Translating Interprofessional Education to Social Work & Other Behavioral Health Disciplines: Curricular Evaluation Using an Implementation Science Approach

ABSTRACT

Evidence-informed, interprofessional education (IPE) programs in behavioral health are an important part of reform efforts to reduce fragmentation and increase quality of mental health and substance use disorder treatment. The aim of this study is to document an implementation science approach to translation of IPE, grounded in Interprofessional Education Collaborative competencies, to social work and other behavioral health graduate students and to evaluate selected implementation outcomes. Select implementation strategies from the “Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change” were used to guide implementation of our behavioral health IPE training. A mixed-methods design, including survey, observational, and focus group data, was used to evaluate select implementation outcomes of the IPE training program. Data indicate positive perceptions of feasibility, acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, and fidelity of the IPE training program, with mean scores ranging from 4.25 to 4.45 (5-point likert scale) on items related to acceptability, appropriateness and adoption. Themes that emerged from qualitative data included recommendations of relational and experiential strategies to improve fidelity. Evaluation of implementation outcomes identifies additional strategies to enhance learning and fidelity to IPEC competencies. Implementation science offers a helpful framework for carrying-out trainings in higher education and beyond.

KEYWORDS:

• Implementation science
• interprofessional education
• behavioral health
• social work education

Acknowledgments

This study was made possible by a grant funded by Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) from the Human Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Grant is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant # [1 M01HP41966-01-00 for $1,615,932], entitled the FCHC Scholars Program. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.