Disseminating Evidence-Based Practices for Child and Adolescent Mental Health: A Web-Based Initiative Article

Kuriyan, AB, Altszuler, AR, Comer, JS et al. (2017). Disseminating Evidence-Based Practices for Child and Adolescent Mental Health: A Web-Based Initiative . 2(1), 54-67. 10.1080/23794925.2017.1286958

cited authors

  • Kuriyan, AB; Altszuler, AR; Comer, JS; Pelham, WE

abstract

  • Recent years have seen an increase in demand for evidence-based practices (EBPs) in mental health care; however, there exists a dearth of accessible, low-cost trainings in EBPs. This has led national organizations, such as the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (SCCAP; Division 53 of the American Psychological Association), to undertake evidence-based dissemination initiatives. Whereas traditional efforts, such as publishing special issues about EBPs in academic journals and hosting conferences dedicated to child mental health, were well received, the reach of these efforts were limited. To disseminate EBPs more broadly, SCCAP partnered with the Center for Children and Families at Florida International University in 2011 to create a website designed to educate parents and professionals on child and adolescent mental health. The result is a not-for-profit website providing one of the largest caches of educational videos by leading experts in clinical child and adolescent psychology summarizing the state of the evidence for mental health treatment, in-depth workshops on specific treatment techniques and packages, and brief informational videos for parents. The online courses are being used by community mental health agencies, individual clinicians, and universities to facilitate training in EBPs and to inform parents about EBPs. Initial evaluations of the impact of the online courses indicate high rates of consumer satisfaction with the course content and materials, as well as broad reach in terms of user geography, theoretical orientation, and professional setting. Development of additional website content, mobile applications, and new presentation formats are under way.

publication date

  • January 1, 2017

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

start page

  • 54

end page

  • 67

volume

  • 2

issue

  • 1