What educational strategies and mechanisms facilitate EBP use? A mixed methods examination of therapist perceptions within a system-driven implementation of multiple EBPs.

Public mental health systems are increasingly implementing multiple evidence-based practices (EBPs). There are many strategies that may be used by external consultants (such as treatment developers and trainers) and internal program leaders to support EBP implementation. The goal of this study was to identify which of these internal and external implementation strategies are considered by therapists to be most helpful and how these strategies are linked with continued use of EBPs. First, qualitative interviews with therapists revealed the following strategies are key for supporting their delivery of EBPs: (1) connections to a community of trained therapists, (2) ongoing consultation/supervision, (3) having an internal supervisor at their program who was trained in the EBP, and (4) access to EBP materials and logistic resources. Next, quantitative analyses of survey data examined whether any of the strategies therapists identified as most helpful predicted the continued delivery of EBPs by therapists after initial training. Results confirmed that strategies involving connections with a community of therapists trained in and experienced with the EBP, ongoing consultation/supervision, and having an internal supervisor trained in the EBP were each significantly associated with EBP use. Therapist reported these strategies supported EBP delivery through exposure to other therapists' cases, guidance/feedback, emotional support, and removing logistic barriers to EBP use. These findings can assist systems and programs in prioritizing implementation strategies to support the sustained delivery of EBPs.