Employing survival analysis of administrative claims to identify prospective predictors of evidence-based practice sustainment versus provider turnover.

Objective: This study described therapists' delivery of six child mental health evidence-based practices (EBPs) over 33 months during the sustainment phase of a system-driven implementation aimed at improving access to EBPs in community settings.

Method: Seven hundred seventy-seven therapists and 162 program leaders delivering at least one of six EBPs of interest completed surveys, and these data were matched to therapist administrative claims data. Survival analyses examined (a) therapists' discontinuation of delivery of all Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health direct client services (i.e., turnover) and (b) therapists' discontinuation of a specific EBP while continuing to provide psychotherapy services.

Results: A majority of therapists (58.3%) were observed to discontinue providing any direct client services over the 33-month period, and discontinuation rates for specific EBPs ranged from 100% of therapists (Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools) to 76.4% (Managing and Adapting Practice). Different factors predicted the discontinuation of all service delivery compared to the discontinuation of a specific EBP. Greater therapist emotional exhaustion predicted higher likelihood of discontinuation of all direct client services. For EBP discontinuation, EBP-level factors (e.g., EBPs that required ongoing consultation), therapist-level factors (e.g., ability to provide services in a language other than English), and agency-level factors (e.g., more positive program leader perceptions of the EBP) predicted lower likelihood of discontinuation of the specific EBP.

Conclusions: Different factors contribute to the risk of therapists leaving the service system versus discontinuing the delivery of specific EBPs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).