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Evaluation ViewAttendees 6

Category: Dissemination & Implementation Science

Symposium 41 - The Joys of Cultivating CBT Competency and EBP Fidelity

Friday, November 17, 2023
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM PST
Location: Sol Duc (708), Level 7
CE: 1.5

Keywords: Dissemination, Education and Training, Evidence-Based Practice
Level of Familiarity: Moderate
Recommended Readings: Creed, T. A., Frankel, S. A., German, R. E., Green, K. L., Jager-Hyman, S., Taylor, K. P., Adler, A. D., Wolk, C. B., Stirman, S. W., Waltman, S. H., Williston, M. A., Sherrill, R., Evans, A. C., & Beck, A. T. (2016). Implementation of transdiagnostic cognitive therapy in community behavioral health: The Beck Community Initiative. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 84(12), 1116–1126. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000105,   Frank, H. E., Becker-Haimes, E. M., Rifkin, L. S., Norris, L. A., Ollendick, T. H., Olino, T. M., Kratz, H. E., Beidas, R. S., & Kendall, P. C. (2020). Training with tarantulas: A randomized feasibility and acceptability study using experiential learning to enhance exposure therapy training. Journal of anxiety disorders, 76, 102308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102308,   German, R. E., Adler, A., Frankel, S. A., Stirman, S. W., Pinedo, P., Evans, A. C., Beck, A. T., & Creed, T. A. (2018). Testing a web-based, trained-peer model to build capacity for evidence-based practices in community mental health systems. Psychiatric Services, 69(3), 286–292. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201700029,   Henrich, D., Glombiewski, J. A., & Scholten, S. (2023). Systematic review of training in cognitive-behavioral therapy: Summarizing effects, costs and techniques. Clinical Psychology Review, 102266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102266,   Maesaka, T. J., Shernoff, E. S., & Nakamura, B. J. (2022). An Evaluation of the Practice Element Response Form in a Sample of Preservice Trainees. Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 7(3), 385-398, https://doi.org/10.1080/23794925.2021.1941428

Effective dissemination of evidence-based practices (EBPs) is critical for addressing the overwhelming need for effective mental health services in the US and abroad. Training individuals to deliver EBPs is a crucial component of the dissemination process that must be continuously improved to ensure that clinicians have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to deliver EBPs in contexts where they are needed most. To achieve this goal, it is essential to understand what resources are available to individuals who are being trained, how these resources are utilized in various training contexts, and how people develop skills in EBP delivery over time. Additionally, evaluating the competency of those who are trained is essential to ensure that EBPs are delivered with fidelity in real-world settings.

In this symposium, we present research findings on resources and processes related to learning, implementing, and evaluating fidelity to EBPs across various contexts. To begin, Presenter 1 will report findings from a scoping review of CBT psychotherapy manuals for adult clients, covering treatment targets, clinical populations, and delivery factors. Next, Presenter 2 will discuss findings of an analysis comparing CBT competency ratings of mental health service providers who learned CBT skills via a 20-hour web-based training prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, during its peak, and following its peak. Presenter 3 will then discuss the results of a study of an open-ended vignette-based measure of procedural knowledge of evidence-based practice components administered to clinicians in training. Following this, Presenter 4 will share analyses of learning trajectories of therapists who participated in a large-scale implementation initiative of CBT in community mental health agencies and the association between attitudes about CBT, clinician burnout, and different patterns of CBT skill acquisition. Lastly, Presenter 5 will present the development and initial validation of a  CBT single item competency score. Our discussant, an expert in EBP dissemination and implementation in public sector settings with a focus on mental health treatment design and clinical support tools, will summarize findings and themes from these presentations and offer recommendations for improving clinical training.  
Together, these papers will provide an overview of key areas of training and competency evaluation for individuals who deliver EBPs. We highlight key insights into how we can develop more effective training resources, improve the training process, and ensure that individuals are adequately equipped to deliver high-quality care to those who need it most.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session, the learner will be able to:
  • Identify gaps in available psychotherapy manuals including target populations, clinical issues, and adaptations that limit EBP dissemination.
  • Describe how providers’ EBP knowledge and competency, developed via web-based training, were affected by stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Summarize demographic characteristics of clinical trainees associated with change in procedural knowledge of evidence based practices.
  • Differentiate clinicians training to develop knowledge and skills in CBT who are more likely to develop approach competency from those who are not.
  • Compare the utility, benefits, and limitations of a single item fidelity metric to a comprehensive observer-coded scale of CBT fidelity.