Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Mar;56(1):115-125.
doi: 10.1037/pst0000188. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Practical solutions for sustaining long-term academic-community partnerships

Soo Jeong Youn  1 , Sarah E Valentine  1 , Kaylie A Patrick  1 , Molly Baldwin  2 , Anisha Chablani-Medley  2 , Yesenia Aguilar Silvan  1 , Derri L Shtasel  1 , Luana Marques  1
Affiliations

Practical solutions for sustaining long-term academic-community partnerships

Soo Jeong Youn et al. Psychotherapy (Chic). 2019 Mar.

Abstract

The science-practice gap in the treatment of mental health is most pronounced in community settings, where clients with the highest needs often receive their care. Implementation science and community-based participatory research strategies aim to effectively address this gap by establishing partnerships that focus on scientifically rigorous, as well as clinically and socially relevant, research. Despite significant benefits, the community-based participatory research implementation framework has a unique set of challenges. The current article describes evidence-supported implementation strategies that were deployed to address various barriers to the implementation and long-term sustainability of an innovative cognitive-behavioral theory (CBT) life skills program identified during a feasibility trial. Through the committed work of an established partnership between a community-based nonprofit organization and researchers, barriers and the strategies for mitigating these obstacles were jointly identified. Specific challenges included fidelity (variability in staff's CBT competency and delivery), sustainability, and the cost of guideline implementation (data collection, time, and resources) of the CBT curriculum. We also provide details on the partnership's solutions to these major obstacles, including the development of an intensive 3-month training and coaching phase. The results of this rigorous training suggest improvement in staff's overall CBT competency and fidelity, increased participant engagement in the CBT curriculum, and enhanced data-collection procedures; yet, sustainability difficulties remained. General recommendations for long-term community research partnerships include early organizational buy-in; comprehensive needs assessments, including the organization's research building capacity; and sustained training and coaching models. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Timeline of the various implementation phases of the CBT curriculum at Roca
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Percentage of Roca young men engaged in CBT per month, and by delivery type per month.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Baldwin M, & Zeira Y (2017). From evidence-based practices to a comprehensive intervention model for high-risk young men: The story of Roca. Pathways for Innovation. New Thinking in Community Corrections Bulletin, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, NCJ 250935
    1. Baldwin M, Chablani-Medley A, Marques L, Schiraldi V, Valentine S, & Zeira Y (2018). Cognitive Behavioral Theory, young adults, and community corrections: Pathways for innovation. New Thinking in Community Corrections Bulletin, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, NCJ 250935. Manuscript submitted for publication.
    1. Barlow S, Hansen WD, Fuhrman A, & Finley R (1982). Leader communication style: Effects on members of small groups. Small Group Behavior, 13, 518–531.
    1. Bertrand M, Duflo E, & Mullainathan S (2004). How much should we trust differences-in-differences estimates? The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 119(1), 249–275.
    1. Brownson RC, Colditz GA, & Proctor EK (Eds). (2012). Dissemination and implementation research in health: Translating science to practice. New York: Oxford University Press.