The Impact of Incentives and Programmatic Changes on the Uptake of Evidence-Based Training for Public Sector Youth-Serving Mental Health Providers
摘要
Despite recent increases in youth mental health challenges, the lack of training in evidence-based treatments (EBTs) has led to alarmingly low rates of their use in public systems. Several states have responded with significant investments in EBT training or technical assistance, but fewer than one-quarter have established incentives to encourage attendance. This study examined the impact of incentives and programmatic changes on participation in a state-wide training initiative for clinicians serving children and youth. Data were drawn from a large cohort of clinicians employed at large Mid-Atlantic state funded youth-serving agencies (N = 3,897) who participated in trainings between 2014 and 2024. The study analyzed the effects of financial incentives, free CEUs, and programmatic changes, including virtual delivery and a briefer training option, on provider engagement, return attendance, dropout rates, and geographical diversity. Varied training options appealed to trainees of different ages and experience levels. Participants in the full MAP training tended to be younger (M = 37.24 ± 11.06) and earlier in their careers (17.44% with < 1 year of experience) compared to participants in the briefer trainings. CEUs were associated with lower dropout rates in the full training (p < .001) but had no impact on briefer trainings. CEUs also attracted younger (33.49 ± 9.65), less experienced trainees (3.88 ± 4.09). Financial incentives to agencies reduced dropout rates (18.90% vs. 51.30%; p < .001) and expanded geographical diversity, attracting more participants from regions outside of the Metropolitan Region (p = .01). Incentives and programmatic modifications can affect participation rates of experienced vs. less experienced clinicians, encourage repeat attendance, reduce dropout rates, and broaden geographical reach. These strategies can inform future training initiatives designed to overcome systemic barriers to EBT adoption in public mental health systems.