Use of Research Evidence: Social Services Portfolio

The William T. Grant Foundation intends that the emerging research evidence from its Use of Research Evidence (URE) portfolio be useful to those engaged in these (and other) diverse efforts. But broad and meaningful use of research evidence will require conversations that extend beyond researchers and expert forums. Indeed, URE findings suggest that policymakers and practitioners should not be viewed simply as "end users" of research evidence. To provide insight into how URE studies and the resulting evidence could be most relevant and useful to them, policymakers and practitioners at all levels in the social services system must have a voice in these conversations. This paper is intended to foster and inform dialogue among researchers, policymakers, and practitioners by reflecting on the Foundation's social services URE portfolio from the perspective of policy and practice and by identifying potential opportunities for the next generation of studies and considerations for those undertaking that work

The Massachusetts RU4Kids Study: Using Evidence to Improve Medicaid Mental Health Services For Massachusetts Children and Youth [English and Spanish versions]

A Spanish translation of this publication is available to download under Additional Files below. Research on effective child and adolescent mental health interventions has grown significantly over the past two decades. Through the Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI), Massachusetts policy makers, provider agencies, and advocacy groups are engaged in activities and decision-making on a daily basis that may involve the use of research evidence. The Massachusetts Research Use 4KIDS Study will examine the ways in which research evidence comes into play as children’s mental health services are transformed and implemented in the provider community. Originally published as: Research in the Works, Issue 4, 2011

Knowledge Exchange as Program Evaluation: The Family Networks Implementation Study as a Case Example

The Family Networks is a comprehensive system transformation initiative to redesign and integrate traditional categorical services across the Commonwealth into local service systems for children, youth, and families served by the child welfare system. The Family Networks Implementation Study (FNIS), a partnership between MA/DCF and UMMS, is a study of the process of implementing systems change, and provides a case example of knowledge exchang

The Family Networks Implementation Study

Family Networks is a comprehensive system transformation initiative to redesign and integrate traditional categorical services across Massachusetts into local systems of care for children, youth, and families served by the child welfare system. The Family Networks Implementation Study, a partnership between the Massachusetts Department of Social Services and the University of Massachusetts Medical School, is a two-year study of the process of implementing local systems of care that began in January 2007, and will continue through December 2008

Navigating the Complexity of Using Research in Policy and Practice Decisions [English and Spanish versions]

A Spanish translation of this publication is available to download under Additional Files below. Preliminary findings from this study call for heightened attention to the shifting and multi-dimensional complexity of decision-making that occurs in public service systems. Attention to this complexity will allow for the use of research evidence in coherent, relevant and effective ways

Intermediaries Promote the Use of Research Evidence in Children\u27s Behavioral Health Systems Change [English and Spanish versions]

A Spanish translation of this publication is available to download under Additional Files below. In this Issue Brief, we provide background on the use of research to inform policy and practice, describe the use of evidence in the context of Massachusetts-wide systems change in children’s behavioral health services, and discuss the key role of intermediaries in facilitating knowledge exchange

The Massachusetts Family Networks Implementation Study

Family Networks is a comprehensive systems transformation initiative to redesign and integrate traditional categorical services across the Commonwealth into local systems of care for children, youth, and families served by the child welfare system. The Family Networks Implementation Study, a partnership between the Massachusetts Department of Social Services (MA/DSS) and the University of Massachusetts Medical School, is a two-year study of the process of implementing local systems of care that began in January 2007, and will continue through December 2008. Findings from the Family Networks Implementation Study will inform MA/DSS strategic planning, system refinements, and the Family Networks outcomes evaluation. Continuous quality improvement strategies, drawn from study findings, will be relevant and useful to other Massachusetts EOHHS agencies with similar service delivery systems and agendas. Project activities and products will promote the Commonwealth’s participation in the national dialogue regarding systems transformation in child welfare, mental health, and juvenile justice

Exploring Knowledge Exchange at the Research-Policy-Practice Interface in Children\u27s Behavioral Health Services

This case study explored core components of knowledge exchange among researchers, policymakers, and practitioners within the context of the Rosie D. versus Romney class action lawsuit in Massachusetts and the development and implementation of its remedial plan. We identified three distinct, sequential knowledge exchange episodes with different purposes, stakeholders, and knowledge exchanged, as decision-making moved from Federal Medicaid policy to state Medicaid program standards and to community-level practice. The knowledge exchanged included research regarding Wraparound, a key component of the remedial plan, as well as contextual information critical for implementation (e.g., Federal Medicaid policy, managed care requirements, community organizations\u27 characteristics)