Examining the readiness to adopt, implement, and disseminate evidence-based strategies in high risk-high need communities grappling with persistent violence.

• In Event: Changing the Narrative for what Works to Prevent Violence in High Risk-high Need Communities

Abstract

In order for an evidence-based program (EBP) to demonstrate the intended effects, implementers need to possess the right mix of attributes. Typically, this falls to the organizations that have access to the population of interest, which in the case of violence prevention would include youth-serving organizations and systems (e.g., public health, education, juvenile justice, police, and child welfare entities). Thus, implementation success depends on finding the right contextual fit between a prevention/intervention strategy and the readiness of the organizations where it is used. In high risk communities, the need for services may be high, while readiness to use services may be low. Factors that contribute to low levels of readiness include insufficient community resources, high unemployment and low-skilled labor, and low collective efficacy to prevent crime and violence from decades of historical trauma, exposure to violence, and mistrust of police and government due to disparate treatment and disproportionate involvement in the justice system. This session will explore the EBP readiness literature as it relates to effective outcomes, and present information about a new assessment tool designed to help organizations gauge their readiness and a process to support and build capacity in high risk - high need communities in the adoption, implementation, and dissemination of effective strategies to prevent or reduce violence.

Authors

• Jennifer Loeffler-Cobia, American Institutes for Research

• Patricia Campie, American Institutes for Research