Mechanisms of change in external implementation support: A conceptual model and case examples to guide research and practice.

Background: External implementation support (EIS) is a well-recognized feature of implementation science and practice, often under related terms such as technical assistance and implementation facilitation. Existing models of EIS have gaps related to addressing practice outcomes at both individual and organizational levels, connecting practice activities to intended outcomes, or grounding in well-established theories of behavior and organization change. Moreover, there have been calls to clarify the mechanisms of change through which EIS influences related outcomes.

Trajectory of external implementation support activities across two states in the United States: A descriptive study.

Background: Reporting on strategies to advance implementation outcomes is imperative. The current study reports descriptive information about external implementation support (EIS) provided over 5 years to 13 regions in North Carolina and South Carolina scaling an evidence-based system of parenting and family supports. Regional support teams operating through the Implementation Capacity for Triple P (ICTP) projects employed core practice components (CPCs) for EIS as proposed by Aldridge et al.

Is the Concept of Self-Regulation Useful for Supporting Effective Implementation in Community Settings?

The literature and utility of self-regulation extends beyond individuals; a critical factor for successful and sustainable implementation of evidence-based programs in a community setting may be the capacity of teams to self-regulate implementation processes. The conceptual foundation of this proposal is explored and definitions of the five dimensions of self-regulation for implementation processes are provided. Practice examples illustrate how the provision of external implementation support to build self-regulatory capacity among implementation teams adopting and scaling-up EBPs in the local community setting has shaped and refined the proposed definitions to better reflect the work on-the-ground.

Legalized marijuana: Language-associated knowledge of laws and risk perceptions among Latinos.

This study examines the extent to which knowledge of recreational marijuana laws, health effects, and perceptions of risk for marijuana use differ between Spanish- and English-speaking Latino survey respondents from a registry of Colorado adults. Spanish-speaking Latino respondents ( = 47) had less accurate knowledge of laws permitting use of marijuana than English-speaking Latino respondents ( = 154), while reporting greater agreement with negative health effects and higher perception of risk associated with marijuana use. The results suggest that efforts to communicate health and informational messaging to the public about legalized marijuana should consider linguistic variations when tailoring campaigns for Latino audiences.

What Do Colorado Adults Know About Legal Use of Recreational Marijuana After a Media Campaign?

Background: Colorado is among the first states to legalize the recreational sale of marijuana and therefore among the first to develop regulations outlining the purchase, possession, consumption, and enforcement, and penalties. Colorado legislators set aside funds for a statewide informational media campaign to educate Colorado residents on legal use of marijuana.

Method: This study evaluated the effectiveness of the mass media campaign to increase awareness of the law through a prospective cohort surveyed before and 6 months after the launch of the campaign ( n = 798).