Panel 2 Introduction, "Strategies for Supporting the Selection, Implementation, and Alignment of EBPs in Community Settings"

So today's panel complements really what was focused on yesterday afternoon.  Yesterday, we had more of a focus on multiple interventions, and there was some discussion in the report-out about that and the context in which evidence-based programs and practices are implemented and sustained.  And today we're going to shift a little bit in looking at the content of the four presentations today.  They all focus more on technical assistance and support and some overlap with the important features of the context in which these programs need – the kind of supports that's needed and the kind of factors in the context that influence that process.

So the title for today's panel is, “Strategies for supporting the selection, implementation and alignment of evidence-based programs in community settings.”  The structure is going to be the same as yesterday.  We are going to have the brief 15-minute presentations from our experts here, who will put out a number of thought-provoking ideas and some different frameworks from their work. 

And we're going to have the same five minutes for clarifying questions, so I'll be keeping time and making sure that we do that after each presentation, but if you can save the more substantial questions to follow our two discussants.  So we'll have two different ten-minute discussions that will follow.  So let me just introduce the panelists and the discussants, and then I'm going to turn it over to them. 

So our first presenter is Karen Blase, a Senior Scientist at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  And she's going to present her thoughts about the different components that are needed to create what she calls a formula for success.  I liked that a lot.  And a formula for creating socially significant outcomes from the work that's going on in human service agencies.  So that will be our first presentation.

Then Brian Yates, a professor of Psychology at American University is going to present his ideas on a very important topic, Return on Investment.  And distinguishing two different types – oh, is that not who's going second?  Okay.  Arthur, you're going to go second.  All right.  Sorry about that.  I was using the order in the program.  Well, I'm going to introduce everybody in my order, and you can go in whatever order you want. 

So let's see.  Brian, you're talking about two different types of Return on Investment, primary versus secondary, with secondary being more around this implementation support, which I think is going to be very interesting.

Arthur Evans, Commissioner of Philadelphia's Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services will describe his work promoting evidence-based practice in the City of Philadelphia.  And a concept that you referred to as recovery-orientated systems transformation that sounds very interesting.  So that's – all these discussions are going to be, I think very thought-provoking.

And finally, Abe Wandersman, Professor of Psychology at the University of South Carolina, is going to discuss the concept of organizational readiness and for implementing evidence-based interventions, and how to intervene with organizations that are at different levels of readiness. 

So we'll have those presentations, and then Caryn Blitz, a Policy Advisor to the Office of the Commissioner at the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families will be our first discussant, and Brian Bumbarger, my friend and colleague from the Penn State Prevention Research Center.  He's the director of the EPISCenter there.  He's going to be our other discussant.   

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