Longstanding gaps between science and practice in schools have contributed to a persistent “last mile” problem in which education research consistently fails to reach the individuals for whom it was intended. Implementation research is an emerging scientific study in education of methods to promote the systematic uptake of research findings and evidence-based programs and practices into routine services. The purpose of this three-year methods training grant is to increase the number of education scholars with expertise in conceptualizing, designing, and executing implementation research studies. We propose to establish a Research Institute for Implementation Science in Education (RIISE) that will provide training and mentorship to increase human intellectual capital devoted to implementation research study design in education and build a network of implementation scientists devoted to bridging the “last mile.”
Patient Population: Children
Helping Educational Leadership Mobilize Evidence (HELM): an organizational intervention to promote strategic implementation in schools
This project will adapt and test a leadership-focused implementation strategy targeting elementary school principals in buildings where universal social, emotional, and behavioral programs are being implemented.
Development and testing of a research-based Tier 3 Wraparound model for schools
This project will adapt the defined, research-based, Wraparound care coordination model for youth with complex behavioral health needs to the education environment, including training curricula, installation protocols, fidelity measures, and other components. The project will initially convene national experts and local stakeholders who will review and aid in iterative refinement of materials, followed by a small-scale pre-post pilot, and culminating in a small-scale randomized pilot study comparing proximal and distal outcomes for 60 students in 6 elementary schools assigned to the “Tier 3 Wraparound” protocol versus services as usual.
Disseminating a user-friendly guide: Advancing the science of intervention adaptation and improving access to evidence-based psychological treatment
Adaptation of evidence-based practices and programs (EBPs) is a necessary component of the implementation process. EBPs must be adapted to function with the constraints of real-world practice settings, providers’ expertise, and patients’ needs. The science of intervention adaptation is hungry for well-defined methods of EBP adaptation to guide decision making. A how-to guide for EBP adaptation titled MODIFI: Making Optimal Decisions for Intervention Flexibility during Implementation, is under development with NIMH funding (F32 MH116623). MODIFI will be disseminated via multiple strategies locally, nationally, and internationally. Dissemination of MODIFI will improve the practice of intervention adaptation by providing practitioners with a how-to guide that is (a) evidence-based, (b) usable, and (c) supported by the expert consensus of implementation practitioners and researchers.
Clinical study of cannabidiol in children and adolescents with Fragile X (CONNECT-FX) & Open-Label Extension (CONNECT-FX OLE)
To evaluate the efficacy of ZYN002 administered as a transdermal gel formulation, for up to 12 weeks, in patients ages 3 to <18 years, in the treatment of symptoms of Fragile X Syndrome (FXS).
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of Arbaclofen in subjects with 16p11.2 deletion (16p del)
To examine the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of arbaclofen for the treatment of neurodevelopmental impairments in subjects with 16p11.2 deletion
Autism biomarkers consortium for clinical trials
This is a multicenter longitudinal study that aims to identify, develop and validate a set of measures that can be used as stratification biomarkers and/or sensitive and reliable objective measures of social impairment in ASD that could serve as markers of long term clinical outcome.
Expanding mental health training and treatment in child and adolescent mental health in Vietnam
Engaged in early relationship-building with Can Tho University of Pharmacy and Medicine (CTUMP), and Can Tho Children’s Hospital (CTCH) in Can Tho, Vietnam to develop training, research, and clinical service delivery models for psychiatry and mental health in the region.
As is true throughout Southeast Asia, persons with mental illness in Vietnam suffer from stigmatization and under-resourced care. But things are changing. Vietnam is experiencing rapid economic expansion and, concurrently, attitudes about caring for individuals with mental illness are shifting. There is a developing awareness of children’s and adolescents’ mental health needs, and illness. UW faculty are working with the leadership at CTMUP to expand its capacity to provide mental health care in general psychiatry and in pediatrics, assisting community psychiatrists to update their knowledge, and guiding the leadership at the new Children’s Hospital to develop mental health programs.
