Introduction The U.S. Air Force (USAF) conducted a program of research to develop and disseminate... more Introduction The U.S. Air Force (USAF) conducted a program of research to develop and disseminate reliable and valid criteria for partner and child maltreatment (comprising abuse [physical, emotional/psychological, and sexual] and neglect). These criteria are now used in all branches of the U.S. military. The U.S. Army was the first service outside the USAF to adopt the criteria sets and computerized decision support tool but maintained the original committee composition (the “Case Review Committee” [CRC]) instead of adopting the entire assessment, allegation determination, and treatment planning process (the “Field-tested Assessment, Intervention-planning, and Response” [FAIR] system). The Army commissioned this study to compare the CRC and FAIR processes by testing (1) intra-committee process (i.e., three facets of committee functioning—fidelity to regulations, cohesion and team process, outsized influence of unit representatives); (2) coordinated community response to maltreatmen...
Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, Jun 1, 2021
Prevention Coordinators are the linking agents providing technical assistance between universitie... more Prevention Coordinators are the linking agents providing technical assistance between universities and communities in the PROSPER model to support the implementation and sustainability of youth and family programs that have reduced substance abuse in prior research. This study examines the outcomes and trajectory of the frequency of contact of technical assistance (i.e. dosage) with community collaborative prevention coalitions across the three stages of coalition development. After communities were randomized, members of PROSPER coalitions (n=12) provided information about the quality of their operations at five time points across four and one-half years; prevention coordinators reported on the frequency of contact with their community coalitions at 14 intervals across the same period of time. This study only utilizes the intervention communities. Results from correlational models show that levels of dosage relate to the quality of internal coalition processes over time, but that the direction of the relationship changes over time: high frequency of contact early on relates to lower coalition-rated functioning initially. In contrast, early frequency of contact relates to higher levels of coalition functioning at later time points. Furthermore, longitudinal mixed models show that levels of dosage were consistent over time. These results provide empirical support of the importance of a proactive technical assistance model and add further evidence that important distinctions exist among different coalition developmental phases.
In 2013, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture supported the creation of a professional ... more In 2013, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture supported the creation of a professional development and technical assistance center to promote strong implementation and evaluation of University-led, community-based projects serving low-resource populations. Within this center, a coaching cadre was established to provide proactive and responsive technical assistance. Formative evaluation involving coaches and their primary contacts was used for refinement of coaching practices. Initially, coaches were encouraged to build strong interpersonal rapport. This set the stage for trusting, reciprocal interactions, but coaches recognized a need for targeted support and more tools for quality programming, evaluation, and sustainability. Greater emphasis was placed on goal-focused collaboration. Coaches received training and resources on topics such as goal setting, program quality, reduction of barriers (e.g., participant recruitment), and sustainability strategies. To assess ...
The necessity to implement evidence-based programs to support the healthy development of youth an... more The necessity to implement evidence-based programs to support the healthy development of youth and families is becoming part of national policy. Organizations that are not “ready” to do so will likely lose resources, disallowing them to serve as they have set out to do. Consequently, the current survey study draws from a national sample of Cooperative Extension personnel in 2009 to examine characteristics within their organizational context that facilitate successful change related to youth/family programming. Data were collected from 946 4-H/youth development or Family and Consumer Sciences employees at all levels. Self-reported indices of each state organization’s openness to change, leadership, morale, communication, and resources were constructed to assess the organizational context. Dependent variables included indicators of readiness to implement prevention and evidence-based programming. Results suggest that the organizational context was strongly associated with indica...
Purpose Digitally delivered, parent-focused interventions (DD-PFIs) are viewed as an important me... more Purpose Digitally delivered, parent-focused interventions (DD-PFIs) are viewed as an important method for supporting child well-being. Few DD-PFIs include health-promotion and general-parenting content, and only some are intended for a universal audience. The purpose of this paper is to focus on a preliminary evaluation of Grow Online, which was designed to address this gap. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods design, including pretests and posttests and semi-structured interviews, was employed to evaluate program feasibility and demonstrate proof of concept. Findings Feasibility findings were favorable, which indicates participants were satisfied with the program, liked the main program features, found the content helpful and had a positive experience using the website. Initial recruitment was strong, and engagement with the sessions was high; however, retention was poor with a 73.5 percent attrition rate. Significant pre- to post-changes were found on measures of over-reac...
ABSTRACT Evidence-based programs can promote well-being; however, barriers to implementation exis... more ABSTRACT Evidence-based programs can promote well-being; however, barriers to implementation exist. Barriers include lack of time to find evidence and lack of expertise among some practitioners in reading and evaluating evidence. A partnership among the Department of Defense Office of Military Community and Family Policy, the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, and Pennsylvania State University resulted in the development of a new information repository. The Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State (Clearinghouse) and the Clearinghouse's Continuum of Evidence (Continuum) were designed to assist professionals in identifying evidence-based programs that can improve the well-being of military families (http://www.militaryfamilies.psu.edu). The development of the Continuum included reviews of existing rating systems, expert review, practical review, and inter-rater agreement checks. The Clearinghouse contains information on over 1,000 programs relevant to both civilian and military families. Topics include parenting, coping and resilience, child behavior, obesity, alcohol and substance use prevention, and mental health treatment; target audiences include children, youth, adults, and families. Empirical evidence and systematized criteria are used to place programs as Effective (Randomized Control Trial), Effective (Quasi-experimental), Promising, Unclear (+), Unclear (ø), Unclear (−), or Ineffective. The Clearinghouse provides information and encourages professionals to make informed decisions based on their needs and resources.
The agent will develop and teach comprehensive educational programs in 4-H. The agent will be res... more The agent will develop and teach comprehensive educational programs in 4-H. The agent will be responsible for youth leadership and citizenship, volunteer recruitment, training and management. The agent must have ability to work effectively with a diverse audience including minority, community leaders, media and the general public. The ability to work with community organizations, agencies and their leaders to develop collaborative programming is necessary Multi-county programming with neighboring counties is expected.
abstract Evidence-based practice (EBP) improves health and well-being by providing current scient... more abstract Evidence-based practice (EBP) improves health and well-being by providing current scientific evidence in treating a wide range of military family challenges. However, there are a number of real and perceived barriers to the adoption of this practice. To help reduce barriers, the Department of Defense partnered with the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to fund the development of the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at the Pennsylvania State University. The Clearinghouse provides a growing web-based repository of information on more than 900 programs and practices that can be used by military personnel and their families. These programs have been closely vetted by a team of research and evaluation scientists and placed on a continuum of evidence, indicating the level of empirical support for each program (i.e., Effective, Promising, Unclear, and Ineffective). The Clearinghouse also provides live technical assistance to advise social service professionals working with military families on the adoption, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based programs and practices. In this article we describe how military and civilian social service practitioners can benefit from partnering with the Clearinghouse.
This article connects human ecological theory to the practice of collaborative relationships. Fin... more This article connects human ecological theory to the practice of collaborative relationships. Findings from a study of community coalitions in Michigan are used to highlight common elements of effective coalitions. The case is made for participation of ...
Introduction The U.S. Air Force (USAF) conducted a program of research to develop and disseminate... more Introduction The U.S. Air Force (USAF) conducted a program of research to develop and disseminate reliable and valid criteria for partner and child maltreatment (comprising abuse [physical, emotional/psychological, and sexual] and neglect). These criteria are now used in all branches of the U.S. military. The U.S. Army was the first service outside the USAF to adopt the criteria sets and computerized decision support tool but maintained the original committee composition (the “Case Review Committee” [CRC]) instead of adopting the entire assessment, allegation determination, and treatment planning process (the “Field-tested Assessment, Intervention-planning, and Response” [FAIR] system). The Army commissioned this study to compare the CRC and FAIR processes by testing (1) intra-committee process (i.e., three facets of committee functioning—fidelity to regulations, cohesion and team process, outsized influence of unit representatives); (2) coordinated community response to maltreatmen...
Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, Jun 1, 2021
Prevention Coordinators are the linking agents providing technical assistance between universitie... more Prevention Coordinators are the linking agents providing technical assistance between universities and communities in the PROSPER model to support the implementation and sustainability of youth and family programs that have reduced substance abuse in prior research. This study examines the outcomes and trajectory of the frequency of contact of technical assistance (i.e. dosage) with community collaborative prevention coalitions across the three stages of coalition development. After communities were randomized, members of PROSPER coalitions (n=12) provided information about the quality of their operations at five time points across four and one-half years; prevention coordinators reported on the frequency of contact with their community coalitions at 14 intervals across the same period of time. This study only utilizes the intervention communities. Results from correlational models show that levels of dosage relate to the quality of internal coalition processes over time, but that the direction of the relationship changes over time: high frequency of contact early on relates to lower coalition-rated functioning initially. In contrast, early frequency of contact relates to higher levels of coalition functioning at later time points. Furthermore, longitudinal mixed models show that levels of dosage were consistent over time. These results provide empirical support of the importance of a proactive technical assistance model and add further evidence that important distinctions exist among different coalition developmental phases.
In 2013, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture supported the creation of a professional ... more In 2013, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture supported the creation of a professional development and technical assistance center to promote strong implementation and evaluation of University-led, community-based projects serving low-resource populations. Within this center, a coaching cadre was established to provide proactive and responsive technical assistance. Formative evaluation involving coaches and their primary contacts was used for refinement of coaching practices. Initially, coaches were encouraged to build strong interpersonal rapport. This set the stage for trusting, reciprocal interactions, but coaches recognized a need for targeted support and more tools for quality programming, evaluation, and sustainability. Greater emphasis was placed on goal-focused collaboration. Coaches received training and resources on topics such as goal setting, program quality, reduction of barriers (e.g., participant recruitment), and sustainability strategies. To assess ...
The necessity to implement evidence-based programs to support the healthy development of youth an... more The necessity to implement evidence-based programs to support the healthy development of youth and families is becoming part of national policy. Organizations that are not “ready” to do so will likely lose resources, disallowing them to serve as they have set out to do. Consequently, the current survey study draws from a national sample of Cooperative Extension personnel in 2009 to examine characteristics within their organizational context that facilitate successful change related to youth/family programming. Data were collected from 946 4-H/youth development or Family and Consumer Sciences employees at all levels. Self-reported indices of each state organization’s openness to change, leadership, morale, communication, and resources were constructed to assess the organizational context. Dependent variables included indicators of readiness to implement prevention and evidence-based programming. Results suggest that the organizational context was strongly associated with indica...
Purpose Digitally delivered, parent-focused interventions (DD-PFIs) are viewed as an important me... more Purpose Digitally delivered, parent-focused interventions (DD-PFIs) are viewed as an important method for supporting child well-being. Few DD-PFIs include health-promotion and general-parenting content, and only some are intended for a universal audience. The purpose of this paper is to focus on a preliminary evaluation of Grow Online, which was designed to address this gap. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods design, including pretests and posttests and semi-structured interviews, was employed to evaluate program feasibility and demonstrate proof of concept. Findings Feasibility findings were favorable, which indicates participants were satisfied with the program, liked the main program features, found the content helpful and had a positive experience using the website. Initial recruitment was strong, and engagement with the sessions was high; however, retention was poor with a 73.5 percent attrition rate. Significant pre- to post-changes were found on measures of over-reac...
ABSTRACT Evidence-based programs can promote well-being; however, barriers to implementation exis... more ABSTRACT Evidence-based programs can promote well-being; however, barriers to implementation exist. Barriers include lack of time to find evidence and lack of expertise among some practitioners in reading and evaluating evidence. A partnership among the Department of Defense Office of Military Community and Family Policy, the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, and Pennsylvania State University resulted in the development of a new information repository. The Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State (Clearinghouse) and the Clearinghouse's Continuum of Evidence (Continuum) were designed to assist professionals in identifying evidence-based programs that can improve the well-being of military families (http://www.militaryfamilies.psu.edu). The development of the Continuum included reviews of existing rating systems, expert review, practical review, and inter-rater agreement checks. The Clearinghouse contains information on over 1,000 programs relevant to both civilian and military families. Topics include parenting, coping and resilience, child behavior, obesity, alcohol and substance use prevention, and mental health treatment; target audiences include children, youth, adults, and families. Empirical evidence and systematized criteria are used to place programs as Effective (Randomized Control Trial), Effective (Quasi-experimental), Promising, Unclear (+), Unclear (ø), Unclear (−), or Ineffective. The Clearinghouse provides information and encourages professionals to make informed decisions based on their needs and resources.
The agent will develop and teach comprehensive educational programs in 4-H. The agent will be res... more The agent will develop and teach comprehensive educational programs in 4-H. The agent will be responsible for youth leadership and citizenship, volunteer recruitment, training and management. The agent must have ability to work effectively with a diverse audience including minority, community leaders, media and the general public. The ability to work with community organizations, agencies and their leaders to develop collaborative programming is necessary Multi-county programming with neighboring counties is expected.
abstract Evidence-based practice (EBP) improves health and well-being by providing current scient... more abstract Evidence-based practice (EBP) improves health and well-being by providing current scientific evidence in treating a wide range of military family challenges. However, there are a number of real and perceived barriers to the adoption of this practice. To help reduce barriers, the Department of Defense partnered with the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to fund the development of the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at the Pennsylvania State University. The Clearinghouse provides a growing web-based repository of information on more than 900 programs and practices that can be used by military personnel and their families. These programs have been closely vetted by a team of research and evaluation scientists and placed on a continuum of evidence, indicating the level of empirical support for each program (i.e., Effective, Promising, Unclear, and Ineffective). The Clearinghouse also provides live technical assistance to advise social service professionals working with military families on the adoption, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based programs and practices. In this article we describe how military and civilian social service practitioners can benefit from partnering with the Clearinghouse.
This article connects human ecological theory to the practice of collaborative relationships. Fin... more This article connects human ecological theory to the practice of collaborative relationships. Findings from a study of community coalitions in Michigan are used to highlight common elements of effective coalitions. The case is made for participation of ...
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