New Publication in Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health!

Journal Access Link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23794925.2026.2657001

Personal Access Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BA9qfZ2uKM3WwHpxjspz9pUxn3cj_SyG/view?usp=sharing

Paper Summary: We sought to answer the question: can evidence-based practices (EBPs) be delivered with fidelity in schools, given their complexity and their primary focus on education? Using observational coding of treatment fidelity collected from two randomized controlled trials testing the Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, or Conduct Problems (MATCH) in clinics and schools, we examined EBP fidelity. Across settings and conditions, approximately 70% of session time involved delivery of EBP content. School-based sessions were about half the length of clinic sessions, but school-based clinicians showed significantly better EBP adherence and competence than clinic-based clinicians in the MATCH condition. Although treatment sessions were markedly shorter in schools than clinics, school providers were more adherent and competent in implementing EBP content than clinic providers with training in MATCH. Such findings suggest that schools may be an appropriate context for implementing evidence-based intervention.