James G. Emshoff

The fidelity-adaptation debate: Implications for the implementation of public sector social programs

The modified Research, Development, and Diffusion (RD&D) model, as exemplified by change agents in federal organizations, was examined as a viable strategy for disseminating social program innovations. This study of seven nationally disseminated education and criminal justice projects was designed to refine the methodology for measuring innovation implementation. We measured program fidelity, reinvention, and effectiveness in a diverse set of program settings. Results of the research suggested that high-fidelity adopters tended to produce more effective implementations than low-fidelity adopters. Local modifications to the model were unrelated to effectiveness, whereas local additions to the model tended to enhance effectiveness. Findings supported the utility of the modified RD&D model of innovation dissemination with public sector social programs.

A randomized trial of a brief HIV risk reduction counseling intervention for women

There is an urgent need for the development and implementation of effective and feasible behavioral HIV and STD interventions. The purpose of the present randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of a single-session, skill-based sexual risk reduction intervention for women. Participants were assessed at baseline and at 1 month and 3 months following the intervention on measures of AIDS knowledge, behavioral intentions, self-efficacy, and sexual risk behavior. Compared with women in an AIDS-education-only condition, women receiving the skill-based intervention reported significantly higher rates of condom use at 3-month follow-up. Results suggest that brief sexual risk reduction programs are feasible and effective within a community setting.

Why Some Kids Do Well in Bad Situations: Relation of Parental Alcohol Misuse and Parentification to Children's Self-Concept.

Between 1991 and 1994 a sample of high- and low-functioning 10–18- year-old children of alcohol misusing and nonalcohol misusing parents were assessed on degree of problematic parental role functioning (parentification) and global self-concept. The high functioning children had been chosen by their teachers to receive training as peer counselors, whereas the low functioning children were in either psychiatric facilities or the custody of family and children services. The parentification scores of the latter significantly exceeded those of the former. Children of alcoholic parents also scored higher on the parentification measure than did those with nonalcoholic parents. Within the high functioning group hierarchical regression analysis revealed that while parental alcohol misuse status accounted for a small but significant amount of the variance in self-concept, the effect of this variable was substantially reduced after entering level of parentification into the equation. By contrast, within the low functioning group parental alcohol misuse status was not significantly related to self-concept whereas level of parentification was. The results are discussed within a family systems framework.

Innovation in Education and Criminal Justice: Measuring Fidelity of Implementation and Program Effectiveness.

The arena of social program implementation has been divided over the issue of whether new programs should be disseminated and implemented with fidelity (i.e., with close correspondence to the original validated model) or implemented according to the idiosyncratic needs, values, and resources of the local adopting organization. To empirically examine this issue, seven innovative programs were examined. Each of the four educational and three criminal justice programs had been carefully evaluated and widely disseminated. Fidelity and effectiveness criteria were developed for each program. A multimethod data collection strategy included lengthy phone interviews, on-site interviews, and archival analysis of program adopters. The results indicated that well-operationalized programs are usually adopted and implemented with a degree of fidelity acceptable to program developers. Furthermore, this fidelity is positively correlated with the effectiveness of the adopted program. Implications for educational policy and construct measurement are discussed.

Examining the behavior of a system: An outcome evaluation of a coordinated community response to domestic violence

One goal of a coordinated community response (CCR) to domestic violence is to create an infrastructure that will facilitate systems-level, and ultimately societal-level change. This study evaluated whether a CCR implemented in two counties in Georgia would be effective at increasing criminal justice system sanctions for male domestic violence offenders (i.e., arrests, prosecutions, convictions, sentencing, and referrals to batterer intervention programs). Time series analyses revealed that, in both counties, there was a significant increase in arrests of male offenders; however, law enforcement agencies also arrested more women following the intervention. More men were sentenced to probation and to attend a batterer’s intervention program post-intervention in one county; in the second county, there was no change in these outcomes. Results highlight the importance of examining how a CCR may affect the behavior of criminal justice systems, especially in terms of the unintended consequences for women.

Prostate Cancer Support Groups: A Literature Review

Abstract This article provides an overview of research literature related to cancer support groups, with particular reference to prostate cancer groups. Randomized studies of cancer support groups primarily focus on short-term psychoeducational and/or supportive/expressive groups for women with breast cancer. Many of these studies suggest that the interventions lead to a pronounced improvement in psychological functioning and may in some instances increase longevity. Regarding prostate cancer support-group members, information and education are especially valued. Open-ended, psychoeducational groups with large meetings, expert speakers, and structured, efficient organizations appear most beneficial to prostate cancer group members. The literature only partially answers a number of significant questions, including the types of groups most appropriate for people with specific diseases, process variables most significant to the success of groups, and specific factors that are barriers to group involvement by certain populations.

Researchers, Practitioners, and Funders: Using the Framework to Get Us on the Same Page

The worlds of prevention research and practice are largely disconnected. The growing body of scientific knowledge regarding effects of prevention programs is not often disseminated and translated in a manner that leads to wide scale changes in practice. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in collaboration with a team of academic researchers, has developed the Interactive Systems Framework for Dissemination and Implementation to help us understand the roles and interactions of those associated with developing knowledge, those associated with using the knowledge in practice settings, and those acting in the roles of bridge, support, and broker between the research and practice communities. This special issue on the Framework presents a variety of theoretical, practical and empirical issues related to this framework and its subsystems. This compilation of articles discuss the capacity of the Framework’s subsystems, provide examples of the generally under-developed prevention support system, describe the additional challenges involved in disseminating a change in culture, discuss the delicate balance and interaction of fidelity and adaptation, present a meta-analysis of the relationships between program implementation and program outcomes, and include examples of how the Framework has been used to guide action. The present commentary on this special issue provides a critical examination of the contributions, implications, and challenges raised by each of these articles. It also includes a discussion of how the Framework relates to the basic values and practice of community psychology and concludes with some suggested future directions and challenges for the continued development and use of the Framework.

ESID, Dissemination, and Community Psychology: A Case of Partial Implementation?

Dissemination, the second stage of Experimental Social Innovation and Dissemination (ESID) is a critical, if not defining, element of this social change model. This paper attempts to assess the extent to which community psychology has adopted and implemented ESIDs dissemination focus in its training and publications. We identify four levels of commitment to dissemination: dissemination advocate, dissemination activist, dissemination researcher, and experimental dissemination researcher. Content analyses of textbooks, journal publications, and conference papers and a brief survey of doctoral training in the field were conducted. Findings suggest that the dissemination aspects of ESID have been modestly and partially implemented within the field. That is, although there is some evidence of a commitment to dissemination practice (advocate, activist), there is much less evidence of a commitment to dissemination research. The implications of these findings for the effectiveness of the ESID model and for training and practice in community psychology are discussed.

Environmental and Contextual Influences on School Violence and its Prevention

School violence has received unprecedented attention in recent years, particularly since the infamous events unfolded in Littleton, Colorado at Columbine High School. For many Americans, such events were not imagined possible while for others, they confirmed the need for urgent and careful examination of the nature and scope of school violence. It appears, however, that school violence research has been relegated to the individual level of analysis. In this introduction to the special issue about the environmental and contextual factors related to school violence, the authors examine what we know about school violence, how school violence has been addressed, and argue that environmental factors must be part of research and intervention in this area. Finally, the contributions of the articles included in this special issue are discussed.

The diversion of delinquent youth: family-frcused intervention☆

This paper describes the practices of the Adolescent Diversion Project and presents some research evaluating the programs effectiveness. The youth were referred to the project as an alternative to further court processing. These youth were randomly assigned to the project or to a control group which received treatment as usual by the court. Project youth were assigned to work with college undergraduates for 18 weeks. The two basic intervention techniques employed were behavioral contracting and advocacy. Project youth were further randomly assigned to one of two intervention conditions within the project. The Multi-Focus group applied the above strategies to a variety of social domains of the youth, while the Family Condition focused entirely on the family. Research results focused on standard outcome criteria (police, court, and school data) as well as on the degree to which the experimental conditions differed in practice.