Choose an Evidence-based Practice
The first step is to identify the problem or need.
Many provider organizations and individual clinicians decide to implement a particular evidence-based practice (EBP), whether because a training exposed them to it, or they feel compelled to “do something” to respond to various pressures from funders and regulators.
Before choosing a particular EBP you should:
- identify the problem or need
- identify the current processes that are causing the problem
- identify the desired outcome after implementing the EBP
Answering these questions will help guide you in choosing the most appropriate EBP for your agency.
The ATTC Change Book lists 6 steps to help choose an EBP
- Identify the problem
- Organize a team for addressing the problem
- Identify the desired outcome
- Assess the organization or agency
- Assess the specific audience(s) to be targeted
- Identify the approach most likely to achieve the desired outcome
Other ideas to help you decide on an appropriate EBP
- What approach does research indicate to be effective in addressing the problem? (conduct a literature review in journals, on the Web, with government sources, etc.)
- Visit the Network of Practice discussion forum and ask how colleagues in other organizations addressed similar problems? What has been most effective? What approaches have they used?
- What do staff members think is an appropriate approach to reach the desired outcome?
- Reflecting on the information obtained, what is the desired approach you’ve identified?
- What are your reasons for selecting this particular recommended approach?
There are many resources to help you choose an evidence-based practice
- SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices
A searchable online registry of more than 240 interventions supporting mental health promotion, substance abuse prevention, and mental health and substance abuse treatment. - Cost Benefit Survey
This tool will help you to decide whether a specific EBP adds value to your treatment program by comparing the cost of implementing to the improvement for your patients. - Evidence-Based Practices for Treating Substance Use Disorders: Matrix of Interventions
Use the matrix to quickly match interventions to population, drug problem, and availability of manual. University of Washington Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute. , August 2006. - Identifying and Selecting Evidence-Based Programs and Practices: Questions To Consider
This document is a tool for facilitating discussion and decision making about evidence-based programs and practices (EBPs). - The Change Book: A Blueprint for Technology Transfer
A tool to help you implement change initiatives that will improve prevention and treatment outcomes. - The Network of Practice Discussion Forum
See what colleagues have done to implement EBPs. Ask questions and provide support to others.