Foundational Requirements for Promising Practice Models

2. Foundational Requirements for Promising Practice Models • ACS Definition of a Promising Practice Model • PPMs are comprehensive service delivery models that utilize specific interventions to improve the family’s level of functioning. All PPMs proposed must provide some data that show positive outcomes achieved by the model as compared to an objective benchmark. • Examples of appropriate types of outcomes include, but are not limited to, case completion data, self-assessments completed from families, and average length of service data. • The agency must also demonstrate how they will track outcomes through data collection instruments. • Common Elements of EBMs, EIMs and Many PPMs • Clear roadmap: Clear service model, with defined eligibility criteria, language, problem-framing and problem-solving methods • Outcome data: Data, compared to a benchmark, that shows better results than the system-wide average • Training to support the clear roadmap: Defined training that allows staff to understand and then deliver the model • Clear staff roles: Defined teams with maximum caseloads and maximum supervisory ratios • Model fidelity activities: Methods to ensure that what was found to have shown promising results is what is being delivered to recipients of the service • Feedback Loops: Utilizing information about day-to-day practice to improve practice.

3. Manuals, Model Adherence, Leadership • PPM Manuals Include • The philosophy underlying the model and how the model accomplishes behavior change; • The business process used by the model for assessment, clinical goal setting/achievement; • The model’s staffing plan with caseload requirements, staff qualifications and supervisory system; • Inclusionary and exclusionary criteria; • Guidelines for length of treatment and when to end treatment; • Content of training provided and frequency; • Fidelity measures taken, and how they are used to improve practice; • Model Adherence Activities • Identify critical components and determine how to measure whether they are happening or not • Make indicators as objective as possible • Examples of collection methods: Self-report, observation, case review, caregiver interview • 3 types of model adherence: • Structural: Whether the program has the right structural elements (E.g., Participation in coaching, data collection, length of service) • Compliance: Whether the staff are delivering the core program components (E.g., Are they using the language, phases, etc.?) • Competence: What is the skill level of the staff? (E.g., Are the staff improving their practice over time?) • Feedback Loops: How is the data collected then used by leadership and staff to improve practice? • Leadership: Key to staying on task!