Webinar Series: Strengthening Services for Youth by Using Evidence & Partnership
This series provides child- and family-serving system leaders and other stakeholders the opportunity to develop a service array that best meets the needs of youth and families using evidence-based programs (EBPs). Join us to discuss strategies and tools for identifying and addressing gaps in an existing service array; assessing the fit of EBPs to fill gaps; and leveraging and aligning an EBP array with existing financial resources. Gain an understanding of how to improve the quality of efforts for positive impact and discuss strategies for developing partnerships and infrastructure for successfully implementing EBPs, including the role of intermediary organizations. The series includes break-out group conversations for facilitated conversation about how to apply knowledge from the webinar to achieving your goals.
New Workshops on the second Thursday of March/May/July/September/October, 2:30 – 3:30 PM EST
NEW! Journal Article by Lead Faculty Jessie Watrous and UMB School of Social Work Professor Rick Barth: Partnering for Success - A Prototype for Integrating Evidence-based Practices between Referring Professionals and Mental Health Professional
Affinity Groups
Affinity groups to meet during the webinars
- Public Agency Leaders & Funders – includes child and family public agency administrator and funders
- Provider Leaders – includes administrators of private agencies that partner with a public agency, such as those that offer child/youth out-of-home placement, and service providers
- Practitioners (Care Coordinators, Social Workers, Clinicians, Caseworkers & Direct Supervisors)
- Families & Youth– youth or family members
Lead Faculty
Webinar Schedule
Click the sessions below to learn more about each.
Jessie Watrous, MPA, Director, Evidence-Based Programs, The Institute for Innovation & Implementation, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Social Work
Robert Franks, PhD, President & CEO, Judge Baker Children’s Center, Harvard University
Suzanne Kerns, PhD, Research Associate Professor & Executive Director, Graduate School of Social Work’s Center for Effective Interventions, University of Denver
In this workshop you will learn about best practices to develop an evidence-based service array to better meet the needs of youth and families and improve outcomes. Presenters offer a framework for understanding evidence-based practices (EBPs) in today’s context and share strategies and tools to identify and address gaps in your existing service array and select EBPs that fit your system, community or agency. Specifically, presenters address the following topics: 1) assessing population strengths and needs; 2): identifying gaps in services and setting priorities to fill gaps; 3) selecting an EBP that “fits” and differentiating similar EBPs; 4) leveraging public funding to support priorities and develop your array of EBPs , 5) developing an infrastructure to support quality implementation of EBPs at scale; and 6) supporting “front-line” practice change to maximize use of EBPs.
Watch a recording of this session.
March 11 - Assessing Community Strengths & Addressing Needs ▾
2:30 - 3:30 pm EST
Jessie Watrous, MPA, Director, Evidence-Based Programs, The Institute for Innovation & Implementation, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Social Work
Robert Franks, PhD, President & CEO, Judge Baker Children’s Center, Harvard University
Suzanne Kerns, PhD, Research Associate Professor & Executive Director, Graduate School of Social Work’s Center for Effective Interventions, University of Denver
In this session, explore ways to understand the community being served and gather necessary information for decision making, resource allocation, and selection of EBPs. Specifically, learn:
- How to conduct a basic needs assessment
- How to understand the local context especially cultural, population, and community features that impact decision making, selection, and implementation
- How to identify the relative capacities and deficits of the local system
- How to prioritize decision making and resource allocation
Watch a recording of this session
May 13 - Differentiating & Selecting Among Evidence-Based Programs to find one that Fits ▾
2:30 - 3:30 pm EST
Jessie Watrous, MPA, Director, Evidence-Based Programs, The Institute for Innovation & Implementation, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Social Work
Robert Franks, PhD, President & CEO, Judge Baker Children’s Center, Harvard University
Suzanne Kerns, PhD, Research Associate Professor & Executive Director, Graduate School of Social Work’s Center for Effective Interventions, University of Denver
Explore the step-by-step process for selecting appropriate evidence-based practices and programs to meet the needs and address gaps within a system of care. Consider:
- The priority of need, identified target areas, and interest and support of the system
- Matching possible evidence-based interventions with target areas and need
- Assessing fit based on population characteristics, setting, cost, available capacities of system; complexity of the EBP; implementation requirements, and flexibility/adaptability of EBP for local context
Watch a recording of this session.
2:30 - 3:30 pm EST
Jessie Watrous, MPA, Director, Evidence-Based Programs, The Institute for Innovation & Implementation, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Social Work
Robert Franks, PhD, President & CEO, Judge Baker Children’s Center, Harvard University
Suzanne Kerns, PhD, Director of Transformative Research, The Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, University of Colorado
Jill Farrell, PhD, Director, Research & Evaluation; Co-Director, MD Center; Research Assistant Professor, The Institute for Innovation & Implementation, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Social Work
Explore the roles and capacities of intermediary and purveyor organizations, including how to fund, develop, and sustain such organizations, and how to adapt intermediaries to the local context. Review the basic functions of intermediaries including:
- Purveyor of EBPs
- Consultation and technical assistance
- Continuous quality improvement
- Best practice model development
- Outcome evaluation
- Training, public awareness, and education
- Policy and systems development
Watch a recording of this session.
2:30 - 3:30 pm EST
Robert Franks, PhD, President & CEO, Judge Baker Children’s Center, Harvard University
Jessie Watrous, MPA, Director, Evidence-Based Programs, The Institute for Innovation & Implementation, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Social Work
Suzanne Kerns, PhD, Director of Transformative Research, The Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, University of Colorado
Geetha Gopalan, LCSW, PhD, Associate Professor, Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, City University of New York
Lauren Coleman, MSW, LCSW-C, Training Manager, Workforce Development and Support, Ruth Young Center for Maryland, The Institute for Innovation & Implementation, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Social Work
Learn about best practices to support practice change across an organization, including strategies at the therapist, supervisor, and administrator levels. This includes considerations across all implementation phases, from pre-implementation, initial implementation, and sustainability. Particular attention is paid to motivation, communication, and development of supportive infrastructures and on maximizing the role of implementation teams.
Watch a recording of this session.
October 21 - Leveraging Funding to Support Your EBP Priorities ▾
2:30 - 3:30 pm EST
Jessie Watrous, MPA, Director, Evidence-Based Programs, The Institute for Innovation & Implementation, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Social Work
Robert Franks, PhD, President & CEO, Judge Baker Children’s Center, Harvard University
Suzanne Kerns, PhD, Director of Transformative Research, The Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, University of Colorado
Deborah S. Harburger, MSW, Director, The Ruth Young Center for Maryland, The Institute for Innovation & Implementation, School of Social Work University of Maryland, Baltimore
Suzanne Fields, MSW, Senior Advisor for Health Care Finance & Policy The Institute for Innovation & Implementation, School of Social Work University of Maryland, Baltimore
Review federal funding sources that prioritize EBPs and examine strategies to maximize use of other federal funding sources to support state goals. Study examples from jurisdictions that have expanded their array of EBPs to achieve goals and maximize funding. Discuss how private agencies have shifted programming to include EBPs and taken advantage of this funding sources at the local level.
Watch a recording of this session.
Registration Information
Register for an account on Ideas@TheInstitute to attend the workshops.
Already have an account? Sign in & Register.
*Certificate of Attendance will be provided after completion of a minimum of 45 minutes of each workshop.
A series developed by: