Impact challenges in community science-with-practice: lessons from PROSPER on transformative practitioner-scientist...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Community Psychology
• Implementation Science

Background:

• Evidence-based programs (EBPs) show promise for reducing youth violence but face significant barriers to widespread community implementation.
• Translating research findings into effective public health interventions remains a critical challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and address key challenges in achieving community-level impact with EBPs for youth violence prevention.
• To explore strategies for the large-scale translation of EBPs through infrastructure development and practitioner-scientist partnerships.

Main Methods:

• Drawing lessons from the PROSPER (Partnership Model for PROmoting School-community–Evidence-based practices) partnership.
• Analyzing challenges in community team mobilization, EBP implementation quality, sustainability, impact demonstration, and technical assistance.
• Examining grand challenges in EBP delivery systems and practitioner-scientist networks.

Main Results:

• Community-level impact requires addressing readiness, quality, sustainability, impact measurement, and technical assistance.
• Large-scale EBP translation necessitates robust infrastructure and collaborative practitioner-scientist networks.
• The PROSPER model, developed over two decades with NIH funding and Cooperative Extension Systems, offers a viable delivery system.

Conclusions:

• Practitioner-scientist partnerships are crucial for transforming EBP delivery systems.
• Supportive federal policy can enhance the scalability and effectiveness of youth violence prevention EBPs.
• Addressing implementation challenges is key to realizing the public health potential of EBPs.