3 - (SYM 75) Investigating the Effects of Organizational Implementation Context and Pre- and In-service Training on Modular Therapy Training in School Mental Health Settings

While extended in-service therapist training and consultation may help to address evidence-based practice (EBP) related shortcomings in school mental health, implementation of such programs is often complex and fraught with challenges, and little is known about the determining factors impacting uptake of evidence-informed implementation strategies and application of EBP. The current study evaluates elements of a systemwide training on the Managing and Adapting Practice (MAP; PracticeWise, LLC) system, a modular-based approach to evidence-based service delivery. First, we will describe community mental health in school-based settings prior to training along numerous domains (e.g., graduate school training experiences, organizational implementation context). Second, numerous implementation outcomes (and predictors of those outcomes) will be evaluated, such as changes in behavioral intentions for using practice elements associated with the evidence base and completion of different initiatives (e.g., ongoing consultation sessions) associated with MAP training.

Evaluation data were collected from 60 school-based therapists participating in several MAP implementation initiatives, including a prolonged MAP training experience and ongoing consultation with a MAP trainer. Trainees were approximately 42.29 (SD = 10.49) years in age, predominantly female (n = 43, 78.2%), and identified most often as a cognitive-behavioral orientation. Results suggest that therapists reported receiving the most graduate training in non-specific therapeutic techniques (e.g., relationship/rapport building) and the least training in exposure, and that they frequently endorsed practices with less support from the evidence base (e.g., supportive listening) for a hypothetical youth with either anxiety or disruptive behavior problems. Providers selected significantly more EBPs for both youth anxiety (t = -4.5, p < .01) and disruptive behavior (t = -2.12, p < .05) problems after participating in the initial MAP training initiative. Preliminary analyses looking at training retention suggested that providers who went on to complete all posttraining consultation sessions (n = 37, 61.0%) were more likely to receive less supervision per month (t = 1.59, p < .01) and reported less citizenship behavior, (t = 1.08, p < .05). These and other findings, including predictive analyses examining the determinants of therapist EBP training retention, as well as research and training implications will be discussed.