Macro designed a Web-based survey to assess practitioners’ knowledge, training, and use of evidence-based treatments and practices. The survey was administered in 2003 to mental health clinicians in communities funded in 1997–1998, specifically clinicians providing mental health services to children eligible to receive system of care services. Redesigned in 2005, the survey was administered to clinicians providing services to children enrolled in system of care programs in communities funded in 1999–2000. Mailed copies of the surveys were available to respondents upon request.
The Management Information Systems (MIS) and Technology Survey has been administered to all communities funded since 1999. The Web-based survey assesses the availability of cross-agency services and costs data in communities, information captured in MISs for provided services, and the use of telehealth technologies and the Internet to enhance the provision of information and services to the children and families served by systems of care. Preliminary results of the survey have been presented to communities and stakeholders.
The Sustainability Survey is administered both during the program’s grant funding and again 5 years after funding ended. Since this study began after communities funded in 1993–1994 had completed their funding cycle, they were surveyed only at 5 years post funding. Mailed copies of the survey are available to respondents upon request. Findings from the first phase of this study have been presented to communities and stakeholders.
The Provider Attitudes and Practices Survey was used to assess the extent to which the attitudes and practices of child-serving providers (mental health service providers, juvenile justice employees, special education teachers, and child welfare case workers) in the systems of care and matched comparison communities were consistent with system of care principles. Information from this study was presented at the 2004 Annual Training Conference of the Research & Training Center for Children’s Mental Health, University of South Florida.
The Primary Care Provider Study seeks to investigate the role of primary health care practitioners in systems of care and to further understand the integration of primary care and mental health services. Data collected via the Web-based and mailed survey will be used to address the questions, “to what extent do pediatricians interact with local systems of care; to what extent to pediatricians conduct mental health screening, assessment, and referral to mental health services; and what are barriers to working with mental health service agencies?”
The Culturally Competent Practices Survey was conducted in the communities that first received funding in 2002–2004. The study assessed the extent to which providers are familiar with, and engage in, culturally competent practices, and the ways in which a provider’s agency/organization hinders or facilitates these practices. The survey was Web based, and mailed copies were available to respondents upon request.
Additional special studies within the national evaluation employ randomized clinical trials designed specifically to measure the effects of evidence-based interventions (e.g., Parent–Child Interaction Therapy, Common Sense Parenting, Brief Strategic Family Therapy) and survey methods to ascertain the degree to which evidence-based interventions are being implemented naturalistically and the variables affecting their implementation. These studies not only assess the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions within systems of care on clinical outcomes, but also collect both quantitative and qualitative information to identify facilitators and barriers to the faithful implementation of evidence-based interventions within community settings.
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