A model for measuring the implementation of community support programs: results from three sites

We present and test a model for measuring the implementation of Community Support Programs (CSPs) for persons with severe mental illnesses. The model is intended to facilitate the description and replication of these programs and the future study of their critical ingredients. The model defines important implementation variables in seven areas of program functioning; we then suggest instruments to measure each of these variables. Results of a study examining the application of the model and measures to three conceptually distinct CSPs illustrate the utility of the model and measures for implementation analysis of CSPs. Importantly, findings revealed that a priori hypotheses about how the programs were expected to differ on the implementation variables were largely supported.