Lessons Learned from Scaling Up the Ecological Approach to Family Interventions and Treatment Program in Middle Schools

Abstract

The gap between efficacy trials and real-world implementation is often wider than we realize, and is bridged most effectively when careful consideration is given to the (a) qualities of the intervention that facilitate implementation, (b) external environmental influences on implementation success, (c) characteristics of intervention infrastructure that allow for sustainable implementation, and (d) qualities of the recipients that influence the degree and fidelity of implementation (Feldstein {\&} Glasgow, 2008). We discuss the lessons learned while adapting the Ecological Approach to Family Intervention and Treatment (Dishion {\&} Stormshak, 2007), a family-centered preventive intervention model delivered in public middle schools, for large-scale implementation in an effectiveness trial. We also share our experiences related to the challenges that arise when adapting an intervention model for large-scale dissemination and to share insights we have gained through this first-hand experience.