Cited by 113Health Policy Implementation ScienceHealth Sciences Research and EducationEvaluation and Performance Assessment

Social networks and implementation of evidence-based practices in public youth-serving systems: a mixed-methods study

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Palinkas, Lawrence A, Holloway, Ian W, Rice, Eric, Fuentes, Dahlia, Wu, Qiaobing, Chamberlain, Patricia·2011·Implementation Science

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The present study examines the structure and operation of social networks of information and advice and their role in making decisions as to whether to adopt new evidence-based practices (EBPs) among agency directors and other program professionals in 12 California counties participating in a large randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Interviews were conducted with 38 directors, assistant directors, and program managers of county probation, mental health, and child welfare departments. Grounded-theory analytic methods were used to identify themes related to EBP adoption and network influences. A web-based survey collected additional quantitative information on members of information and advice networks of study participants. A mixed-methods approach to data analysis was used to create a sociometric data set (n = 176) for examination of associations between advice seeking and network structure. RESULTS: Systems leaders develop and maintain networks of information and advice based on roles, responsibility, geography, and friendship ties. Networks expose leaders to information about EBPs and opportunities to adopt EBPs; they also influence decisions to adopt EBPs. Individuals in counties at the same stage of implementation accounted for 83% of all network ties. Networks in counties that decided not to implement a specific EBP had no extra-county ties. Implementation of EBPs at the two-year follow-up was associated with the size of county, urban versus rural counties, and in-degree centrality. Collaboration was viewed as critical to implementing EBPs, especially in small, rural counties where agencies have limited resources on their own. CONCLUSIONS: Successful implementation of EBPs requires consideration and utilization of existing social networks of high-status systems leaders that often cut across service organizations and their geographic jurisdictions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT00880126.

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  • Contextual Assessments and Analysis, co-designed by the original intervention team and the knowledge user team, can provide critical information about the 'who,' 'what,' and 'how' that are essential to ensure that the adapted intervention is relevant and effective to meet the sociocultural contexts of the intended end users and local stakeholders.

    “The Contextual Assessments and Analysis, co-designed by the original intervention team and the knowledge user team, can provide critical information about the “who,” “what,” and “how” that are essential to ensure that the adapted intervention is relevant and effective to meet the sociocultural contexts of the intended end users and local stakeholders [20].”

    From Promoting the mental health of university students in China: Protocol for contextual assessment to inform intervention design and adaptation (2021) · cites this paper as [20]

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  • Counties whose service systems leaders were identified by others as a source of information and advice exhibited significantly greater progress in implementing MTFC than counties lacking such leaders.

    “This study found that counties whose service systems leaders were identified by others as a source of information and advice exhibited significantly greater progress in implementing MTFC than counties lacking such leaders.”

    From Social Network Analysis for Program Implementation (2015) · cites this paper as [24]

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Bandura A Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory 1986 Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall
  2. Borgatti SP Everett MG Freeman LC Ucinet for Windows: Software for Social Network Analysis 2002 Cambridge, MA: Analytic Technologies

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Authors
Palinkas, L. A., Holloway, I. W., Rice, E., Fuentes, D., Wu, Q., & Chamberlain, P.
Affiliations
  • University of Southern California (US)
  • Chinese University of Hong Kong (HK)
Corresponding author
Palinkas, Lawrence A
Venue
Implementation Science
Published
2011-09-29
Volume
6
Issue
1
Pages
113-113
ISSN
1748-5908 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2107778773
Cited by
113
References
45
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 3
FWCI
13.08
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Implementation Science (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • William T. Grant Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health (5r01mh007658-23)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH07658)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Policy Implementation Science
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Sciences Research and Education
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Evaluation and Performance Assessment
Keywords
social networks, evidence-based practice adoption, probation, child welfare, mental health services, in-degree centrality, collaboration, rural counties, implementation decision-making
MeSH terms
Adolescent, California, Child, Child Welfare, Community Health Services, Cooperative Behavior, Data Collection, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Psychometrics, Social Support, Multivariate Analysis, Program Development, Public Sector, Substance-Related Disorders, Internet, Evidence-Based Practice

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