March 2012Vol. 13, No. 2Implementing Evidence-Based Practices
As a conceptual model for improving child welfare outcomes, evidence-based practice (EBP) has created new opportunities as well as a number of challenges related to the implementation process. To address these challenges, the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC) website offers The Implementation Decision Guide for Child Welfare, a tool that tackles the issue of implementation with a focus on the interaction between people, organizations, and systems.
Three sections highlight some key aspects of the implementation process:
- Logistic challenges in real-life implementation resulting from organizational and workload issues
- The potential interplay of the outer and inner context of a system where an EBP is to be implemented
- The assessment of an organization's place along an implementation continuum that includes the four phases of exploration, preparation, active implementation, and sustainment
The implication for moving human services toward EBP is that it will require a combination of effective leadership, training, policy changes, and networking. The guide recommends using the four-phase approach accompanied by specific considerations and critical tasks for each phase. From the identification of a need for practice improvement through a problem-solving/preparatory phase to the actual implementation and sustained use of an EBP, this resource provides an effective tool for implementing EBPs in human services fields.
The Implementation Decision Guide for Child Welfare can be accessed on the CEBC's website:
