Sequencing of Data Collection

Data are from a prospective study of sustainment. For our leadership predictor variables we used web-based surveys and data from the last available wave of data for each site. Thus, time of data collection varied from 2010 to 2013 depending on whether a site was still active. Thus, the leadership ratings were based on current leadership during the EPIS active implementation phase (Aarons, Hurlburt, et al., 2011) as a predictor of future sustainment. Sustainment status was assessed in 2015. The qualitative interviewers were conducted by ethnographers that were not local academic collaborators or intervention developers. Although they were aware of which sites had no providers with whom to conduct focus groups, they were informed of the sustainment status of the sites for which there were current providers.

To assess outer context leadership, state/county and CBO administrators were asked about leadership during semi-structured interviews. Example questions and probes included: 1) “How are leaders within your state/county/agency influencing the ongoing use of SafeCare?” 2) “Who are these leaders? What did they do? Why?” 3) “Who are the most important decision-makers, or stakeholders, to influence whether SafeCare continues to be implemented? Why are they the important stakeholders?”

Consistent with our inner context quantitative measurement, the following questions and probes were posed to front-line service providers: 1) “How have leaders within your team supported use of SafeCare? What have they done to potentially undermine the use of SafeCare?” 2) “Who are the most important decision-makers, or stakeholders, to influence whether SafeCare continues to be implemented? Why are they the important stakeholders?”