Within a system, change affects stakeholders differently. Consequently, when making changes in the mental health system, mental health agencies should expect varied reactions from staff, community members, consumers, and families. Since misunderstandings can stymie your efforts to implement EBPs, it is important to build consensus to implement EBPs in the community.
Practitioner training alone is not effective. The experience of mental health authorities and agencies that have successfully implemented evidence-based practices (EBPs) reinforces that fact. Instead, practitioner training must be complemented by a broad range of implementation activities, including the following:
- Building support for the EBP;
- Integrating the EBP into agency policies and procedures;
- Training staff agency-wide on basic EBP principles;
- Allowing for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the program.
This overview introduces the general range of activities involved in successfully implementing EBPs. For guidelines and suggestions for EBP‑specific activities, see the remaining sections of each KIT.