervision/coaching?
6. Are there recognized and available supports for implementation?
7. What implementation data will be necessary? Who will collect it? How often, and how will it be used?
8. What is the overall cost for implementation and effective delivery? What factors influence cost per case (e.g., scale)? What are the ongoing costs to sustain implementation with fidelity?

2. Identify potential partners

1. Who are partners in implementing these types of programs and services?
2. Are they part of your team of community stakeholders?
3. What role or function do they play in your system?

3. Identify funding considerations

1. What funds will support installation of the program or service? (Consider time to adjust data systems, time to train managers and supervisors before practitioners, time to adjust coaching formats, etc.)
2. What funds will support a transformation zone or pilot phase in which a limited number of staff work within the new formats, engaging a limited number of clients to refine implementation before bringing the new practice to scale?
3. What funds will support sustainable implementation of the program or service?
4. What other funds could be utilized?

@ Developed by the Child and Family Evidence Based Practice Consortium

Adapted from Families Foundation 2016

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WEBINAR 2

Choose Wisely:

Practical Tools to Select and Implement New Programs

On Monday, October 5, 2020, with support from the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse (CEBC), the Consortium presented a second webinar sharing tools and a process for selection of evidence-supported practices.

Presenters included Rosalyn Bertram, Jacquie Brown, Dan Edwards, Jennifer Rolls-Reutz and Tripp Ake.

They were joined in facilitating breakout discussions by other participants in the Consortium leadership group including Sue Kerns, Cricket Mitchell, and Jessie Watrous.

The webinar briefly reviewed the purposes and use of the Consortium’s two-page Tips Tool (see above). Using an example of an organization’s considered adoption of the Triple P Positive Parenting Program, the webinar then introduced a Planning Template to organize and evaluate information gathered with the Tips Tool before making a decision to invest in a new practice.

A recording of that webinar and copy of its power-point can be accessed by clicking this link 

We will provide gratis consultation and technical assistance in use of these tools to as many as three organizations requesting such support.

Contact ebpconsortium@gmail.com