Scaling up Evidence-Based Interventions in US Public Systems to Prevent Behavioral Health Problems: Challenges and...

Area of Science:

• Prevention Science
• Public Health Policy
• Translational Research

Background:

• Evidence-based interventions (EBIs) show promise in preventing behavioral health problems.
• Widespread adoption of EBIs in public systems is limited, hindering population-level impact.
• The Society for Prevention Research (SPR) established the MAPS IV Task Force to address this gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors influencing the scale-up of EBIs across five public systems.
• To propose actionable strategies for increasing EBI implementation in public systems.
• To improve public health and well-being through enhanced EBI reach.

Main Methods:

• Reviewed existing efforts to scale up EBIs in public systems.
• Analyzed common factors affecting EBI scale-up across behavioral health, child welfare, education, juvenile justice, and public health.
• Synthesized findings to recommend policy and practice changes.

Main Results:

• Public policies and funding are the most critical factors for EBI scale-up.
• Other facilitators include EBI readiness, public support, community capacity, leadership, workforce skills, and data monitoring.
• System-level barriers impede the widespread implementation of EBIs.

Conclusions:

• Increased public policies and funding are essential for EBI creation, testing, and scaling.
• Development of frameworks addressing system-level barriers is needed.
• Promoting public support, community capacity, and multi-stakeholder partnerships is crucial for successful EBI scale-up.