Strengths of the Science in Behavior Disorders: Reflections and Future Directions

1. Strengths of the Science in Behavior Disorders: Reflections and Future Directions Catherine Bradshaw, PhD, M.Ed. Johns Hopkins Center for Prevention and Early Intervention Johns Hopkins Center for the Prevention of Youth Violence Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health June 2010

2. What works for whom, under what circumstances? • Moderated effects • Identify profiles of responders (and non-responders) • Inform research on tiered interventions (RtI, PBIS) and adaptive or tailored interventions • Interventions that “assign different dosages of certain program components across individuals, and/or within individuals across time,” and “the assignment of a particular level of dosage and/or type of treatment is based on the individual’s values on variables that are expected to moderate the effect of the treatment component” (Collins, Murphy, & Bierman, 2004). • Contextual factors • Fidelity of implementation, school disorder (Bradshaw, Koth et al., 2009, Prevention Science)

3. Looking inside the ‘black box’ • Identifying mechanisms and testing the theory of change • Know little about critical components of interventions • Unpacking programs • Do components work independent of the package? • Ordering/sequencing • Program adaptation • Should we emphasize programs or frameworks/models (e.g., RtI, PBIS)? • Research approaches • Components analysis or factorial designs • What elements are hardest or easiest to implement?

4. Model of the Integration Process

5. Rationale for Integrated Models of Prevention • Single interventions may not adequately address the underlying mechanisms contributing to the development of problem behavior. • Integrated models keep the unique strategies of each intervention model and merge those that overlap, resulting in a model that delivers a broader set of approaches simultaneously. • Through a shared conceptual framework and language, integrated models maximize students’ exposure to intervention processes. • Intervention elements are streamlined so that there is less repetition and duplication of effort. (Domitrovich, Bradshaw, Greenberg et al., 2009; Psychology in the Schools)

7. Tiered Prevention Framework Social Emotional Learning StudentServices School Mental Health Truancy Reduction Suspension Reduction Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Special Education Assessment and Referral Bullying Prevention/Reduction

8. What is it going to take to do it well? • Implementation fidelity • Contextual influences (Domitrovich, Bradshaw, Poduska et al., 2008) • Support system • Coaching and on-site technical assistance • Models of coaching (e.g., Technical/Expert, Problem-Solving, Team-Building, Reflective Practice; Denton & Hasbrouck, in press) • Process for training and supporting coaches • Coaching as an adaptive/tailored process • Partnership • Models of partnership with teachers, administrators, district, state • Special issue of Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research titled  “Forging and SustainingPartnerships to Support Child Mental Health Prevention and Services Research” (with Katherine Taylor Haynes)

10. What is it going to take to move it out? • Dissemination and Type II Translational Research (Spoth, 2008; Woolf, 2008) • What factors contribute to dissemination of programs? • Cultural/political shift toward accountability • What makes programs attractive to districts, schools, & teachers? • Theory, ease of implementation, access, cost • Data to document behavioral vs. social-emotional competencies • Philosophical and theoretical differences • Teacher-focused, management & compliance oriented vs. child-focused, promotion of competencies • Immediate impact vs. long-term pay off